Hello. I would love advice on improving my listing for the week of Thanksgiving. Is it just hard to find sitters for Thanksgiving? We have had plenty of great applications for our previous two sits, but our Thanksgiving sit is not getting applicants. We’ve had two applicants, but I didn’t feel comfortable with them because they live locally, provided very little info, and didn’t have ratings. I’d be appreciative of any ideas! I linked the listing in my profile.
Hi Pamela,
Generally all holiday sits are more difficult to secure a sitter for. Here are my $.02:
- Your pics are good, IMO
- I would recommend beefing up your intro a bit. Tell a little about yourselves.
Other than that I think it looks like a great sit and you’re likely just running into an issue due to the holiday. If your dates are at all flexible or if you’d be open to a family, that might give you some additional options.
Local sitters aren’t necessarily bad and it’s actually regularly recommended to new sitters that they start sitting locally to start receiving reviews. So unless you spoke to them and got a bad vibe, I wouldn’t necessarily dismiss them. Sometimes people also sit locally over holidays so they can give their family their own house and stay elsewhere so there is no overcrowding.
Given you don’t have other applicants at this point, I’d probably at least talk to them and see what kind of vibe you get. New sitters, like new HOs can sometimes use a bit of help with their profile as they don’t really know what to add. So they may be great but just are uncertain. But obviously, if you speak to anyone who doesn’t feel right, move on!
Your home and the pets look great and I think at any other time of the year you’d have no problems. I know I’d love to spend some time there if that was an option.
Good luck!
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As @CreatureCuddler says, new sitters are adviced to apply for local sits to get their first reviews.
You may have reason to dismiss them, but if it is purely because new and local, I would say the advantage is that you might be able to meet them in person before you make a decision.
As said there are plenty of good reasons to sit locally - to get the first reviews but also if you have guests in your own home during the holidays (or children coming home to visit), need a quiet place to work on a project, remodelling your own home or simply have a «change of walls» in another neighborhood (or even trying out a neighborhood you consider moving to).
Best of luck!
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Gorgeous dogs, gorgeous images, HOWEVER… I think you need to HUGELY improve your intro, you’ve niche’d yourself too much right at the start. The intro is the first thing sitters read, and it is waaaaay too short, because they have a split second to decide to read on before they click away. But you make it sound like you expect/want very active sitters, purely from your intro. Because the few words you mention in the intro are skiers, snowboarders, mountains, and skis.
What about those of us who like to relax with the dogs? You’re only appealing to active and hugely outdoorsy types… which also means you possibly want to attract a younger sitters (we’re in our 50’s and 60’s). Also your intro is not chilled or slow paced at all, when in reality, you live in a beautiful area where it would be very easy to relax with your gorgeous dogs.
Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t put the active aspects in your profile, definitely PUT THOSE! I’m saying you’ve forgot all about all the normal sitters out there who don’t hike up hills, but instead would take a leisurely strolls in the valley. You need to appeal to the broadest audience of sitters possible, and then you can pick and choose the one you feel you connect with most. It’s the same for sitters, they sometimes pick the owners they connect with most (because cute pets are easy to come across on THS), and if a sitter isn’t the hyper active type then they may not form that connection with you, and may potentially click away before reading on beyond the intro.
Hope that helps, but it’s your dogs are very cute!
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Welcome to the Forum!
You have a beautiful home and Wanda, Daisy, and Kiellee are adorable! From the photos I can glean that the pups are playful, enjoy car rides, love exploring and the cat looks inquisitive.
Could you expand on the personalities of your pets? Do the dogs get along with the cat? Where do they all sleep at bedtime?
I notice a stairway. Would the sitters sleep upstairs? If someone has mobility issues and could not climb stairs, this would be useful to know.
I agree with @CreatureCuddler and suggest adding more information in your Introduction section. Are you retired? Semi-retired? Remote worker? Hobbies and fun activities you enjoy? As a sitter, I look for a commonality of interests that the HOs and I may share. And if applying, it could help in ‘breaking the ice’. I would suggest removing “Our two dogs and a cat can be left alone during the day” from your Introduction as you mention that your dogs can be left alone for “9 hours or so” in the Responsibilities section.
When I first started out, my first sit was local. I was just trying to ‘get my feet wet’ and I am grateful for the HO who took and gave me a chance. Your two potential applicants that are local may also just be looking for someone to take and give them a chance. Inviting strangers into your home is huge and inviting strangers without any reviews is huge—so I can understand your reluctance.
But should you reconsider and take a chance—it might work out. If you don’t, you will never know. So why not give each applicant a chance–with at least a conversation?
Good luck!
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@pamelatgould Listing looks good to me. As others have suggested maybe tell a bit more about your family in the intro. Are you willing to allow use of your car? That can make the sit much more desirable. And you do have a picture of the accoms (including a reading lamp bedside, something I really appreciate). If you have a good mattress on the guest bed, maybe mention the type (see this recent post to the forum) - Sitter Acomodations - #4 by toml
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Thanks so much everyone! I am going to go in and make the changes you all suggested right away!!! Your thoughts about local sitters are good, too! I appreciate those insights. What a great and supportive community this is.
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It seems to me you generally have pictures of the house and then you have pictures of the pets. Why not have pictures of your pet in the house? The livingroom might look more homely with a dog in the basket and show the context of the pets living situation. From the pictures I see a house being advertised and then I see the pets rather than seeing the whole experince of pets at home bundled together.
Probably because pets would look too small in shots of the home. Plus, pets aren’t necessarily good at posing when you want them to. Of course, you could Photoshop them in. 