Map of the Week: Airbnb

Map of the Week: Airbnb

Why we like it: Airbnb has created a really great ‘search by map’ interface for their vacation rentals services. There’s also a really nice implementation of Google Street View to help renters make an informed decision about the rental and the surrounding neighborhood.

For a lot of people, the months of June, July, and August mean vacation time. As the price of just about everything rises, it can be difficult to find a unique and exciting place to stay within your budget. Luckily there’s Airbnb, which is a great way to find short-term accommodations rented out by private parties.

When it comes to finding the perfect place to stay, location is everything and Airbnb has invested heavily in creating mapping tools to make the right connections. A nice feature of the website is the ability to search by map for places to rent. The search interface is intuitive and easy to use.

For security reasons, you aren’t able to know the exact property or the exact address, but Airbnb places you in the right neighborhood so that you can use Street View to get a better idea of what’s around. A nice added UI feature is a “Rotate Street View” button, which automatically glides the imagery around the neighborhood.

Airbnb is a global operation and there’s a Google Map for everywhere there are Airbnb rentals (which is just about every corner of the globe). So wherever you’re travelling, there’s a good chance that Airbnb has rental for you and Google Maps API tools to help you find it. Good luck and safe travels on your next vacation!

via:googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com

 

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Einstein on Give > Take

 

“The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.”

– Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
Swiss physicist

Sales kick off…

This week, focus on giving more for the dollars you earn (with your effort, with your product/ service) and you’ll find more will come your way. It may not always happen as quickly as you’d like, but it’s the better bet in the long run.

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Google Places: Places & Hotel Booking Upgrades

Google Places Page Hotel Booking UpgradeGoogle continues to make upgrades to Places and Maps having recently announced a wider rollout of Google Business Photos. As noted last week there have been a number of changes/additions to Places pages themselves.

Adam Dorfman of SimPartners pointed out this additional visual upgrade to the Hotel booking feature. The new emphasis makes the feature more obvious by adding its own subheading, emphasizing the dates and bolding the price on a contrasting color.

Another change that occurred last week was that the photos, which had been much lower on the page, also are now appearing above the fold.

Google has often indicated that they will continue to change and move the content of the Places Page based on their perception of end user utility. If that is the decision criteria of how they reached the current layout the implications are not quite believable.

By that logic the review totals being duplicated above the fold implies that Google’s own reviews and fully formed review content are somehow less valuable than 3 party review totals. Google would also have to argue that users really want to do little more in Places than book a hotel.

It would seem that politics, business relations and income considerations more likely explanations for the new layout.

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L’Amour on a Different View

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.”

–Louis L’Amour (1908–1988)

American writer

A couple bright sides to remember…

  1. Those gatekeepers keeping you from your prospects… You’ll love them once you’re on the other side and your competition comes calling. (Just be sure you’re continually qualifying your prospects – investing your effort only with the best possibilities… Get JustSell’s quick guide on qualifying).
  2. That deal you lose to a low-cost provider… Sometimes it can be more valuable in the long run. When the lowest priced product or service doesn’t meet the expectations of a customer, a deeper appreciation of the price/ value relationship is developed. This can create a new sales opportunity from what was initially lost – an opportunity for a much stronger business relationship than otherwise may have existed. (Make sure you keep your cool & kindness so you’re called if it happens.)

Here are 4 points to bouncing back.

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Bradstreet on The Bright Side

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

–Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672)
British-American poet

Sales negotiation…

What can you do for me on the price?

A fantastic question when you’re buying. An inevitable inquiry when you’re selling.

How would you and your team respond at this moment?

Many people will respond to the question by immediately giving or implying the possibility of a discounted price. Again – great when you’re buying, a margin killer when you’re selling.

Here are the 2 hard-dollar points to better negotiating (and several sample responses).

Managers: How much more revenue could you add each year by helping your team avoid the immediate jump to a discount?

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Do you have your copy of “A Message to Garcia“? One of our favorites for inspiring initiative and responsibility (and required reading for Marine Corps recruits and at the Naval Academy).

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No going through the motions in 2011… Register for one of this week’s short webinars with Sam (co-founder of JustSell).

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