Listing Quality. The key to succeed in best match

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1 Listing Quality The key to succeed in best match Search results matter to both travellers and property managers. That s where best match comes in. Travellers expect to find their ideal property quickly, while property managers expect to receive the most relevant booking requests and enquiries. We want to help you meet traveller expectations by improving your listings based on the qualities that are important to travellers.

2 Discover how to improve your revenue by optimising your listing quality with our 12 top tips: Enable online booking when available* Keep your calendar accurate and up to date Respond to enquiries within 24 hours Provide 24 high-quality photos showcasing the property and the destination Provide an accurate and clear rate structure for the next 12 months Request recent reviews from guests so they are always up to date Validate an accurate address and latitude/ longitude for each listing Make sure your headlines are attentiongrabbing and relevant Provide effective, clear, and detailed descriptions Mark you listing s pet suitability List as many amenities as possible to offer travellers greater choice List nearby attractions, activities, and adventures

3 Today, the #1 way to be successful in best match is to enable online booking for all listings and to increase the number of onsite bookings you make. With online booking, you always have 24 hours to accept or decline any booking you receive. Enable online booking when available* Once you accept the request, the traveller s payment will be processed through your chosen payment method and your calendar will be automatically updated. Keep your calendar accurate and up to date

4 Keep your calendar accurate and up to date Accurate and up-to-date calendars help us better match listings to a traveller s preferences and allow travellers to see when your properties are available. The day you last updated your calendar is also visible to travellers as it s displayed on your listing, so regularly updating your calendar will help build travellers trust and confidence in deciding that your property is right for them. The unit availability (calendar) feed should correctly reflect your minimum and maximum stay requirements, the property s accurate availability, and check-in/check-out day policies. Enable online booking when available* Respond to enquiries within 24 hours

5 Responding to enquiries and booking requests within 24 hours is a critical component of traveller satisfaction. Respond to enquiries within 24 hours Please note this includes nights and weekends, not just business hours. You can always set up an automatic reply for the time you are not available so travellers are aware you will come back to them soon. Keep your calendar accurate and up to date Provide 24 high-quality photos showcasing the property and the destination

6 Display up to 24 high-quality photos, with a minimum size of 1024 x 768 pixels for each picture. Make sure they are attractive and recent, and include photos of local attractions. Provide 24 high-quality photos showcasing the property and the destination You should also write a caption giving specific details about each photo. The first photo will serve as a thumbnail in search results and should be most attention-grabbing of the property. It will also be the main photo when landing on the property detail page. You can show travellers a virtual tour of your property by adding a video to your listing. Simply record the video, upload it to YouTube, and paste the video link in the dedicated field. Once approved, your video will be displayed in the photo gallery on your listing. Respond to enquiries within 24 hours Provide an accurate and clear rate structure for the next 12 months

7 Accurate rates that travellers can easily understand help make your listings more appealing. Ensure that rates are applicable and accurate for at least the next 12 months, which will save you and the traveller time and effort. Provide an accurate and clear rate structure for the next 12 months Provide 24 high-quality photos showcasing the property and the destination Request recent reviews from guests so they are always up to date

8 Travellers tell us that reviews written within the last two years are more helpful than older reviews when making a booking decision. Request recent reviews from guests so they are always up to date If a booking is made online through HomeAway s system, an automatic request for a review is sent to the traveller after their stay. It s important to respond to negative reviews so that travellers know you take their feedback seriously. Provide an accurate and clear rate structure for the next 12 months Validate an accurate address and latitude/ longitude for each listing

9 Travellers want to know exactly where a property is located before booking. To improve location searches, it s important that a complete and accurate address and latitude/ longitude is on file for each of your listings. Validate an accurate address and latitude/longitude for each listing Request recent reviews from guests so they are always up to date Make sure your headlines are attentiongrabbing and relevant

10 Headlines play a key role in listings quality. They are the first thing that a traveller sees about your listing on search results pages, so make sure that they are attention-grabbing. Make sure your headlines are attention-grabbing and relevant Headlines have a 70 character limit, and you should illustrate the property type (apartment, cabin, home), amenities, number of bedrooms, etc. Validate an accurate address and latitude/ longitude for each listing Provide effective, clear, and detailed descriptions

11 Accurate property descriptions are very important to travellers who are trying to learn as much as possible about a property before making the decision to book. When writing effective descriptions, keep in mind the following: The most effective length is between 700-1,000 characters long Provide effective, clear, and detailed descriptions Highlight the property s main selling points in the first sentence Clearly state the property details (e.g. 4-bedroom villa, 2,500 sq. ft. home, etc.) Specify size of beds and amenities in each bedroom Provide details about the property s special amenities Make sure your headlines are attentiongrabbing and relevant Mark you listing s pet suitability Describe the property s suitability for certain groups (elderly, couples, families, etc.) Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation Scan descriptions in software for raw HTML as certain characters will not feed properly (i.e.!,+,,&, etc.)

12 Stating explicity whether or not pets are allowed at the property gives travellers the information they need to find the right rental for their requirements. Mark you listing s pet suitability If travellers find a property they are interested in and it doesn t specificy whether pets are allowed, it may increase the number of enquiries or calls to your customer service agents. Provide effective, clear, and detailed descriptions List as many amenities as possible to offer travellers greater choice

13 Listing as many amenities as possible that your property has to offer gives travellers more options to filter their search by the preferences that matter most. List as many amenities as possible to offer travellers greater choice Once you ve mapped all of the available amenities, we ll display this information clearly on your listing. Mark you listing s pet suitability List nearby attractions, activities, and adventures

14 Proximity to attractions, activities, and adventures are all important criteria that set your listings apart and attract travellers. List nearby attractions, activities, and adventures We provide a long list of features for mapping so that you can detail all the fun things to do within reach of your property. For example, letting travellers know about the distance to the beach, fishing, hiking trails, mountains, ski area, golf, museums, etc., gives travellers a wealth of information to help them make their decision. List as many amenities as possible to offer travellers greater choice

15 Through these 12 tips we want to help you improve your listing quality and provide the best match for travellers, so you can generate more bookings for your business. Any questions? Benefit from professional advice, call our dedicated team on *If you are an integrated property manager, please check with your software company for online booking availability if online booking is not yet set up for your listings.