Bookings - None

[Michelle4009]

Hi Everyone! 
I’m new to this  and super keen to make it work.  I got 1 booking the first day I went live and now nothing for 1.5weeks.  What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions? I’ve tried looking at other homes around my area and feel my price is okay but please let me know if you think differently!? Thank you for you input. Michelle 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michelle4009 With no/few reviews I think you need to be 5-10% cheaper than your competition.

[Michelle4009]

Hi @Mike-And-Jane0 ! Thank you so much for your feedback.  I’ll review again and adjust my price.  It was hard to figure out my competitors, so I’ll have another look.  I do have to first 3 discounts on which shows discounted rates.  Perhaps I need to shift my price lower. Still keep the discount for the first 3 and get the bookings rolling. 😀

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michelle4009 there is a slight problem with your listing in that it says you have 2 queen beds in the living room. Can I suggest you search in your area and then look at your listing through a guests eyes. 

[Michelle4009]

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I have updated my profile now so hopefully with all the changes bookings might improve! 😀

[Alicia753]

@Michelle4009 I checked your profile and listing, I think there's nothing wrong with your listing. It's just that I see your listing is new. You may consider the following tips below that can possibly help you get more bookings. 

-Ensure your title is catchy, informative, and highlights the unique aspects of your property. Your description should be detailed, listing all the amenities and features, and answering potential questions a guest might have.

-Review the pricing of similar listings in your area to ensure your rates are competitive. Consider starting with slightly lower prices to attract initial guests and gain reviews. Consider offering opening discounts or special promotions for longer stays to attract more guests.

-Positive reviews can significantly impact your listing's attractiveness. Encourage your guests to leave a review after their stay, and consider leaving them a review in return to prompt them.

-Extras like a welcome basket, local guides, or special amenities can set your listing apart from others. Hope this helps! 

[Michelle4009]

Thank you @Alicia753 ! I will take on board what you have offered! I’ll review today and see how that helps.  I’m thinking I am not very imaginative! 😀 - I’ll see what I can say! 

[Helen3]

Hi @Michelle4009 

I would say there are a couple of key areas that you could improve on .

1. I would suggest you need to describe your home, room by room highlighting key amenities 

2. You would benefit from describing your location - what tourist attractions are you close to? What locations are you near ? 

[Michelle4009]

Thank you so much Helen!  I have updated my listing now and hopefully this will help! I might try to incorporate more tourist attractions here at Hervey Bay like you suggested! 😀

[Kia272]

@Michelle4009 Aside from the other comments on some improvements needed in your listing, has it occurred to you that the short term rental industry is very much subject to supply and demand? 

There's no guarantee that the minute you open an AirBnB you'll have bookings. Just some food for thought. 

[Michelle4009]

Thank you Kia! That makes sense too! School has just gone back so this could hinder it also! 😀

[Joan2709]

Hi @Michelle4009 

Lots of great advice already from other Hosts! A few things to consider:

Addl Guest Fees

Any addl fees on your listing could cause an issue. Airbnb has received alot of bad press about "fees" of any kind. Right now you need bookings and anything that is stopping guests from booking your place could be an issue. Looks like you have addl guest fees after 2 guests? I would remove that for now until you get some bookings. Consider not having addl guest fees for the future as well or only adding for the 4th guest. 

Amenities

You say you have a BBQ grill but there is no photo of it? Outdoor space is important to guests for sure. I would include a picture of grill. The rule is if you have an amenity you need a photo of it. If you have a photo of an amenity, it should be included in your amenities list.

Back Yard

You have a great back yard but only one photo of it? I would definitely take more photos of the outdoor space and add to lising. Many properties do not have the great space you have, plus it's fully fenced. I would take some photos at twilight with all the lights on inside house and outside. Take from multiple angles looking back towards the house and include grill in photo (cover off). Keep the table set.

Captions On All Photos

Put captions on ALL your photos. Your photos tell the story of your listing and answer any questions the guest might have about the space. Many guests won't read your description, but will look at your photos.

Cover Photo

You need an exceptional cover photo. The kitchen photo is nice, but I think if you can get an excellent twilight photo of the back yard looking towards the house with all the lights on, that would make a better cover photo. Make the kitchen photo you have now as your number 2 photo.

Wishing you much success!

[Michelle4009]

Hello Joan!! Thank you sooooo much for your feedback.  I will take this on board with what I can do immediately! 

The extra photos I will also do with the help of my  daughter (she lives away) photographer.  

She love twilight so this should be on her league! 

Even though the table setting one looks nice, I’m not sure if our dark brick will ‘shine’ in a photo so I will think about  what lighting etc to make it nicer as you suggested.  I also wondered if the photo with the outdoor white table in it is too untidy.  

There is a fenced back yard where the setting was or a fenced front yard where the white table is.  

I’ll think about how to present. 

When you mentioned the fees, I’m wondering now if it would be better to also incorporate the cleaning fee into the overnight stay fee? 

Thank you soooo much again! 

It’s so hard being patient! 
😀🦋

[Joan2709]

Hi @Michelle4009 

I think your cleaning fee is very reasonable (maybe even a bit low). Keep an eye on what your competition is charging for cleaning fees. For now, I would not add it to your price per night, as that would show a higher price compared to other listings and you don't want that. The algorithm puts alot of weight on price. 

You want a bit of color contrast on your first 5 photos if possible. Twilight exterior cover photos do really well on Airbnb. Having the twilight photo as cover will give you some contrast to the next 4 photos. 

It is hard to be patient 😊

[Michelle4009]

Thank you Joan! You have been so helpful! I will get the photos taken asap to make it more beautiful. 😍