First impressions matter
Your listing title and first photo determine whether a guest clicks through or keeps scrolling. Before you spend time on the detail, get these right.
Writing a great title
Your title is not a label. It is an invitation. The best titles on Good Finds do not just describe what guests will do - they make someone feel something before they have even clicked through.
Think less about naming the activity and more about what makes your experience yours. The setting, the person behind it, the thing that only happens here.
Descriptive: "Pottery class in Nelson"
Better: "A morning at the wheel with a potter who has been making since 1987"
Descriptive: "Farm tour, Hawke's Bay"
Better: "A working day on a third-generation sheep station in the hills above Napier"
Descriptive: "Sourdough baking workshop"
Better: "Bread the long way - sourdough, real flour, someone's home kitchen"
The better versions are specific. They hint at the person behind the experience. They make you want to know more. That is the goal.
Avoid:
- Vague claims ("unique experience", "something special", "unforgettable")
- Adjectives without substance ("amazing", "incredible", "magical")
- Your business name (save that for your host profile)
Write five or six title options. Then ask yourself: does this sound like something a real person said, or does it sound like a brochure? Go with the real person.
Structuring your description
Forget the template. Write like someone who is genuinely excited about what they do and knows how to put it into words.
The best descriptions on Good Finds read less like a product listing and more like something someone sent to a friend. They are specific. They are personal. They give you a real sense of who wrote them.
Start in the moment. Your first sentence should put the reader somewhere. Not "This experience is a guided walk through native bush" but "We start at the edge of the trees just before the dew burns off." Ground the reader before you explain anything.
Be concrete. Every vague sentence can be improved by adding a detail. Not "you'll learn about native plants" but "you'll learn to identify seven species of native fern and why the old-timers used them for medicine." Not "we'll share a meal" but "we finish with a long table lunch made from what we harvested that morning."
Say what guests will take away. Not just what happens, but what it means. A skill, a piece of knowledge, a way of seeing something they hadn't noticed before. Make this explicit - don't assume guests will figure it out.
Let the person through. One or two sentences about why you do this. Not a biography - just enough that the experience feels grounded in something real. Guests want to know who they are spending time with.
End with the practical. Fitness requirements, what to wear, age restrictions, what to bring. Put this at the end, not the top. Don't let logistics lead the story.
Keep your description honest. Guests who arrive with accurate expectations have better experiences and leave better reviews. Guests who feel misled leave bad ones.
What to include in the details section
Your listing's detail fields give guests the practical information they need. Don't skip these.
- Duration - be accurate. If it usually runs 2.5 hours, say 2.5 hours.
- Meeting point - give a specific address or what3words reference, not just a suburb
- What to bring - what clothing, footwear, or items should guests have?
- What's included - food, drinks, materials, transport?
- What's not included - anything guests might assume is covered
- Group size - minimum and maximum
- Cancellation policy - set the policy that fits your experience
What to avoid
Don't use jargon. If you're a winemaker, don't assume guests know what "brix" or "bâtonnage" means. If you're a forager, explain what "tannins" are. Write for someone who is genuinely curious but coming in fresh. Explain in plain language without being condescending - the goal is to bring people in, not filter them out.
Don't be defensive. "This experience is not suitable for people who..." as the first thing guests read creates a negative first impression. Move limitations to the practical details section.
Don't use all caps, excessive punctuation, or emoji in your listing title or description. It reads as low-quality.
Once you've written a draft, ask someone who knows nothing about your experience to read it and tell you what they'd expect. If anything surprises them when they read back what they understood, rewrite that part.