Improve your rank and performance by accepting more bookings. High acceptance rates can lead to a higher search results ranking, and it shows guests your property is ready and easy to book.
8 tips to increase your acceptance rate success
Successful vacation rental owners constantly work to improve performance and boost business. A low acceptance rate could mean little to no revenue because your ranking will also be lower each time a booking request is declined.
But high acceptance rates show you’re committed to the promise of helping travelers find and book their perfect vacation rental. A high acceptance rate means a higher search results ranking and indicates you’ll likely continue to welcome travelers to your property in the future and provide a great booking experience.
We consider your acceptance rate when determining your market rank, which is a factor in determining your search position. When comparing two similar or equal properties, a property with a higher acceptance rate is more likely to show up earlier in search results than a property with a lower acceptance rate. With that in mind, follow these tips and tools to help you get started down the path to a better acceptance rate and more bookings.
1. Activate Instant Booking
Instant Booking is the easiest way to increase your acceptance rate. When you enable Instant Booking, you can increase bookings, which will improve your acceptance rate.
Use Instant Booking to show up in more traveler searches and unlock access to Expedia Group sites. Bookings are automatically confirmed, but you stay in control of who stays at your property by setting your house rules.
2. Get the mobile app for owners
Stay connected to travelers and manage your listing from anywhere with the mobile app for owners. Use the app to easily reply to messages, inquiries, and booking requests from your mobile phone. Get real-time notifications so you can quickly reply to inquiries and accept booking requests.
3. Receive text alerts
You can also receive inquiries or booking requests via SMS. It’s one more way to be notified in real-time so you can stay in touch with travelers and not miss out on potential bookings.
4. Set your house rules
Save time by posting clear house rules to your listing. Be clear about what types of travelers your property is a good fit for. For example, say your property is especially good for large groups, or is wheelchair accessible, or welcomes dogs. Be sure to select these amenities in your dashboard, highlight them in your listing description, and update your house rules or rental agreement.
Likewise, if your property is not appropriate for specific groups of travelers, make sure this information is included in your house rules and reinforce these restrictions by stating them clearly in your listing and rental agreement.
5. Use iCal to manage calendars
Save time managing multiple calendars by using iCal. Sync calendars and bookings from several platforms — Google Calendar, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc. — into a single view. More importantly, syncing your calendars helps to avoid double bookings, incorrectly blocked dates, and other factors that can lead to unnecessary cancellations.
Don’t forget to block your calendar if your property will be unavailable to book at a particular time. Block off personal dates in your calendar, too. Say, for example, your property is being renovated or you plan to use the property yourself — be sure those dates aren’t available for guests to book.
6. Update your rates and calendar
Travelers may want to book months or days in advance, and most say price is the biggest factor when booking. By keeping your calendar updated and pricing info accurate, you can avoid traveler mix-ups and cancellations due to double bookings or outdated rates.
7. Accept more bookings
One way to raise your acceptance rate is to accept more bookings. Travelers can get attached to properties they want to book and maybe disappointed if their booking is canceled or their request is declined by the property owner. Negative experiences like these can turn travelers off from booking vacation rentals. That’s why your acceptance rate (how often you accept bookings compared to how often you decline) is measured.
Not all bookings are equal, and not all travelers are a good fit for your property, however. If a traveler doesn’t read the house rules and you need to decline or cancel to protect your property, that’s okay! Your acceptance rate is only one factor that determines your market rank, so don’t worry about a single cancellation or decline. Just continue to focus on accepting more bookings and providing a great experience.
8. Hide your listing
You can temporarily hide your listing if you’re unable to manage it for more than 24 hours because you know you won’t be able to respond to booking requests or inquiries. You control the dates to hide your listing, and it will automatically go live again on your selected end date. This prevents you from getting bookings requests that you aren’t able to honor or respond to. Hiding your listing won’t negatively impact your performance, and you can unhide it anytime.
