How to increase bookings on Airbnb thanks to reviews

Reviews are essential for receiving bookings and thus increasing earnings on Airbnb. Indeed, the essential step to obtaining a reservation is to win the trust of the potential guest thanks to an impeccable reputation. To do this, the best way is to show them as many rave reviews as possible.

Airbnb is a portal born as a community of travelers who tell and recommend each other, so showing positive opinions is even more important. Beyond managing the availability, rates and descriptions of the listings with a channel manager, every host must also invest time and attention in the reviews.

Rating categories in Airbnb

In particular, guests can leave specific reviews on the following categories:

• Check-in: The clear check-in procedure should be simple and intuitive
• Cleanliness: Guests expect to find the home as shown in the listing.
• Accuracy: All the details are important to help travelers feel at home away from home
• Communication: Hosts must respond to guests’ messages promptly to address their needs as soon as possible
• Location: the host must report the location of the facility in a precise and explanatory manner
• Value: guests can assess whether the value for money meets their expectations

A property on Airbnb receives an average score for each of the categories listed based on the reviews received. The main of these indicators is the Average Review Score, i.e. the average score of the reviews received in total, which can range from 1 to 5.

This index is one of the requirements to obtain Superhost status, if the average review score is greater than 4.8.

In RoomCloud channel manager there is a section dedicated to reviews, where you can view and monitor your average score in all Airbnb rating categories. Also, the overall average score in connected channels is shown on the left. Here is the link to access the new Review dashboard.

The impact of the Average Review Score on the business

The average score is very importance to hosts for 4 reasons:

1. Visibility in searches and for the ranking algorithm. Higher quality means that an ad will be more visible to travellers. Airbnb’s algorithm evaluates many characteristics to define the quality of the listings, including reviews.
2. Booking conversion. Travelers tend to be more willing to book with confidence on listings that show a history of positive reviews from other guests.
3. Potential ADR. quality metrics and reviews can also influence Willingness to pay . The better the reviews, the better the guest’s expectations will be and the greater the willingness to spend.
4. Re-Bookings and reputation. Airbnb has observed higher re-booking rates for guests who leave a 5-star review. Delivering a great quality stay can help build customer loyalty, improve brand reputation, and drive word of mouth.

Replying to reviews

In order to develop a relationship of trust with your guests, especially if they are satisfied with their stay, it is essential to maintain a relationship. This can be done in several ways. For example through personalized emails after the stay with special offers.

But the first and simplest loyalty activity is to respond to reviews left by the guest at the end of the stay, both positive and negative. In the eyes of future guests, seeing a host who cares about their reviews is a much appreciated indication of customer care.

To facilitate response operations to reviews, RoomCloud offers a dedicated section in the channel manager. By filtering by date and channel, it is possible to view the entire list of comments received and reply directly to the message, without accessing the OTA extranet. Here is the link to access the new Review dashboard.

Success case

We asked our client Puerta Catedral Apartments, Superhost at Airbnb, how they managed to get an average score of 4.92/5 and the maximum score in 4 out of 5 rating categories.

The Director Carlos de Juan Conejo says:

The Puerta Catedral team puts the guest at the center trying to create a special experience. We also try to do our job with passion and as professionally as possible. But above all, what the client values most is that when we make a mistake in something, (because at times we all make a mistake and do not meet expectations) we react quickly and effectively. That is where we put the most effort.

We care a lot about the design of the rooms, about comfort and we take great care of the details. We must be generous with the client from the very design of the spaces, creating relaxing but attractive environments. Finally, in special locations, there needs to be some singularity.

Conclusions

The care of the reviews cannot be considered a marginal aspect in the ordinary operations of a property manager. Like setting prices and managing offers, you should always monitor your score online. A below average score may in fact be one of the reasons why potential guests choose to book elsewhere. On the contrary, a high rating and positive reviews help increase bookings and therefore earnings on Airbnb.