Performance Scores: Why They Matter and How They Are Calculated

Taking your listing to the next level is now easier than ever with Swimply's new "Performance Scores" Quickly see where and how you can make changes to maximize your earnings!

The all new Performance Scores on the Hosting tab help you understand how to maximize your Swimply earnings.

These scores are based on the data and performance of all hosts across the platform.

*Keep in mind that everyone has their own way to host and if you are happy with your number of bookings/earnings do not feel pressured by these scores. These are just here IF you want to take your listing and business to the next level.

There are six scores in total: Three Hosting scores and three Listing scores.

The Hosting scores are based on how you respond and interact with guests, and the Listing scores are based on how your listing is set up.

So let's go through all the scores, what they mean, and how they are calculated.

Let’s start with the Hosting scores:

There are 3 Hosting scores

1. Response time
2. Cancel rate
3. Success rate

Response time:

This is based on how quickly you respond to potential guests in the chat. As we know, responding quickly to booking requests and general questions is super important to “closing the deal” and getting the guest to choose your space. It’s also helpful in getting that all important five star review once the booking is complete.

The way this metric is calculated is:

The score will take the median of all messages replied by hosts and the scores will be assigned as follows:

• Great: Less than or equal to 1 hour
• Not Bad: More than 1 hour and less than or equal to 12 hours
• Needs Work: More than 12 hours

Cancel Rate:

Cancellation should always be the last resort for hosts and we should always try to work with guests to reschedule–you can even offer them a discount within the app for the inconvenience. For this cancellation rate we will only take into account bookings that are canceled by the host and not if the guest cancels their booking.

The way this metric is calculated is:

(Number of bookings canceled by host / number of valid bookings)

• Great: below 5%
• Not Bad: Above or equal to 5% and below 10%
• Needs Work: Above or equal to 10%

Success Rate:

The success rate of your listing is very closely tied to your cancellation rate, in fact if you are an instant book listing the two numbers should add up to 100%. Where this score is very important however is if you are a request listing. This score will represent the number of requests you got for your listing that ended up booking your space. So think any declined or expired requests which represent “money left on the table” and a lost booking. As with the Cancel rate, this will not take into account guest cancellations.

The way this metric is calculated is:

(Number of completed/confirmed booking/ number of valid booking)

• Great: Above or equal to 90%
• Not Bad: above or equal to 75% and below 90%
• Needs Work: below 75%

And on to the Listing Scores, the listing scores are based on how your listing is set up and can usually be fixed with a quick update to your listing!

There are 3 Listing scores:

1. Availability score
2. Photo score
3. Price score

So let's go through these scores

Availability Score

The availability score is based on how many “peak” days you have available on your Swimply calendar. The reason this is so important is because 60% (yes 60%!) of all bookings take place on Saturday or Sunday. Having your listing open and available for guests on those two peak days are crucial to maximizing your Swimply earnings.

The way this metric is calculated is:

• “Great” - 90% of all Saturdays and Sundays are open and available (or booked) during the summer months (May-September)
• “Not Bad” - 50% - 90% of all Saturdays and Sundays are open and available (or booked) during the summer months (May-September)
• “Needs Work” - Under 50% of all Saturdays and Sundays are open and available (or booked) during the summer months (May-September)

Photo Score

The photo score is a super important score to keep in mind when thinking about the success of your listing as the photos are what initially “sell” the guest on your listing.

The photo score is a 1-4 ranking broken down as follows:

• 1 - “Needs Work” - the photos on your account are not ideal and you should update them asap.
• 2 - “Not Bad” - The photos of your listing could be much better and updating them will bring in more bookings and revenue!
• 3 - “Great” - Your photos look great! They were shot using a smartphone and they look pristine. The only thing to consider is investing in a professional photographer to come shoot your space
• 4 - “Great” - You have professional photography of your listing. Great job! Listings with professional photography get booked 25% more often on average!

If you do want to improve your photo score, you can read this quick guide to capturing top notch photos on your smartphone today. https://swimply.com/host-resources-center/guide-to-perfect-photos If you want us to help you find a local photographer to hire, please email us at [e-mail] and we can help!

Price Score:

The Price score is also a very important score to keep in mind when thinking about maximizing your earnings as it takes into account the type of listing you have (size, amenities, etc) and the market you are in (as prices will differ in different parts of the country). Staying competitive in your market when it comes to pricing is a great way to secure some extra bookings and earnings.

How it is calculated:

• Great = .9+ Pricing score
• Not Bad = .5 - .9 Pricing Score
• Needs Work = under .5 Pricing score

The way the Price score is calculated is we look at where your listing is located in the country and we look at the size, amenities offered, and many other factors and compare it to similar listings in your area. We then look at the most successful price for your “style” listing and location and every % above that number your price goes, you will lose a % in the score.

For example: if the ideal price for my listing in my market is $50, if I price my listing at $50 or below I will be at a 100% price score If I go up to $51 my score will go down to 98% as I went up 2% above the recommended price. If I raise my price to $60 my price score will be 80% asI am 20% above the recommended price.

Keep in mind that everyone hosts differently and some hosts may want fewer bookings at higher prices even if that means lower earnings overall. We also understand that some hosts can charge premium prices and “get away with it” because of distinguishing features like being indoors, gorgeous views, hundreds of reviews, etc.This scoring system is meant for hosts who are looking to maximize their earnings, we wanted to give them the tools + insights on how to do that