Optimizing your property listing

• Add at least five photos, and keep them up to date: We recommend that you always include a minimum of five photos that reflect your property, including its interior, bathroom, and kitchen, if applicable. You should also include photos of each room that’s available for guests to book.
• Show why your property is unique: Facilities and property features, including proximity to key attractions, play a big role in guests’ decisions to book with you. Keeping your facilities and amenities up to date is also a great way to increase your reservations because you’ll appear in search results for guests who filter for the features you offer.
• Improve your property page score: Every property on Booking.com receives a property page score between 0% and 100%, which indicates the completeness of property pages. The more complete your property page, the more likely a guest will be inspired to book. To see your score and the opportunities you have to improve it, click the link under the Extranet’s Property tab. 

Update your photos Find out your property page score

Get peace of mind with a seamless payment experience

With our Payments by Booking.com service, you have the opportunity to offer a wide range of payment options that are familiar to and trusted by guests from all over the world.

While we’ll cover this topic in more detail later in your onboarding journey, it’s worth noting that on Booking.com, guests come from all over the world, so being able to accept all the payment systems guests are accustomed to is critical in securing their commitments to reserve and stay at your property.

Alternatively, you can manage guests' payments on your own. You can, for example, accept cash payments in your local currency or credit cards – just keep in mind that handling payments on your own means these payments aren't guaranteed, and you're responsible for collecting all payments due from your guests, including fees and deposits.

Be smart with rate plans

Two of the most popular search criteria on Booking.com are flexibility and an appealing price range. This is why your rate plans are important – they can help you offer the flexibility and pricing options potential guests want.

By offering a combination of Fully Flexible and Non-Refundable rate plans, you can increase your bookings and appeal to a wider range of guests as their needs change from trip to trip.

We recommend that you carefully consider your rate plan options and choose the ones that align with your goals. In fact, you can even create your own custom rate plan by combining these factors:

• Your desired price per room (or unit) per night
• The rooms (or units) you want to include in your rate plan
• When the rate plan is available for potential guests
• How long guests can stay at your property
• Your preferred cancellation policy
• Whether you offer meals, such as breakfast

Review your rate plans

While you’re a new partner of Booking.com, you can also take advantage of the New Property Deal to increase your visibility on the platform. This special offer provides guests with a 20% discount on their booking, making your property more attractive compared to others. It's available for your first 90 days or until you receive three bookings. 

Deals and discounts can be powerful tools to attract guests – and they can be configured specifically for your property. Some effective ones to consider include:

By using promotions and deals on Booking.com, you can effectively target potential guests and incentivize them to book your property. For example, you can offer a discount on a certain rate plan or room type, or a special rate for a specific time period.

The Opportunity Center is regularly updated with new promotions, products, and programs, so you can keep exploring and experimenting to find what works best for you.

Go to the Opportunity Center

• How far in advance guests search: Some people like to plan ahead, while others decide at the last minute. Depending on what your local demand looks like, you could, for example, use a mix of Early Booker and Last Minute Deals. 
   
• How long they plan on staying: Depending on how long guests plan to stay in your area, you can identify the best ways to attract them to your property. For example, if the majority are searching for longer stays, you could consider creating a weekly rate plan or even a monthly rate plan.
   
• What devices they use to search: If you see that most potential guests are searching for properties in your area using mobile phones, a good way to convert them is to implement mobile rates.
   
• Where guests are searching from: If, for example, you see most guests are searching your area from a neighboring country, you could become more attractive to them by implementing country rates or state rates if you’re in the US.
   
• The split between domestic and international guests: If you see a spike in domestic interest for travel in your area, you could create a policy allowing guests from the same country as you to book without having to add credit card information.
   
• What types of travelers visit your area: Do you see families searching for stays in your area more than other groups like couples or solo travelers? If your property can facilitate family stays, it might be a good idea to implement children rates to attract more families.
   
• Which cancellation policies are more popular: Properties that offer free cancellations usually experience higher cancellation rates because guests can change their plans more easily, but exclusively offering Non-Refundable rates can also deter people from booking. Rather than guessing, see what policies people are searching for most in your area and proceed accordingly.

Once you start receiving bookings of your own, the Extranet’s Analytics tab will populate with information about your property performance and guest behavior. 

By monitoring your metrics and adjusting as needed, you can increase your visibility, improve your ranking, and boost your conversion rates, ultimately driving more bookings and revenue for your property.

 Check demand data for your location

While it’s important to understand how you can enhance your listing to increase bookings, don’t forget the role availability, rate plans, and restrictions play.

Congratulations on completing this step in your onboarding process! Before you move forward, keep the following points in mind:

• Review your foundations twice a year or when meaningful changes happen in your business or area
• Use data to inform your strategy for both the short and long term
• Consider which of the curated options in the Opportunity Center are best suited for you