Yet another website review 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.
wingman
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:51 am
Location: Alpes de Haute Provence
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Yet another website review please..

Post by wingman »

Dear All,

I have set up our website (www.chateaudemeouilles.com) for our chateau in Provence. Photos are not yet perfect as the pool will be finished when it stops snowing..., but all your critiques would be most welcome.

Thanks
Bertrand and Marguerite Masson
www.chateaudemeouilles.com
Paul Carmel
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Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:25 pm
Location: Palma Mallorca & Greece
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Post by Paul Carmel »

Unless I am totally blind you don't publish any prices. If you do it will save you a lot of legwork with timewasters.

Overall nice site.
Cheers
PC
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Chalky
Posts: 128
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:31 pm
Location: La Duquesa, Costa del Sol
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Post by Chalky »

Wow,

I hardly feel worthy to critique so grand a residence, but here goes. :wink:

Generally I think it's an attractive site. However, I found your toffee-coloured background on the home page too overwhelming. Using the smaller amount of it on the subsequent pages is acceptable, but you need to re-think the first page.

There's something wrong with the line spacing on each of your text panels, which mars the overall effect.

Personally I don't like the changing navigation buttons, and the fact that there's no easy way back to the "Accommodation" page from the individual apartment pages. If a potential guest wants to evaluate each property, they should be able to navigate easily between them.

I don't believe it is necessary to give detailed instructions on how to reach the property. This is better done in writing to a guest when you know they have confirmed and paid for their visit. The map on the "Directions" page is sufficient for browsers.

Finally. I'm not sure I would include the "Pool" page until it's ready, and, as Paul says, some prices would be useful.
Chalky

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A-two
Posts: 2091
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:05 am
Location: USA

Post by A-two »

I found the rates page, but it wasn't easy. The problem is the navigation, specifically the top menu bar, which is jumping around all over the place from page to page. It ought to be consistent from page to page. You're never quite sure where you are on the site.

Personally, I don't mind the photo of the empty pool, it's OK because you explain clearly that it's under construction and there's something appealing about knowing it's going to be brand new for me when I arrive, but that's just me. Alternatively, you could ask a Photoshop artist to add the water and say it's open from May 2006.

Also, I don't mind the toffee colored home page. It may not be my personal choice, but if you like it, keep it. The navigation issue is more important. Lovely place and good photos.

It was just a quick look, which I do deliberately when reviewing websites because I think first impression is most important.

My 2 cents.
Waves from America
wingman
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:51 am
Location: Alpes de Haute Provence
Contact:

Post by wingman »

Thanks for all these comments. I will review the navigation bars and make them consistent.
Now, for the rates pages, as the rates are above average (your opinion?), we 'force' our visitors to navigate through the description and photos of the gites before showing them the rates. It's a bit like the IKEA syndrome where IKEA forces you through there whole shop before reaching the cash registers! It was our idea to put the rates pages link on the page where there is the description (and photos), as if we were to put it on the main page, visitors of the site would exit at that point.

We have invested (small amount like 8USD/mo) in a web tracking software (its called www.web-stat.com - they have a free trial) that shows you the navigation of each visitor. It's really good, and enables you to see how people navigate for instance prior to an enquiry.
Bertrand and Marguerite Masson
www.chateaudemeouilles.com
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Chalky
Posts: 128
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:31 pm
Location: La Duquesa, Costa del Sol
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Post by Chalky »

We have invested (small amount like 8USD/mo) in a web tracking software (its called www.web-stat.com - they have a free trial) that shows you the navigation of each visitor. It's really good, and enables you to see how people navigate for instance prior to an enquiry.
You can get that information for free at www.statcounter.com
Chalky

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mpprh
Posts: 873
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:07 am
Location: Languedoc, France
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Post by mpprh »

You must be doing something right : google give you a page rank of 4 which is high for a small, new site.

Not sure how they use it, so it may not be worth much !

You could help the robots by putting alt text behind the header image. Otherwise your key words and title "Luxury Holiday Accommodation in Provence" do not appear in the index page content. Even better to massage it and other keywords into the text lower down as well.

Peter
The Languedoc Page
www.the-languedoc-page.com
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wingman
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Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:51 am
Location: Alpes de Haute Provence
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Post by wingman »

Thanks for the tip, I will add this feature. If you type in "Luxury Holiday Accommodation in Provence", we appear on the fourth page :oops: we want to do better. Now try typing in the French keywords: "gites de luxe", we are number 1! (try clicking on "I'm feeling lucky" - you will end up on our French pages).
Bertrand and Marguerite Masson
www.chateaudemeouilles.com
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