Bookings for 2006.. How's it going?

[Stu]

Good advice is to ask your web server for an analysis of your sites performance. I have one for my website and it tells me everything I need to know. From what part of the world people are viewing from, to which page is accessed the most. It's been absolutely invaluable for tweaking the site. Mine's called 'LiveStats'.

Theresa, don't worry. Like others have said, there's loads of time yet for folk to be booking holidays. Think of any angle you can to hook the punters. Include as much info about your local area as you can on the website, make people want to come see you. We're doing great at the moment. Have 18 weeks booked in the 2 gites, while the campsite's stuffed to capacity for July & August.

Sounds stupid, I know, but you say you can't afford a pool. Have you considered a loan from the banks? French interest rates are very small compared with the UK etc. What about a small mortgage? We're contemplating exactly that to fund ours this spring!

Bon Chance!

[Teresa]

Hi Stu & Syb, I approached my bank last year when I ran out cash to see what they could do for me, a loan, mortgage or at least a reasonable overdraft facility and was told in no uncertain terms that as I was self employed it was no go. If they can't see evidence of a regular income, they weren't prepared to risk their money - not even using the property as colateral. Luckily in the end a friend bailed me out and the bookings started to roll in. My UK bank has given me a £2,600 overdraft facility even though I don't live there, while the French bank's most generous overdraft offer was €300. I didn't bother looking elsewhere after that.

[Highams Park Harry]

been told over and over that the French view debt with horror and banks and institutions will want your house and your children before they'll lend you ten euros to be repaid by 5pm that day

as for bookings, slow like death

shifted three bookings for four weeks early on and nada since then

only our first full year and it's a big place, perhaps

have someone intersted in seven/eight months over the close making an inspection next month, fingers crossed on that one, and some, and yes, they're kosher

[Alan Knighting]

OK, the French Banks might not be of much help but have you for instance tried?

For a loan – Barclays, UCB.

A broker – “Make it Easy� Consulting, Mortgage France.

Advice – Blevin Franks International, Siddalls International.

Alan

[DivineMrsM]

Who else are you listed with Teresa? Are you on the free listing sites and have you taken advantage of the free introductory periods on others? I put a couple of days effort into doing that about 18mths ago and I think it made a real difference .

[Teresa]

I think more a case of who I'm not listed with, I spent December going through the freeby and intro offers list here and as well as the usual suspects: Holiday Accommodation in France, Holiday lets, Apartments Direct, Visit France, Renting Abroad, Maison Europe, Second Casa, Lodging world, Virgo travel, France for Holidays, Click 4 Holiday homes, Perfect Places, Holiday Rentals, Late Getaway, Quality Properties to rent in France,Resagite, Gitelink, France for you, Holiday Havens, I'm also with: arrange your vacation, World Vacation Rentals, A1 Vacation Properties, Gite-holidays-in-France, PrivateVilla,4Holidayrentals, for France, adsite, weblodgings, melonholidays,free-rentals, glo-con, tiptop Villas, ukclassifieds, Admart, freeads, rentahomeabroad, gulivers, holidaylease, allrural, freeadvertisingexchange, ovrentals,Gabinohomes, self-catering-breaks, rent-holiday-homes, holiday-rentals-world & rent-a-holiday-home-in-France. 46! Is that a record?
I have to say that some have been utterly useless since last year and I certainly won't be renewing with them but they just keep extending.

[DivineMrsM]

Ah. You have indeed been busy....

Like others have said, I'm sure it will pick up soon.

[Fraise]

46!!!!!!!!Wow-that possibly is a record. I'm only on a handfull

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[Clexane]

Teresa,

I find the best site for french are Abritel. It is also quite cheap. Your rates will also appeal to french who want a quick get away. You may also want to consider Gite de France - they do really well for many of the smaller accomodations around us anyway. At least tis gives you a new audience to the one that you have targeted with your current list of sites.

With regard to the English the best we find is H-R. It is very expensive but worth the cost. Given your location I think it would work well for you.

I am usually a fan of more pictures and less words but I think your home page needs a paragraph of what your gites offer.

Your renovation page sends the wrong message - I didn't read it (as most wont) but did get the message (rightly or wrongly) that the Gites are not finished and under construction - so I probably wouldn't go - which I am sure is not the intended message.

In the area I think it will help to break it down into sections to things people would want to do there - and it makes it easier to read - the titles will be critical as most will only read this until they have go closer to deciding to go.

In your getting here break this down as well - by car, by plane or perhaps from the UK, from Paris.

Hope this helps

[mitsi]

This is only are second season, so difficult to say how it's going. We seem to be getting enquiries but not converting them. At the moment we have 5 weeks of bookings, compared to 2 this time last year, but I had hoped things might have picked up a little, especially May/June where we've had no enquiries. It's the best time to visit in my opinion.
I haven't checked to see if there is a posting concerning NTL and Tesco e-mail addresses. We've found that Wanadoo doesn't send them for some reason, but you don't find out until a few days later. We lost at least 2 potential bookings that way so we have entered it on our website on the contacts page. We had a telephone booking as a result, so from now on when I can I will back any e-mail with a phone call as per your tip!

[Alan Knighting]

Mitsi,

I haven't checked to see if there is a posting concerning NTL and Tesco e-mail addresses. We've found that Wanadoo doesn't send them for some reason, but you don't find out until a few days later.

There are some postings about this but I can't remember where.

The problem is with NTLWorld, and some other ISP's, not accepting e-mails from Wanadoo.

No doubt you don't to change from your Wanadoo e-mail address at this stage. One way round it is to use Gmail. You can set it up to receive and send your e-mails without changing from Wanadoo and without NTLWorld rejecting them.

If you want me to arrange an invitation to Gmail just PM your e-mailaddress and it will be done. The setting up will be up to you but the help system is very good.

Alan

[mitsi]

Alan

I've found an alternative way round it as well. I now use PostCast, a free program off the web. Basically it means that your own PC acts as the mailbox directly, rather than go through the Wanadoo server. There is one wrinkle from time to time. Some ISPs won't accept mail from a floating IP address so you have to revert to the Wanadoo server (fortunately NTL isn't one of them). Seems to work fine though. Thanks for he info on Gmail.

Mitsi[/u]

[Alan Knighting]

Mitsi,

Happy to hear you have a way around it. My offer for Gmail stands if you want it. If anyone else wants an invitation to Gmail I still 90 available - just PM me with your e-mail address and it will be done.

A few days ago I got an "urgent" enquiry for the end of March. I sent a reply via Wanadoo and via Gmail in case the ISP was one of those blocking Wanadoo. What did I get in response? Absolutely nothing! Not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement.

Don’t worry about missing opportunities. In most cases you’re not getting people you wouldn’t want in the first place.

Alan

[de Orellana Plantagenet T]

Don’t worry about missing opportunities. In most cases you’re not getting people you wouldn’t want in the first place.

Agreed - there are time wasters out there and it can be very annoying when they do not get back to you. So far this has only happened to me once in the past 18 months.

Léone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudati-filius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache.

[DivineMrsM]

Léone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudati-filius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache.

OK - I have to ask. Where does the name come from...

EDIT:
OK - Google has helped me answer my own question:
"Captain Tollemache-Tollemache, with his eight [in fact there were 14 by two wives (RMG)] brothers and sisters was a victim of one of the most extraordinary nomenclature freaks ever perpetrated. His full name was Leone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudati Filius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache. He was a son of the Reverend Ralph Tollemache, who, for some reason which has never been made apparent, doubled his name, and, to judge by the extraordinary result achieved, went on adding to it."

Blimey...