I followed a lot of recommendations previously given to elev...
Latest reply
I followed a lot of recommendations previously given to elevate my listing including adding all the amenities and getting pro...
Latest reply
Hi All!
My name is Jennifer and my husband and I are Super hosts. We have a great listing in Garden City Beach, SC. However, getting listings during the mid-season and off-season is particularly challenging (September through April in particular). We have lowered prices, have instant book turned on, and only have a 2 night minimum. Any other suggestions for helping us improve our listing for these seasons would be very welcome.
Here is the listing: airbnb.com/h/kailanihouse
Thanks all!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for reaching out to me! I checked out your photos and the only thing I'd add would be rugs at the base of the beds and maybe an orchid on the kitchen counter.
I hope that helps! Best wishes with your property!
Elizabeth
Hello Jamie & Jennifer,
During the off season - I will put some fall decor up, a little Christmas tree , fall scented soaps and dish towels .etc. the guests really like that . Also I let them know what is going on in the community . For example Rehoboth beach has a big Halloween festival .
Your place is very beautiful - hope this helps .
Best,
Eileen
Hello!! I think you are doing all the right stuff! We do exactly the same thing as lowering prices, immediate check in etc. Our slow time is October-April. However, we get a lot of snow here. We live in a very small town of 1,000. We get it.
Are there any special things that happen in your community that could help draw more guests during your off season time? maybe post pictures of what it is like in Garden City Beach during your slow time; Weather for instance.? What activities are available in and around Garden City Beach?
I hope this was helpful for you. We pray your business will grow and prosper!
Blessings, Delbert and Deanna Kamenzind
Whispering Pines on the Kootenai River
Hi Jennifer,
Your listing looks great overall! Here are a few suggestions to attract more bookings during the mid-season and off-season:
1. Highlight unique features of your property, such as a hot tub or special local experiences.
2. Update your photos to include seasonal shots or recent upgrades.
3. Mention nearby off-season activities or attractions.
4. Offer flexible cancellation policies or special promotions.
5. Promote your listing on social media or local travel forums.
Hope these tips help you get more bookings!
I would concur with the rest of the comments. One thing I have noticed, is that the traffic for me has slowed considerably since the pandemic. I get inquiries but less bookings. I think my average client has become more price conscious and is looking for more discounting.
Hi Jamie and Jennifer. I'll echo what others have shared around the "new normal" of more competitive listing landscapes, which will only continue to increase in scale until we get a correction in the STR space where more folks sell off or shift back into the MTR/LTR market. That's inevitable based on the fundamentals out there today, but will take time to unfold. As always, occupancy's your most essential metric, so you're right on to be asking about that.
I'm not local but familiar with the region and so take the suggestions below in the spirit of help/ideas, not criticism. You have a beautiful home, let's help you showcase the best of it. Some quick thoughts:
1. You need a new primary/first photo. That shot looks like a patio, but it's a chess board lacking color/pop and doesn't help me as a potential renter know what I'm actually renting until I swipe in at least 3x. Picture #4 does show your home and, even better, looks amazing! Change up that photo order and consider what those top spaces/attributes are to start with right up front. Most folks are booking on the go, meaning your "cover shot" may be the only thing they ever see. Make those first 3 pictures really pop. Add a nice colorful outdoor carpet and maybe some greenery to that outdoor patio to help it really stand out.
2. Consider reordering your photos to make them a virtual walkthrough of your space. You've seen this in design magazines and great home listings: here's the wide angle house/yard, let me show you this slightly open red front door, here you have the inviting living room, etc. Consider how you can arrange your photos in an order of how someone entering your home would proceed. Walk your prospective renters through your home room by room. Show them around. Yes, AirBnB provides room tagging, but that's like parachuting into a maze: it's not the same thing as the kind of virtual walkthrough a great listing will feature.
3. You have a great rating, but low review count. That means folks love your space once there, but may not be clicking into it enough to book. That's actually a good problem to have because it reinforces the value you're providing, if only more folks could see it. Why don't they see it? Go back to those first 3 photos. Add some color. Grab my attention. Make those spaces really pop. To illustrate what this means for your market, open a private/incognito web browser (critical) then run a search for similar 3BR/2BA/8P rentals. What comes up first? What looks amazing? Of those top 10 listings, focus on the top 3-5 will the most reviews. That's your competition. Now show us what's different/unique/better about your home over those others. If that sounds complicated, it's not. It's about knowing what sets you apart from your competition, which will only get more important the greater the number of actual listings there are out there. There's a reason AirBnB's highlighting the X-Mansion, Doja Cat, and Kevin Hart on their land page: they're unique and impossible to ignore.
4. You're currently listed with 50+ photos. Drop 20 of them to get it down to 20-30 great shots. Focus, focus, focus. I realize there's thinking out there that more is better, but it's mistaken. No one's swiping 50x for a single listing so whatever's shown at the end of those 50 photos is simply never seen. In your listing that means all the area amenities that you want folks to know about. This is the listing equivalent of "below the fold" in webpage design: most visitors won't scroll a webpage so it's best practice to keep any call to action right up top.
5. Below the fold also applies to. your description, which is currently cutoff before it gets into any of the value you're offering in your home. Consider how to summarize those top feature, amenities, and attributes before anyone clicks into the "Show more" link. Most never will.
Lots here I know so take what you like and feel free to ignore what you don't. Just perspective from a fellow host who's found myself doubling down on strategy and optimization in a world where every booking is a battle.
Hello @Jamie-and-Jennifer0 !
I think your house is so cute and such a fun place to stay! Things that would make me stay is the porch, outdoor area and beach toys/equipment.
Things I would change:
1) king beds in both of the adult rooms if you really want to cater to two families (looks like maybe a queen and a double bed? Can’t tell).
2) no limits on toilet paper and paper towels, this really aggravates people and is a limited cost to you in the big scheme of things (also if you cater to families and a child throws a whole roll into the toilet, as my daughter loves to do when she’s angry).
otherwise I think it’s hard to book beach places off season so maybe offer returning guests a discount to entice them?
good luck!