Hi there, we have gotten no applications so far for our listing and I wondered if anyone could offer us any advice or let me know if any of the info shared is off-putting at all? We may have to take the listing down because the plan is to leave town for a gathering that we’ll need to pay for very soon, and we can’t do that without having a sitter lined up. So it’s definitely a last minute listing as far as finalizing our plans goes, even though the sit itself is still a few weeks out. Thanks for any insights you could offer!
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Your house and dogs are adorable, and you will hopefully find someone in the next few weeks before the trip.
- I suggest having a photo of both dogs are the primary photo. Many sitters want to know the size of dogs, and leading with them shows they are small and easier to care for.
- Removed outdated references in the text - you refer to 6 weeks in fall, and mowing the yard, for example.
- Divide the text into paragraphs so it is easier to read.
- Remove 'sitters need a car" if you are providing one.
- Change the headline to give critical details in the first few words, e.g. “Car incl, family home with easy Schnauzers” for example.
- Tell sitters how long the dogs can be left alone in the house.
Good luck.
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Your profile, house and pets all look great. About the only thing that I can see to improve would be to sell the location a little more strongly. Perhaps put “near Indianapolis” in the heading. And talk more about things to do in the area. Nearby parks and hiking, favorite restaurants, etc.
And since you’ve got zero applicants, here is a trick you can use. Delete your sit and recreate it. This will make it show up as new again, so it will get renewed attention.
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Thanks to you as well, Brad! That’s really great advice. I appreciate it!
Oh, thank you! That is excellent advice. I can’t believe I didn’t notice I still had outdated info included. The other stuff makes so much sense, too. I will change it now!
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Hi @Pippilotta. Your dogs and home look amazing. As a sitter the one picture missing for me was of the bedroom for any sitter. Might be worth adding this photo if possible. Sitters like to see where they’ll be sleeping.
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Hi @Pippilotta Your home looks fab, as do your dogs. As a sitter I would like to see where I would be sleeping, and as the listing is family friendly maybe mention the rooms available to be used for sleeping if people are bringing their children? Like has already been suggested, if the use of the car is included I would probably mention it in the info too, including if and where you could pick sitters up if they arrive by public transport, and remove the ‘sitters need a car’ tag. Good luck!
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Thank you! I actually do have a photo listed of our bedroom, as taken from the bed, but I will take one from the other angle so that it’s more obvious what it is! Thanks for the suggestion.
I appreciate your help, Andalucia! I actually do have a bedroom photo posted but I took it from the bed out toward our stone fireplace and balcony, I will take one from the other angle so it’s more obvious that it’s the bedroom! And I will include the other info you suggested as well. I haven’t found where to remove the “need a car” tag yet, but I’ll keep looking. I thought that tag meant that the area isn’t super walkable, so a car was necessary, but we can provide that.
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@Pippilotta I would like to wish you a very warm welcome to TrustedHousesitters and the community forum.
As you can already see we have a fantastic community here, who are extremely helpful. I am glad you are getting valuable feedback on your listing and that you already have an application.
Best wishes Carla
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The home is beautiful, the only thing I would add and like to see as a sitter is the cities you live near. You mention that there are 2 small towns near. You might want to name those towns so sitters can google what is around there. For me, I’d be looking for areas to walk/hike, parks nearby, restaurants and grocery stores near. Best of luck!
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Hi @Pippilotta
To mention that the ‘need a car tab’ has now been moved to under the location section under ‘Edit your listing’. I hope this helps.
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Hi @Pippilotta! I see you have one applicant, so that’s a great start!
Don’t forget to update info on your car. It sounds like you are okay providing one for the sitters? That is a potential game-changer: You want to include a thorough description of the car in the listing, probably a photo, and of course remove the “sitters need a car” tag as noted above.
Some PPs even mention a car in the headline if it’s provided; it’s such a necessary item for some sitters.
Let us know when you update, and I’m sure people here will give even more feedback!