Listening

[Jaclyn88]

Hello, I am new at hosting and only 2 bookings so far. Is there anything you would recommend for beginners. I have it set on smart pricing. I have a minimum of 3 night stay. I’m not sure how to get more clients. It’s 6 minutes to the beach and less than a mile from the boat ramp. In between 2 major hospitals. Anyone have any recommendations for me on how to get more bookings? Thank you. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jaclyn88 Use Airbnb.com to search for similar properties in your area and check that you are competitive. Only you can tell which properties truly compete with yours. Also see how others market their properties compared to yours = Would you book yours or theirs? Smart pricing is not the whole story because you still set the min and max nightly rates.

[Jaclyn88]

Thank you so much for your honesty and feed back!!  I have checked the properties around and most of them have been open for years with more ratings and or have an entire house to rent.  I will go back in and review my listing.  I appreciate all of your help!

[Kia272]

@Jaclyn88  You might want to ditch the three day minimum, at least when you're starting out. Anybody looking for a weekend getaway won't be able to book unless they can get that extra day off. You can always put it back in place after you've built up some reviews. 

Also, take out the pic of the bottle of wine, unless you plan to supply one to each and every guest. If the pic is there and you don't, they'll complain. 

Also, smart pricing isn't that smart unless you control it well by setting your minimum carefully. Keep in mind that low prices attract bad guests. Sometimes it's better to be unbooked than to host bad guests. They will frequently cost you more than you would have made with a booking. 

Your place looks nice. Good luck! 

[Jaclyn88]

You’re awesome, thank you for your honesty!  I actually put the 3 day minimum in due to traffic in and out and neighbor complaints.  I could try 2 day minimum and change it later like you suggested and see how that works.  I do plan on keeping the wine in there.  I’m trying the smart pricing because I was thinking I had it priced to high before in my area and wasn’t getting any bites.  I have the instant book option checked for the guests who have the positive track record.  

[Helen744]

@Jaclyn88 Take that review that you do have and put it on your listing. Fishermen or fisher women seem to be your 'catch of the day ' so mention all of the 'sweet fishing spots by name , at least the ones within a forty k radius . Mention restaurants or cafes for fueling up both boats and people. Especially sea food restaurants . Say how far jetties are and mention that week long stays now booking . You should not have too much trouble .Boat parking is obvious , but  mention it . storage for other kit also needs to be mentioned...H

[Helen744]

I dont know much about that type of fishing but I would be concerned that your refrigeration would not be sufficient, or the water situation , looking at that sink area, but I assume that most boats have an area to store fresh caught fish until people get home or the 'odd fishermen ' who stayed with me and did ' catch and release' .H

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jaclyn88 !

What a great spot! Lots of good suggestions already from @Helen744 , @Mike-And-Jane0 , @Kia272 . Some other suggestions to try. Remember, you can always change something if it isn't working. Try things for a few weeks. If no uptick in bookings, try something else 😊. I added some screenshots for reference:

What are the Listing’s Best Features?

What makes your place unique compared to the competition? Highlight that in your Title, Description and, Photos. The thing that stands out to me is how close you are to the beach, boat ramp and fishing opportunities.

Title

You get 50 characters, so use all 50! What is unique about your place (not just facts). Not all 50 characters will appear if a guest is searching on a mobile (cell) phone. Test it out yourself and be sure the most important part of the Title appears on your phone. I would try:

"Beach Getaway-1Mile to Boat Ramp/Great Fishing!"

Or

“Donovan’s Reef Beach Getaway – 6mins to Beaches!”

Description

You get 500 characters to clearly show how your place is different, or why guests should choose you instead of your competition. This is your chance to let guest know how they will “feel” at your place and what they can “do” at your home or nearby. Use more descriptive terms instead of just stating facts. You’re trying to get guests to stop scrolling and click on your listing! You can add more factual information further down under “About This Space” and “Other Things to Note”. Again, not all the description will appear on a cell phone, so your first few sentences are key. Test it out on your own phone. Try:

“Newly built! Enjoy a relaxing beach getaway - only 6mins to beaches! Launch your boat less than 1 mile away for great fishing! Enjoy outdoor dining on the private deck with grill. Head downtown for great seafood and cocktails. Explore picturesque Anna Maria Island and kayak with the dolphins! Take in the sunset at Bayfront Park with fantastic views of Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Donovan’s Reef is perfect for the solo traveler or getaway for two.”

Listing Accuracy

Listing accuracy is important! You are listing this space as a 1 bedroom? However, your photos show the bed in a common area? This appears to actually be a “Studio” (bed in a common area; no separate door). In order for the title to appear as “Studio” (not 1 bedroom), You have to enter -0- in bedrooms under Rooms & Spaces. Then Airbnb knows to list as a studio under your Title. Guests can complain to Airbnb that your listing is inaccurate (advertising 1 bedroom and really a Studio) and ask for a refund. You can also get a negative review (you definitely don’t want that for your first few reviews). A studio should be priced less than an actual 1bedroom listing.

It’s not clear if this rental unit is attached to your home or not? If attached, does it have a separate entrance or shared? If so, you should state that in the description and provide a photo of that. If attached to/or within your home, it should be listed as a “Guest Suite”. You mention host lives on the premises. Clearly indicate if it is in the same home and guest suite is attached? Indicate if any spaces are shared. Is the driveway shared? Is the deck shared? Is the entrance shared?

Photos

Can’t emphasize how important your cover photo (and other photos are). Your cover photo now is of a sign. It's a nice sign 😊, but guests will probably scroll right past it. The cover photo should be your best photo. It should highlight what is best about your listing. I would change that to the Deck photo for now. You’re trying to get guests to stop scrolling and click your cover thumbnail photo. I would make the photo of the boat in driveway your #2 photo. Be careful of copyright issues with photos. You can use personal photos of places in the area, but you can’t post photos you find on the internet. 

Additional Rules

I would add some rules about the size of boat/trailer you will permit in your driveway. Otherwise, someone will bring a “yacht” and expect they can park it there.

Safety & Property/Guest Safety

Pets live on property should also be listed in this section. Also list any shared spaces in this section. 

Minimum Stay

As already suggested by others, the more available your place is, the more often it will appear in search results and get booked. I would reduce it to a 2night stay for now (at least until you get those important first 3 reviews show your star rating will appear). 

Cleaning Fee

I think your cleaning fee is a bit low. You can keep it that way for now, but I would re-visit that after you get a few guests through.

Add a Host Guidebook

All that great information you have under "getting around" can easily be added to a Host Guidebook. Guests appreciate your local recommendations and the Guidebook has photos and location map pins.

Wishing you much success! Let us know how it goes!

Cover Photo

Cover Photo

Photo #2

Photo 2