It's no secret that the better you rank in the OTA search engine results, the more likely you are to increase your bookings.
Tip #1: Write enticing descriptions
According to airbnbsecrets.com, you need to ensure that the title and description of your property is attractive, sufficiently detailed and informative. In particular, it is essential to include any rules and prohibitions that may apply in your property, especially in the current climate.
It is also necessary to complete your ad with quality photos. Prefer photos of the interior of your property that show the essential elements of your property, but especially the elements that set you apart from your competitors (e.g. kitchen with island, bay window with sea view, etc.). If your accommodation has an unobstructed view, give preference to a photo taken from inside the property, offering a perspective on the landscape and allowing your guests to project themselves into their future stay. Conversely, photos of landscapes outside are abstract and all too common... The key word is to stand out!
Tip #2: Improve the visibility of your properties
The visibility of your property depends largely on the understanding you have of your audience, particularly in terms of their buying habits: the booking experience, the property's facilities or the pricing are all elements to be adapted to your target. Some OTAs like Booking.com also take into account the availability of your property and competing properties.
So what to do? It is essential to regularly check the quality score of your pricing. In addition, considering a more flexible reception policy or a different standing to adapt to your audience are interesting avenues for improvement... The main thing is to offer your target the right offers at the right time!
Tip #3: Be responsive!
The response time to messages from your guests is an important criterion for Booking and Airbnb in particular. Indeed, a too low reactivity risks to lead to the loss of the reservation and will show the OTAs that your property does not satisfy the traveller. However, the guest's satisfaction throughout the purchase process, from the search for properties to the return of the keys at the end of the stay, is a priority for the OTAs. Thus, a long response time may penalize the positioning of your properties in the search engine results of the platform.
To improve your responsiveness, remember to turn on your notifications and never put off responding to guests. When the OTA has a mobile management application, we encourage you to use it so that you always have this tool at your disposal to communicate with your guests without having to sit in front of your computer. It is also important to identify and respect the communication preferences of your travelers. Indeed, some prefer to communicate by email, SMS, or phone. Recognizing and respecting their habits makes you a responsive host who will be able to satisfy your audience through all aspects of the hospitality experience.
Tip #4: Take customer reviews into account!
It goes without saying that positive reviews impact your ranking in OTA results, but the amount of reviews, both positive and negative, tells platforms that your profile is engaging. It is therefore important that your profile invites guests to explore your various offerings.
Receiving negative reviews? Don't take it personally, and take the time to write understanding responses. It's important to take these reviews into account to improve your offering. We mentioned the importance of reactivity in yesterday's post, and the same goes for reactivity in your responses to negative reviews: It's essential to show that you are a host that listens to its guests, and is proactive in handling customer feedback!
