Can you make a lot of money with Airbnb? Whether you’ve got a spare apartment and could use some side profit or are a professional property manager looking to earn substantial revenue, listing your space on Airbnb is a great way to reach travelers, drive bookings and make money.

That said, the potential earnings of Airbnb hosts fall within a wide range. If you want to maximize your profit, you’ve got to do more than simply list your property on the platform and wait for the booking requests to pile up.

Here are some helpful tips for Airbnb to ensure you’re getting the most you can out of the platform:

Be a 5-Star Host

The better the host, the better the reviews. If you show your guests an excellent time and unparalleled hospitality, you’re likely going to rack up an impressive collection of positive reviews, which is one of the most influential factors on travelers looking for accommodations.

So, what makes a good Airbnb host?

Well, a lot of things, but here are some basics you should nail down before opening your doors to guests:

• Be responsive: Nothing is more frustrating than waiting on a host for information when you’d like to finalize your travel plans or figure out why the WiFi isn’t working.
• Be resourceful: Your guests are new to your city so ensure they have a great experience by imparting some of your local wisdom. Share some fun things to do and see in your neighborhood so they can make the most of their time there.
• Be thoughtful: People want to be spoiled when they’re on vacation. Find out the occasion for your guests’ visit and leave a bottle of wine for those celebrating an anniversary or some puzzles for families traveling with kids. Coffee in the cupboard and a welcome basket with assorted edibles can also go a long way in letting guests know you’re invested in their experience.
• Be prepared: Keeping your rentals well-stocked is crucial. Make sure your guests have everything they need to enjoy their stay without running out to the convenience store on last minute trips.

Optimize Your Listings

It’s hard to woo your guests when you don’t have any guests to woo. If you’re wondering, “How do I attract more guests on Airbnb?” the answer is to optimize your listing so it appears higher in Airbnb’s search results and therefore gets seen by more potential guests.

A lot goes into the mechanism Airbnb uses to sort its listings and prioritize some over others, but here’s what you need to do in order to use Airbnb’s ranking rules to your advantage:

• Make your listing stand out by using a quality feature image that represents your property, adding additional photos that showcase and highlight its selling points, giving your listing a unique and attractive title and writing a detailed description of your property. Drive more bookings with calls to action throughout your listing profile and by promoting your listing through social media.
• Show Airbnb you’re a safe bet by getting positive reviews, getting added to people’s Wish Lists and regularly updating your calendar, which shows Airbnb you’re an active host.
• Demonstrate dependability by accepting more bookings, limiting cancellations, maintaining a quick response time and becoming verified by providing links to your online profiles.

These simple tips for impressing your guests and moving your listing up in Airbnb’s search results can help you secure more bookings and earn more revenue as an Airbnb host.