Hello, we have not had any luck and hope to get some advice on how we can be successful. We plan to travel for 10 days and was hoping to have at least one application by now. Can anyone give advice on how we can improve our listing?
Thank you,
Okem
Post moderated to comply with guidelines
Hi @Macapuno - I suggest updating your post’s headline. It says Thanksgiving but your dates are for June and July. I’m not currently looking for summer sits but if I were, I’d scroll right past your post.
Hello @Macapuno and welcome to the forum. This is THE PLACE to get the answers and help for questions just like yours. This group is loaded with experience and are willing to help whenever you need.
I took a look at your profile and it does state “Thanksgiving” in the title. Potential sitters who see this and are not available during Thanksgiving will most likely scroll on past without delving into the updated listing. My first suggestion would be to edit that title so you are getting the full benefit of what THS offers and what sitters can do to apply.
I would also suggest you update the pics to remove trash can, grill, etc., and instead place a great pic of your babies so potential sitters can see how cute they are.
The dates are far enough out that you still have time for potential sitters to apply so I would not worry yet. You can send written permission to @Angela_L for her to post on social media as well.
I wish you the very best and wish I could be in the area as I would love the opportunity to care for those babies!
Thank you!!! I will make the changes.
Hey Okem. Looks like you have a nice house, you’ve described the neighborhood in a positive way, the back yard is a plus, and the dogs are adorable. I have conflicting sits scheduled, but I’m guessing you will get some interest before long. I’ve reviewed loads of listings, so here from a sitters perspective are a few small points that I hope will help:
(1) The last sentence of the first para on responsibilities still references 11/25. Great for you to have shared timing specifics in the post, as so few HOs do that, but it looks like that’s not relevant to this opportunity.
(2) You mention you would like the dogs walked twice per day. It would be helpful to know how long you normally walk them. Is that 20-30 minutes per walk, one hour per walk, one short one long? Sitters mostly want to continue what the dogs are used to doing when you are home, so it’s good info.
(3) Your first pic, which is the splash photo on searches, is not your best pic. It’s the back patio but has a light streak across it. It doesn’t grab attention. Some sitters may not open the listing to see the better pics. I see a lot of listings that, like yours, put house pics first and animal pics later, but the cute fur babies are your best selling point! Personally, I love the pics of Nisha in front of the fireplace (shows her calm and attentive) and Boomer curled up in your arm. Remember a listing is advertising. Do what TV advertisers do and sell with cute animals. Your audience–sitters–are animal lovers. (Btw, I assume you can designate the order of the photos, but maybe I’m wrong?)
Good luck, and enjoy your travels!
Hi @Macapuno: @J0e said several things I would’ve mentioned. Please review your own listing with a fine-tooth comb. I mean, I guess it depends if you want a detail-oriented sitter. If you want only non-detail-oriented ones, then by all means! And best of luck! I was born and raised in South Sac (Pocket area).
@J0e: I’m on a combined membership, so I can talk a little about photos. (And you can learn more by searching the forums.) The TH website is structured so that PP’s home photos go first, then pet photos after. And the website makes it seem like only a home photo can be the “cover photo.” Within those constraints, a PP can reorder photos.
That said, I fully agree with you that the cover photo should be of a pet (and/or person). So the hack is to upload a pet photo to the “home” section, then set it as the cover photo. If there’s another way to hack that, I’d love to know. In the meantime, that part of the TH website is definitely unintuitive. Steve Jobs would hate it!
Thank you for the feedback? I am editing the listing and pictures to make it more inviting and to highlight our pups.
Thank you for the excellent feedback. I have made the changes and agreed with everyone. Thanks for taking the time to read through it. I have also added better pictures 
.
Hi there. I’m a new sitter, so feel free to take my suggestions with a grain of salt! I looked at your (new, improved) listing & your photos are great. In case you’re still wondering about additional “improvements” that could be made, I noted a few things that may prove helpful:
The Responsibilities section, at first glance, looks very long (even though it’s not much & completely reasonable). I jump there before I even look at a house or the people, so this stands out to me. It’s well organized, but maybe bullet points would make it appear shorter? Also, it could help to clarify walks vs yard time; I like to know exactly what’s expected (number & length of walks, how often or at what times) & whether the yard is back-up or the norm & I can’t quite tell in the listing as it’s currently written. Don’t be shy about putting what the pups really need (whether they’re used to no walks or day-long hikes) - we want them happy & for the sit to be a great fit!
The guest bath looks nice & very tidy. The guest bedroom has a few (normal, to me) things in it take take away from the “Air BnB” appearance some sitters are on the lookout for. Could help to remove those.
I’ve also noticed that most listings go into some detail about how well-equipped their kitchens are or that they have a washer/dryer on-site (in addition to checking relevant boxes).
I think, in addition to having checked the box, it would be clearer to add “… by car” or “… drive” where you stated how far away parks/restaurants are. It might also be helpful to clearly state whether or not use of your car is a possibility; it could be uncomfortable for some to ask, and one is pretty much needed to get around up there. (Your sitter pool will be smaller if it’s only those with cars.)
Distances from SF & Tahoe will be very helpful & enticing to some. Not every traveler will have the desire/means to get there (& might choose a sit in those areas, if that’s their plan), so I’d add more about Rocklin/Roseville, with driving distances: restaurants, movies, go carts, mini-golf, water slides, trampoline places, quarry park, bowling, laser tag, archery/axe place, escape rooms, golf, Folsom Zoo, close to downtown Sac/Old Sac, river/kayak/SUP rentals, etc. You could add places you’d recommend or throw in a boba/shaved ice place (or something else currently popular).
Lastly, there’s a statement that you’d like the sitter to stay downstairs. It’s not clear to me whether the upstairs is off-limits for some reason or whether you mean they’ll just sleep where the guest room & all happen to be. I once stayed in an Air BnB that turned out to have someone living on the “off-limits” floor - unbeknownst to me until the smoke alarm went off in that space & was promptly shut off. Creepy. We female sitters are on the lookout for creepiness/red flags. If it’s off-limits, it might be helpful to say why.
Hope something here is of help. If I weren’t looking to escape the Sac heat, I’d gladly apply. Your puppers look adorable!
Good luck!
Thank you so much for the feedback. I was just about to ask for someone to take a look. I am going to take all of your suggestions and make several changes including updating a few more pictures. We have a lot to learn and I’m open to learning.
Best Regards,
Okem
We have made a few changes and will be updating some of the pictures today. Any other suggestions? We’re about a week before our first travel date and still no application.
I think your listing looks great, no red flags for me although I’m not looking to sit in your area at this time.
Thanks for the feedback!
We were not able to find someone to sit for us for our June trip and are worried we’ll have the same issue for our July trip. Are there any other suggestions or other ways to get our listing in front of more eyes?
Thank you!