If you have an extra room in your home, a guest
This is especially true if you live in a big city or an area that is popular among tourists.
If you want to earn extra income this way, you will, of course, want to get as many bookings as possible. Unfortunately, that is often easier said than done.
In highly competitive areas, it is not always easy to secure bookings. Travelers have a lot of properties to choose from, and getting them to choose yours can be difficult. So, how to get more bookings on Airbnb then?
While things like where your property is located and its proximity to local attractions are usually beyond your control, there are things you can do to get your Airbnb listing noticed and Airbnb it more appealing to people who are looking for a place to stay.
How to Get More Bookings on Airbnb
1. Optimize Your Listing
Like Google, Airbnb uses a search algorithm that calculates rankings for the searches that are performed on the website.
These rankings determine the order in which listings are displayed when a user performs a search.
Several factors are taken into consideration when establishing rankings. While some results are based on the guests’ preferences, there are other factors that you have a bit more control over.
Some of the factors that Airbnb uses to determine search result rankings
- booking appeal;
- price;
number of reviews;- photos;
- acceptance rate;
- updated calendar;
- and responsiveness.
Airbnb recommends that you make your title and descriptions informative and attractive. Explain what sets your space apart from others in your area.
Responding to every message you receive within an hour helps your rankings, too, since Airbnb favors listings made by people who are responsive.
Keeping your calendar up-to-date keeps potential guests from wasting their time, and it looks better to Airbnb’s algorithm.
Log into your account frequently. This lets Airbnb know that you are an active host, and the platform will help you achieve higher rankings.
These are just a few of the many things you can do to optimize your listing and work toward a better ranking.
A lot goes into fully optimizing a listing, though. And if you want to get your listing to the top, you might want to consider working with a business that specializes in optimizing Airbnb listings.
2. Make Sure You Have Great Photos
When potential guests are looking for a place to stay, they make their decisions largely based on the photos in the listing.
While your description should good job of saying what your space is like and what types of amenities you offer, you still need pictures that show guests exactly why they should book with you.
If possible, hire a professional Airbnb photographer. This requires a significant investment, but it will help you get a lot more bookings and will likely pay for itself.
If hiring a pro isn’t in your budget, take the best pictures you possibly can to get more bookings on Airbnb.
Make sure
Take pictures of everything—the front entryway, parking area, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, etc. The more images you can show your potential guests, the more likely they are to book your space.
3. Embrace Your Inner Interior Designer
Having photos of your rental space is extremely important if you want to learn how to get more bookings on Airbnb. It is also important that those photos show spaces that guests would want to stay in.
If your pictures show just a dull, dingy basement room or a cluttered rental home with no aesthetic appeal, your chances of getting a lot of bookings aren’t good.
The good news? You don’t have to be an expert interior designer to make your space more appealing to guests.
Hiring a designer could really help you set your listing apart from the competition. But there are also several things you can do yourself to give your space a bit of a facelift.
Investing in some new furniture is a good place to start. Since your listing needs to appeal to overnight guests, buying a high-quality bedroom suite or stylish living room furniture could go a long way toward helping you get more bookings.
After all, weary travelers would much rather get a good night’s sleep on a nice bed than be stuck tossing and turning on an old broken-down futon!
Keep in mind that first impressions mean everything. Your front door should be freshly painted or have a unique design that is pleasing to the eye.
It is also a good idea to make sure that the front of your home is neatly landscaped and looks safe and appealing from the street. If the front of your home is dark, consider adding some lights and sharing a nighttime photograph.
Well-lit properties are often more appealing than dark ones, especially in urban areas.
As for how to get more bookings on Airbnb, design and decorate the interior of your space in a way that is appealing to the masses. It is usually best to stick with light, neutral colors. When deciding on décor, consider your location.
If you are in a seaside community, you may want to think about going with a nautical theme to appeal to travelers who are planning beach vacations. If you have a cabin in the mountains, a rustic theme would be more appropriate.
Think about what people would expect when visiting your area, and design your rental space to meet (or better yet, exceed) those expectations.
In Conclusion
Services like Airbnb have revolutionized the way people travel. And they’ve also made it possible for homeowners to earn money by renting out unused spaces in their homes.
If you are struggling to get Airbnb bookings, there are several things you can do to make your space more appealing and draw more attention to your listing. In addition to the tips listed above, there are also several companies that specialize in helping you build your Airbnb business.
About The Author
Jeff King serves as Vice President of Club Furniture (One Source Plus, Inc.). Jeff oversees all marketing related functions from the Charlotte, NC headquarters. When not busy playing bass guitar… Jeff enjoys reading, playing tennis, and spending time with his wife and two children.
