Every year, luggage in tow, more than ten million travellers make the trip to Bristol. The city is the 8th most visited in the UK, luring in domestic and international visitors alike with promises of a holiday well spent between historical sites, lush hinterlands, hip pubs, and an exciting art scene.
Naturally, homeowners who have room to spare have been quick to take advantage of Bristol’s status as a premier destination. In 2021, the number of residential homes that flipped into holiday lets spiked by 55 percent. On average, Bristol homeowners pocket earnings of £2,900 every year from AirBnB bookings.
With demand steady and secure, the only question left for landlords is how to funnel that traffic to their property. Here are a few ways you can keep your holiday cottage fully booked year round.
Know Your Target Guest
The first step to attracting visitors to your holiday let is knowing who they are. You’ll find different types of people knocking at your door on booking platforms. Whether they choose your home over a hundred others is a matter of compatibility.
Some features are collective must-haves among guests, such as distance from transport links and WiFi availability. But the real clinchers will change based on individual needs, which can vary wildly even amongst groups.
For instance, let’s say you want families to stay in your property. That means you’ll need to highlight space and number of rooms–but just how do you define family? Is it a single dad and his baby, a woman and her Labrador, or an entire gaggle of parents, kids, and their aunts and uncles? Knowing exactly who you want to stay in your home will help you tailor the property accordingly.
Put Your Best Photos Forward
With scores of listings on offer, you only get a split-second to sell your property before people scroll past and forget about you. That’s why photos are crucial. People spend at least 20 seconds longer on listings with quality photos. And the more pictures you have, the higher your chances of converting a view into a guest.
But having a lot won’t be enough. You need high resolution images that showcase your property’s best angles. If you don’t want to hire a professional, a few simple photography hacks can help ensure your photos turn out well. For instance, warm lighting helps a space feel more welcoming. Shooting from corners is one trick real estate photographers love to use to make a room feel airy and spacious.
Beyond giving guests a great view of your property, photos should appeal to emotions. Little touches like board games on a coffee table or luxury toiletries in the bathroom help guests imagine themselves in the space. And that quick daydream can be the final nudge they need to choose your property over another with professional yet lifeless pictures.
Mix Up Your Social Media Content
Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal. However, your competitors will also be jockeying for attention. Some will even spend on ads to rise above feeds.
You can capture attention by mixing up your content. For instance, you might entice guests to finally decide on Bristol by talking about exciting events and festivals. Shining a spotlight on weekend markets and local neighbourhood haunts gives prospecting travellers more reasons to visit and helps out other businesses in the community.
To know how you should split your content between self-promotion and talking up the location, it’s best to stick to the Rule of Thirds. Followed by many marketers and brands, the rule dictates that your social media activity should be divided evenly between promoting yourself, responding to comments, and sharing interesting content.
Invest in Premium Amenities
Holidays are a luxury. Visitors to Bristol don’t want a home away from home; they’re looking for something better. With hotels like the Avon Gorge and Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel just a block or two away, you’ll have to entice travellers with more than just a plush bed and a clean home.
Adding a hot tub to your property is one way to get an edge over the competition, especially during the colder seasons. Pools are a high maintenance investment, but can pay out in the long run. Bristol is a hot spot for water sports lovers; anything related to swimming is a magnet that can pull your property above other listings.
Assess for Accessibility
People with disabilities travel for leisure nearly as often as those without impairments. However, holiday properties are far less accommodating for the differently abled. About half a million adults in the UK state a lack of accessible homes as a major barrier to travel.
Adapting your home to be more inclusive helps your business and ensures everyone can go on the holiday they deserve. And for many properties, you won’t have to remodel or make major changes to help more people enjoy a safe and satisfying holiday in Bristol.
Adding fixtures such as stair rails and handrails in key spaces or rearranging furniture to widen your floor space are some relatively simple changes you can make. If you’re just beginning to lay out your holiday home, consider installing wheelchair ramps and adding bedrooms with en suite bathrooms on the ground floor.
Bristol isn’t a hard location to sell. The city’s natural beauty and thriving cultural scene guarantees millions of tourists every year. With a little marketing savvy and thoughtful upgrades, your property can stay booked and busy no matter the season.
