Post by High Priestess on Mar 1, 2016 15:00:44 GMT
HEre's an early post from New Hosts Forum from November 2013
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-15140
william 2 years ago
Hi, my name is william
Hello fellow group members. I signed up with airbnb last month and have two rooms listed in a beautiful spot in Vermont. What i am trying to understand is how does one go about getting one's first guests? I have had a couple of inquiries that did not take a room, one of which immediately tried to go around airbnb. Any and all thoughts and comments are appreciated.
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Scott
Scott2 years ago
I also had people try to circumvent the process. If for no other issue than ease of tracking reservations, we do not use other sources to advertise, and do not accept reservations off site. One way to start getting reviews is to rent from someone else. They will review you as a guest, and it will also give you ideas about how to be a good ( or not so good) host. Also look around at similar listings and make sure you are competetively priced. You can always change your asking fee later as you get more reviews. Good luck
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william
william 2 years ago
Scott, thanks for your advice here. I agree with you that as soon as someone decides they want to go around airbnb for a better price i wonder what other problems they would bring with them. I have also just reduced my prices so that i can get some folks to try me out. I do see the importance of the reviews and need folks staying here to get them
Don
Don2 years ago
I agree with Scott. circumventing the system is a sure sign to me that I shouldn't rent to that person. Plus, we have the security of reviews and insurance through airbnb.
In my case, location has been the biggest factor in having guests. I would suggest really building up the features of your community, or sites that can be visited, etc.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Don, thanks for your input. I am going to go on my listings later today and talk about what else is going on around my town and how close so many different things are. What might be interesting would be to see a Rural Groups as you need to do things differently versus folks coming to see a city.
Maggie
Maggie2 years ago
I like not having to deal with money with guests so going through Airbnb is good for me as they take care of it all and it just goes into my bank account - not having to even discuss money when you have a guest in your home which can be uncomfortable.
Reply Like 2 likes Delete
Alex
Alex2 years ago
Lower your prices to attract your first guests. They leave reviews, and you can begin to gradually raise your prices as you get more reviews.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Just lowered my prices, will see how it works.
Maggie
Maggie2 years ago
William - one suggestion after looking at your listing photos - retake one of the bathroom with a full roll of toilet paper on the holder and arrange some towels nicely on the towel bar - makes it look ready and welcoming - also try to get your flash out of the mirror. I like the yellow color - looks clean and happy.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Thanks for picking up on the picture of the bathroom. I will put a new roll of tp on and take another shot.
Suzanne
Suzanne2 years ago
My experience, mainly on other sites like airbnb (because my only inquiry on airbnb - haven't been on here long - resulted in a booking) is that you get many inquiries, but they don't always become bookings. Also, answer them quickly when they come in. As an example, I got over 10 inquiries on another site last month, and only one may turn into a bookiing. Unfortunately, we even had what we thought was a booking (from another site) that just never signed our agreement or sent in monies. Keep the faith, get your listing out there anywhere on the net that you can - facebook, yelp, other sites....it WILLhappen! Good luck
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Suzanne, just got a chance to look at your listing as well as your comments. I am working on keeping the faith. I know that eventually the guests will start booking but the waiting is a bit frustrating. Having been to Austin a number of times in the past working on projects with National Instruments i know what a great town it is and will direct folks your way when i can. I do feel that airbnb is very much a network that allows all of us to recommend others per our experiences. If you and your husband every decide to visit Vermont and want to be able to just kick back please keep me in mind.
Suzanne
Suzanne2 years ago
I agree that airbnb is pretty unique in that it's a network - we would love to stay with you if we ever get to Vermont, and would certainly appreciate any assistance you could offer on our bookings!
Same advice here: Get your listing information up anywhere that you can - other vacation rental sites, yelp, facebook, zillow, any other site you can think of - can't hurt! We have just been lucky with airbnb - within a week or so of listing we got an inquiry - then, last weekend (16 days later) she contacted me again – came and saw the place - and we booked them!!! Hers is still, however, the only inquiry that we have received through airbnb so far.
Get out there and promote your property online. Have you tried to schedule the free photography that airbnb offers? I see that you've gotten some references on your profile (I'm still waiting for mine to come in!)
Is there any business group that can help? For example, I got listed with the local film industry as a vendor ( no inquiries yet) - what in your area can you tie into like that? chamber, travel agent, a state of Vermont or local area travel site? I also have had business cards printed for the property and I hand them out whenever anyone needs my information, such as phone number, email or the like - whether it has anything to do with the rent house, or not. Think promotion – the worst thing that can happen is that you waste a bit of time, and a small amount of money (color business cards were free from Vistaprint with an offer, just paid shipping), but you'll probably feel better about trying to get things going; best thing that could happen is you get a lead, inquiry, or maybe even a booking!
As far as getting those first guests, I just try to learn (by my mistakes and omissions, mostly) something from every inquiry that I get. We are still in the first year of this experience, so I fully understand how you feel. It's so hard to do everything you can and should and still not book the place. I keep busy with bookkeeping, upgrading my info binder information, promoting the place online, and am happier knowing that I am doing what I can to get the word out there about our place – makes it a little easier to take when you have no guests or bookings. Later, when you have reviews on the sites, it should be easier to get inquiries, but it takes time to build those, and patience – I must admit, that's a virtue I really can't say I possess.
My current guests spoke about going around airbnb, but I insisted they go through them, pointing out the benefits (won't work with everybody) such as choice of payment methods ( they used paypal, I think), they didn't have to hand over the deposit (although they do get a hold on their account), and they realized they would have an extra layer of comfort using airbnb. I did reduce my pricing slightly to make their costs (with airbnb fees included) fit closer to their budget.
Best of luck to you!
Reply Like Delete
Deborah
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-15140
william 2 years ago
Hi, my name is william
Hello fellow group members. I signed up with airbnb last month and have two rooms listed in a beautiful spot in Vermont. What i am trying to understand is how does one go about getting one's first guests? I have had a couple of inquiries that did not take a room, one of which immediately tried to go around airbnb. Any and all thoughts and comments are appreciated.
7 comments
Follow
Like
Delete
Hide
Scott
Scott2 years ago
I also had people try to circumvent the process. If for no other issue than ease of tracking reservations, we do not use other sources to advertise, and do not accept reservations off site. One way to start getting reviews is to rent from someone else. They will review you as a guest, and it will also give you ideas about how to be a good ( or not so good) host. Also look around at similar listings and make sure you are competetively priced. You can always change your asking fee later as you get more reviews. Good luck
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Scott, thanks for your advice here. I agree with you that as soon as someone decides they want to go around airbnb for a better price i wonder what other problems they would bring with them. I have also just reduced my prices so that i can get some folks to try me out. I do see the importance of the reviews and need folks staying here to get them
Don
Don2 years ago
I agree with Scott. circumventing the system is a sure sign to me that I shouldn't rent to that person. Plus, we have the security of reviews and insurance through airbnb.
In my case, location has been the biggest factor in having guests. I would suggest really building up the features of your community, or sites that can be visited, etc.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Don, thanks for your input. I am going to go on my listings later today and talk about what else is going on around my town and how close so many different things are. What might be interesting would be to see a Rural Groups as you need to do things differently versus folks coming to see a city.
Maggie
Maggie2 years ago
I like not having to deal with money with guests so going through Airbnb is good for me as they take care of it all and it just goes into my bank account - not having to even discuss money when you have a guest in your home which can be uncomfortable.
Reply Like 2 likes Delete
Alex
Alex2 years ago
Lower your prices to attract your first guests. They leave reviews, and you can begin to gradually raise your prices as you get more reviews.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Just lowered my prices, will see how it works.
Maggie
Maggie2 years ago
William - one suggestion after looking at your listing photos - retake one of the bathroom with a full roll of toilet paper on the holder and arrange some towels nicely on the towel bar - makes it look ready and welcoming - also try to get your flash out of the mirror. I like the yellow color - looks clean and happy.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Thanks for picking up on the picture of the bathroom. I will put a new roll of tp on and take another shot.
Suzanne
Suzanne2 years ago
My experience, mainly on other sites like airbnb (because my only inquiry on airbnb - haven't been on here long - resulted in a booking) is that you get many inquiries, but they don't always become bookings. Also, answer them quickly when they come in. As an example, I got over 10 inquiries on another site last month, and only one may turn into a bookiing. Unfortunately, we even had what we thought was a booking (from another site) that just never signed our agreement or sent in monies. Keep the faith, get your listing out there anywhere on the net that you can - facebook, yelp, other sites....it WILLhappen! Good luck
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
william
william 2 years ago
Suzanne, just got a chance to look at your listing as well as your comments. I am working on keeping the faith. I know that eventually the guests will start booking but the waiting is a bit frustrating. Having been to Austin a number of times in the past working on projects with National Instruments i know what a great town it is and will direct folks your way when i can. I do feel that airbnb is very much a network that allows all of us to recommend others per our experiences. If you and your husband every decide to visit Vermont and want to be able to just kick back please keep me in mind.
Suzanne
Suzanne2 years ago
I agree that airbnb is pretty unique in that it's a network - we would love to stay with you if we ever get to Vermont, and would certainly appreciate any assistance you could offer on our bookings!
Same advice here: Get your listing information up anywhere that you can - other vacation rental sites, yelp, facebook, zillow, any other site you can think of - can't hurt! We have just been lucky with airbnb - within a week or so of listing we got an inquiry - then, last weekend (16 days later) she contacted me again – came and saw the place - and we booked them!!! Hers is still, however, the only inquiry that we have received through airbnb so far.
Get out there and promote your property online. Have you tried to schedule the free photography that airbnb offers? I see that you've gotten some references on your profile (I'm still waiting for mine to come in!)
Is there any business group that can help? For example, I got listed with the local film industry as a vendor ( no inquiries yet) - what in your area can you tie into like that? chamber, travel agent, a state of Vermont or local area travel site? I also have had business cards printed for the property and I hand them out whenever anyone needs my information, such as phone number, email or the like - whether it has anything to do with the rent house, or not. Think promotion – the worst thing that can happen is that you waste a bit of time, and a small amount of money (color business cards were free from Vistaprint with an offer, just paid shipping), but you'll probably feel better about trying to get things going; best thing that could happen is you get a lead, inquiry, or maybe even a booking!
As far as getting those first guests, I just try to learn (by my mistakes and omissions, mostly) something from every inquiry that I get. We are still in the first year of this experience, so I fully understand how you feel. It's so hard to do everything you can and should and still not book the place. I keep busy with bookkeeping, upgrading my info binder information, promoting the place online, and am happier knowing that I am doing what I can to get the word out there about our place – makes it a little easier to take when you have no guests or bookings. Later, when you have reviews on the sites, it should be easier to get inquiries, but it takes time to build those, and patience – I must admit, that's a virtue I really can't say I possess.
My current guests spoke about going around airbnb, but I insisted they go through them, pointing out the benefits (won't work with everybody) such as choice of payment methods ( they used paypal, I think), they didn't have to hand over the deposit (although they do get a hold on their account), and they realized they would have an extra layer of comfort using airbnb. I did reduce my pricing slightly to make their costs (with airbnb fees included) fit closer to their budget.
Best of luck to you!
Reply Like Delete
Deborah
