The most important tips for improving your Airbnb listing

The visibility of your listing is crucial to your success. After all, prospective guests can only book your accommodation if they can find it. As a host, make sure that your listing is as high up as possible. With Airbnb SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, you can do exactly that. Here are 5 tips for optimization:

Tip 1: Professional photos

The photos of the accommodation are the very first thing guests look at when they view listings on Airbnb. So make sure you use professional, high-resolution photos that emphasize the high quality and comfort of your accommodation. The lighting conditions in the photos should also be right, otherwise the whole area will look much cheaper. You should also emphasize certain details in the photos and show different views, such as a special view, beautiful decoration or unique furnishings. Each picture should have a caption and the photos should also be organized in a room tour.

Tip 2: Complete listing

The description of your accommodation should be detailed and include a list of all furnishing features and unique features. It is also a good idea to mention the surrounding area and nearby attractions such as certain sights. Is the subway station just a stone's throw away and the best restaurant in the city directly opposite? Mention that! The more positive aspects of the accommodation you mention, the more likely it is that guests will choose your vacation rental.

Tip 3: Ensure accessibility

Specifying accessible features of your accommodation expands your target group. If a guest has limited mobility, this information lets them know that your accommodation is still suitable for them. This shows that you are thinking about the needs of all guests. There is currently still a large gap between supply and demand, which is why you can set yourself apart from other listings. Many hosts also forget to specify which barrier-free features their vacation home has. So specify exactly which barrier-free features are available, such as wheelchair-accessible entrances, elevators and barrier-free bathrooms. Important: All features must be documented with a photo.

Tip 4: Flexible cancellation conditions

Clear, transparent and fair cancellation conditions help to gain the trust of potential guests. Airbnb and other platforms offer a range of different cancellation policies for hosts to choose from. These range from “very strict”, where refunds are only given under strict conditions, to “flexible”, where guests can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before check-in. If they cancel less than 24 hours in advance, they must pay for the first night and half the cost of the remaining nights. In general, the more flexible, the better, because you will generate more bookings and the actual cancellation rate is usually low.

Tip 5: Define a pricing strategy

Set a competitive pricing strategy. Bear in mind that Airbnb takes a certain percentage as a service fee. When setting your pricing strategy, you should also compare your planned prices with the prices of similar accommodations. Take into account both seasonal fluctuations and local events. If you have a vacation apartment in Munich, for example, you can charge a much higher price than usual during the Oktoberfest. Discounts for longer stays or last-minute bookings can also have a significant impact on your booking rate.

Tips for furnishing your Airbnb

The interior design of your vacation rental is a decisive factor in whether your guests perceive their stay as “quite good” or “unforgettable”.

The most important point that should never be skimped on is the bed. Whether guests get a good night's sleep has a direct impact on how satisfied they are with their stay. So make sure that you equip the apartment with a large, comfortable bed. In addition to the choice of bed, a number of other factors can of course have a major impact on how positively your guests perceive their stay.

Workstation for business travelers

By providing a well-equipped workspace, ideally with a docking station, monitor and perhaps even a printer, you are appealing to a broader target group. For business travelers, a place to work is definitely a criterion for choosing their accommodation.

Fast WLAN

Stable, fast internet that works throughout the accommodation is essential these days. Not only business travelers who need it to work, but nowadays everyone wants to be able to use good WiFi in their accommodation.

Small welcome gifts

Whether it's a small bar of chocolate on the pillow, a wine from the region or a fruit bowl with various fruits. With a small, creative welcome gift, you will always make your guests happy. You will not only influence how they perceive their stay, but also how they ultimately rate your accommodation.

Tips for handing over the keys to your vacation apartment

You know how the key handover works in hotels: You go to reception, check in, receive your key. Pretty tedious. When your stay is over, the whole process starts all over again. You check out and hand in the key.

As the host of an Airbnb apartment, you can theoretically also hand over the keys in person. However, this is by far the most time-consuming way of handing over the keys.

Nowadays, there are much simpler, automated options for check-in, especially for vacation rentals. One widely used method for handing over keys is a key box, which is usually attached to the outside wall of the vacation apartment. Guests receive a numerical code that is sent to them online shortly before their arrival. This code can be used to open the key box and remove the apartment key. On departure, it is returned in the same way. This saves you as the host a lot of time. The guest has much more flexibility on arrival, for example, if the time of arrival cannot be estimated exactly or if the arrival is late in the evening or at night. The disadvantage of physical keys is that they can be lost. This can be very expensive for you under certain circumstances.

In some accommodations, there are even more intelligent solutions where you don't even need a key.

Further tips for a successful long-term rental business on Airbnb & Co

To achieve long-term success in the short-term rental sector, however, it is not enough to simply create an attractive Airbnb listing. Here are some advanced Airbnb tips and strategies to help you continuously develop your business.

Reliable cleaning staff

The cleanliness of your accommodation is one of the main criteria for guests to leave a positive review. Having a professional and reliable cleaning team that ensures high standards of hygiene is crucial. It's not just about keeping the room clean. It's about creating a welcoming and comfortable environment that guests will want to come back to time and time again. One of my top Airbnb tips for hosts is to work with your own cleaning staff instead of hiring external cleaning services. We also prefer to work with our own staff because we have had better experiences with them.

Pay attention to regulations and legal issues

Stay informed about local regulations and legal issues: The legal situation regarding short-term rentals can change quickly. To avoid difficulties, it is important to stay up to date and adapt your business practices accordingly. This not only shows your professionalism, but also protects you from potential legal problems.

Expect damage and losses

Even if nobody likes to think about it, damage and losses can happen, so you should be prepared for them. Having adequate insurance and a well thought-out procedure for these cases will help minimize potential financial losses.

Learn to properly document the incident and the damage caused. If you have a structured process for such situations, you can charge the guest for the damage incurred and be reimbursed for the damage or missing items.

In any case, it is important to write everything down in detail and to have proof that items were still present before the guest's stay.

This also shows that you are a responsible host who takes good care of your accommodation and the safety of your guests.

Build a good team

You need a team that stands behind you. A strong network of reliable cleaners and back office staff can help you run all the processes smoothly. Although many processes can be automated, there are still tasks that people need to take care of. This includes communicating with guests and other administrative tasks. A supportive team enables you to respond quickly to guest inquiries and solve problems efficiently.

Consult experts

Consider the support of an expert. The best way to make fast progress is to learn from someone experienced. Whether it's optimizing your Airbnb listing, marketing strategies, your Airbnb key handover or dealing with difficult situations, someone with expertise in the field can give you new perspectives and help you take your business to the next level.

I would be happy to support you personally. Get in touch at www.bnbprohosting.com for a free consultation. We'll take a look at what your challenges are and how my team and I can help you.

Stay on top of things!

Probably the most important thing when it comes to Airbnb tips for hosts: stay positive and motivated and don't get discouraged. Don't see setbacks as something negative. Instead, see them as an opportunity to recognize what can still be optimized in your business and where you can still improve personally. You should also be open to feedback from guests and consultants.

So if you are willing to continuously develop yourself and your business and keep a positive attitude, success will follow.

Conclusion

If you want to build a vacation rental business, the small details are often more important than you might think, if not crucial for success.

In summary, you should when renting out vacation rentals:

• Improve your Airbnb listing by implementing Airbnb SEO strategies. This means by making sure you have professional photos and a complete listing, remembering to mention accessibility in your apartment, offering a flexible cancellation policy and coming up with a pricing strategy.

• Aside from the typical furnishings, also consider the individual needs of your planned target group in terms of interior design. This means you should also attach importance to a workspace for business travelers, stable Wi-Fi and a small welcome gift.

• Ask yourself: How do I want to organize the Airbnb key handover? There are methods that can save you a lot of time compared to handing over the keys in person. Either the key box or Smartlocks would make sense.

• As well as considering the legal aspects, you should also be aware that something can always break and you are liable for it. Last but not least, building a good team will help you.

I would be happy to support you personally. Contact me at www.feelhosted.com for a free consultation. We'll take a look at what your challenges are and how my team and I can help you.