Hosting for 3 months and off to a slow start

[Erin7843]

Hi everyone. I’ve been hosting in st Augustine for three months. It’s been really slow. Is this a slow season? I’m looking for advise on how to pick up more bookings other than giving the place away. 

[Alicia753]

Hi @Erin7843 ,

If you're finding that bookings in St. Augustine are slower than expected, it could indeed be due to seasonal variations, as the city tends to attract tourists primarily during summer and major holidays. Using a dynamic pricing tool like PriceLabs can help you adjust your rates based on market demand and local events, ensuring you remain competitive without significantly lowering your prices.

Enhancing your listing with high-quality photos and a compelling description, highlighting unique amenities and the charm of the local area, can make your property more attractive. Additionally, enabling features like Instant Book can draw in guests who make last-minute travel decisions.

Consider leveraging social media to promote your property and local attractions, or even collaborate with local businesses to offer special deals to your guests. Improving the overall guest experience with personal touches, like a welcome basket or customized local tips, can lead to positive reviews and more future bookings.

Lastly, you might want to offer promotions or discounts for longer stays to fill up your calendar during off-peak times. Engaging with the Airbnb host community for insights and advice tailored to your area can also be incredibly helpful.

I hope this helps!

All the best,

**

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[Erin7843]

Thank you!

[Marie8425]

@Erin7843 

Your property is beautiful.  I think your description is great.

My ideas lol

People with pets really like your property.  Snap a few pictures of someone mention dog bowls, always a plus not tol ack those so highlight you have them.

Another great pet plus is a doggy bed like my husband loves our dogs but not in his bed lol

Showcase some pictures that show the enclosed yard another pet plus so highlight.

Sometimes when things for me are slow I just ty changing my cover photo, you have great pictures

An idea I know a few other hosts are trying is listings as a 3 bedroom and creating a second listing for a 2 bedroom little cheaper and locking their 3 bedroom.  Amazon has some nice bebedero keypad locks that look like fancy door knobs.

[Karen4131]

Hi @Erin7843 

What a beautiful place you have! I’m almost tempted to fly over from Sweden today for an extra summer getaway 🙂

Your property exudes the perfect vibe and atmosphere that one would expect in your charming

corner of the States. The issue isn’t with your listing—it’s fantastic. You have great photos, a detailed description, plenty of amenities, and excellent reviews.

The challenge lies in the supply and demand. There are many attractive properties in your area, and for various reasons, some are ranking higher than yours. I checked your ranking using the DuckDuckGo browser to ensure unbiased results (without cookies, history, etc., affecting the search).

Airbnb displays a maximum of 15 pages, showing only 300 listings for any given search. If a listing doesn’t make it onto those pages, it won’t be seen at all. The goal is to get on that exclusive list, preferably on pages 1, 2, or 3, for relevant searches in your area or for properties like yours. In the screenshots below, you can see your ranking in an area with only 313 listings—you’re on page 6, which is pretty good.

However, in the second screenshot, where I zoomed out to an area with 916 listings, your property didn’t make it into the 300 that Airbnb chooses to display. So even though your place is beautiful, you’re not getting the visibility you deserve.

This needs to be addressed.

Now that you’re no longer benefiting from the “boost” new listings receive on Airbnb, it’s essential to think about how you can make your property more attractive to Airbnb’s search algorithm. The algorithm’s main goal is to rent out as many properties as possible, and it prioritizes listings that it believes have the best chance of being rented out quickly.

You need to be strategic here. You’ve already built up good reviews and are a Guest Favorite, but many others are too, so you need something extra…

I would start with the basics: pricing and discounts. Consider lowering your price temporarily, even if it’s below market value, and take advantage of Airbnb’s options to create special offers. There are many levers you can pull, but you might need to see your ranking improve before you can set your price at market level.

Try searching for "how to beat the Airbnb Algorithm 2024." You’ll find many helpful suggestions on what adjustments you can make. If I were you, I’d also keep a close eye on the "Insights" tool and ensure you’ve selected "professional hosting tools" under account settings. This will show you how people interact with your listing and how often you appear on page one.

These are just a few tips. I wish you the best of luck in renting out your place. I’ll definitely book it if I’m ever in the area 🙂

Best regards,
Karen

[Paula]

Hello @Karen4131, Thank you so much for your detailed feedback 😊

It's wonderful to have you back in our community; I hope all is well on your end 🌻

@Erin7843, please keep us updated once you've had the opportunity to read the comments from our amazing Hosts.

Best regards,

[Erin7843]

Thank you so much! This was all super helpful!

[Joan2709]

Hi @Erin7843 

Great suggestions already from other Hosts. A few more suggestions:

Amenities

I noticed you are missing some of the little edits indicated by a pencil icon in the amenities section of your listing. These all count towards "listing completeness" in the algorithm. Suggest you go thru the entire amenities list in each section and look for the little pencil icon and be sure you click on that and add the details. For example, you say you have a coffee maker, but have not indicated what kind? Keurig? Drip?

One thing that stood out immediately is your listing says it doesn't have "essentials" (towels, bed sheets, soap, toilet paper). Airbnb considers these basic amenities and shows you don't have these with a strike thru. I would get that corrected ASAP, as I assume you have those amenities. Essentials are found under bedroom and laundry category in Amenities:

Family Friendly Amenities

If you want to appeal to families, add (at a minimum), a high chair and a travel crib. These are both highly sought after amenities for guests traveling with children. I would also suggest kids' plastic dinnerware and cups. Add these to your amenities list and be sure to add a photo of them. Many Host put the high chair and travel crib next to each other with the kids dinnerware on the high chair tray and take a photo to add to the listing. You can also add kids toys and books.

Photo Captions

Add captions to every photo. Many guests will only look at photos, price and reviews. Let your photos tell the story of your listing. Guests need to know what they are looking at and how they can enjoy the space and/or amenity. Captions also count towards listing "completeness" in the algoritm (so I'm told 😊).

[Erin7843]

Thank you! I didn’t notice that! I just made the changes 🤩

[Joan2709]

@Erin7843 

😊All those little pencil icon edits in the amenities section count! 

Number of Bathrooms

Most 3 bedroom homes have 2 bathrooms...you only have one bathroom. All things considered, if there is another listing that has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, most guests will choose that listing over yours if they are priced similarly (especially with 6 guests). The only way to make your listing more attractive is to make your price lower than the 2bath listing, add an amenity that other listings don't have, or add a 1/2 bath at least (another full bath would be better). 

[Joan2709]

@Erin7843 

One more thing to try....😊

I would change your cover photo to this one and see what happens. Wait a few weeks and see if it makes any difference. The cover photo you have now is ok, but the one below is better. I would add some solar pathway lights and then reshoot the same photo at about the same angle at twilight (try to get a few pathway lights in the photo). Wait for the solar pathway lights to come on, open the curtains and turn on all lights inside and outside. Reshoot the photo. Market research shows that twilight exterior photos do well on Airbnb.

Try using this photo as your cover photo: