What do you think ... (be kind)

[Steve]

With the comments posted to Canaryvilla very much in mind, and only just putting my website together (after many aborted attempts) and only recently (six months) getting the property up and running and and and .... I humbly submit my website for your erudition and comment. www.maisontournesol.co.uk ... I know it needs more work, I know its not the best, but what do you think ............?

[AndyLucia]

Steve,

Welcome to the throng! I'm a new boy here myself, and I'm happy to say what a welcoming group of people they are here! A bit strange, a few peacock and handbag obsessives, but very welcoming!

A few initial thoughts on your site, as I'm sure the experts will be along later. I like the overall simplicity of the site, a nicely understated elegance; it did load a bit slowly, although I am having internet problems - if I was to hazard a guess I'd say the two pictures on the left hand side were originally the same size as the one at the top?

Personally I would have the page centred, rather than justified to the left, but that's just me! I would tweak some of your content, as your opening sentences do not seem to have any of your keywords in them at all.

But all in all, pretty nice. As people here will testify, that is a million times better than the first site I asked for critiquing!

[Steve]

Thanks Andy, all comments appreciated. Being an old newspaper man, the text set left / set right is more pleasing to my eye than centred and tends to draw the eye across (or at least that's what I was told many years ago during my apprenticeship days) the page ... but as you say it's subjective.

I was concerned that I was being a bit too verbose, but using my own experience in viewing other sites when looking for a holiday home in the past, if I was interested in the place itself I wanted all relevant information there and then, all the information necessary including prices, etc ... which is what I tried to achieve in three pages ... and to be able to reply via email rather than an expensive phone call.

Thanks again for taking the trouble to review ... I have added more keywords to the search and when Google download again hopefully searching will be easier.

Cheers

[Mountain Goat]

Steve, welcome - great site!

Straightforward, concise, attractive.

A few possible typos (feel a fraud here, as haven't published our site yet):

Features Directions page
2nd para. - overspill (not ovespill)

1st para. - space after Extra

Prob. on both Features/Directions and Rates/Amenities
Grocers' apostrophe on 'its neighbouring....'

Maybe a few more acute accents - St Héray, Ile de Ré ?

You could maybe nudge Holiday Lettings into an acute accent or two as well (at least on the page title).

Not sure if accents are ignored or important with Google.

Good luck!

Goat

[la vache!]

Hi Steve,
your place looks very nice from the outside, but I'm afraid that I found it too verbose, the information a little unordered and it didn't have the essential information that I would want, or enough photos for me to want to book. You say that the accommodation sleeps 14, but it is quite important to say the number of bedrooms too. 14 in 7 bedrooms or 14 in 4 bedrooms??? You need photos of the inside of the house as well as the outside. I would be inclined to have more pages on the overall site to make the different information clearer. Area, directions, rates & availability, accommodation, something like that. You really need a summary of all the essential info on the homepage, plus a selection of your best photos (including one of the pool preferably as that is always a big pull for people).
It's a good start though!

[gh]

Hi Steve,

Welcome from a fellow owner in Deux Sevres, dont feel qualified to offer my opinion, more will follow i'm sure.

Agree that more pictures would be nice to see from a renters point of view. Wish you good bookings for 2007.

[Mme Charlotte]

Hi Steve,

Good start on the site - I can't make this a long reply as broken wrist issues still restrict typing etc, but one quick suggestion - why not use the holiday lettings calendar option without all their site blurb down the side - it looks so much neater.

I think they call it the 'white label' calendar or something - anyway its just as simple to use that version as the normal version - see the example by clicking through the 'view availability' link on my own site: http://www.gites-en-france.info/index.p ... dation&a=0

proper reply to follow.... (plus tard!)

[Big Sis..]

Hi Steve I think your site looks great,
The only thing that put me off a bit were the bedroom photos.
The rest of the house looked luxurious but the bedrooms a bit sparse,
Maybe some different throws a few pictures[neednt cost much].
The fans one on a table,[not the prettiest of things].do they really need to be shown,or are you letting people know that there is a problem with air flow and electric fans are the only option.
Maybe somes vases of flowers,table lamps, a wicker bedroom chair, just a bit more dressing.

More photos would also be good.

Everything else looks great.

Hope you do well for 2007

[Steve]

Thank you to everybody! All positive comments ... and all taken on board! Will do what I can when I can, but will address the spelling mistakes first of all, can't think HOW I missed them.

Thanks again.

Steve

[Steve]

Tried again -- same format, but moved the text around (and edited it) as I agree it was a bit all over the place. Put some more pics of the inside on, but need to take some more with my digital as they were scanned in and are a bit grainy. Had to return briefly to the UK as my son has just made me a granddad and I had to go and see what he had done ... but will take some more pics on my return to Bagnault and will post them up to my site soonest.

Thank you all for your comments .. and for your email Ros!

Will check out the calendar.

Steve

[Partridge]

Hi Steve

Only thing to add to other comments is about the photos really. The outside ones and pool look lovely but the inside ones seem a bit cold, need a bright sunny day to take some more.

[Sallys Chateau]

Hi Steve, I'm in the middle of agonizing over my own one page website and like you would very much appreciate comments, I'm no pro and all text and photographs have been put together by myself. Just one comment, the outside looks rather cold as does the pool, maybe a couple of shots in the full sun ? Lots of luck. Oh,and I've just struggled to put the text in French and Spanish so if you speak another language say so !