Quite right Aaron, there are outside factors too.
Another one is if a site has got good brand recognition amongst internet users but is lagging in the search engines - people may not bother with a search, they could just go to that site first and see what they have available (which is what I tend to do). Sites that are the online presence of a printed brochure will benefit from this too.
But you can't really measure these factors, so it is hard to judge a site if not through search engine ranking.
Free trial listings for Jan/Feb
I mentioned this because our rental listing site does moderately well on the search engines but isn't always up there at the top. That aside, it is extensively linked to from other sites of our's that do consistently do really well on the SEs. Ergo... the site in question often exceeds people's initial expectations. 
Aaron
Aaron
From a rental company prospective has anyone invited French Connections to the forum, or contacted them with owners concerns about customer care?
If this was me I would certainly be worried that owners have had a bad experience, and would rather be aware of these problems so you can attempt to put them right.
With regard to free advertising - ask yourself. Would lastminute.com or a newspaper offer a free trial to advertise?
For some reason owners expect holiday rental companies to offer free advertising, for most businesses it is simply not cost effective to advertise for free, but most companies do it to prove to owners that they can bring them enquiries.
The best way to monitor the effectiveness of a website is to visit Google and search like you are a holidaymaker, then when on the website, do the same again, could you find a property like yours easily?
Contact a few of the owners on the website and see what they think about the services the company offers.
Darren
If this was me I would certainly be worried that owners have had a bad experience, and would rather be aware of these problems so you can attempt to put them right.
With regard to free advertising - ask yourself. Would lastminute.com or a newspaper offer a free trial to advertise?
For some reason owners expect holiday rental companies to offer free advertising, for most businesses it is simply not cost effective to advertise for free, but most companies do it to prove to owners that they can bring them enquiries.
The best way to monitor the effectiveness of a website is to visit Google and search like you are a holidaymaker, then when on the website, do the same again, could you find a property like yours easily?
Contact a few of the owners on the website and see what they think about the services the company offers.
Darren
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Darren,
As someone who advertises through French Connections I have sent them a copy of some of posted criticisms. I don’t know whether or not they have taken any notice because I haven’t had a reply. OK, some may say that is “par for the course�.
In support of French Connections, I must say that they generate a good level of real enquiries and that is, after all, the reason for their existence. I have not invited them to become members of the Forum - do you think they would?
I’m not sure I go along with this idea of having a free trial. After all, do you get a free trial meal at a restaurant or a free trial room at a hotel? How many owners offer a free trial week to holidaymakers?
In the same way, I question the whole approach of people expecting a discount whenever they are buying something. I wonder how many of them readily give discounts in whatever they do to earn an income. I offer a “fidélité� discount to people who have stayed here previously but not otherwise.
To be brutally honest, if price is the over-riding criteria then I would rather not have the business.
Alan
As someone who advertises through French Connections I have sent them a copy of some of posted criticisms. I don’t know whether or not they have taken any notice because I haven’t had a reply. OK, some may say that is “par for the course�.
In support of French Connections, I must say that they generate a good level of real enquiries and that is, after all, the reason for their existence. I have not invited them to become members of the Forum - do you think they would?
I’m not sure I go along with this idea of having a free trial. After all, do you get a free trial meal at a restaurant or a free trial room at a hotel? How many owners offer a free trial week to holidaymakers?
In the same way, I question the whole approach of people expecting a discount whenever they are buying something. I wonder how many of them readily give discounts in whatever they do to earn an income. I offer a “fidélité� discount to people who have stayed here previously but not otherwise.
To be brutally honest, if price is the over-riding criteria then I would rather not have the business.
Alan
Alan,
The reason I am vexed by French Connections's level of service is because they DO give me a decent amount of enquiries.
If their level of enquiries matched their service (in my experience) I would just happily discard them.
But they are a successful site, and they must have a significant turnover from their several thousand advertisers. So why not invest in some customer service? And how about giving us a site where we can update our ads online, instead of having to pay for the slightest change?
I also wonder how many enquiries there would be if they offered an availability calendar like all the other sites I use.
I hope someone from there does come on the forum and take some questions from us.
The reason I am vexed by French Connections's level of service is because they DO give me a decent amount of enquiries.
If their level of enquiries matched their service (in my experience) I would just happily discard them.
But they are a successful site, and they must have a significant turnover from their several thousand advertisers. So why not invest in some customer service? And how about giving us a site where we can update our ads online, instead of having to pay for the slightest change?
I also wonder how many enquiries there would be if they offered an availability calendar like all the other sites I use.
I hope someone from there does come on the forum and take some questions from us.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Paolo,
I think that you and I regard French Connections in exactly the same light.
1. I understand they are proposing to enhance the site so that the owner can make editorial changes. They should because many other sites do.
2. I have never been asked for an additional fee for making changes. Changes have always been done free of charge, and quite quickly.
3. The site include an availability calendar during “the season�. I simply do not understand. If it is possible, which it is as we all know, why is it not there all the time?
If you like, I will contact my local representatives and suggest that they join and make contributions to the Forum. Perhaps all members should? The contact e-mail address I use is info@vacancesfrance.com and the contacts are Susan & Duncan Erskine - I promise you, they are nice people..
Alan
I think that you and I regard French Connections in exactly the same light.
1. I understand they are proposing to enhance the site so that the owner can make editorial changes. They should because many other sites do.
2. I have never been asked for an additional fee for making changes. Changes have always been done free of charge, and quite quickly.
3. The site include an availability calendar during “the season�. I simply do not understand. If it is possible, which it is as we all know, why is it not there all the time?
If you like, I will contact my local representatives and suggest that they join and make contributions to the Forum. Perhaps all members should? The contact e-mail address I use is info@vacancesfrance.com and the contacts are Susan & Duncan Erskine - I promise you, they are nice people..
Alan
Hi Alan,
I haven't been told about an availability calendar on French Connections, and they've charged me for making any changes except at renewal time. Perhaps vacancesfrance has a slightly different set-up.
Anyway, you can suggest to them they check out the mixed reviews here if you like. I don't mind if they want to address the problems raised. Obviously we don't want the forum to become a place for listing sites to promote themselves. French Connections are reputable, others less so.
I haven't been told about an availability calendar on French Connections, and they've charged me for making any changes except at renewal time. Perhaps vacancesfrance has a slightly different set-up.
Anyway, you can suggest to them they check out the mixed reviews here if you like. I don't mind if they want to address the problems raised. Obviously we don't want the forum to become a place for listing sites to promote themselves. French Connections are reputable, others less so.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Paolo,
French Connections and Vacances France are pretty much the same thing only one is in English and the other is in French. Preparing both sites and doing the translation was included in the annual fee.
French Connections have a feature called “Late Availability�. It’s not a true availability calendar but it is as close as they get to having one. Also, it’s only available from May to September. Apparently, there are plans to incorporate full availability calendars (for 2005?).
I have today e-mailed my contacts at the company letting them know that they are coming in for some criticism on the Forum. A have suggested that they might join the Forum and answer their critics or at least view the Forum and take notice of what is being said. I can do no more.
Alan
French Connections and Vacances France are pretty much the same thing only one is in English and the other is in French. Preparing both sites and doing the translation was included in the annual fee.
French Connections have a feature called “Late Availability�. It’s not a true availability calendar but it is as close as they get to having one. Also, it’s only available from May to September. Apparently, there are plans to incorporate full availability calendars (for 2005?).
I have today e-mailed my contacts at the company letting them know that they are coming in for some criticism on the Forum. A have suggested that they might join the Forum and answer their critics or at least view the Forum and take notice of what is being said. I can do no more.
Alan
I chose my two paid advertising sites by searching for relevant keywords on Google, and on the basis of a personal recommendation.
At the moment I am not planning to spend any more money on advertising until the summer at the earliest, so any site that wants my money would have to prove themselves to me first.
BungleBob, if the enquiries owners received resulted in even just 1 booking, I am sure they would renew with you at full cost, as the rental income for 1 week normally far outweighs the cost of a year's advertising (I don't know if that's the case with your site, but most of them charge between £75 and £125 a year), and bookings are gold dust.
I'd say it's therefore a fair bet the enquiries led to nothing in most cases. Does your site allow links to a personal website and/or availability calendar? I find these cut down greatly on time-wasting enquiries to owners, and therefore greatly increase the enquiry to booking ratio.
Be careful who you use terms like 'freeloaders' with! There are dozens, nay hundreds of sites out there that all want our money, we can't sign up to every one of them. Free trials are one way for owners to sort the scarce wheat from the huge piles of chaff.
cheers, Jim
At the moment I am not planning to spend any more money on advertising until the summer at the earliest, so any site that wants my money would have to prove themselves to me first.
BungleBob, if the enquiries owners received resulted in even just 1 booking, I am sure they would renew with you at full cost, as the rental income for 1 week normally far outweighs the cost of a year's advertising (I don't know if that's the case with your site, but most of them charge between £75 and £125 a year), and bookings are gold dust.
I'd say it's therefore a fair bet the enquiries led to nothing in most cases. Does your site allow links to a personal website and/or availability calendar? I find these cut down greatly on time-wasting enquiries to owners, and therefore greatly increase the enquiry to booking ratio.
Be careful who you use terms like 'freeloaders' with! There are dozens, nay hundreds of sites out there that all want our money, we can't sign up to every one of them. Free trials are one way for owners to sort the scarce wheat from the huge piles of chaff.
cheers, Jim
PS to Alan, hotels do have special offers, and newspapers do sometimes offer free advertising to private individuals, or two insertions for the price of one, for example. We've all tried new products at some time or another because of a '10% free' offer, or BOGOF. It's a numbers game, as in any business - if your product is any good, giving people discount or a free trial period will result in a percentage of conversions into long-term / paying customers.
Jim
Jim