Opinions on my website revamp please.

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
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Post by Hells Bells »

Paolo, I shall put one on the list of things to be retaken. The previous one had a broken fence, and a very overgrown garden. I think I do have a winter one though.
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Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

BEFORE: AFTER:
Couldn't agree more Richard; white borders are simple but so effective. Liked a framed print in a window mount, it just looks properly finished.

Jim
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Some more photo work on it's way this evening. I've found a shot of the view from the lounge. I am going to see what I can do with the snow shot too.
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Post by Hells Bells »

OK, my first attempt at the snow shot Image
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Post by Hells Bells »

Image

View from the terrace in winter.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

And how do I get those nice borders?
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Normandy Cow
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Post by Normandy Cow »

HelenB wrote:No-one with anything to say?
Sorry Helen - I didn't realise it was a new thread, and that it was you asking the question. I've got a bit fed up recently with giving feedback on websites to all the new people who we never hear from again, and also I am very busy at the mo so don't have much time.
I think it looks great - I can't remember exactly what your old website was like, and I can't add anything much to what's already been said.
Just one minor observation. When I clicked on Prices, it includes the text "Winter 2010/2011 from 700EUR per week" and I thought "Wow! That's good value!". So I was disappointed when I then clicked on the further "view prices" link and it stated that the actual price for the peak winter season is 1,150EUR. I think it would be better if you said on your initial prices page that the cost is "700-1,150 per week".
Just my opinion, but I would find it annoying and slightly deceptive that you only mention the lower price.
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Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

Knock out a little green (by adding magenta) and slightly bump up the contrast?

Jim

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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

Helen - its a lovely site - I like the revolving snowflake, a little bit of interest without being distracting!

The only thing I noticed were a few extra spaces within the text where they shouldn't be, if you follow me. I first noticed it on your shops and restaurants page, but then saw some elsewhere, so when you are bored with nothing to do (you wish :lol: ), have a check over. That is assuming you can manually change it and it's not the software messing it up?
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Thanks Deb, I can do something about that. My proof reader (hubby) did insist I had some places where spaces are missing, but he has obviously missed the double spaces.
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Don Ciccio
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Post by Don Ciccio »

Helen, I really like your site. It's neat anc compact yet contains a lot of information via the navigation on the left.

Is it flash or a mixture of that and CSS? Its way beyond my primitive HTML knowledge, but I like that you have links to pricing and availability on every page (we used to, but its hard now we have two or three props on the site).

Anyway, regarding the pictures, i'm with you and a few of the others on the colour casting, as a couple of the altered images look like 1970s colour postcard pictures now whitht the saturation bumped up. Snow and sand present great problems but it seems that people are helping you resolve it.

As for the other shots - with the internal ones, is there anyway to increase the degree of natural lighting when you take them?

The externals I love, but the internals I dont think are doing you justice, unless you are trying to emphasise that the inside is cosy and lit for romantic meals? Have you heard of panoramic photo makers like Arc soft? You take a few shots and it stitches them together - which means you could do a three shot pan of the room, including the window and opposite wall and you'd have a more 'realistic' view of what the room links like?

I have one other constructive comment and that is that on the long pages, have you thought about providing a 'return to top' page anchor to take people back to the top menu rather than have to scroll back up manually?

All in all though, very impressed with your site. Well done.

DC
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

A page anchor would be good, but it's a template website so I can't add one . The price and availability buttons are simply gif images pasted into the page, and linked to my booking calendar.
I'm hoping to get some more interior shots with better lighting in a couple of weeks. Winter is a a better time to take them as it if often bright but we don't get too much direct sunlight in the room, but it is too far away to wait. I agree about that lounge shot being dark, and I've found a better one which I am going to try. I think we did it with the curtains closed because of the glare from the sun.
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Post by e-richard »

Helen, seems that you did not get an answer to the "how to do a white border".

If you can access the html and css (optimal method):

Add this to the CSS
.whiteborder {border: 1px solid; color:#FFF; }
Then in each picture img tag add this red bit:
<img src="images/picture1.jpg" class="whiteborder">
If all that is too complicated, but you can edit the pictures themselves in something like Photoshop/PaintShop etc, here is a little trick. Bit more tedious, but the net result is the same.

1. Create a new blank image exactly 2 pixels wider and 2 pixels higher and with a white background.
2. Copy your existing picture and paste it on top of this new image and centre it horizontally and vertically. (In PaintShop for example, the paste will do this centering automatically for you).
3. Save as new picture and use that one.

I'm sure it will be worth it :D
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Thanks Richard, jobs for a rainy day I think. I'm still toying with the idea of replacing the whole site at some stage. It's been there for over 5 years, so is due a replacement soon.
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Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

Helen, seems that you did not get an answer to the "how to do a white border".
Another method in photoshop:

Open picture.
Select - All (puts flashing border round your picture).
Edit - Stroke
Choose colour, width and density (opacity) of border.
Choose 'inside' - OK
Select - Deselect (removes flashing border).
Done.

Jim
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