Reviews are more than just an opportunity to pat yourself on the back and bask in the glow of compliments about your home and the service you give. They are also a reservoir of suggestions, recommendations and ideas that can provide you with so much information on what you could do to improve the experience for your guests.

In this solo episode I explore six ways you can use your own and other owners reviews to make your vacation rental business even better.
What your guests really like about your place

You may be surprised that it’s the little touches that mean the most from the way the place smells when your guests arrive to having their names written on a chalk board.

What you could do better

Don’t get hung up or defensive about negative reviews. They are often a gift to let you know what you need to change.

How your competition might be winning your clients

Reviews allow you to be a spy in your competitors camp. They give you a glimpse into what they are doing that is pleasing their guests….and what you can do too.

The amenities that guests find important

Pinpointing the favourite amenities and features helps you to keep up to date on your guests’ preferences

Whether your photos are doing their job

The comment you don’t want to see is ‘The photos didn’t do the place justice’. That just means your photos are not good enough.

If you are surprising your guests

If you ever get a comment that starts “I didn’t expect………” For example, “ I didn’t expect the neighbours to be so close”, or “I didn’t expect the last few miles to be on such bad roads”, it should alert you to a deficiency in disclosure on your listing.

Tweet: How to use reviews to grow your #vacationrental business from @cottageguru

Reviews can have massive value in the information they provide – they are an indicator of trends and patterns in the guest experience. What you learn from them can help you change and improve the services and amenities you provide, and ultimately rise above the competition.

Links mentioned in this episode:

WordPress for Vacation Rental Owners

Where Waterfalls (Amy Blomquist)