You’re constantly searching for ways to save time and simplify things as a host, and Airbnb automation can help you accomplish exactly that. Indeed, automating your Airbnb company might save you up to 70% of your time on mundane tasks. Use these helpful hints to better manage your Airbnb company.
Airbnb hosts and property managers have a lot on their plates as the vacation rental industry becomes more competitive by the day. It’s no surprise that many of them are exploring automation to help them deal with the strain.
Even if you simply manage one property on a single platform, it may be daunting at times. As a result, automating your company might offer you a boost and even help you increase income. Some people, however, mistakenly assume that it is solely for major corporations.
Indeed, as an Airbnb host, there are various options to automate your short-term rental administration and save up to 70% on everyday activities and operations.
Here are several strategies of Airbnb automation that will help you get the most out of your time on the platform.
What Is Airbnb Automation and How Does It Work?
The practice of simplifying everyday and repetitive processes to boost efficiency and save expenses is known as Airbnb automation. Many of your day-to-day tasks are automated, so you don’t have to. Responding to visitor communications, modifying rental rates, updating booking calendars, writing guest reviews, scheduling cleanings, and more are all examples of these responsibilities.
As an Airbnb host, why should you use automation?
Automating your Airbnb company has a slew of advantages, including:
- Saving time on normal chores – With automation, you won’t have to spend as much time on mundane duties, enabling you to devote more time to more vital elements of your company.
- Increasing your occupancy rate and revenue – Automation allows you to respond to responses and booking requests quicker, which may help you raise your occupancy rate and revenue.
- Increasing production and productivity – With automation at the helm, you can be confident that all of your company’s demands will be handled simultaneously, resulting in increased output and productivity.
- Accelerating business growth – In the end, automation helps to accelerate business growth by simplifying all of your primary company processes, enabling you to focus on business development and growth.
How Can I Make My Airbnb Management More Automated?
Every managerial function may be automated using a variety of tools and software solutions. Messages to guests, calendar synchronization, housekeeping duties, and report generation are just a few examples.
1. Make Your Guest Communication More Automated
One of the most important aspects of your success on the Airbnb platform is excellent communication. When conferring Superhost designation, Airbnb always considers the response rate. Timely answers might result in increased bookings.
Furthermore, if you have a company website that you utilize to receive direct reservations, it’s likely that you also have a blog. If that’s the case, make sure you or someone else is ready to respond to any queries or comments left on your blog entries since they may convert into reservations.
At the same time, one of the most time-consuming jobs for property managers is guest communication. It might take up to 75% of your time to respond to your existing and prospective visitors. As a result, preparing responses is the first step you should optimize to free up time for other vital tasks.
You may automate your messages in a variety of ways. Let’s look at three of them in more detail:
Templates for Messages
The primary steps of the booking procedure will usually correlate to your answers to communications (upon inquiry, booking confirmation, etc.). Make a list of your typical responses and store it as a Google Doc or Spreadsheet so you can access it quickly.
Email Autoresponder for Airbnb
Auto-response services are available from most email service providers. You may set up automatic messages to deliver rapid answers for more effective Airbnb administration. It is advisable to have a distinct email account for your business operations.
Your customer service will improve if you respond quickly. In addition, your autoresponder may contain all of the critical information that you send to visitors after they book with you. Include instructions for key exchange, directions to your property, Wi-Fi passwords, check-in and check-out procedures, and more.
“Hello, thank you for choosing to stay at My Awesome Airbnb, I cannot respond to your request at this time, but I will do so within 24 hours. Meanwhile, please have a look at some of the most common inquiries I receive regarding My Awesome Airbnb property…”
A small handwritten letter goes a long way toward demonstrating that you are a thoughtful Airbnb host.
Service of a concierge
As a host, you may not always have the time to respond to requests right away. You may provide your visitors with round-the-clock assistance by employing a concierge service. A skilled concierge service will answer any inquiries they may have.
2. Use Dynamic Pricing Tools to Automate Your Pricing Management
If you want to increase your company’s income, you must be intelligent with your pricing approach. Setting your prices lower than your rivals’ in the hopes of attracting more bookings is a bad idea. Even if it works, you might wind up with lower net sales than your rivals.
A dynamic pricing plan based on market-related data is the greatest way to achieve revenue growth while staying competitive. While this is the most effective technique, assessing important market indicators is difficult. You can either do this process yourself, free but time-consuming, or employ a data scientist, which may be expensive. There is, however, a third solution that does not need you to do either: dynamic pricing tools!
Dynamic pricing systems reduce all of the analysis necessary to determine optimum prices into seconds of effort using built-in algorithms. Every 24 hours, these algorithms examine the most significant factors and provide a new proposed price.
Dynamic pricing systems that can interface with several software solutions are the most popular. AirDNA and Dynamic Pricing, for example, are two well-known pricing systems that have direct connections with Lodgable.
3. Provide an Airbnb check-in system that is automated (Key Exchange)
It will be simpler for you as a host and your visitors if you automate your check-in procedure. It will also drastically cut down on your time on the key exchange procedure. Here are a few alternatives that you may make use of:
Lockboxes
Consider utilizing a lockbox, which you can get from any hardware shop if you want a simple solution. Inform your Airbnb visitors of the lockbox location and the required code combination. Ensure they know where to return the keys when you check out, and you’re good to go.
Locks that are controlled via electronic means
A second alternative that avoids the inconvenience of dealing with keys is electronic locks. You may also use your settings to create a unique code for each visitor automatically.
Smart locks
The smart lock is the most recent access option for your home. These locks raise the bar for electronic locks. They improve the security of your Airbnb by allowing entry only when a confirmed smartphone sends a wireless signal.
Unlike keys and electronic locks, smart locks enable you to control who has access to your Airbnb. However, since this lock needs visitors to have cellphones with adequate battery capacity, there are significant drawbacks. They also only operate with a single point of entry. If your house has a secured gate in front of it, you’ll need to put a lock there as well.
Service for exchanging keys
Because essential storage sites are nearby cafés, you can allow someone into your property remotely from work or the beach. Using a service like Keycafe for key exchange is another excellent alternative. Guests may pick up keys at any time during business hours.
Regardless of whatever option you pick, an automatic key exchange guarantees that visitors may have entry to your rental at any moment on the day of their arrival.
4. Automate your Airbnb reviews to increase the number of reviews you get.
As a busy host, you probably don’t have much time to provide evaluations for your guests, who may also be hesitant to respond until something unexpected occurs during their stay.
While submitting a review may seem difficult, getting as many favorable evaluations as possible is critical. Are you wondering why it’s so important? The solution is obvious: it boosts your Airbnb ranking and attracts more visitors! A few strategies might help you get started on building your collection.
Automating your reviews is one of the most foolproof methods.
Templates for Reviews
You may construct a document containing the most common reviews you normally submit to save time when writing reviews from the start. Make a list of fantastic examples for positive and negative evaluations, including 5 and 4-star ratings. If you don’t think you’re up to the task, look at what other Airbnb hosts have written or Google samples.
Hosts have 14 days following their guests’ departure to post an Airbnb review. However, it’s easy to forget to write one if you handle several properties. Vacation rental management software will email you an auto-reminder when it’s time to post a review, so you’ll know how much time you have left. You’ll also be alerted if your visitor writes you a review. It won’t take you long to react if you have access to various pre-written samples.
5. Automate the cleaning process
When you initially start your Airbnb company, one of the first things you should consider is how to automate your cleanings. You are unlikely to clean it yourself since customers want hotel-level cleanliness. Furthermore, maintaining a tidy environment might take a long time. Fortunately, you may schedule cleanings ahead of time to ensure that your accommodations are spotless when your visitors arrive.
There are numerous alternatives available:
Subcontractors on their own
One of the most cost-effective ways to grow your company is to hire a subcontractor. A single cleaner is less expensive than a group or team of cleaners. Your visitors will be satisfied even if your Airbnb is tiny or medium-sized.
However, this option has a fundamental disadvantage: depending on only one person is difficult. Create a list of subcontractors who can assist you in an emergency.
Cleaning Service for Airbnb
In only a few hours, a professional cleaning firm can make your house seem pristine from top to bottom.
Airbnb hosts may benefit from automation.
Professional Airbnb cleaning crews are typically well-equipped and capable of dealing with any situation. They can also clean your home or business more quickly and effectively. You won’t have to depend on a single person, and you won’t have to worry about your cleaning being canceled if someone is sick.
The only disadvantage you may encounter is the cost of their services. Keep in mind that charging a higher cleaning price may deter budget-conscious visitors. On the other side, impeccable property cleaning may result in a slew of five-star ratings.
With Lodgable, you can give your cleaners limited access to your account to see your calendars. This will save you time by not communicating with your cleaners when they need to come by to clean your property.
6. Use Smart Amenities to Give Guests a Better Experience
Going above and above the fundamentals is the key to effective hosting. You should be willing to go above and beyond, not just in messaging or cleaning but also in terms of your amenities.
Making a vacation rental contemporary is more than a fad, given that millennials and Generation Z are the primary forces behind the tourism industry. While the competition is becoming tougher, adding smart, free-to-use facilities to your rental might provide you with a significant competitive edge.
Temperature Control Units for the Home
As an Airbnb host, you’ll need to keep your vacation rental home at a pleasant temperature at all times for optimal comfort. Home temperature automation equipment, such as Nest, automate your home’s cooling and heating.
Installing a smart thermostat helps you maintain a comfortable temperature in your home. You may quickly check it at any moment on your smartphone. Furthermore, you will never have to worry about your visitors harming themselves or causing damage to your property by attempting to alter the temperature on their own.
Sensors
Consider putting sensors in addition to temperature control systems to automate normal tasks at your home. A motion sensor, for example, may switch lights off when they are not in use, saving you money on your power bill. Other sensors, like a water leak or a carbon monoxide sensor, might warn you of concerns that could risk the safety of your visitors.
SmartThings and IFTTT, for example, may be used to link sensors with automation systems. You may use this to set rules for how home automation devices react when a sensor detects an event. You may set up a rule that prevents the HVAC from operating when the front door is open to conserve energy.
Wi-Fi by Google
Google Wi-Fi is a router that allows you to keep your household gadgets linked. Other advantages include the ability to adjust your internet connection and access permissions from afar.
You may also limit the number of devices that visitors have access to. This gives you total control over your house and smart home gadgets even if you aren’t physically there.
7. Take use of vacation rental software
The goal of Airbnb automation is to free up time for hosts to focus on growing their businesses rather than on mundane tasks. Aside from cleaning and upkeep, hosts admit that synchronizing calendars and appointments is one of their biggest concerns.
Airbnb hosts may benefit from automation.
Property management may become a major problem if your properties are advertised on many platforms. The likelihood of making a double booking or skipping a cleaning rises, as does the hosts’ concern. At Lodgable’s core is channel management. Learn more about how Lodgable can make all of the difference for your Airbnb Business.Â
