I created a simple chrome extension that lets you add airbnb rentals into a comparison table so you can see side by side the amenities, prices, number of rooms, place size, etc… across multiple places.
I started it because I was tired of having to switch between tabs when looking to find the best place. And I guess I was not the only one since I am getting new users every day without doing much promotion.
But I have no idea how to monetize it. Airbnb doesn’t event have an affiliate programs and people don’t really seem interested in paying for “premium” features.
Any ideas I could explore?
The best ad units are “native” ad units. Ads on Twitter are just sponsored tweets, etc. You’re right about Airbnb not having a program, but VRBO, Booking.com, Marriott, etc all offer comparable products. Low-hanging fruit would be a very generic addition to your comparison table that redirects to an affiliate search on one of those. Higher end (may require you get some traction first, so you can go contact those competitors and say “I have this traffic, give me an API”) would be sponsored comparable listings.
Another idea for you: add a “share” button that emails a copy of the comparison table to the user (and his or her travel companions?). There are email delivery services that will handle monetization (find and serve a relevant ad into the header or footer of the email). Downside is ads are generally priced per 1k impressions, so that’s a tonnnnn of emails being sent for you to see much revenue.