How to improve your Airbnb listings

When it comes to improving your listings on Airbnb, the devil is in the detail.

By painting an emotive and descriptive picture of what your guests can expect when staying in your home, they won't feel the need to leave your listing in search of something else.

We've identified 4 easy ways to boost your Airbnb profile and attract more guests to your listings.

Reply to reviews

Did you know that Airbnb ranks homeowners not just on their number of reviews, but on whether or not they respond to them? With this in mind, there are several considerations you should make before jumping into your inbox.

• As a general rule of thumb, give yourself 12-24 hours before you write your review to prevent reactive - and regretful - responses
• If you receive a negative review, thank the guest for their review and make any necessary apologies. Should the review be detrimental to your ranking, you can read our blog that covers the best ways to deal with a bad review.
• Provide the guest with a detailed response that demonstrates you are truly interested in their feedback
• Don’t get too caught up on 1 or 2 bad reviews - your review average is what counts

Take professional photos of your listings

If there is one investment to make when it comes to marketing your properties, we strongly suggest hiring a professional photographer to capture your listing in the best light. Images are the most visually stimulating way to reveal what your listing looks like (aside from being there in person).

• Take photos of the inside (include all rooms, outside as well as the surrounding neighbourhood area)
• Include photos of small touches that your guest would appreciate, such as parking, a pool or baby-friendly facilities if your listing encourages families with small children

For more information on how to make your Airbnb photos pop, you can check out our blog post, 3 Ways to Increase Your Rental Properties’ Booking Appeal.

List all amenities

If the devil is in the details, let your guest know exactly what value they gain from staying at your property. Amenities don’t just include wifi and a washing machine, but rather extend to any additional feature that might be useful to your guest. We suggest categorizing these under the following:

• Baby-friendly (high-chair, cribs etc)
• Remote working (Fast speed wifi, desk, coffee machine etc)
• Pet-friendly (Litter dish, dog bowl etc)
• Leisure (swimming pool, pool table etc)

Give your listing a good name

Like the title of a book, a good Airbnb title has the power to attract - or detract - potential viewers.

• Keep your audience front of mind: If you want to optimize your viewings, remember to focus your title on your ideal audience and their references. For example, if your listing attracts families with small children, including “family-friendly” is a direct call to action for families looking for their ideal vacation spot
• Make use of all the characters: Airbnb gives you up to 50 characters to use when it comes to creating a title. Use these wisely - and abbreviate if you have to.
• Use emotive words: Your title needs to be attention-grabbing, which means evoking strong emotion in your guests. If you can get them to feel strongly enough about your listing just from the title - you’re halfway there.
• Mention a stand-out feature: Highlight the most appealing aspect of your listing straight in the title. You could add the number of bedrooms, close sightseeing landmarks or a highlight of the home eg: Spacious 3-Bedroom Family Home Close to Rottnest Island.

Need help creating a more compelling property listing? Feel free to drop us a line: we would be happy to help.