Providing a fantastic guest experience is crucial for getting 5-star reviews and repeat visits, but how can you go beyond simply providing a clean, comfortable place to stay, and perhaps increase your income while you’re at it? Offering add-on products and services through guest upsells is a proven way to increase satisfaction while boosting your revenue at the same time.
The key is presenting those upsell offers in a seamless, non-intrusive way - you don’t want to overwhelm your guests with aggressive sales pitches. This is where our new Jotform Custom Element feature comes into play!
- Why upsell to guests?
- Seamless upsells through your digital guidebook
- Receive online payments through Jotform
- 4 types of upsell to consider
- Optimise Jotform for upselling
- Upsell to anyone!
- Best practices for upsell success
Why upsell to guests in the first place?
Travellers don’t expect a bare-bones experience when they book an Airbnb or Vrbo; they want special touches that make them feel looked after, while also helping them make the most of their stay. With Touch Stay, you’re uniquely positioned to offer those value-added products and services.
In 2023, Airbnb hosts earnt an average of £904 per month, but you can grow that figure substantially through targeted upsells timed to match guest needs at every stage - before arrival, upon check-in, during their stay, and when they’re packing up to leave.
Upsells allow you to:
- generate more revenue from each guest
- keep your listing competitively priced while offering added perks
- secure 5-star reviews as you wow guests by going above and beyond
- build relationships with local businesses as you promote their offerings
- create special memories guests will rave about for years
Seamless upsells through your digital guidebook
In the past, presenting upsell offers to guests took a combination of brochures, verbal suggestions, emails, and website listings. The options you chose probably depended on your budget and tech skills. But most solutions had their downsides: too static, too disruptive, too hard to update and track.
Touch Stay’s Custom Elements feature solves these problems with the ability to seamlessly embed customised Jotforms in your digital guidebook, centralising your upsell offerings in one place while giving you flexibility over what you present.
Choose from 10,000+ pre-made Jotform templates spanning every type of business need, drop them directly into any section of your guidebook, then customise them however you want: tweak layouts, images, questions, the options are endless!
Receive online payments with Jotform
Jotform handles all the technical stuff behind the scenes so guests simply see an intuitive web form for requesting add-on services from you. And the best part is Jotform is integrated with 30+ trusted payment gateways and never charges additional transaction fees to collect payments.
It’s easier for them and you compared to one-off emails and brochures. And you’ll never lose a sale because an upsell offer got buried in a guest’s inbox or they couldn’t find your website booking page.
4 types of upsell to consider
Now that you understand the basics of adding Jotforms to your guidebook for upsells, let’s explore some of the possibilities. These four categories represent revenue opportunities at every stage of your guests’ journey.
Pre-arrival upsells
Give guests the VIP treatment before they even walk through your door! Pre-arrival upsells lay the foundation for a pampered getaway:
- Grocery delivery - stock their kitchen with local treats or cooking basics
- Luggage shipping - so guests can travel light
- Children’s equipment rental - travel cots, high chairs, stair gates, etc.
- Meal vouchers - to your favourite restaurants nearby
- Local attraction passes - discounted amusement park/museum tickets
On-site upsells
Help guests maximise their stay once they’ve checked in:
- Daily housekeeping - for longer stays
- Food and drink packages - local wine and cheese, charcuterie boards, etc.
- Pampering - in-room massages, beauty treatments, etc.
- Wi-Fi upgrades - for extra device allowance and speed
- Early check-in/late check-out options - based on availability
Off-site excursions
Encourage guests to get out and explore via tours, activities, and transportation:
- Customised travel itineraries - trip planning services
- Adventure outings - horse riding, rafting, safari tours, etc.
- Equipment rentals - bikes, fishing gear, surfboards, etc.
- Roundtrip airport transfers - private car or shuttle bus
- Childcare referrals - babysitters, nanny services, etc.
Merchandise upsells
Finally, tempt guests with local shopping options and branded items:
- Welcome gift baskets - snacks, travel necessities, etc.
- Toiletry kits - yours to keep; no need to pack shampoo!
- Souvenirs - mugs, t-shirts, hats with your logo
- Hospitality packages - bath bombs, monogrammed slippers, spa products
- Photo books - professionally designed mementos
Optimise Jotform for upselling
Place strategically
Decide the best spot (or spots) to insert your Jotform(s) within your digital guidebook. You want visibility without distracting from other key sections like ‘Arrival Guide’ or ‘House Rules.’
Some top placement ideas:
- Dedicated upgrades section
- Before final trip confirmation steps
- Below your cancelled booking policy
- Nearby recommendations area
Use descriptive buttons
Don’t just label your form generically as ‘Order Form.’ Give it an action-oriented name tailored to its purpose like ‘Request Grocery Delivery’ or ‘Book Adventure Tour.’
Style consistently
Make custom Jotforms blend seamlessly by carrying over fonts, colours, and brand styling from your guidebook and website. This creates continuity for guests across all touchpoints.
Simplify with autofill
Pre-populate form fields with guest details so they don’t have to enter anything manually. Pull through info like name, email address, booking dates, etc. And allow/encourage guests to save payment details for faster repeat purchases!
Set notifications
Log into your Jotform account online to configure automatic confirmations and reminders triggered by form activity. This saves you work while keeping guests informed.
Monitor analytics
Built-in Jotform metrics show form response rates and sales volumes. But avoid checking compulsively! Tweak upsells slowly over time for sustainable revenue.
Promote your upsell offers
Now that your Jotform upsells are ready to go, spread the word! Reach every guest wherever they are in your marketing ecosystem:
- Listing descriptions
- Pre-stay emails
- Strategically placed in guidebook
- Check-in instructions
- On-site signage
- Thank you notes
- Guest photos
Upsell to anyone!
Touch Stay isn’t just limited to short-term rental hosts. Guidebook creators across industries can easily use Jotform for upselling products, services, events, and more. Our Custom Elements feature opens the door to new monetisation and engagement tactics whether you’re organising:
- meetings and conferences
- award ceremonies
- music festivals
- sporting events
- weddings
- company off-sites
- educational courses
- nonprofit fundraisers
- or any other gathering!
Whatever type of event you’re managing, adding Jotform to your digital guidebook lets you:
- Generate more revenue: monetise your audience beyond initial ticket/purchase prices through targeted add-ons timed around their needs
- Increase engagement: encourage participation in more aspects of your event, cause or organisation
- Improve experience: fulfil attendee expectations around customisation through self-service offerings
- Stand out: public venues and nonprofits face intense competition - upsells showcase your creativity
- Gather data: collect information on product/service demand to guide your marketing plan
- Test ideas: see what sticks before making major investments into new areas
Best practices for upsell success
As you add guest upsells to your guidebook, keep these tips in mind:
- Offer a mix of free and paid add-ons
- Pique interest with local exclusives
- Incentivise bundles over stand-alone purchases
- Limit choices to avoid decision fatigue
- Give clear pricing and cancellation policies upfront
- Stress the convenience factor
- Show guest ratings and reviews
- Rotate less popular offers
- Always stay on-brand!
Over to you
Now that you know how to tap into Jotform for showcasing special offers, your Touch Stay digital guidebook becomes an upsell profit centre! Start small with a few options, monitor performance metrics, get guest feedback, and expand your offerings over time.
The easier your upsell booking process, the higher your conversion rates and customer spend will climb. Before you know it, you’ll have guests raving about your stellar hospitality both online and off. So dive in and seize all the new revenue streams awaiting in your guidebook!
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