How to optimize listings on HomeAway and increase your bookings!
BeeRent has always been here to help you and we've made it our mission to make the property management bussines as easy as can be. In cooperation with HomeAway, today we bring you some amazing tips & tricks! Your success is very important to us, so we've decided to assist you optimize your listings on HomeAway and increase visibility.
BeeRent has some helpful information on these optimization suggestions:
- Writing headlines with popular search words
- Publishing installments for 2020 and 2021
- Reviews (Please rate your guests) - Following the departure of your guest, you will receive an email from HomeAway in which you will be asked to rate the guest. HomeAway's data shows that guests rate significantly more if you've already left a review for them!
Key-word headings that are bound to show up at search results
As a property manager your job is to portray your listing in the light that will attract as much guests as possible. What better way is there than to write an eye-catching headline! People search certain keywords when looking to book the perfect holiday, and you can make sure your listing will be amongs the first ones shown in the results by using some of the most popular key-word headings, such as:
- Type of accommodation: for example, Chalet, House, Apartment
- Important amenities: for example, Pool, Terrace, Wifi, Sea View
- Target group: for example, Couples, Families, Animal lovers, Groups
Here are some examples of good headlines in the search results:
Current trends according to HomeAway's travelers
Trends tend to change fairly often depending on the needs and wishes of people. All of us try to follow them to heart to gain more popularity & visibility and BeeRent is here to help you always be in with the new! HomeAway's travelers hand-picked some of the current general trends on the portal:
- Spacious holiday homes
- Equipment + quality are more important than the price
- Wifi is a must: as soon as possible, free, no restrictions
- Air conditioning for hot days
- The trend towards more luxury
- Well equipped kitchens for self-catering
- Parking Spots
Amenities and features make a listing whole!
Everybody likes to travel light, so make sure you provide all the amenities your guests need to have a comfortable stay. Please make sure you select all the amenities that your property offers. Nowadays, travelers filter right from the beginning of the search, which could quickly eliminate your listings if you have not selected an amenity that, in fact, exists in your property. Some of the most popular amenities and features include:
- Instant booking
- Wireless Internet Access
- Air conditioning
- Close to supermarket and shops
- Close to restaurant and bars
- Proximity to the beach
- Assigned parking spot
- Own swimming pool
- Community pool
- Private garden and/or terrace
- Sea view
- Sauna
- Sheets and towels included
- Toiletries
- Fireplace
Quality photos are key
What's the first thing a guest searching for accommodation will notice on a portal? Property pictures of course! Quality photos are the most important feature in attracting travelers. Peak their intrest with beautiful sigths all around your property and, above all, make sure that the main photo appearing in the search results really represents your property in the light you wish to portray. Please try to upload as many professional pictures as possible.
Outdoor pictures are very popular if the property has a pool, a great sea view or a great outdoor area. Otherwise, we see higher click-through rates of objects with a picture of the kitchen or living area.
Here are some beautiful examples of inside and outside property photos:
Listing ranking and Premier Partner Program
Next to the ranking your listing receives from guests that leave a review (which are, again, very important), HomeAway also gives scores and rankings of their own. HomeAway considers a combination of advertisement quality and partner behavior for this ranking that greatly affects the place your listing receives on their portal.
- Listing quality means good content, photos, reviews, descriptions, amenities, house rules, cancellation policies, payment plans, and prices compared to your market. We advise publishing prices and availability between 18-24 months in advance.
- Partner behavior means accepting bookings, maintaining bookings, and response times.
Premier Partners are owners and property managers who provide great traveler experiences and their listings get a badge that distingushes them from others. This is a great way to show your guests you are trustworthy, which thay will certainly appreciate.
The following metrics are analyzed for the Premier Partner Program:
- Acceptance rate
- Cancellation rate
- Average rating
- The average number of reviews per listing
- The average number of bookings per listing
We recommend checking your listings after they have been published on the channel so that they can continue to be optimized in the software if everything is up to date.
We hope you find the above information helpful. Using these tips will certainly help increase your listing's visibility on the HomeAway portal.
Let's connect and grow together!
BeeRent team.
