Sure, it sounds technical, but don’t let that scare you away from the science of what goes into a good vacation rental listing in Vail! Optimize can really be defined as: “To make the best or most effective use of (a situation, opportunity, or resource).”
When speaking of optimization for vacation rentals, the end goal is to get more bookings, make more money, and get the best reviews possible! Typically this is done through several improvements.
Why Do I Have to Do It?
Well, technically, Away Agents can do it all for you; however, if you prefer to do it yourself and/or you’re not convinced, here is why.
By optimizing your listing, several things will occur. The first is that the algorithm of any platform you are listed on will rank your property higher! This is because platforms like Airbnb automatically recognize higher quality pictures, more descriptions, and more amenities offered. Once you are ranked higher, your listings will receive more impressions. These are important because they build a base of potential guests that may ultimately click through and book. Once these guests click through and book, you make more money. See where we are going with this?
Best Optimization Strategies
First and foremost, get your pictures right! Photos that appear on your listing are often the most critical yet overlooked aspect. Make sure your pictures are high quality, professional, and edited. This in turn will allow you to gain more traction instantly as more travelers are attracted to your listing. Another overlooked aspect is descriptions. Platforms such as Airbnb and Homeaway have several fields for you to fill out explaining the priceless benefits of your property. Are you using all of that valuable real estate to park some words? After you have gotten these 2 aspects up to professional standards, it’s important to double check you are noting the amenities offered. Do you have a coffee maker? Maybe you do, but you haven’t selected it as an amenity that you offer! The small things add up to make a big impact.
If you would like to get more advanced, there are other options to play with too. Maybe try out features such as special collections like “Airbnb Work”, or “Airbnb Luxe”. Often, these collections get booked frequently as they are certified as being higher standard than normal listings. Another key component to advanced optimization is automated messaging. Although listing platforms do not offer this feature natively, feel free to check out Guesty. Guesty is a Property Management Software that can help with features such as this! If you don’t want to get this advanced, simply copying and pasting pre-written messages can save you enormous amounts of time.