Introduction
Maintaining positive guest ratings for your AirBnB or short term vacation rental is key to being a successful host. 4.4 out of 5 is the new 1-star rating. Hosts must do everything they can to ensure a positive guest experience in their property or face negative reviews. Negative reviews lead to less bookings and less exposure on the rental platforms. That’s no good for anyone.
Your guests expect a 2021 experience. Ditch those printed sheets in gross plastic sleeves for an app-based experience guests can use on the go, and even peruse before their arrival.
In this article we’ll show you exactly how to use Doculife as a Guest Information Portal to ensure happy stays and maintain those 5 star host reviews.
10 Reasons Why You Should Start Using Doculife Now
When you use Doculife as your Guest Information Portal, you can improve your guests’ rental experience by sharing everything they need to plan their holiday long before they arrive.
Manuals, mass transit information, instructions, activities, photos, videos, recommended restaurants, supermarkets, contact details etc. all in one central place accessible whenever and wherever they want.
Not convinced yet? Here are 10 reasons why you should start using Doculife now:
1 – It’s Easy
You don’t need to be a web developer to create your guest information portal; it’s something you can do directly. There is no programming involved, no web hosting fees, no complicated tech stuff. All you need is a Doculife account. (Get started free with 1gb of space for all your things.)
2 – It’s Quick
Creating your guest information portal binder shouldn’t take very long. And you only have to do it once. Upload your photos, documents, files and bookmarks into your binder and arrange them accordingly. The time-intensive part is creating the original content which you may have on hand if you are already renting.
3 – It’s Convenient
You can edit, add or modify any of the information instantly. No excuses for not keeping everything current and up to date. Plus, you will have everything you need stored and accessible in one central place.
4 – It’s Interactive
You and your guests can chat, make comments and add reactions directly inside the binder, in any section, as well as alongside any particular document or image. Doculife eliminates the need for other apps to communicate – everything you or your guests need is in one single app.
5 – It’s Customizable
By default, your binder will look more like a webpage than a simple folder, that’s because of our visual layout. As presentation is key, you can also brand it by adding your logo as well as header and sidebar images to make it even more eye catching.
6 – It’s Practical
Once you have created your binder, you can share with anyone you like. It’s as simple as sending a share request. Once accepted, your guest can access the information whenever and wherever they want.
If you have multiple bookings and multiple guests, just copy the binder and then share again. Once your guests have left your property, you can easily remove them from the binder.
7 – It’s Free
Your guests do not need to pay anything at all. They simply click the link share request email, create a free account and start viewing the information you have in your portal. There is no credit card required and sign up takes less than 20 seconds.
You can also use the free tier to create your portal. You may want to subscribe to the Unlimited Annual plan which offers unlimited storage and some other useful features, but that’s totally up to you.
8 – It’s Private
Only people you have shared your binders with can see your content. You can even restrict what permission you give to each one. Here, we suggest read/download only as you probably don’t want your guests to edit any of your stuff.
However, if you have a vacation rental manager taking care of your property you may want to give them edit or even admin rights. That way they can take the work off your shoulders by keeping the information up to date directly.
9 – It’s Secure
We use the same security and encryption as your bank (AES256-bit encryption) so you do not have to worry. All your data is safe with us.
10 – And of Course, it’s also Mobile
By downloading the Doculife App, available for iOS and Android, your guests will have everything in the palm of their hand.
Special Webinar:
Doculife for Airbnb Hosts
Join us as we discuss how Airbnb (and other) hosts can use Doculife as a guest portal to not only make their jobs easier, but also to boost guest reviews.
We will be streaming live on Facebook on
January 27th, 10 EST (16:00 CET).
Useful Things to Include in Your Guest Information Portal
So now that you’re convinced, here are some suggestions on what to include in your guest information binder.
Property description and photographs or video – add a section with a description of your property together with photos and videos so they know exactly what to expect when they arrive
Contact details – include all the relevant contact details your guests may need including any emergency numbers
Check in information – add check in /out times as well as any special instructions your guests should follow on arrival or departure
Map and instructions on how to get there – include links to nearest airport, shuttle companies, public transport and car rental companies
Basic rules – list the property rules and regulations to avoid any possible misunderstandings
Manuals and Instructions – upload all your household appliance manuals and instructions for your guests to consult
Wifi code – provide your network details and password to connect to internet
Additional services – let your guests know if you offer additional cleaning, catering, private yoga, ski classes, personal transfers etc.
Tourist information – videos, descriptions, useful web pages with all the relevant details to help your guests have the stay of a lifetime
Recommended restaurants – list all your favorite restaurants with links to their web pages to explore further
Chat – you can even chat directly to your guests by starting a conversation in the side panel. You can also add a conversation widget into any section to spark discussion or provide an easy feedback mechanism.
If You Are New to Doculife and Are Not Sure How it Works, Here’s A Step-by-step Guide to Create Your Guest Hub
Sign up to Doculife – get started in 90 seconds with 1gb free, no credit card or contract- Create a binder
- Give it a name and a description
- Make sure you download the Chrome/Firefox browser extension so you can save content directly from internet
- Upload all the information you want to include like description, videos and photos
- Include visual bookmarks to relevant websites and videos
- Add notes, contacts, maps etc.
- Add binder header and binder sidebar images and format your binder to make it look good
- Share your binder with your guests – send them an invite with a personal note – they do not need to pay anything to view the binder – they just need to create an account and log in.
- Once they have left, you can eliminate them from the binder and share with your next guests
- If you have multiple properties, you can duplicate the binder and personalize the content for each property
- You can even copy/duplicate sections across to different binders with 2 clicks
- Guests can access your Guest Hub via the free Doculife mobile app or online via laptop
- Sit back and watch the 5-star reviews come in
Conclusion
At Doculife, we want you and your guests to be happy. Happy guests mean happy holidays and happy holidays mean better reviews! Ensure 5-star host reviews by using Doculife as your Guest Information Portal for your AirBnB or short term holiday rental.
It’s free to get started, free for your guests to use the mobile app, and adds a modern guest experience by going digital.
Want to know more? We’re hosting s special webinar on January 27th via Facebook Live at 10am EST. It’s 100% free to attend. We’ll be interviewing a holiday rental host on how they use Doculife as their Guest Information Portal. Bring your questions and we’ll answer them live during the webinar. Click the link to RSVP your interest.
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