There are no statistics on what features help profile performance. So those are subjective recommendations based on what we learned from the experiences of other bloggers and from the house owners that choose us.
Be honest
Be honest about your strong & weak sides. Are you good at keeping everything super tidy? How much experience do you have with taking care of pets, have you cared for your friend’s pet before? No need to claim that you can do it all. If you truly are a good match in the eyes of the owners, you will enjoy the stay the most. Often the owner might know that their pet responds well to some kind of personality and if you describe yourself inaccurately the pet might suffer.
Be legit
Do everything you can to look real, verified and overall legit. TrustedHousessiters have a security check, it can help owners feel more secure with you even if you are new on the platform.
Add additional references. LinkedIn can make you look more real (somehow seems more serious than most social media). If you have Airbnb profile with reviews from hosts, attach it. The platform will guide you not to forget anything.
If you have pet sitted for someone before, ask them for an “external review”. Go to Dashboard -> Edit Profile -> Manage verifications -> Request reference.
The owners that chose us before we had in platform reviews claimed, that for them Airbnb and LinkedIn were most persuasive. They also appreciated the friend review.
Be personal
Make sure to set your photo (meaning a photo of your face) as your profile picture. When you apply for a sit, the owner sees your profile picture, your rating and your name. To see the message they need to click and as we learned, many might not click on all adepts if there is plenty.