Do you have a question about selling? Have you already read How Selling Works ?
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Frequently Asked Questions about Selling
Selling on LocalGuiding Products and Shop
Bookings & Payment
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Promoting your shop
- How can I promote my shop?
- How can I improve the ranking in search results?
- Why should I write travel tips?
- How do I write travel tips?
- Why should I answer public travel questions?
- How do I answer public travel questions?
- What do I have to do to get listed as "Featured Tour Guide"?
- What do I have to do to get my tour listed as "Featured Tours and Activities"?
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Password & Username
Questions with answers
Selling on LocalGuiding
How do I sell on LocalGuiding?
Do you want to sell your Travel Services easily?
LocalGuiding.com is the place for selling and buying unique travel adventures.
Increase your sales! Promote your unique services to travelers around the world.
All you need to do is to create your own free online shop. It's free and easy, no programming skills required.
When you sign-up as a seller:
- you get your own shop with lots of options to make it personal and authentic.
- you decide what services to offer and control your prices and schedule.
- promote yourself by answering travel questions and writing travel tips.
- you must be legally able to sell the services you list.
Learn here in 3 steps how selling works on LocalGuiding.
Or sign up now. It's free!
How do I set up a seller account?
To sell you have to set-up an account. It's free and easy, no programming skills required. Just click on the link 'Sell' in the navigation menu above.
Choose a username, provide a valid e-mail address and choose a secure password.
Then we'll send you an email to confirm your email address. Click on the link to verify.
After setting-up your account you can create your own shop. Personalize your shop, upload a photo and describe yourself.
After creating your shop you can start to sell by listing your specific tours. You can list as many tours as you want, for free! Remember to keep your availability calendar up to date and watch your sales increase!
Is it really free to sell on LocalGuiding?
Yes, as a seller you'll never have to pay anything to us. It is entirely free to open your shop. It's also free to list your specific tours and activities. The only way LocalGuiding makes money is through the 10% deposit the clients pay us to confirm their booking. This ensures that the client is seriously interested in your services.
Who can become a seller?
Whether you are a tour guide, a local expert or just passionate about your city, LocalGuiding is the best way to sell unique travel tours directly to travelers around the world.
To sign-up as a seller you must be legally able to sell the services you list and maintain all required business, liability and all other requisite insurance. You must be competent to provide your tours and conduct yourself and your tours in a professional, friendly, and reliable manner. You agree to make best efforts to respond to all inquiries regarding your tours to satisfy your customer's needs.
We do not allow people under the age of 18 to use LocalGuiding.
What kind of services can I sell?
LocalGuiding is open for unique travel experiences offered by passionate locals. The services you offer shall be related to travel and shall be unique. We don't want mass tourism tours or tourist traps. Moreover our travelers want to experience the destination as a local. So be creative, passionate and authentic. Please also review our Terms of Use.
Can customers ask me questions?
Yes, they can get in touch with you directly: To respond questions asked to you by travelers, go to your shop and click on the tab "Wall". There you'll find all questions asked to you and you have the option to respond to them.
Travelers can also ask general questions in our public forum "Local Advice". Check this forum regularly, give advice and promote yourself to potential new customers.
How do user reviews help increase my sales?
On LocalGuiding you'll collect reviews only from clients who already experienced one of your tours. This provides balanced and genuine information about your services and demonstrates the quality of your tours and activities to our travelers. It's a great way to stand out from the competition and also provides direct feedback from your client's point of view. Reviews also improve your search listings on LocalGuiding.
Products and Shop
What is a Shop?
Local Guiding is a marketplace composed of different online shops created and managed directly by Local Tour Guides. All listed services are displayed on our website and on our Facebook page.
Shops are fully customizable: You choose your own shop name, upload your own photo, write your shop description and get your own unique web URL (e.g. http://www.localguiding.com/YOUR NAME/).
How do I list services in my shop?
After setting up your own shop, you can list services in this shop. Log in to LocalGuiding and click on the link "My Shop" at top right. Then click on the button "List new tour" and fill out all required fields: Provide a title for your tour and a detailed description. Choose a category, country and region. Define your availability, price and tour type. Upload photos and embed videos if you want to.
After you've filled out all required fields click on "Save & Publish" to publish your tour. It will then appear in your shop and in the general Tours and Activities section.
How do I manage my listings?
To modify or end a listed service click on your listed service. You'll then see at the top of the page a button to edit and a button to deactivate this listing.
Will I be notified when someone buys a tour?
Yes. After the buyer has payed the down-payment to LocalGuiding, both you and your new client will receive an email with the contact details. This allows fast, direct communication with the buyer to manage details and questions regarding your listing.
How can I end a listed service?
To modify or end a listed service click on your listed service. You'll then see at the top of the page a button to edit and a button to deactivate this listing. To end it click "deactivate".
Bookings & Payment
What happens when I receive a booking?
Once a traveler pays the deposit to LocalGuiding, you and your client will receive a booking confirmation. There you'll find the contact details to coordinate final arrangements with your customer.
The spots booked will automatically be displayed as unavailable in your tour:
- If the client has chosen the option "private tour", the tour is displayed as completely unavailable for other buyers for this date.
- If the client has chosen the option "shared tour", only the spots booked are displayed as unavailable, which still allows other buyers to book empty spots on the same tour, up to the maximum number of participants you allow.
How do I receive payments?
Selling in 3 steps:
1. List tours - You list the tour in your shop for free
2. Get confirmed bookings - Shoppers select time, date and number of participants and pay a 10% deposit to LocalGuiding to confirm the booking
3. Guide the tour and get paid - On the day of the tour the clients pay you directly in cash 90% of the tour price. You can also offer other payment options to get paid the 90%. Other payment conditions have to be published in your "Shop Policies".
Which payment methods can I offer?
Unless otherwise provided in the terms supplied by you in your Shop Policies the purchaser have to pay the remaining 90% of the listed price directly to you in cash on day of the tour.
If you want to offer other payment conditions you may declare them in your "Shop Policies".
Do I have to reconfirm bookings?
No, when you set your service available you confirm that you are available for these dates. After a traveler has paid the deposit you can't cancel the tour unless you are unable to provide it for reasons of illness or extreme force majeure.
Nevertheless we recommend contacting your customer 24-72 hours ahead to coordinate final arrangements.
Do I have to keep the tour availabilities up to date?
Yes, you are responsible for your received bookings. Therefore, to avoid calendar conflicts, manage your tour availabilities regularly and carefully. To do so, click on the tour you want to edit. You'll then see at the top of the page a button to edit and a button to deactivate this tour. To change availabilities click the "edit" button.
Note: If you make your tour available for a specific date and a client books this tour by paying the 10% down-payment, it's binding. The tour is then automatically confirmed. You are responsible for providing the tour unless you are unable to do so for reasons of illness or extreme force majeure. You'll find more information about this in our terms of Use.
Is there a cancellation policy?
Every seller can define their own Shop Policies with information about the cancellation policy. If you don't publish your own cancellation policy in your Shop Policies the Cancellation Policy outlined in our Terms and Conditions is valid:
Cancellations by you:
Once a booking is confirmed through our site you agree to provide the tour unless you are unable to do so for reasons of illness or extreme force majeure. In such a case, you have to make best efforts to subcontract the provision of the agreed upon service at no additional cost to the Customer or refund any amount paid to you for the cancelled tour as to be mutually agreed upon by you and the customer. You shall notify the customer directly as soon as you can in order to make alternate arrangements.
Cancellations by Buyer:
Unless otherwise provided by you in your Shop Policies, the buyer may cancel his Tour up to 72 hours before commencement.
Promoting your shop
How can I promote my shop?
On LocalGuiding there are many ways to promote yourself and your services to our active community. Use these options to stand out from others and to demonstrate your competence:
- Write Travel Tips for travelers and give them a glimpse of the hidden secrets of your city.
- Give Local Advice by answering questions asked by travelers in our public forum.
- Your shop has its own easy URL (www.LocalGuiding.com/Your Shop URL/). Publish this URL to blogs, online communities and social networks to promote it.
- Every shop and travel service has a button to share it in Facebook. Benefit from word of mouth and share your services with your friends on Facebook.
How can I improve the ranking in search results?
To improve your search listings on LocalGuiding:
- collect user reviews from previous clients for your unique tours
- give good Local Advice by answering public travel questions
Why should I write travel tips?
Many travelers don't know exactly what activity they want to do. They inspire themselves by reading Travel Tips. Stand out from the masses and write about your city on the LocalGuiding Blog.
Writing Travel Tips grabs the attention of potential clients. It's easy, and a good way to promote your shop.
How do I write travel tips?
After setting up your own shop, you can write travel tips. Log in to LocalGuiding and click on the link "My Shop" at top right. Then click on the button "Add new travel tip" to create a new travel article. Provide a title, text and photo and choose a category, country and region if you want to. To publish the article click "save". It will then appear in your shop and in the general Travel Tips section.
Why should I answer public travel questions?
By giving Local Advice to travelers you demonstrate local expertise. Answering questions also raises your search ranking on LocalGuiding and grabs the attention of potential clients. It's a good way to promote your shop.
How do I answer public travel questions?
You must be logged in to answer travel questions. Go to Local Advice and click on the question you want to answer. There you'll find a field to write your answer. It's just that easy.
What do I have to do to get listed as "Featured Tour Guide"?
Occasionally, there are sweepstakes to win a listing as "Featured Tour Guide". You can apply for it by contacting LocalGuiding.
What do I have to do to get my tour listed as "Featured Tours and Activities"?
Occasionally, there are sweepstakes to win a listing as "Featured Tours and Activities". You can apply for it by contacting LocalGuiding.
Password & Username
Have you forgotten your password?
When you have forgotten your password, go to the log in page and click the link, "Forgot Password". Enter your email address and we will send you an email with further information.
Can I change my username?
When you forget your username, use your email address instead to log in. After you've logged in you can change your username by clicking "Account" at top right.
Is my data protected?
Yes, LocalGuiding cares about your privacy. For more information read our Privacy Policy.
How do I delete my LocalGuiding account?
To delete your Account, send us an email at deleteaccount[at]localguiding.com. Please indicate your username and email address you want to be deleted.