Ideas to increase bookings.

[Brian2954]

My wife and I have a mountain property with a ton of amenities.  After a winter storm and subsequent repairs, we relisted the property.  Looking at the insight analytics I'm not sure if we are getting enough web visits?  Is there a rough formula on how many web visits to bookings a property should have?  Looking for ideas to increase web traffic and obviously increase bookings.  Perhaps someone can look at my listing and offer suggestions.  

[Sophia]

Hey @Brian2954, I hope you're well. This is a great question! 
I'm going to tag some lovely Hosts to kindly share some suggestions @Dawn241, @Melanie318 and @Patricia2526  😊

[Brian2954]

Thanks Sophia!

[Dawn241]

It looks like you charge the same price for 1-8 guests. The extra guest fee didn’t work for me, people would say 2 and bring 4, but maybe you could experiment with a 4 person base fee and then additional fee for 6, and then 8 and see if that helps. 

remove any restrictions like buffer days before and after bookings if you can clean and turnover same day. 

allow pets if you don’t already. 

remove cleaning fee if you do your own cleaning. 

give a 20% last minute booking discount for upcoming weekend. This boosts your listing to the top of the search with a slash through the price. 

the pictures look a little too much like a real estate listing. Airbnb photos need to show people how they will experience staying in your house. Ask friends/family/pets to model. Take pictures of the contents of the kitchen cabinets, a car plugged into the EV, people in the hot tub holding a drink (the backs of their heads watching the sunset), etc. less sterile and more personal. 

also, I leave a note & welcome bag of goodies depending how long they are staying. Snacks, pretzels, coffee, bottles water, toothbrushes/paste/floss, etc. it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Dollar tree is a great source. 

[Patricia2526]

Hello @Brian2954 and thanks @Sophia for tagging

If you have struggling listing.

Here are a few tips you can use to boost your bookings.

🔸Make sure your photos are updated the first 5 photos need to be your "Highlight Reel" that draw guests In. Create an inviting atmosphere that stands out from other listings. 

Your photos should create a tour of your listing to help guests understand and “imagine themselves” in your space before they book.

🔸Always review the pricing of similar listings in your area and adjust yours accordingly based on demand, seasons and local events in your area.  Pricing is just one aspect of a successful listing. Set a competitive pricing strategy, it’s essential to search similar listings in your area, analyze seasonal trends, Airbnb’s pricing tools and dynamic pricing can also assist us hosts in optimizing our rates based on market demands and competition. I tweak pricing like on a weekly basis 🙂

🔸Get as many 5 star reviews as possible. Each one will boost you in the Algorithm

🔸Use specific "Key Words" in your description and space. Use a top performing property In your market as a guide.

🔸Highlight your unique selling points, it could be a beautiful view, proximity to popular attractions, unique amenities or local recommendation.

🔸Ensure your profile is complete and includes information about yourself. A well crafted profile can help build trust with potential guests.
🔸Take advantage of Airbnb’s promotional tools like discount pricing, early bird discounts, last minute deals. These can help attract more bookings and increase your visibility on the platform.

🔸Promote your listing on social media platforms, local community groups, travel forums. Just copy your unique Airbnb link and share.

Hope this helps

[Brian2954]

Great Tips @Patricia2526 .  Yes, it helps.  Thanks for sharing this.  

[Melanie318]

I think you have gotten some great feedback from the hosts below. Just to add my thoughts on it.. I am not a fan of last minute discounts and such. I believe that encourages people to wait to book to try and get the deal. That is just my opinion.

Your home is beautiful, and my following thoughts are meant to be helpful, so please don't take them wrong.  After reveiwing your write up, I have to say I would not look to book your home. It don't make me "feel" warm and cozy and it didn't make me feel like you had anything that I couldn't get elsewhere.  Nothing peaked my interest, if that makes sense. 

You are conviently located next to two top attractions in the area. You mention them briefly, but that is all. 

I would take your listing and highight what makes you stand out - what you have that is different or unique. So many places have hot tubs, so not a big selling point to me. But, set the tone that makes me want to be in the hot tub, and it would teak my interest.   I would take your opening paragraph and re-write. 

Here is what you have "Escape to the spacious Spyglass home & relax in a hot tub. Close to the Lake Arrowhead Village and Sky Park at Santa’s Village. Forget your worries in this forested and serene space. We also have a back up generator in case there is a rolling black out during the summer & for the winter, during the winter storms. The backup generator will definitely come in handy."

I would play with something more like this - and this is not good - its 4am -but I think you will understand what I am trying to say 🙂 

Spend your days exploring the beauty of nearby Lake Arrowhead Village or exploring and shopping at Sky Park at Santa's Village. Then return home to your spacious Spyglass home nestled in serenity of wooded forests.

The fully equipped kitchen is  perfect place to prepare a meal of the local sourced ingredients.

Then finish the evening taking in a breathtaking sunset as you relax in your outdoor hot tub. The perfect ending to the day. 

To deal with your rolling black outs - make it an event they can "experience" - sounds crazy -but it helps to take a not so pleasant situation and make it a tad more appealing - if thats possible 🙂 lol 

SO maybe something like: 

To conserve energy in the summer our area ocassionally participates in what is known as a rolling black out. Its a unique thing to experience, but to make sure you experience it in comfort, we have a back up generator ready to go for you. 

The generator also comes in handy if you are here during one of Mother Nature's winter storms. 

I would try to highlight the amenites and the areas around you that make your property unique. Put some personal touches in the rooms. Maybe some type of art from a local artists. Make it feel more like a home . 

We spent 10 days in Alaska last year and the rental house we reserved was such a unique home. It featured works from the local artists in each of the rooms, fun seasonings in the kitchen from local stores, coffee from the local coffee house and a gift card to a local bakery.  Our welcoming gift basket had jellies, snacks and fun treats, all from the local markets.  It also included a listing and map to the local places so we could visit them during our stay. 

For my husband, and I that was a huge hit. We don't go to an area to eat the same foods we can get at home, we want to experience what the locals enjoy, and taste the foods that are unique to that area.

Hope some of this made sense. Good luck with your listing!

[Brian2954]

@Brian2954 Thanks -- this is great.  I appreciate your honest feedback.  Excellent ideas.