Please review my very basic website

Get some feedback on your site or ad from other rental owners and techies. Also a library of online resources so you can make DIY improvements to your web presence.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

I haven't had a lot of time to look through the site, as I'm off to work soon, but I see you've used Promote my Place. If you need any assistance they have great support, and are very quick to respond. You dont really need any tech speak, if you can use Word you can use PMP. You are simply adding text to boxes, and uploading photos, no coding involved if you don't want any. There are widgets and add ons, but no need to complicate matters until you're familiar with it.
If you select the monthly calendar on PMP instead of the yearly one, I think it shows better.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Lovely place and nice website!

Just a query, you mention one of your amenities is horse riding on your home page, but then nothing else. Do you have horses? It reads as though you do :?:
JaneTwo
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 6:06 pm
Location: UK

Post by JaneTwo »

Hello! Clueless newbie warning: I don't really know what I'm talking about... But here are my first impressions anyway! (They say first impressions are the most important, so I'm concentrating on these.)

When I opened the website I was very impressed by the lovely big photo of a characterful old building. Very enticing! My thoughts were: lovely countryside setting; sunny (!); beautiful and interesting old building, which looks very well maintained. I'm struggling to find anything that could be improved. Perhaps it looks a little stark? Could you add some tubs with lavender or something to soften and add colour? (That's probably just a personal thing though.)

Having been wowed by the photo, I felt the text underneath didn't draw me in:

Welcome

Secluded Perigordian riverside watermill with wi-fi and private heated pool


I think you need (a) a friendlier 'voice' to welcome people to the website/your place, and (b) a more enticing description of what seems to be a lovely peaceful setting in beautiful countryside. Maybe you could rewrite the third paragraph and make this your opening text? I love your description here 'lost in rural France', which is very evocative. I would suggest something like:

Welcome to Moulin de Gros Puy, a characterful stone-built watermill lost in rural France. Relax and de-stress in the beautiful countryside of the Dordogne - there is no passing traffic at the watermill, and a pedestrian bridge at the front of the property leads to miles of walks through enchanting scenery.

Walk through woodland and along quiet lanes, find hidden lakes to paddle in [if this is the case!], and enjoy encounters with the local wildlife. [Maybe mention some specific wildlife here? I think your place would appeal to nature lovers.] Having worked up an appetite, call in at the village bakery, which is just 10 minutes' walk from the watermill, for delicious x, y and z.

The property itself combines the character of an 18th [? or whatever] Century watermill with modern comfort and luxury, with a newly fitted kitchen, wifi, and a private heated pool. It comfortably sleeps six people in three double bedrooms (a cot is also available).


I hope you don't mind my making these suggestions. (I am a copy editor and can't help myself!) I would also suggest that, after this introductory text, you break up the rest of the text on the home page with headings (e.g. 'The Area' and 'The Watermill'), to make it more reader-friendly.

I like the bulleted list at the bottom of the page - gives information at a glance. I wonder if you could add a map to tell people where you are? I also feel the photos on the right, while nice, aren't as enticing as the main photo at the top - but I know this is the kind of thing that evolves as you build your website. I keep changing the photos on mine (and they're still rubbish).

OK, last suggestion - maybe a photo of yourself and a little bit about you? I think a friendly face on the home page is a good idea. You have some lovely photos of your family (? I think?) elsewhere on the site - maybe use one of those?

Looks like such a lovely place! I am jealous!!!
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