Running an Airbnb business can be challenging and property managers need to feel in control. There’s a lot to organize, there’s a pricing structure to decide on, a calendar to keep track of, guests to communicate with, etc. It’s fair to say that keeping everything running smoothly isn’t easy. That’s why more and more successful Airbnb hosts are now automating their Airbnb properties.
Why Automate Airbnb?
Running a successful Airbnb business can be time-consuming. Automate your Airbnb and you can spend less time busying yourself with administration and more time growing your business. Automating your short-term rental will enable you to simplify the hosting process and improve the guest experience too.
Define Your Goals
Automate Airbnb and you could reap a number of benefits. You can manage your listings, keep track of the check-in process (key exchange), automate your cleaning services and guest communication.
Not sure where to start? Take some time to think about your business – what it is you are trying to achieve? Are their areas of your business that you would like to streamline or improve? You can automate one element of your rental property business, or automate it all – the choice is yours!
Automation Software Features for your Airbnb Business
Vacation rental software is designed to make the lives of vacation rental managers easier. There’s plenty of software on the market right now, including all-in-one management software from companies such as iGMS. Hosts can access powerful smart tools, designed to automate Airbnb tasks and increase productivity. Features include:
Message Automation
Hosts send on average over 2000 messages every month. Answering queries relating to check-in and checkout, property details, etc. can be a time-consuming process. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just use a single inbox for all guest messages and accounts?
Hosts can improve efficiency by using automated messaging tools to create templates. You can also arrange for messages to be sent on preset dates and times. This will ensure communication runs smoothly and guests remain satisfied regarding the level of interaction they receive.
Task Management
There’s a lot to organize when you’re managing a short term rental property management company. Automating tasks can help your day-to-day operations to run smoothly, and assist you in keeping in contact with team members.
You can use automated task management to set cleaning schedules. Create tasks and invite your team members to look at the proposed schedules. You can control who gets to see what, and you can keep track of your cleaning team too. This will allow you to ensure your rental is properly prepared for the next guest.
Channel Manager
It can be tricky to keep track of your rental when you are utilizing a number of different vacation rental websites. A channel manager allows you to automate routine operations and sync calendars.
Linking with third-party platforms allows you to widen your potential market, but you need to keep on top of your bookings. The channel manager gives a useful picture of what’s booked and when. This means you won’t have to worry about double bookings, which can lead to disgruntled guests and negative reviews.
Pricing Management Tools
Automate pricing for your vacation rentals and you could drastically increase your occupancy rate. You can use rental software to adjust pricing across all of the vacation rental platforms use. You can also automate discount rules, and set a minimum and maximum stay to attract bookings.
How to Select the Right Airbnb Automation Software
There’s a lot of automation software to choose from, so how do you choose the right package for you? Do a little research into some of the popular options. Check out the reviews and testimonials and take a good look at the rental property management software websites. Speak to an advisor if you want to find out more about the features on offer, and if there’s a free demonstration take advantage of it.
Look out for great deals too, certain software allows you to list a specific number of properties for free and there’s usually an option to upgrade, so you can pay a small amount to gain access to really useful additional features.
Airbnb Automation really can make a huge difference to your vacation rental business, you can maximize efficiency and increase productivity. If you want to spend less time dealing with administrative tasks, and more time on growing a successful business it’s time to give automation a try.
