Slow Season/ Little to no bookings

[Idalys2]

So I have been doing Airbnb for a little over a month and have been hit with a lack of bookings. Not sure if it's influenced by a changing season or if there is something that I am missing that will attract more people. I currently changed my title and decided to play around with a few different things to get people booking, as well as switching the cover photo. Not sure what's causing the slow pace but it will be great to get insight from other hosts, techniques, or recommendations. 

[Sudsrung0]

@Idalys2 

What you need to do is take a look at other properties in your area and also look through their calendars to see if they have bookings,

Lots of people are in the same boat as you, you will see many host asking the same questions on here CC, also on FB groups, 

Other thing you can do is get listed on ther platforms like VRBO, Trip advisor and Booking, if you are serious about making a business in the STR market. 

When you first listed your property did you follow airbnb advise and offer a 20% discount on your first 3 bookings? if you didnt you cant go back to do it now.

Also check your rates against other properties local to you, 

Good Luck

[Idalys2]

Yes, I took advantage of the exposure from the 20% discount and also got some reviews. I have currently listed on those sites you mentioned hopefully it helps. Thank You.

[Gwen386]

@Idalys2 Your listing is nice but it is very sterile looking and lacks personality.

I recommend putting life into the space. Framed prints/paintings on the walls, a coffee table and end table in the living area, a couple picture of dining/eating area, maybe a few knickknack throughout (nothing expensive), some magazines and/or books, and a TV or two would be nice. 

Also, check out your competition in Dallas (lots) for ideas on how to make your STR stand out amongst the many. 

On your profile page, tell a little about yourself (hobbies, etc). 

Good luck to many hostings. 

[Huma0]

@Idalys2 

This is normal. Airbnb gives new listings a temporary boost in the search results for the first month. After that, you are battling it out on the same playing field as the rest of us! So, it's very common for bookings to drop off a bit, or a lot, after that first month.

A lot of hosts have reported that their bookings are very slow since Airbnb launched its Summer Release back in May, when it changed the search function and introduced categories. That may also be affecting you now that that initial boost in the searches is gone. Try doing an 'incognito' search, i.e. from a device not linked to your Airbnb account, or get a friend to do one, and see where you appear in the results. 

[Idalys2]

So I searched and found my listing on the 7th page when I filtered for 2bd/2bth. For a general search kind of got lost in the number of bookings. I don't think the 7th page is as bad as I thought, but I don't feel like it's good either. What determines page ranking?

[Huma0]

@Idalys2 

I see that your listing is in Dallas, Texas. I imagine there are quite a few listings there? So, perhaps 7th page isn't that bad.

RE what determines search ranking, there are a lot of theories about this and Airbnb has also published some help articles trying to explain it, but I haven't seen one recently and, since the Summer Release, I am not sure any of those are completely accurate/relevant anymore.

The only thing I can advise is to make your listing as good as it can be, i.e. the best photos, a great description, a price that is competitive (but not too low). Keep an eye on the competition to see who is doing well and analyse why. 

Another suggestion is to get other people (here on the CC, but also maybe people you know) to give you feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your listing.