Comments on improvements for my listing

[Rose422]

Hello Airbnb community, 

I have been hosting on boats for a couple of years now since Airbnb gave me the opportunity to actually buy boats, however it's been a very slow experience for me in Florida compared to California where I have been hosting before 2020. 

I am looking for ways to make my listing more appealing and would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Right now I have a little too much of descriptions but not sure if some guests prefer details, so I left it as is. This is supposed to be high season but I don't get much bookings, if any. For this reason I would like to ask some experienced hosts if everything looks alright and how I can improve my listings, 

🏡 View on AirbnbBoat in Fort Lauderdale · ★5.0 · 2 bedrooms · 5 beds · 2 bathrooms

Thank you so much. 
Rose. 

[Rebecca]

Hey @Rose422 👋

I absolutely adore your houseboat! I particularly love the pics in 'Patio 2'. It looks very inviting and tranquil to me.

I've noticed you haven't had many replies here so I'm tagging in @Julie5882 and @Jason2389 to see if they have some feedback/ideas for you.

Hope this helps,

Rebecca 🌟  

[Rose422]

Rebecca, 

Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind words and support. It's been a lot of hard work but it pleases me when guests leave with great impressions and appreciate what I have created. If you ever come down to Fort Lauderdale, please get in touch. 

Thanks again for your input. 

Rose. 

[Rebecca]

I visited Fort Lauderdale about 12/13 years ago as we travelled down towards the Keys. I really enjoyed our couple of days there. Maybe one day we'll head back! 🤞 

[Helen3]

It's not necessarily about your listing.

Have you looked at demand and supply for your sort of listing in your location @Rose422  

[Rose422]

You're right Helen, 

The market is indeed saturated in my area. That's one thing I should keep in mind and I switched to smart pricing a while ago. 

Rose

[Donny34]

Great listing and awesome property…my 2 cents:

-I would change the order of your listing photos by having the living spaces pop up first…I do in this order:

1) sleeping area

2) bathroom/shower area

3) kitchen 

4) leisure spaces 

-From there I would add in the other photos of the cute design touches you have done.

the reason for this is I believe in your market there is a lot of competition. So if a guest has hundreds or thousands of options and most guests choose a property because of the living space, I’d make that the focal point of your listing profile. 

hope this helps! 

[Rose422]

Thank you so much Donny, I really appreciate your input. I am going to check out your alpine barn when I am up in MN!

[Gisela300]

Hi Rose,

You have 5 star reviews with very positive feedback from over twenty people, so I don't think you have a problem.

What you could do is try the AirBnB guide on managing the space - I remember reading one that was very helpful about redesigning storage and spaces in general so that they are clutter free. I understand a boat can be tiny, but as I looked at the pictures with my daughter, I was wondering where we would put our hobby goodies - she draws and I paint.

When we started our AirBnB listings some years ago, we followed the advice on pricing and benefitted a lot from that. We found a comparative mechanism on Google and then added discounts when our prices were a bit higher than other similar places - which you are already doing, so your prices are probably spot on and people say you offer value for money!

When I google places to stay, self catering Fort Lauderdale USA, I see heaps of homes and apartments and not boats... this may be the problem. Is there a way to change your listing so that it comes up when one searches simply for "places to stay in Fort Lauderdal"?

Also the recommendations on google in response to "Where to stay in Fort Lauderdal" talks about the beach being the best place to stay, so you should add something about your proximity to the beach and other sights... in the introductory text.

I hope this helps. Using Google to fine tune your online presence is a great way to crack through the competition - All the best!

[Rose422]

Thank you so much Gisela, 

Appreciate your detailed response. 

I hope to visit South Africa and check out your place one day. 

Rose

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

Are you advertising on platforms that specialise in boats  @Rose422 

[Rose422]

Hi Helen, thanks for your comment, I am not so I will be looking into it. Appreciate your suggestion.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Rose422 What is missing for me is an external picture of the boat. Its absence suggests to me it must be ugly. I am sure I am wrong!

[Rose422]

Thank you Mike, 

I have added a couple of external pictures. The boat is not for sailing, but I have been using it as an airbnb, meaning guests only have the view of the boat from the dock. 

Appreciate your comment. 

Rose.