Website that does everything wrong for review!

[fibi]

I've been reviewing websites for a few months now and learned such a lot through the process. After doing the reviews I have surmised that my site breaks most of the rules, too much text, photos not big enough, confusing list of "extras" and so on. So one day I set myself down to rewrite it then I realised that if the site brings me in the bookings does it really need to follow the rules, I don't know please tell me!

Also when people email me to book they frequently tell me that they love my website is the customer always right or not - please let me know!

Now courage to click that submit button, oh failed again, here goes...

[alifrank1]

I have surmised that my site breaks most of the rules ...... if the site brings me in the bookings does it really need to follow the rules ...... also when people email me to book they frequently tell me that they love my website is the customer always right or not

fibi, I think you've answered your own questions. I think you have a great website and very inviting.

I won't review websites because I'm not techie enough, I either like them or I don't, simple as that! If your customers are happy then you should be

[Sue Dyer]

I think this comes under the classic "if it ain't broke" catagory. I feel exactly the same as my bookings have been (touch wood and latest outbreak of foot and mouth allowing) fab.

I don't think I have a great google ranking yet other rental/business owners in the area ask how my site always comes top when they hunt for anything in the village.

[vrooje]

Well, if this site breaks the rules, I think it does so in a pleasing way.

The only thing I would suggest is related to your photos. I don't think they're necessarily too small, but some of them are displayed smaller than the actual size of the photo. So the jpeg files are larger than they need to be in pixel size and in file size. And in a few cases the display size is larger than the actual image size. Displaying a photo at a different size than its native size has the effect of making the image quality seem lower, because most browsers aren't nearly as good at re-sizing photos as your graphics/photo program probably is.

Example: the top right picture on your front page, of the deck and hot tub (looks very inviting, and I love those deck steps). The image is displayed at 225x168 pixel size, but if you right-click and view the image directly, it's actually 700x525 and 60 KB in size. Then, on the Cottages page, you have the same shot displayed at 550x412 pixels, but it references another copy of the photo that's only 448x336 pixels in size. It would probably be better to open up that 700x525 version on your computer and save two resized copies: one at 225x168 and the other at 550x412. Then display those on the Home and Cottages pages, and the files will not only take less time to download, but they'll look better.

I don't think this is a grave issue by any means; the photos show your property well and they're already well-optimized so that it doesn't take that much time to download the larger versions. But it would probably make all the pictures look just a little sharper if you made sure the display size is the same as the native file size.

The up side is that if these are the sorts of comments you're getting, you're doing really well!

[Big Sis..]

Feebs wrote

I have surmised that my site breaks most of the rules,

As a total untechy person[which lots of possible enquirers will be as well Im sure] It looks Great!!

then I realised that if the site brings me in the bookings

But not the MOST important rule of all by the look of it

[Overboard]

Is it Fibi, Feebs or Fibs?!

You have a lovely feel good site. Even the small pictures on your index page, which typically I would find too small, work very well as they have just enough blue sky or water to keep them bright and sharp. Your photos are interesting too, with lots to look at. The only issue I would have is whether people have the time to figure out all your extra costs, do they have to book the outdoor ahead, do they have to plan when they want to use the pool instead of impulsively? But hey, if its works, and if you're fully booked (which I think you mentioned in the past) then dont alter a thing.. except maybe bumping up the prices!

[fibi]

Thanks for the feedback, I really do agree overboard the extra costs are confusing - for me too I think I'll change it to cottage only price and cottage with spa access price on my prices table - this will work better.

Vrooje you are so right with the photos I will resize them.

A guest told me my site works so well because

it is so obviously unprofessional and hasn't been edited to within an inch of its life,

I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or complimented

[Garri]

After doing the reviews I have surmised that my site breaks most of the rules, too much text, photos not big enough, confusing list of "extras" and so on.

Unless you're Yugo Nakamura, don't even attempt to break the rules

I'm not a fan of the brownish/gold text on blue background. Although it's not the same thing, I always though that mini market chain called Mace were barmy with their logo which was blue on silver background - unreadable!

Photos could do with captions - they may be obvious to you but we haven't been there before

Blurb is too dense, it doesn't draw you in. Try breaking it up with bold and descriptive headlines.

The tourist board badge should be under the nav items in my opinion and would give more balance. Besides, it detracts from the text above and the photos below - but maybe that's the point

[fibi]

Thanks Garri,

I wasn't deliberately breaking the "rules" I was just so naive I didn't know there was any, its only through this forum that I am learning what they are.

re photos do you mean captions under the photos or just when you scroll over - I thought I had did the scroll over ones but maybe I missed a couple

I'll move the tourist badge and break up the text - I have been meaning to do this for a time - sat down to do it many times....

[Garri]

I thought I had did the scroll over ones

You mean the Title attributes? There's none on any of them, least not in Firefox anyway.

The title attributes are good practice but you'd be relying on conveying that info to people who knew to mouse over in the first place.

Also, main headline is left justified but in my opinion, and to give balance, they would work better if they were centered.

And the sleeps and price info could be smaller on a separate line. One thing that is confusing is if they sleep 4/6 each, then why do you have 10 as the maximum when together?

Just some ideas.

[e-richard]

I thought I had did the scroll over ones

You mean the Title attributes? There's none on any of them, least not in Firefox anyway.

Permit me to really clarify this part of the discussion. It refers to a major flaw in IE (well its a flaw in my opinion anyway):

With images people tend to also add an ALT tag (alt="my Picture caption"). The ALT tag was originally introduced as an ALTernative to pictures in the old days when people had very slow lines and did not download images, so they would see the ALTernative text instead. Today its used for that and various other reasons not relevant to this discussion.

Later on there came the TITLE tag (title="my Picture description") which, on mouse over, will display the little yellow pop-up tooltip referred to above - IN ALL BROWSERS.

Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, allowed IE to let us become lazy and allows the ALT tag to do both jobs. So ALT will show up in IE, but not in any other browser - hence a lot of confusion.

Now, whether tooltip/pop-up/scroll over/mouse over/whatever you call them is sufficient or whether you need textual captions underneath your pictures on a website is a separate design issue that I have mixed feelings about. In other words, I don't know the answer

[Garri]

Now, whether tooltip/pop-up/scroll over/mouse over/whatever you call them is sufficient or whether you need textual captions underneath your pictures on a website is a separate design issue that I have mixed feelings about.

Mixed feelings here too but personally I dislike seeing sites which scatter photos with no context or meaning. Some stuff is obvious, yes, but a lot isn't. Some of them can be misleading, which may or may not be intentional

Many people, it seems, aren't thinking about design at all, just get them up there! Not only that but a lot of photos I'm seeing on my travels aren't even optimised correctly for the web!

The IE alt tag nonsense doesn't surprise me, MS spent a number of years ruining the web but thankfully the web is becoming what it was always meant to be: open!

[Fraise]

Fibi, I haven't read all the replies but I know what I like and I like your site ! It is full of information, which is what I personally like. You explain your extras which I believe is important ( OK, I'm no fan of extras but that's personal again). The fact that you care about your homes and your guests enjoyment comes through. I also think the UK market is different and I think you've got it right ! I would feel confident booking with you that I knew what I was getting

[fibi]

Good fraise - and thanks. I think that is all I'm after really. I did start to "name" all the photos but it was so clumsy looking that I gave up!

I'm actually not a fan of extras either I like paying a price and thats it however I get lots of people who just want accomodation - about half - and I think why should I ask them to subsidise the pool for others - to keep a pool heated to 30 degrees in Summer costs me £90 a week, in winter its heated to 35 and that costs £120 and the whole spa complex cost me £110k to put in so I would like a return! As soon as I get round to it I'll have a pool price and a no pool price and I think thats a fair compromise. The other extras I think are a fair cop to charge for.

e-richard and garri it all makes sense now - I had completed the alt text only which I'll now change when I get a round tuit - school holiday 4 kids.....need I say more...