Every property manager wants to boast high occupancy rates across their listings. On Airbnb, there are seven key steps to take if you want to get more bookings.
While it might be easy to attract guests during your high season, how do you keep a steady stream of reservations for your off-peak time periods? It can be a difficult question to grapple with, but by following these seven tips, you will increase your bookings on Airbnb no matter the season.
1. Set your rates competitively
As you analyze your current listings to optimize your occupancy on Airbnb, your first step should be setting competitive rates. For the most accurate pricing, we recommend using dynamic pricing software that analyzes competitors’ rates, hot/cold time periods and many other variables in order to adjust and update your rates to be most competitive.
2. Make sure your listings are up-to-date
Adding as many amenities as possible is a best practice for every listing site, not just Airbnb. Doing so will increase your property’s attractiveness to travelers as well as help you appear in more searches. Anything that's relevant to your guests should be added to your listings to help increase your Airbnb occupancy rates.
3. Write headlines that will speak to your target audience
The first rule for marketing is knowing who your target audience is and what value your product or services bring them. When marketing your short-term rental, review who has stayed with you in the past and what were their reasons for doing so. Then you can appeal to their specific needs in your headline and description. For instance, if you often host business travelers, emphasizing your convenient location to the financial district or the convention center will make you stand out to professionals.
4. Turn on Instant Book
While some property managers are hesitant to turn on Instant Book, doing so often leads to significantly higher reservation numbers. Short-term listing channels are moving to a hotel-like booking system, one that provides travelers confirmation immediately after they submit their request. If a traveler has to wait for your manual approval, they might opt for a different property instead - especially if it’s a last-minute traveler.
5. Improve your ranking on Airbnb
The higher your ranking, the more eyes you will attain and the more bookings you’ll receive! There are a number of factors that play into determining your rankings. Fully understanding this criteria and following these tips will improve your Airbnb rankings and fill up your booking calendar.
6. Upgrade your photography
The saying is true; a picture is worth a thousand words. What do your photos say about your vacation property? Are your photos close to hotel quality, or are they blurry and grainy? Are the areas of your short-term rental being shown in their best light?
If your photos aren’t hitting the mark, find room in your budget for a professional photographer. It will prove to be an investment that pays off in the reservations it attracts. If you already have a high quality camera and some photography skills, you can do it yourself with these steps.
7. Automate to save time and grow rapidly
While you’re growing your business in revenue and in size, it’s important that you use automation wherever possible so you don’t get bogged down in your day-to-day tasks. Automating your channel management with a centralized booking calendar will automatically keep your reservations in order as well as deter double bookings and data degradation, which will keep you in the good graces of Airbnb and every other channel. Another Airbnb automation tip is to set up autoresponders that let your guests know important information ahead of and during their stay.
Hopefully, you have a few of these guidelines marked off your checklist already. If not, create a plan to adopt each of these over the next few months to begin seeing results as soon as possible.
