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Top Hosting Tips

Describing your experience

This is your opportunity to sell the experience. Approach it as enthusiastically as you would do if presenting a product to a customer face-to-face.

Take the time to make your description stand out. Be clear, pack in the essential details, but also be creative and personal. It should inform and intrigue!

Easy on the eye is best. A description should be one to three paragraphs. Bullet pointed highlights or an itinerary where relevant, are a good addition. A mix of a structured list with free flow text can help a reader easily review the listing and capture their interest, while also providing the juicier details if they want to dive deeper.

Don’t assume because you know your experience inside-out, so does the reader. They don’t! Your potential guests will need guidance. Tell them exactly what they can expect, and what specialities you as their host will provide.

Sell the heart and soul of your experience. If it’s designed to be fun, then tell people why. If it’s meant to be insightful or thought-provoking, then say that too. If what you have to offer is wildly unique or one of a kind – then shout about it! If it allows guests to authentically discover a culture, tradition or community, then put elements like these under the spotlight. Provide the hook that leads people to book.

Honesty is the key to managing expectations and maintaining a high level of guest satisfaction. It’ll also result in you getting positive reviews! Don’t be afraid to tell a reader why your experience is amazing, but be sure you don’t oversell something that you can’t deliver.

 

Think about the bigger picture

Let’s GoDo hosts put guests at the centre of the experience. So, it’s no surprise that we only approve ideas that reflect this. Throughout the process of creating your experience, right up until you submit it for approval – it is essential to consider how you’ll provide maximum guest satisfaction. This will mean you can confidently go onto deliver it in practice.

Know your target audience and the type of guest your experience is most suited to and likely to attract. Think of anything and everything that may be important to them.

For example, if offering family experiences then be clear about what children’s facilities are available and the age of children that can attend. Aiming your experience at tourists? Remember they’ll not be as familiar with the local logistics or customs that are second nature to you …so mention those relevant. It’s always better said than left unsaid!

Extra magic puts an experience head and shoulders above the rest. We live in a world that expects a big bang for its buck. People are much more likely to splash the cash on things that are super unique, ultra-local, hyper-memorable and something to brag to friends or social media followers about! Entice bookings with a healthy does of je ne sais quoi.

For example, if leading a city/neighbourhood tour, can you show backstreets or hidden venues that guests couldn’t discover without you? If delivering a sports class, why not transform it with an added thrill or host it in a quirky location? If taking guests to explore like locals, then introduce them to actual locals to make them feel part of a community. If a chef or foodie, how about cooking and sharing a meal with guests in your home, or an off the beaten track setting instead of a mainstream restaurant?

The meeting place should be easy to reach for guests. Pick a location that’s well mapped, well lit, identifiable and close to public transport. If your experience takes place remotely then provide clear directions. Or, could you even take extra steps to accommodate guests such as offering to collect them at a nearby railway station? Details and gestures like this ensure guests aren’t put off booking due to any difficulty getting to the meeting place.

Ensuring Guest safety is a top priority for hosts. Don’t worry – when you create an experience, we give you all the prompts to include any special requirements or instructions for guests. But as you know your experience best, if something could pose a concern, be sure to think of and detail any safety measures you have in place.

For example; do you offer one on one bookings? Does your activity come with certain risks? Do you lead experiences in outdoors locations? Perhaps you host an experience at night? Things like this can raise questions about safety – particularly for solo guests, women, more vulnerable groups or those less abled. Reassuring guests about the safety of your experience instils confidence in you as a host. It can be the difference between a new booking and a missed sale.

Empathy goes a long way

Inclusivity is an essential characteristic of all Let’s GoDo experiences. So, strive to make your experience accessible to our entire community as much as you possibly can. We believe in making experiences inclusive and so our community deserves and expects this aspect from our hosts.

Being a champion of inclusivity is a sure-fire way to make guests feel confident in booking with you and leads to positive reviews. We encourage hosts to reflect this in their descriptions; making everyone in our amazingly diverse community feel welcome to join.

Go the extra mileto reap rewards. Due to the nature of your experience, there may be unavoidable restrictions on who can take part (which understandably limits total inclusivity). This could be due to age, level of fitness, ability or if they’re pregnant for example.

Detailing necessary special requirements and sticking to them goes without saying. But can you think about to adapt an existing concept or offer a separate version? This shows real consideration for those interested in your experience but currently unable to join. Providing different versions for different groups or abilities can also boost your earnings from any bookings you’d have initially missed out on.

It’s all in the details so try and provide your guests with everything that is required to enjoy your experience. Adding some extras will convert sales! If guests have less to think about, less to bring, or have more included in the price – you’ll stand out from the competition. It could be by including equipment, water on a hot summer day, a drinks token or even a complimentary gift to take away. Whatever gestures you can think of – make them happen!

Let your photos tell a story

A picture tells a thousand words! High-quality photos bring an experience to life and lead to bookings. It’s a no-brainer that strong visuals catch the eye and are more noticeable in the listings. The right imagery will perfectly show the look and feel of your experience and can even make someone imagine themself already doing it!

The Let’s GoDo team approves all submitted images before we publish them. To choose and submit the right mix of photos, here’s a few things to get right:

Focus on the experience

Guests like to know what they can expect. It’s really that simple. For example, if you’re a chef, then show your skills and the incredible food you’ll be making. It could be prepping ingredients, cooking in-action and the finished dish! If you’re not a chef, then whatever your experience is about, use photos to metaphorically whet the appetite. Show the different things you do and what a guest could soon be doing.

Natural not staged

Nobody likes forced fun, or a forced photo. So, make sure you use natural imagery that gives a real impression of the experience. For example, if you’re leading a tour then select photos that candidly show you and your guests exploring together!

No filters - keep it real

Remember, this isn’t a glossy editorial! So, make everything as natural as possible. Filters will only make your experience look fake, and that’s why we don’t approve or publish any filtered images. So, rely on good lighting, a good camera (the one on your phone should do)- and yourself! High quality doesn’t mean highly airbrushed.

Pricing

Setting the price carefully for your experience is crucial for consistent bookings. Pricing correctly is all about making it attractive to guests and not putting people off, whilst reflecting the true value of the experience, your time, and your expertise.

Balance is the key to success. Don’t overprice and risk it being inaccessible, as this will limit your bookings. Don’t undercharge, risk devaluing what you offer and end up capping your potential earnings.

Do some market research as well as use the Let’s GoDo platform to see what similar experiences are priced at. This will mean you can confidently reflect the value of your experience, whilst still setting a competitive and attractive price.

Check out our Example Experiences to see some pricing in practice. Our team are also always on hand to advise with pricing brackets to suit an idea, target market or location.

Calendar timing & private bookings

Select timings carefully and considerately. It’s no problem to factor in your own personal schedule, but timing should always be focussed on what is ideal for guest availability and enjoyment. Ask yourself:

  • What times best suit the nature of my experience?
  • What days and times are my target guests most likely to be available?
  • Can I offer a mixture of days or times to suit different types of guests?
  • If my experience takes place outdoors or in a public place, what time is ideal to avoid the crowds or other tourist groups?

Plan your calendar strategically and in advance. Think about times and dates that will affect the popularity of your experience. Ask yourself:

  • Are there key times of year that will affect guest interest? For example, if your experience is highly seasonal then offer more dates during peak season.
  • Will my experience be more popular around certain calendar dates? Think about the industry or sector your experience is in and what you can take advantage of to boost sales. For example, all sports experiences will get more guest traffic during widely popular tournaments such as the Olympics. But, depending on the nature of their sport, they may also be likely to get higher interest around key dates for that specific sport.
  • Will seasonal weather changes alter my experience? If so do I need to amend my idea to compliment these?
  • Can I maximise earnings from increased footfall in my location? For example, if there is a festival, a conference or a popular event happening locally, there will be more people to attract to your experience. You could even tweak some keywords in your description around these dates to attract those visiting. Or, you could go even further and add a twist to the theme of your experience to suit the audience better! For example, if you’re a city tour guide and there is an art festival or installation locally, could you add some extra stops to the usual route you take to include these?

Private booking options  for groups are a great feature and can offer guests a more personalised and tailored experience. This option is often ideal for social groups or clubs, families and friends who may be travelling together, or those celebrating special occasions such as a birthday. Including the option for private bookings is always a wise idea – you never know what exciting bespoke proposals may come your way!

It’s your baby, so give it a great name

The name you give your experience can really impact how many people click on your listing. Avoid clickbait, but a strong, catchy title that manages to get across the nature of your experience will ultimately lead to more traffic …and more sales.

For example, if it’s a cross country run followed by a well-deserved drink in a local pub …the experience could be called “Mud, Sweat and Beers”. It’s completely up to you, but the more creativity and fun you put behind it, the more it will reflect how special your experience is. And that’s exactly what people are looking for on Let’s GoDo!

Make the most of your host bio

Don’t be shy aabout your passion, talent and knowledge. After all, without you -your experiences wouldn’t exist! Before a guest books an experience they’ll want to feel confident in your ability, as well as comfortable and safe in your hands. A strong host description can lead to a guest booking with you instead of with another host. After all, people buy from people. The more charisma, personality and charm you get across will do you a world of favours.

If you’re professionally trained or have certifications related to your activity, then tell the reader. This makes you a true expert and promotes you as an accredited and reliable leader for your given activity or topic.

If you’re self-taught then be proud of this. It’s a hugely likeable quality. It shows true passion, raw talent and commitment. Guests love nothing better than being hosted by people who have inspirational and relatable qualities like these.

If you’re a local  giving a tour, then this makes you a valuable insider and someone in the know. Potential guests will be more likely to see you as someone who can give them secret details, interesting trivia and enable them to uncover the local treasure that an average tour won’t. So, tell them how your local expertise will add value and make it a more bona fide experience.

If you’re a native who is leading an experience that provides an authentic lens on a culture/community, or a genuine way to do a local activity or tradition – let a reader know you are! Native insight can be a rarity in many places or with many topics, and so guests often seek this characteristic out in a host.

Optimise how many people see your listing

Optimising your listing is all about it reaching as many people as possible. You can do this by ensuring you have tagged the right Let’s GoDo categories, subcategories and using keywords in your title and description. This will help people find your experience more easily, based on any filters or key words they use when searching.

The more relevant tags and words you include, the more chance you have of attracting the right audience and more guests discovering what you have to offer. Just remember, that honesty is key. Don’t exaggerate by tagging categories or using words that don’t fit, but don’t feel shy about your experience appearing in multiple searches or categories if it rightly should!