What gets bookings?

[Ben205]

On a different thread (Airbnb vs HomeAway vs Tripadvisor, if you're interested) @Stewart asked the question 'what gets bookings?'. Photos? Wording? Price? Listing site? Availability? Reviews? Anything else?

Thought this might make a quick poll, keeping it brief, so here's my top 3 in order or importance -

1. Photos - especially when I'm a guest

2. Location

3. Price

What are your top factors (as guest or host)?

[Huma0]

@Jeff

If you list yourself on Google and Bing maps, doesn't that mean that anyone looking at your property can see EXACTLY where it's located? Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I don't want people to have that information until they've booked. There's too many crazies out there.

[Kelly149]

I think mine is 

1. Location (our market for the city overall is SUPER saturated, we’re superhost, IB with no restrictions but there are still many many pages of options, but if you’re looking to be in our specific area then we’re the best thing around

2. Amenities/Photos (there isn’t another place like ours)

3. Host (do they want the personal touch of an actual owner on site)

4.Price (I know what it is worth to me & I have no qualms about leaving the space empty & available for our own use, so I don’t discount as much as abb would like)

those who make price their #1 feature attract that type of guest. So these lists could easily flip for any one of us. 

[Matthew285]

@Ben205, this is an excellent question to ask the community!

When I am searching as a guest on AirBnB, I would say

1. Photos
2. (Micro) location
3. Price
4. Amenities (in which I include parking)
5. Reviews
6. Superhost (meaning hoping they won't cancel)

[Fred13]

Can I have one 'tiny' revision?

#1 - Photos

#2- Micro-Location

#3  Price/Amenities  (value)

#4  Reviews/Host  (reinforcement and host personality)

There, that's better. Thanks folks.

[J-Renato0]

Anther good topic!  I believe it dependes on the type of destination, type of the average guest and number of listings in the same area and location. In my case, where there is a fierce competition, as a host I think it is like:

1-Location
2-Reviews and Host - The ability of the Host to get bookings and to deal with guests in a successful and easy way. It pass confidence to Airbnb to show the listing, and confidence to the guests as well.
3-Photos
4-Wording
5-Value for money

I agree with Fred that, it is not a good idea to spread problems and to "start a crusade"  in search for compensation and reparation when some small issue come up !

I have always saved an small percentage of the earnings for maintenance, to replace wornout equipaments and to function as a kind of self-insurance in case I need it.

Also think It is no use to set prices to low. It is the best way to ruin host's reputation and get bad reviews. Guests that search only for low price and do not know what is value for money tends to think that everything is expensive and are never happy.

My prices may appear too low if compared with listings from Europe, UK and US. The problem is, the currency of my country is devalued before some other currencies.

[Rachel0]

I think Jose is right.  Of course, every guest is unique and is looking for something that is right for them, but in my experience of hosting in London as a live in host, it is good reviews that come  first.  Seondly comes value for money.  If your prices are dirt cheap you can get dirt cheap guests who moan about everything and show both you and your property little respect.  Good photos are also vital as is the title of your listing.  In London, which is saturated with hosts now as are Paris, New York etc an eye catching photo can make all the difference - as long as it is accurate of course.  In a sea of photos of beautiful rooms, decorated in neutral tones, a splash of bright colour can draw a potential guest's eye to your listing straight away.  I have asked many guests, after I have got to know them, what made them decide to stay here and the answer has almost always  been "Your reviews" and/or "Your lovely decor."  I also think that "Smart" pricing is very off putting for guests.  If they look at your listing one week and see that it is £55 per night they may then save it in their favourites.  If they then, a week later, go back and have another look before making the booking and find that it is a totally different price they are going to wonder what is going on.  My prices stay the same, come rain or shine, the guests get a 5% discount for staying 7 nights or more and that's that.  Guests don't like uncertainty and confusion - travelling the world is quite confusing enough without adding to it!  

[Ben205]

@Rachel0Can't help agreeing that smart pricing is a put off. When I've booked as a guest, it's really frustrated then angered me when a price I've checked one day is different the next. Like you, I stick to one price and it seems to work.

[Fred13]

Like to second that observation about 'Smart Pricing', which in many occassions may come across as 'Smart Gouging'.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

Sorry, this is my business analyst background coming through, but the workflow of a guest finding a place that suits them starts from the first page of the website  @Ben205.  To get to a booking, the workflow to pressing "book it" has so many variables.  I could probably produce a dozens of Visio workflows that would showcase this.  The key point to be made here, is after drilling down from the  front page, you are left with a limited number of available options and getting to those option are the first critical decisions you make regarding a booking before you even SEE a listing.  But to try and answer your question: 

1. Reason for travel - work or play - these are very different options
2. General location - if you need to go to a wedding in Des Moines, you aren't going to stay in Chicago
3. Dates of Travel - the amount of time you need to stay in a location makes a huge difference on the type of property you are willing to consider
4. Price - this is a range and as you go through the steps over and over, this range gets smaller
5. Micro location - if it costs $50/less a night to stay 4 miles away and Uber daily, this could really change your perspective. 
6. Room/Property Type - for us, always a private/dedicated bath - I hate waiting for the loo
7. Host qualities - their reviews, their profile, the content of their listing
8. Room Amenities to fit that stay - don't care about a jetted tub if I'm only staying one night, I'm unlikely to take a bath (and I don't want to pay for amenities I'm not going to use!). But if it's a stressful week of meetings, that tub might be super important. I don't always care about an iron, but if it's for an interview - you bet there better be one.
9. Pictures 
10. repeat the steps over and over until you've narrowed it down to 2-3 and then just go with your gut and hope for the best

[Ben205]

@Alice-and-Jeff0Good list, but I'm going to push you. What are your Top 3 for your guests, in order of priority? May be guessing, but worth a stab?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Ben205 - it really depends on the reason they are coming to town.  Our guests do not come to Durham, typically, because they are "vacationing".  They come because they have an event in town.  So the students coming to interview at Duke, UNC, or NCCU have a different set of reasons than those who are here for they're niece's wedding.  Also note, that an older guest is really keen on our private attached bath but the younger students would be more worried about the price.  But at it's heart, these are the things our guests talk about the most: 

1. location and proximity to what they have to do in town (micro-location) 
2. the price/amenity balance - value
3. all our positive reviews - host quality 

So many guests remark on the room when they are shown it, but almost like they didn't expect it to really look like the pictures, so I'm not sure people use the pictures to determine so much of "is it beautiful" as much as "it's not gross".   My guess is that the younger guests and their use of social media, don't really believe the pictures since filters, photoshop, and such can alter the view of just about anything.  But that's a guess. 

[Huma0]

I guess general location and price range would be up there as these would be the first criteria I would enter into my search, but in terms of deciding factors when choosing from what comes up in that search, it would be:

1. Photos

2. Micro-location

3. Host reviews and how they come across in their description/communication etc.

[Fred13]

Good stuff, but what else is to be expected from our 'Peanut Gallery' really.

[Donna240]

I can't believe no one mentioned cleanliness. That's #1 for me, even when booking an hotel. I do not need to spend my vacation cleaning up the last guest's mess or scrubbing off mold in the shower. If a cleaning charge guaranteed me a clean place upon arrival I wouldn't mind paying it.

1. Cleanliness as mentioned in many reviews

2. Photos many more than 6-10, each room and adding a few of the neighborhood

3. Good local transportation

4. Recent reviews

5. Location & neighborhood

Admittedly, I'd like a place with some style and nice linens. A small "welcome gift" that wasn't even mentioned in the description would serve to make me feel welcomed and not just part of an income stream.

[Fred13]

Aye Donna, we all didn't go further than the 'booking' stage, and yes then there is the 'review' stage. Cleanliness is of major importance to my guest, major.