Why most Short-term Lets don’t achieve 100 percent occupancy
Posted on 29th April 2021 at 15:37
Making sure your Airbnb listing is up to date is one of the best ways to ensure a steady stream of bookings.
Listing
Is your Airbnb summary the most accurate representation of what you're offering?
Are there any new amenities you've neglected to include on your list?
Is your garden now in full bloom with spring flowers worth including in your listing photos?
Have there been any recent road restrictions or improvements in public transportation?
We recommend that you refresh your Airbnb listing on a monthly basis to avoid missing out on bookings. Furthermore, the quality of the images will also impact the listing; correctly exposed, non-blurry, wide angle pictures are a must.
Pricing
Let's be honest: you might have the most beautiful Airbnb in the neighbourhood, but if it's not competitively priced, you'll lose bookings. What you should also bear in mind is that the price you set should be changed based on a variety of factors – and you must remain within these factors in order to maximise occupancy. Consider offering reduced prices for longer stays, to entice guests to stay with you during the week (when bookings are typically lighter). Reduce the rates during the low season to stay competitive with nearby hotels that will likely reoffer reduced room rates during off-season periods. Be sure to keep an eye on the prices of similar listings in your local area and change your rates accordingly.
Target the right people
A great way to draw new guests to your Airbnb is to connect your listing title or summary to popular events. Don't expect people to find you; instead, catch their attention and inform them that your vacation rental is close to where they want to go... and that staying with you will allow them to enjoy their vacation more. For instance, you could change the title of your listing to "Just a five-minute walk to the Christmas Market" or "Great place to rest after running the marathon." More on this in our blog post about creating the best Airbnb listing title.
Instant booking is your friend
Guests can book your home instantly, with no need for approval or contact with you. It simplifies their lives. It's a feature that assists hosts in obtaining last-minute bookings and can increase the chances of achieving Superhost status as well as moving your Airbnb up the list when people check the website. It is worthwhile to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of instant books.
Get the guests talking about you
While it is not required of guests to leave feedback, we often recommend that hosts allow visitors to leave comments on the website about their stay. If you know your guest had a nice time, mention in passing that you'd "greatly appreciate" a rating when you say goodbye. Writing a positive review for your guest is, of course, another way to gently apply pressure. This frequently motivates them to go online and rate their stay. When it comes to persuading people to book your Airbnb, having a long list of positive feedback helps a great deal.
Poor title/ non-SEO-optimised listing
Your title should grab the attention of any prospective guest and the following are just a few ways to help you do this:
Make the most of the 50-character limit, using abbreviations where possible (e.g., ‘apartment’ = ‘apt.’).
Think of better adjectives – use a thesaurus to find catchy alternatives
Don’t be afraid to use emojis for visual interest – stars, swirls, etc. but be careful not to overdo it
For each listing, the number of beds/guests is shown separately from the title, so no need to waste characters on this
Instead, include any unique selling point of the property (i.e. ‘Zone 2’ if it’s a London property)
Moreover, it’s important to know that hosts who regularly update their calendars on platforms get “tagged” by their algorithms as both active and responsive. This means if you update daily, you rank even higher. No updating, no ranking in Airbnb. More on that later!
Updating your listing and calendar a lot in combination with a speedy response definitely puts you ahead of your competitors. Obviously, this requires effort and commitment, but you definitely get to reap the rewards. More response = more booking potential. At the same time, more requests enable you to be selective in your hosting for those who prefer to be able to.
If your calendar is already accurate, you can simply block out dates in the future then immediately free them up again (as a sort of “nudge… I’m here” to Airbnb). Hosts who don’t let their calendar get a month or more out of date are 70% more likely to get booked. Source: Airbnb.
In need of some help with your occupancy rates, or perhaps you’re considering serviced accommodation for the first time?
Our professional team has years of combined experience and can help you to fulfil the potential of your property – contact Tempstay today for more information.
Tagged as: corporate let, landlord marketing, landlords, london, Porperty Listing Problems, staycation, windsor
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