[Ep 3] How to Stand out from the Crowd

Superhost Unveiled

There are many ways to set yourself apart from the competition on Airbnb and many of these tips work for other platforms as well. Today, we are breaking down the Logify article "Top 10 Tips for improving your ranking" and giving our opinions for what is most important to focus on.

Airbnb is similar to a search engine, it's algorithm is designed to improve the guest experience so it "knows" it's user and populates listings based on their interests. Using key-words in your listings that guests would be interested in such as hot-tub, water-view, etc will help you rank better in the search results.

In order to stand out from the crowd, you'll need to optimize your listing to the best of your ability. Here's how.

"Think like a Guest"

Put yourself in your ideal guests' shoes, what are they looking for when traveling for vacation? Are they a family? Are they a couple? Is it a group of friends? Whoever you are targeting, your listing should include wording that will pique the guest's interest. Be sure to include popular amenities in your home such as a coffee pot, laundry, game room, TV, wifi, etc.

"Don't Skip on High-Quality Photos"

In our opinion, photos are the most important part of your listing. It is the first thing a potential guest will see so we want to capture their interest so that they stop their scroll. We highly recommend investing in a professional photographer, however, you can also take amazing photos using an updated version of smartphones. Before you attempt to take photos yourself, browse Youtube for some free lessons. Be sure to stage the home as if a guest is walking in so have your best linens out, maybe set the table, include important amenities, etc. As humans, we are drawn first to photographs. Many people do not even look at the title of your listing they just scan the photos.

"Seal the deal"

Your goal is to accept as many bookings as possible. Sounds obvious right? Well actually the more bookings you receive the more Airbnb will promote your listing because it's successful. Be sure to have clear house rules and any regulations in your listing so that you lower the number of cancellations you receive. Turning on instant book will also give you a boost.

"Respond in a Timely Manner"

When guests are deciding which home to book they'll likely have some questions. Guests who ask a question before booking likely want the answer as quickly as possible and typically will decide based on whichever host gets back to them the quickest.

The first way you can do this is by having a super clear listing that does not spark any questions. Questions are inevitable though, so we recommend an auto-responder or making sure that your notifications are turned on so that you can respond as quickly as possible. Instant gratification is important for guests, it's important to respond to every message as quickly as you can.

"Be Instant-bookable"

Like we mentioned earlier, instant book is a great feature to opt-in on. First, it reduces the number of inquiries that you need to respond to. Second, it can reduce the search pool by over 50% in some cases - remember guests want instant gratification. You can also set parameters for instant book such as requiring an ID, that they are a US citizen, and age.

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