It can be easy to see an Airbnb stay as just another rather clinical transaction nowadays. It’s become incredibly common not to greet your guests in person. This is especially true now, in a post-COVID world. So, how can you ensure that your guests have a great experience?
An excellent way to impart your personality and hospitality on the guests even if you can’t be present is through a guidebook. This can either be in the form of an interactive digital guidebook, or one that is physically printed and placed in your property.
Guidebooks serve a dual purpose. They both increase the value of the customer experience and also of your Airbnb. This is due to the fact that you can reuse the guidebook with all future guests, and it shouldn’t need updating very frequently. It is a low cost-addition to your business to boost customer experience, ratings, and therefore returns and recommendations.
Guidebooks can be included with your welcome letter (find out how you can write a great Airbnb welcome letter). Combined, they create a great welcome pack for guests. They provide everything possibly needed for their stay and more.
So, here’s how you can write a great guidebook, and what info you should be including!
How Do I Write an Airbnb Guidebook?
There are a few ways to approach the formatting of this. The easiest way is to create it directly on Airbnb. You can do this through your ‘Info for Guests’ area on your listings. By doing this, it means it’s consistently attached to your property, and guests can access it easily at any time.
You can also write your guidebook yourself though the creation of a word document. Make sure to format it as a PDF. This is so it can be easily downloaded or printed out by the guest to meet their preference. You can also leave this in your property yourself! Place it in an easy to spot location, such as the kitchen counter, so it can’t be missed!
If all else fails, there are websites that can help you build a great interactive digital guidebook. For example, Hostfully, a vacation rental software partnered with Airbnb, is a very helpful resource. It can be used to create a detailed resource for your guests with professional visuals to enhance their user experience.
In terms of the actual written content, there are a few things to keep in mind. Make sure you write in an easily accessible way. If you are working with a digital format, maybe add some accessibility features like text to speech in order to accommodate a wider audience.
Write in short, concise sentences, and make sure the information you’re including is what will be most helpful to the guests. In other words, cut straight to the facts in as few words as possible.
The guidebook needs to be made engaging. Some people will never read the information you send them. This makes them more likely to leave a negative review because of information they missed. In order to combat this, try to incorporate some personality, even a bit of humour, with clear headings for skimmers.
What Information Should I Include?
It is often expected that a good Airbnb host is like the concierge at a hotel. Always available with any information you may need for your stay. This is exactly what you want your guidebook to be: informative, helpful, and polite. Here are some things you may want to include.
- Include useful necessities in your area. One or two of each of the best or closest places for important items. So, things like supermarkets, laundromats, petrol stations, or pharmacies.
- Include things to do. Make sure to leave recommendations of different available forms of entertainment in your area. Include food and drink recommendations, the arts and culture of the area, any sightseeing opportunities or historical landmarks, good shopping, or great nightlife.
- Parking or driving services. Say where is best or cheapest to park in your area. Recommend any taxi or car services and how or where to hire a vehicle. Leave any pertinent numbers and any discount codes you may have for these services.
- Any specialised apps for the area. Be it for car services or food delivery, there may be some specific apps only available in your area. For example, there are some to find specialised food recommendations. A great example of something like this is HappyCow, which is to assist in finding vegan options in the area.
- Any rubbish or recycling information. This is key to ensure waste is disposed of correctly. It may differ from area to area, so it could be helpful to include this.
- Mention any cleaning procedures and services. If there is anything you require of the guests in terms of cleaning, it is best to include this in here. You may even be able to upsell to your guests through the guidebook. This can also be a good place to include any mid-stay professional cleaning opportunities you may provide.
- Any additional appliance or amenity instructions. Things like the Wi-Fi password (and router location) are usually included in the welcome letter. But any miscellaneous, ‘less important’ information can go in the guidebook.
Remember, you don’t necessarily need to include all of this! These are just some helpful suggestions. Make sure you select what information you would find useful during an Airbnb stay. You can’t go wrong that way!
Tips and Tricks
Send this information a week or so prior. By being proactive, you ensure your guest has the time to read everything and plan accordingly.
Write yourself an ‘FAQ’ list. Go through previous guest experiences of your Airbnb, or even your own experiences as a guest elsewhere. Use that as a springboard of things to answer and include in your guidebook. This way, you’re covering all bases!
Include photos throughout. Enrich your recommendations with images. The visual nature will be more eye catching. You can even take and add your own photos for a touch of personality! If your guidebook is digital, include hyperlinks. This can be to menus, maps, or reviews. It enriches the guests experience and ensures everything is in the same place.
Make sure to include anything unique. This could be about your property or the area. Include hidden gems in the area or talk about desirable attributes to the property for example. Make your recommendations personal. Use your own experience of the city and the space to recommend diverse and less well travelled places.
Make sure it stays up to date. Discuss new openings in town, or update on Covid protocols in your particular city. You can cater to the seasons and what’s available, with things like ice skating or Christmas markets!
Conclusion
The inclusion of a guidebook is a fantastic and easy way to upgrade your Airbnb. You can’t go wrong! Be personal, helpful, and accessible, and your effort will pay dividends. Remember, the better the experience, the higher the reviews and ratings for your business!
Need help creating the perfect guidebook for your rental property? Here at Keey, we can help. Contact us today!