Need Ways to Sort Search Results

Need Ways to Sort Search Results

There have been lots of posts from hosts who are frustrated that their listing isn't appearing on searches. Last night I had a frustrating experience from the other side of the bed!

 

I am planning some upcoming trips and wanted to do some research to book accommodations through Airbnb - which will be a first for me, although I am an active host. I was very excited to be able to experience the other side of Airbnb as a guest, after having had such pleasurable experiences as a host.

 

I put in my dates, the basic features I was given to choose from (entire home, 1 bedroom, Instant Book OFF) and price range. What appeared was what seemed like a completely random, and overwhelming, list of hundreds of options that I then had to laboriously sort through to find what I was looking for.

 

I would have liked an opportunity to have been able to sort the results.  Things like Superhost status, quality of review, numbers of reviews, price. What should have taken me a relatively short period of time, and given me access to the listings most suited to my needs, instead resulted in an hours long search as I waded through mediocre listings to find the pearls.

 

My first guest experience was not very satisfying, and I can understand the frustrations of excellent hosts who are not appearing high in the rankings. It is those excellent hosts that I wanted to find! I don't want to wade through pages and pages of mediocre listings from less than committed hosts to find the hosts and the properties that I know will meet my expectations.

 

Although I was looking forward to an Airbnb experience, it would have been way easier to have used a conventional booking platform to have found accommodations for my upcoming trips. Perhaps not as fun, but definitely more user friendly and efficient. Every major booking site out there allows me to sort my search result by price, stars, and reviews.

 

I watched the live presentation today from the LA Open about upcoming additions to the Airbnb platform. I wish the creators would spend more time improving what they already have, rather than coming up with new innovations. I definitely had a less than positive experience trying to book as a guest, which impacts all of us as hosts.

 

Jude

 

PS Although this isn't a hosting issue - ultimately it is - since the inability of guests to easily find the property that best suits their needs affects every host. I might have been looking for some of YOU, but couldn't find you because you were buried many pages back and it just wasn't feasable for me to continue searching after a certain period of time. Had I been able to sort my results your listing may have moved up to a place where I could easily find it.

 

If you think the search function needs to be improved, benefitting both guests and hosts, please add your voice and thumbprint. 🙂

31 Comments
Jude7
Level 10

@Amy38 -

I just did a search on my iPad using the app. What comes up is a list of available properties.  At the very top right of that list are two symbols.  The left one takes me to a page to change my search, the symbol  on the right (which looks sorta like an accordion map) takes me to map view.

 

Jude

James728
Level 2

As a UX Designer it is soooo frustrating to hear people and other ux designers praise Airbnb site/app all the time when they miss obvious ux like sorting. The UI takes precedence over the ux at Airbnb. I think that is what they praise, the UI. People confuse the two. 

Jude7
Level 10

As one who is very frustrated by the lack of sorting ability, so much so I've booked a hotel when I would have preferred and Airbnb experience, wondering if you could share, @James728, what a UI experience might be?

 

jude

Amy38
Level 10

@Jude7@James728  Well now the map search has completely disappearred...the little accordion is gone. On neither thesite nor the app can I find it.

Further I have found a new search filter for smoking permitted...I looked at a couple...one wassmoking outside and the other was a highrise with nosmoking anywhere on premises including, I assume on the balcony..

 

@james  I dont understand your lingo but I think you would agree that a simple funtioning intuitive site has become increasingly clumsy and less useful.

 

Abnb is a wonderful model and I have not had any problem with the company or customer service but someone needs to do something about the 12 year old programmers who keep randomly changing the site. We need map search!  My city is 25 miles across!  Help people find their desired location.

Curt0
Level 5

Well I still see map view.  It is not labeled but is a symbol on the lower right which looks like torquise misshapen circle.  Would be nice to have it labeled as map view.

Sandra126
Level 10

I didn't even realise the map was MISSING!!! Impossible to see where places are, this is not an improvement. But it is pointless having a conversation on this thread I think, as it is archived since 2016. I will see if there's a more recent one.

Sandra126
Level 10

Ok, @Jude7, @Curt0, @Amy38, @James728, @Elaine153, I have added a new Host Voice suggestion. Meanwhile, you can add a map view in your photograph stream by taking a map and circling in where you are to give guests a quick idea, I will do this when I have a minute. My location is important.

Amy38
Level 10

Thanks @Sandra126 but as of this morning even that mysterious icon was missing from my screens.  A shot of the map presumes that people have found your listing....there are 3200 hosts in Nashville and no way to sort location.    There is a newer post ajd I have commented, 20 likes will send it up the line supposedly.....

If this rings a bell with you, how about everyone just write to Lizzie, our moderator? 

Amy38
Level 10

Thanks @Sandra126 but as of this morning even that mysterious icon was missing from my screens.  A shot of the map presumes that people have found your listing....there are 3200 hosts in Nashville and no way to sort location.    There is a newer post ajd I have commented, 20 likes will send it up the line supposedly.....

If this rings a bell with you, how about everyone just write to Lizzie, our moderator? 

Jeffrey142
Level 1

I'm a newbie and I can't get my place to show up in any search or any map. I've tried about 20 different ways to search for it. CAN'T. FIND. IT.

 

And if I can't find it, and people looking to rent can't find it, WHATS THE POINT?