When a user searches for an apartment on any online travel agency (OTA) the order in which the apartments are shown is determined by the platform. The order matters because users tend to pick their apartment from the first pages of their search results.
There are different components that have an impact on the ranking of the properties like pricing, amenities & services, availability, conversion or quality of the listing. Follow these suggestions to boost your property's ranking on Homelike.
1. Keep pricing competitive
Our aim is to deliver the best search results for our users with a specific search. Given the fact that many users are price-aware, pricing is a key to competitiveness on an online platform. Rates should make sense for the property, its location, size and amenities.
Keep sight of rates in your market and always keep your rates up-to-date. In low seasons it can make sense to offer special rates for a selected timeframe to avoid vacancy.
2. Ensure high-quality pictures
High-quality pictures are a must!
Every apartment should have a variety of different images showing every room of the apartment. Not only the quality but also the quantity plays a big role in your image quality ranking – the more pictures the better.
You can find our best practices here:
- Choose a resolution from 1280px to 780px.
- Take photos in landscape format, pictures in portrait format do not show enough of your apartment and thus give a bad impression.
- Prepare your apartment for the photos exactly as you would prepare it for a guest.
- Take the photos during the day to get the best light.
- Emphasise special features such as an extra-large bed, a terrace with a great view or a modern kitchen.
- You should at least upload a photo of each room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and an exterior view of your house. The minimum is 6 photos per ad.
- We also recommend that you upload a floor plan of your apartment so that customers can see the layout of the room.
3. Keep your descriptions relevant and updated
Relevant and updated descriptions on your listing can have a positive impact on getting more requests. A listing’s descriptions should always be self-explained and leave no room for questions. Be sure to be thorough and include all information that will motivate users to request your apartment.
4. Focus on your target group
Homelike has a strong focus on B2B customers who have a special need and interest in services like:
- Extra services (regular cleaning or parking spot)
- flexible move-in options (e.g late arrivals of tenants)
- flexible cancellation and termination policies (e.g if a projects end sooner than expected)
- the company guarantees rather than high deposits (e.g less administrative work)
- correct and on-time invoicing
The number of requirements that match the filters of the user have an impact on the ranking as well.
5. Manage your availabilities
Accurate availabilities ensure relevant requests with a high chance of a conversion. Proper management of your availabilities on a regular basis that ensures live availability will boost your ranking.
A high amount of declines due to wrong availability will have a negative impact on your property’s ranking. You can find more information regarding managing your availability and integrations into PMS/CM on our dedicated website.
6. Review your performance
Online platforms like Homelike focus a lot on the performance of its partners. There are various key performance indicators (KPI’s) that you can find in your dashboard and that have an impact on your ranking score. Focus on your decline rate and your response time in order to increase the likelihood of a booking.