Writing a BRILLIANT Accommodation Profile is easy!

How to write a good one…

1. Use all the space available which is 35 characters.

2. Use key words relevant to your accommodation. This might be popular attractions that users might specifically search for. Remember, indicate how close you are to this attraction in specific terms e.g.: 2 miles / 3 kilometres.

3. Highlight forthcoming events, holidays, festivals, conferences etc, so that your property becomes immediately relevant.

4. Specify location or proximity – to the beach, mountain, tourist attraction might also be a selling point. Convey the competitive advantages in your title.

5. Be descriptive, but not cliched. Focus on distinct attributes relevant to your property such as; Farmhouse, Penthouse, Beach front or Traditional, rather than the obvious superlatives such as ‘wonderful’, ‘amazing’ or ‘beautiful’.

What to avoid:

Avoid Property Names - e.g. ‘Willow Banks’
Whilst these name are lovely and even evocative house names, they don’t really make a compelling or useful title.

Avoid Location details - e.g. ‘Stunning Downtown Apartment in Barcelona’
It is most likely that a person will have found you property because they have searched for a specific location. In addition to which the location to the property is listed below the property title.

Avoid Repetitious Descriptions - e.g. ‘Gorgeous 2 bed flat – sleeps 4′
Whilst this information is useful it has already been listed in the property description making the information redundant in the title.

Avoid using Colloquialisms - e.g. Boho Chic apartment in London
Local lingo maybe clear to you, but it’s less likely to be understood by the global audience who will be reviewing you accommodation profile. Keep is simple is always good advice, and once again it’s the advice we offer here.

Avoid SHOUTING - e.g. THE BEST PROPERTY IN PARIS!
We know you want to get your point across, but you must remember that we are all au fait with email and using capital letters simply comes across as shouting. Rather than making things clearer, text in capital letters is surprisingly harder to read that lower case text.

Avoid Unnecessary Characters - e.g. Gr8 Pad to Make You )
This may be a great way to get information across in a host text message, but it’s not professional or easy to read and should be avoided.

Avoid spelling mistakes! - e.g. A Little Slice of Haven
The professional look of you profile reflects your ability as a Host and as someone to do business with. Always run your text through a spell checker, especially if you’re in a harry, – oops, hurry!

Need more impact!?

Highlight Suitability – If you have a particular passion or your property is particularly suited to a groups of people then do mention it in the title… ‘Kid-friendly’, ‘Great for Divers’, ‘Perfect for Groups’.

Highlight Availability – by stating available weeks that you’re looking to fill your property might stand out from the rest. It might also be worth mentioning availability in relation to specific events e.g. ‘Available for Wimbledon Tennis 2010′. This should make your property standout.

Highlight Special Offers – If you’re offering a seasonal promotion or something unusual then tell us in your title. It could make the difference between a click and a miss. (e.g. ’5th night free’ or ‘free Theatre tickets’)

More good news? It’s never too late to start again!
Remember, the whole of your profile can be amended should you wish to revamp your profile at any stage.

A picture is worth a thousand words! Take the best possible photographs of your property – inside and out. It might also be a good idea to include a floor plan if you are renting the whole property or if you offer an amazing breakfast why not photograph that?

Good photographs are not difficult to take and here are some simple tips:

• Choose the best photo to feature as your main property image.
• Capture the ‘Wow’ factor
• Upload clear and well framed pictures
• Colourful photographs are better than ‘arty’ photos.
• Ensure photographs are well lit.
• Tidy the house before taking photographs.

Photographs should include:

1. View from House
2. Exterior of House
3. Living Area
4. Kitchen
5. Dining Area
6. Master Bedroom
7. Additional Bedrooms
8. Amenities (Garden, Patio, Pool, Games Room etc)

1. Property Descriptions

1. First, detail all of the USP’s – the Unique Selling Points. (e.g. the view, location, price or the hearty evening meal you serve to your guests!)
2. Highlight the accommodations suitability (e.g. couples, walkers, pet owners, wheel-chair).
3. Capitalise the Keywords for emphasis. Don’t overdo this as it can quickly turn into ‘shouting’.
4. Use headers, bullet points and numbered lists to better organise content.
5. Write with a friendly tone and make the profile personal.

2. List Property Facilities
Highlight the more basic services available but not to be taken for granted. Such as a coffee machine or an ironing board. These facilities are important to some people and if you don’t mention them it could easily be assumed they are not available.

3. Area Information
Be specific about what there is to do in the surrounding area. Highlight specific attractions in your area also state clearly how close they are – 2 miles / 3 kilometres. The following are important too:

• Distance to nearby town or city
• Distance to local attractions
• Proximity to public transport
• Is a car necessary – can guests use yours, or will they need a hire car?

4. Details about the Host
This may not be relevant given that you might already have a detailed profile biography. But, it’s always good to highlight specific qualities or interests that make you a good Host and in turn make the property stand out from the crowd. This might be as simple as your ability to recommend some great restaurant in the area or the best local walks.

5. Write a brief conclusion.
Repeat those USP’s….the pool, the amazing guided tour you offer, the sumptuous Egyptian cotton bed linen, the stunning Lake or Mountains nearby

Not surprisingly, Guests feel more comfortable using profiles that appear to be active, popular and where they are not the only contributors. So, if your listing does not have any feedback or comments then try and get your friends involved and leave their comments.

Of course, we’d don’t know the real answer, but here are a few possible reasons…

1. Your photos are off putting – poorly composed, badly lit or quite simply scary!
2. Your property description is bland and lifeless.
3. If you leave out a photo of a bedroom readers will probably wonder why and assume it’s not that great and be put off. Conversely, unless your bathroom is something special it might be best to omitted.
4. You don’t have any reviews or friends… nobody wants to feel like they’re taking a risk. Go on, get your friends involved!
5. You are vague about where your property is located and therefore trying to hide something…
6. or….maybe you did not respond to an inquiry promptly enough. Apparently people who respond in the first 3 hours of a enquiry are 60% more likely to receive the booking, compared to people who wait 24 hour or more to reply.