Online Listing
New Airbnb Categories Change How Guests Find You
There’s a new way guests are searching for their next Airbnb. In their 2022 Summer Release, Airbnb rolled out a new feature called Airbnb Categories.
Every now and then we come across an Airbnb listing that makes us say, “Yes, yes, yes! This is how you do it!” This was our reaction when we connected with Jennifer, a brand new host in Crested Butte, Colorado. As we scrolled through her listing, we noticed all sorts of savvy marketing strategies coupled with genuine kindness. Mark our words, this is a Superhost in the making! And definitely someone to emulate. If you’re a host looking to spruce up your Airbnb online listing, start by reviewing Jennifer’s for inspiration. Here are our top five favorite takeaways from this exemplary listing.
When the great outdoors is a primary draw for your guests, lead with a seasonal cover photo on your Airbnb listing. Colorado is known for its year-round outdoor adventures, but summer activities look very different from winter activities. If you scroll through all of Jennifer’s pictures, you’ll find beautiful, scenic photos from all four seasons.
But smartly, her current cover photo aligns with the current time of year. As guests thumb through potential Airbnbs, they’re looking for a place that matches the trip they’re imagining in their head, which definitely includes the current season. Lead with a snowy photo in the middle of July, and no one will click through to your page.
The first few sentences of the “About this space” section in your Airbnb listing are prime real estate. Only the first paragraph or so shows up on a computer, even less than that on mobile, without expanding the “Show more” button, which few guests will do during their preliminary searches. Given the scarcity here, hosts often make the mistake of trying to cram every last attribute or amenity in this tiny space. They resort to partial sentences or a ton of backslashes. The result is disjointed text that’s nearly impossible to read, which means potential guests gloss right over the whole thing.
Watch what Jennifer does instead. Trusting the photo reel and amenities list to do the heavy lifting to depict the space, she uses this one and only written section to describe how a vacation at her place will feel. Remember, this is what guests are actually looking for: a space for a great vacation. In full sentences, she invites guests to really imagine their trip.
“Immerse yourself in nature in this designer mountain modern guesthouse. Eight minutes to the ski lifts or seven minutes to town, this guesthouse is located on the fence line of the Allen Ranch with unobstructed views of Mount Crested Butte…” The space’s best attributes are all there: the designer feel, the unobstructed views. But the point is the actual vacation experience itself.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: good Airbnb listings should attract the right guests and repel the wrong ones. If there’s any objection a guest might have about your space, something that would make it a bad fit for some guests, you want to document that clearly in the listing. Disappointed guests are much more of a headache than their payment is ever worth. And hosts have a responsibility to be as transparent as possible upfront so guests have the best chance to book an Airbnb that’s an awesome fit for their needs.
Take a look at Jennifer’s “Where you’ll sleep” photo. Do you see how it’s immediately obvious that the two queen beds are in the same room and that the bedroom is open to the rest of the suite? This is how to be honest and proactive. A dishonest host could take two separate pictures of the individual queen beds and never fully photograph the bedroom’s opening into the suite. Sure, in the short run, they might book another reservation or two. But the backlash will be swift. The accuracy rating will take an immediate hit, the guests will feel tricked, and the reviews that follow will only focus on this one sore spot instead of everything else that the host did right. Sidestep these kinds of headaches with thorough documentation up front.
Flip through Jennifer’s full photo reel and you’ll see so many smart strategies at play. There’s the photos with the direct views out the windows. (Who doesn’t want to be there?) There’s the hidden amenities strategy where she opens the cabinets to photograph where the mini fridge and washer/dryer unit are located. And then there’s the use of the maps.
Included in the Airbnb listing’s photo reel are two screenshots of where the house is located on a map. The first one is a wide angle shot showing where the house is in relation to the main mountain and the historic town. The second zooms in closer to the actual neighborhood and helps guests envision where the house actually sits in relation to other homes and the surrounding natural landmarks. Remember, most guests make their booking decisions based almost entirely on the photos. Including maps alongside the interior and exterior shots helps guests understand all the location details, especially since few folks will read all of the “Where you’ll be” section’s fine print.
Last but certainly not least, Jennifer closes her “About me” section at the very end of her Airbnb listing with a wonderful note for guests. She writes, “Please let me know if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions. I strive to provide a 5 star experience so please let me know how I can earn a 5 star review. Thank you for staying with me!” This encapsulates the true Airbnb spirit, and puts guests at ease.
The simple verb choice of “earn” 5 stars, instead of assuming that’s the default, demonstrates that Jennifer actually cares about creating a fantastic guest experience. (It also demonstrates that she’s the antithesis of the host who has put their Airbnb on complete auto-pilot and secretly hopes no guest will ever reach out.) All of these carefully chosen details culminate in a listing that feels genuine and warm, with Jennifer’s focus on hospitality front and center, which makes guests like us eager to pick her place.
This week’s Big Heart Hosting post was inspired by Jennifer, an Airbnb host in Crested Butte, Colorado, USA. Just click here to explore the full listing. You can also follow Jennifer on Instagram @cbmountainmodern.
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