Make Your Boat Listing Shine: Increase Your Response Rate
Have you ever wondered how boats land on the first couple of pages in the search results? Well, your search ranking, or how high your boat appears in the search results, is directly impacted by your response rate. Every Boatsetter Owner has an average response rate, which is calculated by a number of response actions within a 48 hour period. To break down how response rates and search rankings work, we’ve enlisted the help of our expert team.
What is considered a response?
Responding to the first message of an inquiry or booking request
Responding to the first message from a potential renter is a great opportunity to view the conversation and vet the renter prior to approval while increasing your search ranking.
Sending a special offer or pre-approving an inquiry
Within your messages, you have the ability to send a special offer or pre-approve a booking request. Sending a special offer provides a renter with a price higher or lower than your regular price. Choosing to pre-approve a booking will automatically approve a request if you’re ok with the renter and their requested dates.
Approving or declining a booking request
Once you approve a booking request, you will receive an itinerary confirming the renter’s contact information and booking details. If you choose to decline a booking request, the renter will receive a message letting them know your boat is unavailable.
What does response rate mean to renters?
A strong response rate increases your opportunity to capture demand. Not only is it reflected in the search results page, but it is also shown on your boat details page. If a renter clicks on your boat from the search results page, your response rate is one of the first details shared at the top of the page. If a renter scrolls while looking for more information about your boat, your response rate also appears in your “Managed by” section. Response rate plays a key role in booking requests as renters prefer quick response times in their planning process.
Response actions allow you to stay in command of your boat by managing your messages and booking requests. As you work to increase your search ranking, keep in mind that the first 24-48 hours are crucial in impacting your response rate, so responding in a timely manner is important. If you don’t respond to a booking request within 72 hours, the request will expire and numerous expirations will lower your response rate. To avoid expired requests, keep your boat’s calendar current and update your availability throughout the season.
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For more information on search ranking and response rate, visit our Support Articles:
Responding to booking requests
