It’s imperative to remain vigilant and aware of any fresh communications or questions from prospective visitors. Your response and the details it provides could mean the difference between getting the booking and permanently losing the guest.
Your conversion rate can be dramatically raised by responding better. However, there are things to consider across your website and classifieds to ensure that the requests come flooding in even before you start receiving queries. For instance, ensure that your pricing and availability are consistently current across all the advertising platforms you use.
1. Give context to prospective visitors
On a similar note, make sure to let the reader know who you are and let them know that you are aware of who they are. A brief opening statement expressing gratitude for their interest in [your property name] will immediately bring your website or listing to mind. Additionally, you are pushing people to Google your company name by doing this.
3. Ensure your response
Even though it seems apparent, it is crucial to respond to all of the inquiries you receive genuinely. Even if your property will be available during the inquirer’s chosen dates or if they don’t adhere to your house rules, it’s always preferable to respond to inquiries than to ignore them. Visitors can also be flexible with their dates if they’re genuinely interested in a home, so it’s always worthwhile to see if you have another acceptable time slot open for their stay. Additionally, on the majority of OTAs, including Airbnb, your response rate plays a key role in selecting where in the search results you appear. Answer questions can help the visibility of your listing.
4. Make time-saving use of autoresponders.
According to TripAdvisor research, owners who react to inquiries within six hours have a double chance of turning them into bookings. It’s a good idea to set up autoresponders or predetermined messages that may be reused repeatedly to assist you in answering every guest’s inquiry promptly. When a typical inquiry like “is your property available on these dates?” comes in, you can instantly select the appropriate email template, personalize it with their name, and send it! Adding these prefabricated responses to your program may save a ton of time!
5. Respond to their inquiries
Travelers seek answers, which is why they ask inquiries. As a result, while constantly attempting to establish rapport and engage in professional, polite conversation, strive to be concise and direct in your responses. Large paragraphs of text are more difficult to read and may not convey information as effectively because an increasing number of tourists are sending requests and booking accommodations using their mobile devices. You should respond to their queries first, and then you can add any further information later.
6. Be cautious when presenting
Simple spelling errors and sloppy language might turn off curious visitors significantly. A written remark might easily be misunderstood, especially online! Therefore, be particularly careful with your grammar (a comma can drastically change the meaning of your statement), your use of capital letters (they’ll believe you’re shouting!), and your tone of voice while responding. Free writing tools like Grammarly can help you prevent careless errors and maintain the professionalism of your reply.
7. Make your reaction unique.
Travelers frequently submit inquiries to the accommodations on their short list of favorites, and if you’re unlucky, your response can land in their spam folder. By modifying the subject line and personalizing your response with their information—such as their name, the dates of their stay, and any other details they’ve provided—you can help your message stand out from those of your competitors.
8. Send a quotation.
The guest can pay instantly with a credit card to confirm their reservation by emailing you a quote as part of your response. This makes the entire booking process simple and uncomplicated, which raises your conversion rate. Additionally, you may even provide a special rate for those who register on your website directly. Direct booking can reduce commission costs for both hosts and guests and is a key element in turning window shoppers into reservations.
