We have stopped listing on some of our previously paid for sites and have relied this year mainly on our own website.
I dont know if its the time of year, or the economics but this last month the enquiries have died, hits to index page - fine, then they leave.
I have changed some pictures, and a new banner, I have added a wavy flag to french version line but would consider any other suggestions.
I would like my 'contact us' line to stand out more and have searched for an email button or telephone to add but cant find one,
Is the text too long ?
Need a little help please
I dont have internet access on my mobile - how much can you see on the phone screen ?
is the header text visible ?
ie - bed breakfast loire valley sancerre etc ? because they are some of my most important keywords ?
I dont really have trouble converting enquiries, just visits dont seem to go anywhere else anymore - can I tell that they are coming from a mobile ?
is the header text visible ?
ie - bed breakfast loire valley sancerre etc ? because they are some of my most important keywords ?
I dont really have trouble converting enquiries, just visits dont seem to go anywhere else anymore - can I tell that they are coming from a mobile ?
Hi Pete
The 'mobile' was just an analogy. Possibly a bit too extreme. But meaning to reduce text by more than 1/2 say.
Google Analytics http://www.google.com/analytics/ will show the statistics of your visitors and will also include if they are using a mobile phone
Check your Bounce Rate in Google Analytics. You should aim to have it less than 30%
Your contact information is not obvious.
It should be shouting - it should repeatedly be almost the first thing they see on every page - either on the header or footer.
Imagine a newspaper ad, even a 1/2 page ad, have your home page mimic that.
The 'mobile' was just an analogy. Possibly a bit too extreme. But meaning to reduce text by more than 1/2 say.
Google Analytics http://www.google.com/analytics/ will show the statistics of your visitors and will also include if they are using a mobile phone
Check your Bounce Rate in Google Analytics. You should aim to have it less than 30%
Your contact information is not obvious.
It should be shouting - it should repeatedly be almost the first thing they see on every page - either on the header or footer.
Imagine a newspaper ad, even a 1/2 page ad, have your home page mimic that.
Hi Pete and Mrs PeteIs the text too long ?
I agree with HenryG but with a heavy heart. Your site (like Margaret’s) is a labour of love, rich with so much fascinating information that it seems churlish to be critical. The difference is that Margaret is angling for long-term visitors to a lesser-known area and argues (successfully in my book) that such encyclopaedic information is a cornerstone of her successful operation. You – I’m guessing here – are mostly catering for over-nighters and short-termers rather than two-weekers. So much of your information is likely to be superfluous and its density may get in the way of people in transit (Henry’s mobile analogy is very clever).
When we had our B+B in England, we stressed those things that mattered to people in transit. Price, how to find us easily, secure off-road parking, distance to continental transport links, local eating places (especially late at night), possibility of arriving at odd hours, no problem with breakfast at the crack of dawn – the boring but vital stuff that matters to people on the move. The features of our lovely Georgian farmhouse and our region’s many attractions were muted by comparison.
Maybe add a summary page where people in a hurry can get the salient facts? Those planning to explore the Loire region can settle down comfortably with your comprehensive information over a glass or two (how I wish that I could have stumbled across somewhere as lovely as Le Grand Coudray when I was jogging about for work, staying in endless grim and dreary B+Bs).
Jim
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kendalcottages
- Posts: 2474
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:08 am
- Location: Kendal, between the Lake District and the Dales
- Contact:
http://www.testiphone.com/ will allow you to see what your site looks like on iPhone.pete wrote:I dont have internet access on my mobile - how much can you see on the phone screen ?
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
Thank you all,
I have made some changes this morning, hopefully you could have a look and see if you think its better,
I have a bounce rate of 42% but I think that the last 60 hits are from LMH so that would take me under 30% so I may have to live with that.
I have tried to make the first 2 paragraphs say all that a stopover guest would need, and I have added a very tacky email gif to the contact line to see if that helps, as my site is just html I cant have a top menu - certainly not until the winter anyway.
We do have quite a lot of longer stayers, 2+ nights and upto 10 days this year, I was trying to fill the gaps I guess, so I dont want to shorten the text too much but hopefully longer stayers will take the time to read more, ??
I am going to shorten the out and about menu and then go out in the sun,
I have made some changes this morning, hopefully you could have a look and see if you think its better,
I have a bounce rate of 42% but I think that the last 60 hits are from LMH so that would take me under 30% so I may have to live with that.
I have tried to make the first 2 paragraphs say all that a stopover guest would need, and I have added a very tacky email gif to the contact line to see if that helps, as my site is just html I cant have a top menu - certainly not until the winter anyway.
We do have quite a lot of longer stayers, 2+ nights and upto 10 days this year, I was trying to fill the gaps I guess, so I dont want to shorten the text too much but hopefully longer stayers will take the time to read more, ??
I am going to shorten the out and about menu and then go out in the sun,
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kendalcottages
- Posts: 2474
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:08 am
- Location: Kendal, between the Lake District and the Dales
- Contact:
Sometimes I think too much is read into bounce rates. I get the feeling that it's assumed that the higher your bounce rate, then the worse your site is, and I don't think that's necessarily true.
In fact, it could be the opposite. If, for instance, you are instantly giving people the information they require the moment they land on your site, then they don't need to surf on.
As a for instance, let's say someone representing a party of 6 people landed on our website. It just might be that they immediately see that it sleeps only 4, and realise it's not for them. Just because they've landed, and then immediately left, was that necessarily a bad thing? On the contrary, it means that the site did its job straight away, surely...
FWIW, we have an average bounce rate of 45.59%. I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
In fact, it could be the opposite. If, for instance, you are instantly giving people the information they require the moment they land on your site, then they don't need to surf on.
As a for instance, let's say someone representing a party of 6 people landed on our website. It just might be that they immediately see that it sleeps only 4, and realise it's not for them. Just because they've landed, and then immediately left, was that necessarily a bad thing? On the contrary, it means that the site did its job straight away, surely...
FWIW, we have an average bounce rate of 45.59%. I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
@kendalcottages
I believed that too. Surely, if a site is well planned with all the necessary info, the person would cease reading it and say pick up the phone or send an email.
But recently I came across a curious finding. I've volunteered to help with a Health Clinic. They had a very high Bounce rate of over 70%
I reduce the text to a 1/10th. I put all the contact information, address, everything most crucial on the home page. I was expecting the Bounce Rate to even increase further as a sure sign of effectiveness.
What seemed odd though, is that the Bounce Rate decreased to below 30%.
Now like an economist I can give wild theories (possibly way off mark) of why that became so:
My pseudo-analysis:
Before that site waffled so much information, that it began attracting truly non-ideal traffic. People seeking info wiki-style and then moving on. People from other far away countries (when the clinic is London based). People only seeking to steal a clipart. Wrong Google searches. Stuff like that.
But now that the site does not have so many information-anchors. The people that do find the site are more 'serious'
Even though the information is easily accessible on the very first page. It "appears" that even if a person has all the info they need, they will still click on other pages following some psychological behaviour of delightful "ownership".
Think this way - say you are given a brochure on your way out of a train station. You are about to chuck it away. But then in the cover page you see:
Circus du Soleil, London, Waterloo Theatre, 27th August, 8pm, Phone now 0123 456 789 for your free tickets only 100 left!
You feel happy, lucky, as you always wanted to see that.
In the 'delight' you can't help but reading the other pages also. A bit like when you buy a non-fiction book, or manual, you always browse through the back pages.
You will still read the other non-essential pages. In fact you will read it many many times over until you finally get home.
Transposing that example into a website scenario: Bounce Rates decreases.
Lastly, I am following a Fashion Designer friend of mine through Google Analytics. She has a wonderful blog, with many tutorials, articles, she has a huge traffic, but low conversions (ie people that end up being clients). Her bounce rate is over 75%. So my reasoning is - that she attracts more curious folks but less of the more serious potential clients.
I like your site, I think it is well planned, and in fact will use it as a guide template when I redesign my own.
30% is too extreme. Maybe a better figure is indeed 50%. Which will then feel a more optimal balance - the best of both worlds.
Your site has a blog, mine unfortunately doesn't. And blogs (it seems) do tend to inflate Bounce Rate. But still - blogs can be a nicer extra. Feeling more like instead of just picking up a 'flyer' or simpler 'brochure' you were handed a mini-booklet instead - to read to your hearts content .. until you finally arrive home.
I believed that too. Surely, if a site is well planned with all the necessary info, the person would cease reading it and say pick up the phone or send an email.
But recently I came across a curious finding. I've volunteered to help with a Health Clinic. They had a very high Bounce rate of over 70%
I reduce the text to a 1/10th. I put all the contact information, address, everything most crucial on the home page. I was expecting the Bounce Rate to even increase further as a sure sign of effectiveness.
What seemed odd though, is that the Bounce Rate decreased to below 30%.
Now like an economist I can give wild theories (possibly way off mark) of why that became so:
My pseudo-analysis:
Before that site waffled so much information, that it began attracting truly non-ideal traffic. People seeking info wiki-style and then moving on. People from other far away countries (when the clinic is London based). People only seeking to steal a clipart. Wrong Google searches. Stuff like that.
But now that the site does not have so many information-anchors. The people that do find the site are more 'serious'
Even though the information is easily accessible on the very first page. It "appears" that even if a person has all the info they need, they will still click on other pages following some psychological behaviour of delightful "ownership".
Think this way - say you are given a brochure on your way out of a train station. You are about to chuck it away. But then in the cover page you see:
Circus du Soleil, London, Waterloo Theatre, 27th August, 8pm, Phone now 0123 456 789 for your free tickets only 100 left!
You feel happy, lucky, as you always wanted to see that.
In the 'delight' you can't help but reading the other pages also. A bit like when you buy a non-fiction book, or manual, you always browse through the back pages.
You will still read the other non-essential pages. In fact you will read it many many times over until you finally get home.
Transposing that example into a website scenario: Bounce Rates decreases.
Lastly, I am following a Fashion Designer friend of mine through Google Analytics. She has a wonderful blog, with many tutorials, articles, she has a huge traffic, but low conversions (ie people that end up being clients). Her bounce rate is over 75%. So my reasoning is - that she attracts more curious folks but less of the more serious potential clients.
I like your site, I think it is well planned, and in fact will use it as a guide template when I redesign my own.
30% is too extreme. Maybe a better figure is indeed 50%. Which will then feel a more optimal balance - the best of both worlds.
Your site has a blog, mine unfortunately doesn't. And blogs (it seems) do tend to inflate Bounce Rate. But still - blogs can be a nicer extra. Feeling more like instead of just picking up a 'flyer' or simpler 'brochure' you were handed a mini-booklet instead - to read to your hearts content .. until you finally arrive home.
Well, I went to the French version. I clicked on 'comment nous trouver' and the directions only appeared in English!
It also doesn't tell me (or I can't find it, same thing in effect!) if my dog is welcome, so thumbs down there
I think simply that the house details should be on the LEFT or across the top, activities and the area less prominent
It also doesn't tell me (or I can't find it, same thing in effect!) if my dog is welcome, so thumbs down there
I think simply that the house details should be on the LEFT or across the top, activities and the area less prominent
From a quick 10 min glance:
On the French version the links to the left of this page go to English version of the attritions.
http://www.grandcoudray.org/
The above does not have any Robot text or sitemap.xml files.
There seems to be some HTML errors too.
http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1 ... ray.org%2F
This page has some English in it.
http://www.grandcoudray.org/prices.html
The English version does not have any robot text or sitemap.xml files either.
I am also a bit confused by this pricing “Single bed and/or king size double bed for 2 persons 60 euros 3 persons 80 euros·” Is that 60€ for one person or 2 persons?
From this quick glance the rest seems to work ok with the Google ranking, etc. I can't understand why it is not working .
On the French version the links to the left of this page go to English version of the attritions.
http://www.grandcoudray.org/
The above does not have any Robot text or sitemap.xml files.
There seems to be some HTML errors too.
http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1 ... ray.org%2F
This page has some English in it.
http://www.grandcoudray.org/prices.html
The English version does not have any robot text or sitemap.xml files either.
I am also a bit confused by this pricing “Single bed and/or king size double bed for 2 persons 60 euros 3 persons 80 euros·” Is that 60€ for one person or 2 persons?
From this quick glance the rest seems to work ok with the Google ranking, etc. I can't understand why it is not working .
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
Have you thought about having a call to action on each page rather than relying on your contact page.
There is plenty of room when you scroll down.
Also you seem to be giving to many options.
What do you want people to do Phone landline? phone mobile? write? email?
I would suggest that as they are looking at your website they would use email.
So how about....
Make your reservation here. Have link to your booking form.
Any questions click here Link to your questions form.
You do not need to have the statement below as your form will not work without it.
There is plenty of room when you scroll down.
Also you seem to be giving to many options.
What do you want people to do Phone landline? phone mobile? write? email?
I would suggest that as they are looking at your website they would use email.
So how about....
Make your reservation here. Have link to your booking form.
Any questions click here Link to your questions form.
You do not need to have the statement below as your form will not work without it.
Please enter your email address, we cannot reply to this form request unless you do so.
thank you, all, I had made some changes to the english version but not thought about the french which was really very silly.
I have removed the english words for now, and I will change the links (thanks Ian, I had never noticed or had it pointed out before).
I have amended all the HTML errors that I can.
I have also (I hope) clarified the price in the blue room.
circe - thank you for your comments, we note the point about dogs but we choose not to mention them on our website.
At the moment I cant put a menu line along the top of my website, I may never be able to unless I change server -
There has been a lot of discussion before on whether to put the main navigation menus on the left or the right - mouse across screen etc,
Colin, I had a typical example of the email address missing last night, they put their name in the email box so I could not reply, much as I dont like 'telling' on the website we probably lost the booking because they didnt fill it in.
many thanks all
I have removed the english words for now, and I will change the links (thanks Ian, I had never noticed or had it pointed out before).
I have amended all the HTML errors that I can.
I have also (I hope) clarified the price in the blue room.
circe - thank you for your comments, we note the point about dogs but we choose not to mention them on our website.
At the moment I cant put a menu line along the top of my website, I may never be able to unless I change server -
There has been a lot of discussion before on whether to put the main navigation menus on the left or the right - mouse across screen etc,
Colin, I had a typical example of the email address missing last night, they put their name in the email box so I could not reply, much as I dont like 'telling' on the website we probably lost the booking because they didnt fill it in.
many thanks all
Don't worry about losing the booking Pete there will always be another along.
People often write their email address wrong, nothing I can do so I just concentrate on the genuine ones.
Are you collecting emails for marketing data base?
Also have you considered a voucher, have heard that this is good for goggle ranking (which I see you 3, well done that's one more than me) plus prospects will soon contact you again if they fail to get it.
People often write their email address wrong, nothing I can do so I just concentrate on the genuine ones.
Are you collecting emails for marketing data base?
Also have you considered a voucher, have heard that this is good for goggle ranking (which I see you 3, well done that's one more than me) plus prospects will soon contact you again if they fail to get it.