Views on listing went way down

[Steve201]

Hi - newbie question...

I do realise that Airbnb give you a brief honeymoon period to get some bookings in my pushing listings onto the first page, but this is a bit crazy. I have dropped from over 40 views a day and 4-5 booking enquiries a day over four days to less than 10 views a day and no booking enquiries. 

Is this the new normal? Am I being hidden in search results?

Steve in Spitalfields, London

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Steve201

Hi Steve - first I think it is unwise to view the stats for views as anything other than suspect. Many hosts will tell you they are not just unreliable, but incorrect when it comes to number of bookings, etc.

Second - we go from very high numbers of views to nearly zero and it bears no relevance to whether or not you get a booking.

Your best bet is to keep on top of your pricing, your reviews and how that compares to others in your area. You won't be hidden in search results but there are thousands and thousands of hosts in the London area, and depending on what people search for (dates, ameneties, price) you will alwasy flutuate in the results. Over time, as you build up positive reviews you will begin to come higher up the lisiting results.

[Steve201]

Thanks for the advice, though the drop in bookings coincided with the drop in views, so on the face of it, the views looked reliable.

---

@Gerry0 And Rashid wrote:

@Steve201

Hi Steve - first I think it is unwise to view the stats for views as anything other than suspect. Many hosts will tell you they are not just unreliable, but incorrect when it comes to number of bookings, etc.

Second - we go from very high numbers of views to nearly zero and it bears no relevance to whether or not you get a booking.

Your best bet is to keep on top of your pricing, your reviews and how that compares to others in your area. You won't be hidden in search results but there are thousands and thousands of hosts in the London area, and depending on what people search for (dates, ameneties, price) you will alwasy flutuate in the results. Over time, as you build up positive reviews you will begin to come higher up the lisiting results.

---

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Steve201

Sometimes it can but remember that people often browse the site weeks or months in advance - we find most of our guests book 4-6 weeks out from their arrival. We had three booking requests over the past week and a half - yet our views are nearly at zero. Doesn't make sense unless people are doing research and then coming back to book later on. What is interesting is the number of people who add you to their 'wish list' as this would seem to indicate people who are interested in your property. Preview your listing and hover over the heart symbol and it will tell you how many people have added you to their list

[Huma0]

@Gerry-And-Rashid0 thanks for that information. I've been wondering for some time how I can see how many wish lists I'm on.

Interestingly, the listing getting the most bookings lately is on far fewer wish lists than the one that has gone a bit quiet. Hopefully that just means that people are saving the latter for future trips and will book down the line!

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Steve201 and....just noticed that I can see the full address of your property on the first photo when I visit your profile. It gives the name of the house and the number. Not sure that is a good idea. 

[Steve201]

That is very very bizzare. 

I have never noticed this before. I must investigate how to turn this off.

Best

Steve

[Julia66]

@Steve201  As the wise @Gerry-And-Rashid0 say, your bookings will gradually pick up.  Meanwhile, you could have a rethink of some of your photos.

Your room looks very attractive, and the bathroom is elegant.

However, it isn't possible to see the relevance of photo #1 in the thumbnail in search view, as you don't see the caption saying that it is the view from the bedroom.

The street pic is very atmospheric and unusual and either this one or the bedroom pic would make a good headline pic.

I would suggest taking the outdoor photos again in due course, when more leaves are on the trees, on a sunny day.

You will get a better pic of your pretty courtyard if you don't point the camera down at the paving; on a sunny, summer's day, kneel right down near the prettiest plant, and point the camera at the plants and buildings to show the surroundings better.

Perhaps you could add some information about times or distances to other tourist sites in London.

[Steve201]

Thanks for the support, Julia. I'm still learning the ropes - but I am lucky that there is a local host meet-up in my area soon. Seeing an Airbnb rep in person will hopefull put my mind at ease!

Best

Steve

[Bruce43]

nice idea about the pictures on the listing.

im learning to improve my pix all the time.

i  suppose its like marketing.

[Helen3]

I agree with @Gerry-And-Rashid0 the stats on BNB are inaccurate.

For example in February it says I only have two nights booked when I have 16 nights booked.

Remember a lot of people who view your property could be your competition, people just looking, or yourself so can't be seen as an indication of interest.

Just focus on making your listing stand out from the thousands of others in London, having great photos and description, reviews and ratings.

[Steve201]

Thanks everyone for your support. Two weeks later, the views are still going down and bookings have dried up even after a succession of 5-star reviews. I have updated appliances, pictures, and improved the discription - and the algorithm seems to be shuting my listing out of sight. This is really worriying me; is this the new reality? Are new listings really deserving of this artificial bump to get started?

[Bruce43]

@Steve201 i suppose we are like uber drivers just that we rent spaces.......just a thought