@Kate2083
Hi Kate,
So I've looked at your listings, and I don't see anything that would be driving guests away. One listing has three 5* reviews the other has none. Both look clean, bright, and attractive to the right guests.
To me, your pricing appears ok, it's not too high, not too low... But I can't speak for Portsmouth or the UK market in general. I know from past experience here in Mallorca that British travellers tend to be more price sensitive, but nothing in your pricing suggests you're way out of the ball park.
I don't know if you have many guests from abroad, but I recently read an article that said tourism to the UK has declined substantially since last year. That may be part of the problem you're having.
Otherwise, if you've gone completely dry, then you can always drop your prices. But be advised: cheap attracts cheapness. In our experience, the ones that pay the least tend to be the most problematic. So, dropping your prices carries risk.
But it may help keep you booked. So, if you drop your prices, I'd suggest a few precautionary things:
1. If you're using instant book, turn on all available filters: verified ID, photo, good review history. It's no guarantee, but it tends to weed out the worst of them.
2. Anyone that doesn't qualify for instant book will need to either "enquire" or "request" a booking. This gives you the opportunity to ask some questions, and try to get a sense of what character of person is trying to book it, and their answers (or lack of them) can speak volumes about who you'd be handing the keys to.
Look for inconsistencies in their answers compared to what they're booking. Example, how many people? (rhetorical question). You'd be surprised how often somebody books for one but his intending to bring 3 or 4. Cheap attracts cheapness.
3. If you don't feel comfortable with any one of them, don't be afraid to scare them off. If your prices are low, you'll be a magnet. There will be more.
4. You can do this for a while, but you should aspire to stay at the top of the price chain consistently. The only way you can do this is to always get glowing 5 star reviews, and it seems you're on your way already.
With 20 great reviews, you can start to raise your prices. I'd be mindful of things like your amenities, such as bed comfort and styling (guests judge you first on your photos, so do whatever to make your place stylish) . Listen to guests, they can tell you a lot about what's less than ideal. Then... Improve it. This will lead to you bring able to consistently command a better price, and in general, get better guests. It takes time.
I think you're on your way. There will always be down times. Just get careful not to go too low with the price. You may have to test this and see what attracts bookings, but not overwhelmingly. Just be mindful of who's booking at that price.
I hope that helps. Best of luck to you!