I need guidance

[Melissa488]

So it seems there are plenty of people viewing my ad, but only few actually book. I lowered my price alot and I have a lot of photos. Idk if it's just because it's not in downtown or what? But I could use any suggestions at this point from others who had a slow booking rate in the beginning and how rhey built that up.

Thanks,

Melissa

[Ria16]

@Melissa488 KiaOra

Houston is definitely on my Wishlist of places to go to.

The space you offer looks very cheery and vibrant and is cheap as chips but maybe move some items out as it looks very full. 

You could also show photos of the kitchen, dining area and bathroom so that your guests could see what’s available for them. Just a thought. Good luck. 😉 

[Sarah977]

@Melissa488   Took a look at your listing. I'm not familiar with Houston, so can't comment on whether the location is a factor. But here are my suggestions:

Change your profile photo-yes it's cute and yes it goes along with your artistic colorful nature, but to a lot of viewers, it may just look like you're a little kooky.

The photo of the room with the clothes rack full of clothes makes it look like someone already lives in the room. If I were a potential guest, my thought would be, Where will I put my clothes, as the rack is already packed with her stuff? Declutter. Leave a couple choice items on the clothes rack. There's no photo of either the bathroom or the kitchen that the guests will be sharing.

You say the room is for up to 4 people, yet you say there's a queen size bed and an "about" twin futon. To me that says it's only suitable for up to 3. And in my opinion, it's too small a room to try to pack even 3 into. You show the futon opened out and there's not even any room to walk between that and the bed. Nothing wrong with small, but for 1 or 2. And, as your listing reads now, I could book for 4 people for $20 CAN for all. Maybe list the room at double occupancy, charge more, then offer a discount if it's only for 1 person.

The wording in your description needs work. Almost every sentence contains a "but" or "just". Maybe you have a friend who is good at writing and can help you with it? Saying "Of course you're welcome to share the bathroom and kitchen" (perhaps not an exact quote) is not on- just let the "shared bathroom" and "shared kitchen" speak for itself, or say "You'll be sharing the bathroom and fully equipped kitchen with me, your host".

I do love the colorful artwork and textiles. 

[Paul154]

As it is now, you have a niche.

It is a great marketing tool. You are going for the potsmoking hippies. 

There are many out there. 

This is not my niche, so I can't advise you how to reel them in.

But I do agree with @Sarah0, even hippies don't want your clothes rack in their room. Do declutter.

Fewer duplicate pictures, less words. Show more of the house/neighborhood/lifestyle.

You could get a larger audience if you "deradicalize" you listing. But that is your choice. Maybe just be happy with your select audience.

[Willow3]

I’m familiar with Houston as I’ve family there, and I do think that not being downtown is going to work against you. But being so close to the airport, you should be able to capture travelers as you are a cheap lyft ride from there. 

But it if I were looking, a few things would prevent me from booking. 

The price. Honestly I would wonder if you are cleaning between guests because it’s so low. At this price, you’re paying to have guests there. 

No lampshade. It may sound silly, but if the lampshade is missing, I don’t think attention to detail is your forte. 

Style is personal, and yours isn’t mine, but I’ve booked many places that aren’t my personal style, but like Paul said, you look like you WANT pot smoking, beer drinking, young people. That’s not me. It looks like a teenagers room, that their mom kicked out to let you stay there. Not an actual guest space. 

No outside of the house photo - it tells me a lot about the environment and the care of the residents. 

[Louise231]

Hi @Melissa488!

Ok, so your room looks like my actual bedroom, (Yes really) but as a guest i'd want it a bit streamlined.

I'm probably the type of guest you're looking to host, younger, (poorer!) and flexible where i stay, and I totally love the colour skull picture on the back wall, but it's not a focal point because you've got a bunch of stuff in front.

So my advice,

--take stuff out. Nothing drastic, but yes take the rail out, clear the shelf with the DvD's, so its just TV with a neat pile of dvd's (no rack), then totally clear, and camera on the end of the shelf. Everthing else on there while cool, is too much to take in, it goes from asthetic to cluttered.

--Clear the back wall, not sure whats behind the rail but if you have drawers etc, then clear all the stuff off the top, and close all the drawers, empty the shelves (for the photo's they need to be empty, if you have stuff you want to store on the bottom two shelves take them out for the pic, then put back in after). Put the CD player inside the shelf, but leave the top completely clear, the guest can move it if they want to use it.

--Change the listing to 2 or 3 people, So guests who want a bed each, or 2 plus a kid can stay, 4 is a little too cosy.

--Change the name from 'Radical' to 'Retro' or a differnt word, maybe it's an american vs english thing, but 'Radical' tends to mean angry subversive over hear, 'Retro' is more cool/artsie/80's & 90's vibe, which is what your room looks like to me.

--Profile picture, I can see what people are saying about the profile picture, it's more of a guest profile picture than a host profile picture. But i think it shows you, so it's something i'd not be too worried over, but yes you may loose a few older people who maybe would have booked for the airport.

--Get the Airbnb Photographer in, Honestly the room photo's could be soooo cool becuase of the colour you have, there is such a big difference between the photo's they give you and the ones we do on our phones ect. You could have such amazing close up photo's- a close up of the magazines above the fridge for instance, but just the magazines, without the wire rack or light/candle. A photo of the camera, but nothing else in the shot. A photo of the back wall but all the stuff cleared away so it's the room, clean selves,  and the amazing skull picture.

--Yes the wording. The first thing you describe is something you can tell guests on check in. Tell them the basics first. Where are you? Whats in the room? Whats close by? If you struggle with this, have a look at other listings, get a friend to help. but keep it simple. Seperate out paragraphs with gaps inbetween, spell check ect. 

-Bathroom (and Kitchen). Yeah its a pain but cleaned, empty and absolutly sparkling for the photo's. Guests do care what it looks like, one basic picture of a super sparkly bathroom is a must. (and the kitchen if you intend to let people use it.

-Check out time, your check out time it later than the arrival time for and potential next guests, change it, just because it implies you don't have time to clean the room (even if the next guests wont be arriving until the next day) put 'flexible' if you're happy for a late checkout, but don't list a time that is later than a potential arrival time.

Overall your room is looks like it could be soooo cool, it's just making it look pretty to guests, it does look like it's currently being used by another person. Here's what i mean about the pictures. Cear, bed as focus, and nice hanging in the backgroundthere is soo much stuff i don't know where to look, what is the point of this piture?

Feel free to igonre all this, but hope it helps!

[Ellen33]

Ask more money

Remove clothes from rack.

Less detailed pics. No light switch, no tv remote, no magazines. People will book for the room not tv or magazines

One pic seems as if there is an empty beercan left on the cupboard. Maybe its decoration but now it seems your just messy or a alcohol addict.

Fridge with possebly goodies? Dont write that. Fold the greenish cloth on the sofa.

You could have booking but ask more money and decluther. We do not ask to change your personality. 

And radical is not the right wording. 

All the best

[Fred13]

Great points above. In a nutshell: remove the probable reasons people are not booking (covered above), and until you get enough 'vouchers' (positive reviews) best not to ask of the viewer to use their imagination. 

[Lizzie]

There are so many great points here @Fred13, @Ellen33, @Louise231, @Willow3, @Fred13, @Paul154, @Sarah977, @Ria16.  @Melissa488 what do you think?

[Robin4]

@Melissa488

Melissa, others have summed it up and what I am going to say you will probably find offensive, and I don't mean to be, I just want to help you.

Your listing is a cluttered psychedelic nightmare! I could not stay in that environment....seriously!

Now I understand you are charging a really minimal amount per night Melissa but, when someone wishes to book and pay to stay somewhere they expect it to be worthwhile. 

I would concerntrate on lifting the quality of what you offer to make it more attractive to prospective guests.

Put in a little table over that fridge with a kettle, a few tea bags. maybe a few biscuits, some bottled water.....something welcoming.

Compare your amenities with mine.

Try to make that bed look a bit more inviting.....

You can do so much without spending a lot of money. 

Just about everything in here came from an opp shop! The bedside tables are cut down wooden chairs with the backs removed fixed to a wooden base. The seat is a cut down single bed frame, I just removed the rails and upholstered a seat. The head and foot of the main bed I made myself from odd bits of timber. The bedside lamps were $10 each from KMart. I poured some money into the bed, that has 6 motors in it for lift and massage, but you don't have to do that, just invest in some nice classy linens, keep to nice soothing colours and booking requests will come.

Try and get rid of the clutter, Melissa I am a bit afraid with the style you have displayed in your photos you are going to attract the wrong type of guest, the type that may not have a lot of respect for your property.

Please don't think I am judging you Melissa, I have a reasonable idea of what works in a hosting environment and it is only by listening to others here on the Community Centre that I have been able to put together something that people want to stay in.

Make it attractive, make it inviting and the rest will fall into place. And the better you make it, the more you can charge because it becomes more dersirable.

Give it a go Melissa.

Cheers.....Rob

[Ellen33]

It seems we wont see her back...

[Fred13]

Well, I still like her /version of amenities better than Robin's (rolls eyes).  >:)

[Mark234]

Hi @Melissa488, you seem to be doing good now, based on reviews I've seen for you. Are you still not happy with your occupancy rate....or is all good now?