Airbnb is a two-way e-platform
providing lodging services since 2008 and is currently valued at over USD 35
billion. It is one of the startup unicorns of the mid-2000s and has maintained
its exceptional operations through continuous amelioration in every aspect of
the company. Airbnb ensures its dominating presence in the travel agency and
maintains customer retention to generate higher customer value. They
continuously improve their service and offerings by using growth hacking
techniques to gain a larger market share and earn more revenue while
maintaining a high growth rate to scale their business. Airbnb Portland focuses on the provision of a perfect experience to
its users and adding features and services that ensure convenience and security
for both the guests as well as hosts.
Airbnb Portland Data:
The growth of Airbnb in Portland
can be seen from the fact that by the end of 2017 there were around 4,648 homes
listed on the Airbnb website which is twice as much as in 2015. It mostly
consists of houses, apartments, private rooms and shared rooms within houses
and apartments. The largest listings are of entire houses and apartments which
are offered to guests. There are numerous hosts in Portland which offer more
than one listings and the maximum listing is for 30 houses. Most listings get
60 reviews per year and are usually given by guests who stay at an Airbnb for
more than three days at an average.
Improvements in Airbnb:
Airbnb Portland encountered various problems which were then solved
by making various improvements in their operations.
Lack of Attractive photographs:
Firstly, there was a lack of
traction faced in Airbnb due to a less than adequate quality of pictures
uploaded by the hosts. This was solved by hiring freelance photographers who
took professional and attractive pictures of their space. This increased
bookings by two or three times as the listings were presented in a better way.
Airbnb Social Connections:
In 2011, Airbnb social
connections were launched as a feature in Portland which provided more details
about the guests who wanted to make bookings. The hosts could review their
social media profiles and check out the reviews from their previous stays at
other Airbnb. Moreover, a wish-list feature was also introduced in 2012 by Airbnb
where users could save the properties they like to view them later on. This
resulted in generating maximum engagements and customer engagement in Portland
rose by 30% after its introduction.
Customer Service Staff:
In the same year, Airbnb Portland doubled its customer
service staff to make their website more accessible to the users and provide
them with better customer service. Airbnb in Portland also partnered up with
the Lloyds of London to offer each listing with a coverage of $1 million in
case of any damage to the property by guests. Â
Additional Travel Guide:
Airbnb Portland also provides users with numerous adventures and
experiences to choose from thereby making up for an exceptional travel guide.
Airbnb gives top-rated experiences that Portland provides such as enchanted
waterfall hikes, Multnomah Falls, foot reflexology, etc. They also provide
customers with a list of popular homes that have high ratings so that they can
have multiple options while browsing for locations and homes to stay at.
