Let’s assume you have optimized your listing with professional photos and even priced it perfectly.
Yet sometimes your booking rate is stubbornly low. Have you ever thought what’s missing?
The answer is, your review strategy is not up to the mark, and it’s costing you bookings.
Most hosts make these critical mistakes,
- Not actively collecting reviews
- Ignore negative feedback
Do you know that 93% of travelers check reviews before booking a rental?
Yes, a strong review system is not just about feedback. It’s the one that builds trust, improves rankings, and converts hesitant guests into paying customers.
When was the last time you checked ratings/reviews before booking anything?
Why reviews matter more than ever?
Imagine you are booking a property in a new city, and two properties look similar in terms of photos and pricing.
But one has great reviews from past guests, and the other one has nothing. So which one will you choose?
Exactly! Everyone will choose the property with a review.
So reviews give you,
- Social proof – If others loved it, you might love it as well.
- Reassurance – Real experiences from real people reduce doubt, and people will book without second thought.
- Transparency – Reviews tell you both pros and cons. So, it builds trust and credibility
To summarize, reviews bridge the gap between hesitation and action.
How to build a review system for your platform?
Either you have your own website or using a third-party platform like Airbnb, you need to consider the following items,
- A two-way rating system where both hosts and guests can write reviews
- Features to manage spam or abuse
- Filters for most helpful or most recent reviews
- Reply options for hosts and guests to respond to feedback
If you don’t have a review system on your existing platform, hire a development team to build the necessary features or choose an Airbnb clone that comes with an in-built review system.
How hosts increased bookings with reviews?
Case Study: Beachside Villa in Miami
A property in Florida was struggling despite its prime location until the hosts implemented our review strategy.
Here are some takeaways,
What have they done differently?
- Started sending personalized review requests within 24 hours of checkout
- Created a “Guest Photo Gallery” showcasing real visitor experiences
- Responded to every review, especially to negative ones
The Proof
- Review count spiked from 12 to 85 in 4 months
- Average rating jumped from 4.2 to 4.8 stars
- Occupancy surged from 60% to 92% year-round
- Nightly rates increased by 15%
Why it worked?
- Social Proof – New guests saw dozens of authentic photos/stories
- Trust through transparency – Public responses to criticism showed accountability
- Algorithm – Frequent new reviews triggered search boost
Last month, our team connected with the business owner, and he mentioned an interesting line on the review – “Our reviews became our best sales team because they work 24/7 🙂”
Wrap up
We have seen the importance of having a review system on a booking platform.
Pick one strategy above and implement it this week! Your calendar will thank you 😀
By the way, if you are planning to launch your own vacation rental platform like Airbnb, you can prefer GlyphStay Airbnb clone. It has all essential features like review system, admin panel, manage bookings & listings, etc.
You can contact our team, and they can assist you in the right direction!
