CHAPTER 1:
The history of Airbnb: Start with an idea
What began as a simple idea has evolved into a global, multi-billion-dollar business. This guide aims to assist you in building your rental marketplace website and business iteratively, drawing inspiration from Airbnb’s journey.
Airbnb’s inception is the stuff of legends, highlighting the power of innovative ideas and continuous improvement. In 2007, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, roommates seeking to capitalize on a design conference’s demand for accommodation, offered air mattresses in their apartment. From this humble beginning, a basic website was born, attracting three guests to their flat. With the addition of Nathan Blecharczyk, the trio embarked on enhancing the platform’s features, culminating in a journey from selling breakfast cereal to overcoming rejections by prominent VC firms, ultimately achieving a valuation measured in billions.
While Airbnb’s growth journey was a result of years of learning and iteration, today, launching a website akin to Airbnb is more accessible, faster, and more affordable. The core message and inspiration from Airbnb’s story remain unchanged: identifying underused assets, addressing user needs, and continuous improvement.
CHAPTER 2:
An overview of Airbnb
Before delving into the specifics of building a website like Airbnb, it’s essential to understand Airbnb’s operational model. Airbnb can be succinctly described as a location-based, peer-to-peer rental marketplace.
Location-based functionality necessitates physical proximity between the customer and the listing for a successful transaction, influencing feature requirements and business strategies. Peer-to-peer interaction characterizes Airbnb’s user base, distinguishing it from traditional B2C or B2B marketplaces. A rental marketplace connects individuals with idle assets to those seeking to rent them, requiring distinct features from product-selling platforms like Amazon or eBay.
CHAPTER 3:
How to create a website like Airbnb in five steps
1. Validate your idea as Airbnb did:
Great marketplace ideas solve real problems for both suppliers and customers. Validate your concept by understanding your target users, their pain points, and how your solution offers improvement.
2. Choose a business model:
Select a revenue generation method suitable for your marketplace, considering options like commission, membership fees, listing fees, lead fees, freemium models, or featured listings/ads.
3. Define the functionality you need:
Prioritize core features essential for your marketplace’s launch, such as user profiles, location-based search, online payments, availability management, two-sided reviews, and delayed payouts.
4. Choose how to build your platform:
Assess development options, including custom development, no-code software, or API-based solutions like Webkhabir, based on your technical expertise, budget, and time constraints.
5. Launch your MVP and plan a growth path:
Launch a Minimum Viable Platform to test your concept, gather user feedback, and iterate based on insights gained. Focus on delivering a remarkable experience while constantly learning and improving.
CHAPTER 4:
How much does it cost to create a website like Airbnb?
Building a rental marketplace like Airbnb entails handling complex functionalities, from geolocation to online payments, making it a substantial investment. Here are two budget estimates for building such a platform:
1. Create a no-code marketplace with Webkhabir:
Launch your MVP with Webkhabir’s development team, minimizing upfront costs while benefiting from essential marketplace features. Estimated first-year budget: $1,999.
2. Move to Webkhabir self-hosted:
Transition to Webkhabir’s self-hosted, customizable platform for enhanced flexibility and scalability. Estimated first-year budget: $5,499, including Extend subscription, transaction fees, design, development, and additional expenses.
Both options offer viable pathways for building a rental marketplace like Airbnb, catering to different stages of your business’s growth and resource availability.
In conclusion, building a website like Airbnb requires a strategic approach, careful planning, and continuous adaptation based on user feedback and market dynamics. By following a structured process and leveraging available resources, you can embark on a journey towards creating a successful rental marketplace business.
