You may not judge a book by its cover but you better believe people will judge an Airbnb rental by its listing. In the short term rental world, your rental listing is everything. You can have the most amazing house for the best price but, if your listing is poorly done, no one is going to click book now. Make sure to take the time to write a quality listing. How do you do that? Follow the tips below to help you craft a listing that books.
Great Pics or Bust
"I need great pics or I won't get booked" is your new listing motto. Guests believe what they see in photos far more than any wordy description you write. So, make sure your listing is full of great pictures. This means photos that are clear, vivid and tell a complete story of what your rental space looks like.
Now, how do you get these beautiful pictures? You start with items that are naturally photographic. Since most of us don’t have a background in photography, trying to make something that is not photogenic look beautiful in pictures is next to impossible. Make life easy on yourself and fill your rental with items that naturally photograph well. Use white linens and towels (like these or these) because they look clean and crisp in photos. Pops of color with simple patterns like a Turkish Blankets are easy to capture in pictures and add a sense of style your listing. Mid-century modern platform beds are a big hit with guests and they are extremely photogenic. And, since the bed is the centerpiece of the bedroom, choosing a photogenic bed will make taking your bedroom pics a snap.
How Far Are You From That Place Everyone Visits?
Most guests are not well versed in the geography of your town so help them out a little. Let them know how far away your place is from the common tourist spots, airport, and local restaurants. A simple bullet point list like this works best:
- 10-minute drive from XYZ airport
- 5-minute walk to downtown restaurants
- 20-minute drive from the big body of water
- 15-minute drive from the sports stadium
- 18-minute subway ride from famous building
If you don’t know the times off hand, take a moment and punch them into your GPS or Google Maps. Offering this information helps guest book your rental with confidence. The more questions you can answer without them having to ask, the more likely they are to book your listing. It also saves you time from having to answer the same questions over and over again. You will find that most guests are interested in the same information so save yourself some time and put the relevant information into your listing.
Hook Guests Up with Hotel-Like Amenities
As short-term rental sites become more popular, the expectations of guests also increase. Offering little things like Shampoo, Conditioner, Hand Soap, and other hotel amenities (like these) make it easier for a guest to click Book Now. It’s one less thing they have to think about bringing and it shows guests you are going to take care of them during their stay. A few quick tips on offering Guest Amenities:
- Make sure you include all your amenities in your listing. There is no point offering your guests extras if they don’t know about them during the booking process. These include bathroom toiletries, kitchen and laundry supplies, and free perks like coffee, water, books, etc.
- Take beautiful pictures of everything you offer, no matter how small the detail. Do you offer shampoo and body wash? Put a pretty picture of them on your listing. Do you have a big, fluffy bed? Make sure there is prominent photo featuring it. Photos translate what you offer much quicker which will entice more guests to book your place.
- Buy in bulk! If you offer amenities in your listing and run out before the next guest arrives, those guests are not going to be inclined to leave you a 5-star review. Buying in bulk is cheaper and makes refilling a breeze.
- Check your supply of amenities as you clean your rental between bookings. This ensures they are full and ready to go for every guest. And, if you have bulk backups, it should only take a few seconds to refill everything.
If done right, offering hotel amenities will cost a few pennies per guest and will lead to dozens of more bookings.
Be You! The Polite, Nice Version of You. But Still You.
Don’t be afraid to put a little personality in your listing. If guests want dry and sterile they will book a stay at the local Econo Lodge. Short Term Rental guests, on the other hand, are looking for something extra. They want something authentic and putting your voice in your listing will do the trick so don’t leave it out. And, don’t be afraid to be casual and informal in your descriptions. That being said, make sure your descriptions are still clear and concise. Yes, I want to know about you. No, I don’t want to read about your entire life story in order to find out if you have a memory foam bed.
A good rule of thumb is to be yourself but the version of yourself that is taking Grandma out for lunch. Guests like to know that you are more than just a faceless booking agent so they can feel good about giving you money.
Remember the Memory Foam
Memory foam gets you booked. It’s really that simple. Memory foam has become the industry standard for short term rentals and many travelers won’t even consider a place if it doesn’t offer it. If you offer memory foam pillows and mattresses, make sure to mention it in your listing. It could be the one extra perk that convinces a guest to book your rental. And, don’t worry about memory foam mattresses costing you more to buy. Today, you can find a good memory foam mattress for the same price as a decent spring mattress. Check out these memory foam mattresses for reference.
Many hosts are not familiar with ordering a mattress through the mail. It really is the way to go in order to save time and money. You avoid running around to every mattress store in town and having to deal with slick talking salesman. You also avoid the pain of having to drive across town with a mattress strapped to the roof of your car. Mail order mattresses are factory direct so no middle man which means lower prices. And, memory foam mattresses are created to easily bounce back to their original shape, comfort, and durability after being compressed and rolled into a shipping box. Save yourself some hassle and get one of these memory foam mattresses delivered right to your door. Getting a memory foam mattress and pillows is an easy way to upgrade your listing and increase your bookings.
Go, Go Organic!
Highlighting the fact that you offer eco-friendly or organic amenities will set you apart from the competition. It can also demonstrate why your higher priced rental is worth the extra money. Organic products are not that much more expensive than regular amenities particularly when you buy in bulk. So, having them in your listing is an easy way to let potential guests know that you put extra thought and care into your place. And, many guests will pay a premium price to book a place with organic offerings. So, don’t be afraid to spend a little extra so you can charge more.
And, of course, if you offer eco-friendly, organic products, make sure to mention them in your listing and include beautiful pictures.
Don't Be Scared, Ask For a Review
Reviews are king in the Short Term Rental world. They keep both guests and hosts honest and motivated while 5-star reviews will get you more bookings. After a guest has checked out, don’t be afraid to send a short, polite note requesting a review. You should wait a couple days after check out and write something like, “Thanks so much for staying with us. If you have a moment, could you please leave a review? It would really help us out. Safe travels!” You would be surprised how many people will leave a review because they are happy to help. However, there are a handful of big no-no’s when asking for review:
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Don’t send a long winded desperate plea. It’s off-putting and you are annoying people right at the moment when you want them to say something nice about you.
- Don’t ask right after check out. The system will already prompt them to leave a review after check out so you are just pestering them. If they have not left a review within 48 hours of checking out, that’s when you send the gentle request.
- Only ask once. They got the message the first time and they are either going to leave you a review or not. If you pester them too much, they are likely to leave you a bad review which you definitely don't want.
- Don’t ask in person. No matter how you ask it will come across as desperate. And, when you send a message through the online system, your guests will read your request on the device they will use to leave you a review. It’s more convenient for your guests and a higher chance of success for you.
- Don’t send review requests to people you know had a bad time. You really don’t want their review anyways and asking them to do something after they had a bad time will only make them leave an even worse review.
Keep these simple guidelines in mind and you will easily rake in those 5-star reviews.
