Only one booking 😢

[Laurie853]

We spent a lot of time trying to get things right and inviting. Yet we have only had one booking, and they reviewed it with flying colors, yet, no more bookings after 3 weeks! Is this normal? Can I get some feedback on our listing?  Thank you kindly. 

[Victor4351]

Hi [Laurie,

I can definitely understand how frustrating it can be when you’ve put so much time and effort into your listing, only to see limited bookings despite a great first review. That’s actually more common than it might seem, especially in the beginning stages of hosting.

I’d be happy to take a look at your listing and offer some tips on how to optimize it for better visibility and more bookings. Sometimes, small changes in pricing, photos, or even the description can make a big difference. Plus, I can suggest a few marketing strategies to help promote your space more effectively.

If you're open to it, I’d love to assist you with a quick review of your listing and provide tailored feedback based on what I’ve seen work well for other hosts in similar situations.

Let me know if you'd like to move forward with that!

Best regards,
Victor

[Shelley159]

Hi @Laurie853

I think you will do well. I see you have 2 reviews, both appreciated the historic home. It seems to be a very important feature, so perhaps consider using the word in the title (Historic Sunflower Room at Bon Aire or Sunflower Room at Historic Bon Aire)?

I've searched Wingina and your room comes up on the first page for 2 guests, so there doesn't seem to be a problem with visibility. This may change when the "new" label is no longer on your listing, then you'll have to check again and make sure that your listing is still prominent on the page and see whether there are some things you can adjust at that point.

There are plenty of highly experienced hosts here who will give you great advice about your listing. Community Center advice should be free, it's not a platform for marketing services. Give it some time and you will receive some very useful answers from the hosting community!

[Laurie853]

Thank you @Shelley159. We're going to try your second Title and see how it goes! 

[Andrea6232]

Ciao @Laurie853 ,

I took a quick look at your listing and it seems to me that you could improve your photos, here are some tips on how to best photograph your home:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Community-Guides/GUIDE-How-to-best-photograph-your-home-with-you...

good luck!

Andrea

[Laurie853]

Thank you @Andrea6232,

We are going to try to improve our photos!

[Andrea6232]

@Laurie853 welcome!

[Emilie]

Hi @Laurie853, 

Congratulations on your new listing! It sounds like you put a lot of passion making this property guests-ready. 😊 Shelley and Andrea have shared some advice with you, but I thought I could mention a few other hosts as well who might have some more suggestions: @Lydia594 @Joey28 @Jason2680 @Damien591 @John5097, what do you think?

@Victor4351 It's great to see you're eager to help other hosts! The community center is a space where hosts can learn and get insights from each other, so if you have any suggestions for Laurie please do pop them in this thread. ⭐

Thanks,

Emilie

[Victor4351]

Hi @Emilie ,

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm always happy to help fellow hosts, and it's great to see such a supportive community here. @Laurie853, I'd love to share a couple of tips based on my experience that could help you with your listing:

1. Clear and Engaging Descriptions: Make sure to highlight unique features of your property in a clear, engaging way. Guests love to know what makes your place stand out!
2. Set Clear Expectations: Ensure that your house rules and check-in/check-out procedures are clear to avoid any misunderstandings.
3. Consistent Communication: Fast and friendly communication with guests goes a long way. They appreciate quick responses, especially with any last-minute questions.

Looking forward to hearing what other hosts have to say! 🙂

Best,
Victor

[Lydia594]

What a unique historical Airbnb you have! I love the detailed description. Some ideas for you: I'd have an amenities section that lists/bullet points the highlights for those who skim read. For pictures, could you try some cozier angles? Maybe get the fire crackling for that first picture as well? For my listing I try to have a mix of wide room shots and closer up cozy shots. I'll link it for you to see. For your patio area, you could sweep off any leaves and try for a more balanced picture with the firepit as the center focal point. And a bathroom shot that shows the floor in the picture. A kitchen rug would make that space more welcoming, I think. And they're usually quite cheap. Lastly, how do you feel you are priced for the area? When you're new, it's helpful to lower the price to be under those who have lots of good reviews already, if you can afford that. 

Here is my airbnb listing, we've only been doing this for a little over a year. Feel free to check out those photo angles and how I bullet point the main amenities.  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/996968448773432173?viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76

I hope all this helps! You're doing great and asking others is the best way to grow. ❤️ Keep up the good work! 

[Laurie853 · Accepted solution]

Thanks @Lydia594, 

Will go over these ideas and implement where we can! 

[Emilie]

Hi @Laurie853, 

It's great to read that you've found the advice from our other hosts inspiring already! It would be very interesting to know what you try out and how it goes for you in the next couple of weeks. 🙂

I also wanted to let you know I've tagged Shelley, Andrea and Lydia in your replies to them to make sure they get a notification of your responses and see your lovely thank you notes - I hope that's ok!

Quick tip: To tag someone, tap "@" and select the host's username from the dropdown menu.

Thanks,

Emilie

[Beth6772]

Hi Laurie!! I’m sorry you’re feeling defeated after working so hard to get ready. We went through the same thing in the beginning just a few months ago. There’s an algorithm at play and for us it seemed the more reviews you get the more bookings you’ll get. Be patient. Share your listing on social media. Spam your friends. Trust the process. Best of luck.