Are you an Airbnb host wondering how to create a comprehensive digital guest guidebook for your short-term rental (STR) business like huge property management companies do? Great! Not only can a welcome book enhance the Airbnb guest experience, but it’s also a really smart way to market your vacation rental property.
This online resource you provide to your Airbnb guests helps them understand and enjoy their stay at your vacation rental. Unlike traditional paper guidebooks, digital welcome books are accessible via smartphones, tablets, or computers, which means your guests get a more interactive and up-to-date experience, that they can also share with friends.
Why use a digital guidebook?
There are so many reasons to add this asset to your repertoire. For one, it lets your vacation rental guests access information anytime, anywhere, and reduces the need for printed materials, which is a big cost-saver. It’s also easy for short-term rental hosts to update and it can even be personalized to suit the preferences of each guest, giving them an experience they’ll never forget.
What goes into a digital vacation rental guidebook?
Here are the must-have elements of your digital welcome book. Whether you add them yourself or get them from your property management team, they’re a perfect foundation to start with.
- Welcome message: This is your introduction and should be warm, friendly, and inviting. It will be the first thing guests read and should set the tone and make your guests feel excited about their stay.
- Property details: Add all the simple details your guests will need, like WiFi passwords, appliance instructions, and safety information. That way, you won’t need to spend your time answering guest questions (what a time saver!) and they’ll have all the information they need about your property at their fingertips.
- Local recommendations: Your Airbnb guests will appreciate insights into local restaurants, attractions, and activities. This is also a great opportunity for short-term rental hosts to partner with other local businesses and be featured in their marketing materials, in exchange for being featured in your welcome guidebook.
- House rules: Clearly outline what is and isn’t allowed, so your guests know what you expect. This could include anything from “no pets” to “please take out the trash every Tuesday before 8 am.”
- Emergency information: Add numbers for local fire and police stations or an ambulance. If guests find themselves in a sticky situation, they’ll know who to call.
- Transportation tips: Share information about local public transport, taxi services, and parking facilities including numbers, maps, and website links.
- FAQ section: Answer some of the common guest questions you find yourself answering over and over.
How to create your guest guidebook
When creating your Airbnb guidebook, you’ll need to consider a couple of factors, including what type of information you have available (use your vacation rental management software for ideas!), what’s useful for your guests, and how tech-savvy you are. It’s a good idea to look at your digital guidebook as an investment – it may call for you to pay a little now for a lot of return in the future.
Here’s how we recommend approaching it:
- Choose the right platform: There are a lot of platforms out there that make it easy for you to create a guidebook. If you’re more tech-savvy, try Canva or Figma. If you prefer the simpler side of technology, a Word document is absolutely fine – just make sure to save your file as a PDF when it’s ready to share. You may even be able to find an Airbnb welcome book template that you can use to make the design aspect even easier.
- Gather content: Compile all necessary information, including high-quality images and accurate descriptions.
- Design for accessibility: Make sure the guidebook is easy to navigate and read.
- Add your branding: Use colors, logos, and styles that reflect the current look and feel of your Airbnb marketing materials, like emails, newsletters, and more.
- Add interactive elements: Include clickable links, videos, and maps that your vacation rental guests will be able to use during their stay.
- Test and get feedback: It’s okay if your guidebook isn’t perfect from the get-go. Share it with friends or family for feedback and make sure to ask your guests if it was helpful. That way, you can keep updating it to make sure it’s as useful as possible.
Your digital vacation rental guidebook is not just a tool for guest convenience; it’s also a marketing asset. You can use it to promote upcoming events, special offers, or even upsell services like late checkouts or extra cleaning.
Your digital guidebook could mean more 5-star reviews
A beautiful and useful guest guidebook could significantly enhance your guests’ experience, leading to more positive reviews and repeat bookings. This dynamic tool not only serves to inform and guide your guests but also acts as an extension of your short-term rental business’s service and brand. By investing time and effort into creating a detailed and user-friendly digital welcome guidebook, you’re investing in your guests’ overall satisfaction and your vacation rental business’s success.