new to business help

[roczy]

Hello every body I am new to here and new to this business so I would really appreciate your views on my website and how to market it the best way. I have not activated anything as yet so would also like to know what the best features to activate. Did get some friends out last year and they loved it. Please do not hold back on your criticism and your views in anything I can do to make it better. Thank you for your time.

[Wonkeye]

Hi roczy,

First impression: the first 6 lines of text on your home page, like your heading for this post (which is ambiguous in its present form), contain no commas or full stops, giving a slapdash impression. This also applies to your Local Info page. If I were you, I'd have it checked through by a friendly native English speaker! There are several spelling issues. ('fairy tail', 'devises' and 'Were possible' are all incorrect, and 'Dinning room' sounds like a very noisy room rather than somewhere you eat! 'single bedsand' sounds like a new texture of sand allowing one to snuggle up in it! And why write Szigetkoz with a small letter?).

So sorry to nitpick in an area you weren't expecting, but this is my particular area of expertise and these errors will no doubt be offputting to other people too!

This is only on a 5-minute read. Sorry, no time for more.

[DaveN]

Hi Roczy,
Welcome to LMH.

I think you might get more response to your questions if you re-post in the "Website Reviews" forum, but a few thoughts from me anyway...

In general, I think you need to decide what your target market is (e.g. couples, families, stag & hen, activity), and focus your descriptions on that market. At the moment the impression I get is that your villa is in a romantic spot, but set up with 12(?) single beds, and with childrens' / lads' facilities. I.e. it looks as though you're all things to all people, and probably not appealing as the best property to many of them. It's better to be the most appealing property to 20% of the market than the 2nd or 3rd most appealing to 80%, in my view, since nobody books the 2nd or 3rd most appealing!

In terms of specifics, I think you need to state the sleeping arrangements on the home page (e.g. ...beautiful Hungarian villa sleeping 12 in 2 bedrooms,...). The sleeping arrangements weren't clear to me as to whether you really have 12 single beds.
Finally, I don't think that your photos sell your villa. They show what you have got, but that's not the point, they are probably the single biggest asset for a web site, so need to be well lit, well composed, and inviting.

I think you have a great looking place, and what look like good rates. Are you advertised on any of the paid listing sites?

Good Luck
Dave

[kendalcottages]

Finally, I don't think that your photos sell your villa. They show what you have got, but that's not the point, they are probably the single biggest asset for a web site, so need to be well lit, well composed, and inviting.

This was my first reaction.

Apart from the picture of the games room which is lovely and clear and bright, most of the pictures are either dull, poorly lit, taken from strange vantage points or pixellated. Just a little more care and attention there, or possibly hiring a professional photographer if you can manage the expense, would probably make the world of difference IMHO.

[roczy]

Thank you for your advice and yes you have raised some very interesting points for me to consider and yes I do need to take some better photos, the bedding arrangement is partly my own fault because I did not know how to word it 12 single beds and two rooms sounds cramped but it is not as the rooms are very large. Also the beds can be secured to make a double bed making 2 double beds or 1 double 4 single beds per room. I would love to get into the stag and hen side but unfortunately the market is very aggressive and hard to get a foot hold onto, tried last year to no avail. So now I am trying to cast my net as wide as I can to get bookings for this year.
As for paid advertising I have not gone with anyone as yet, any recommendations?
I have been using ebay and Gumtree, ebay nothing, but Gumtree managed 4 bookings
May be I need another site were I can advertise just for groups and leave this one just as family and couples?
Thank you again for taking time out and your advise Jon

[DaveN]

Hi Jon,

I think you are very brave!
"I would love to get into the stag and hen side..."
I would be terrified of the potential for chaos and destruction!

As for paid listing sites, I think it's really a case of doing some research. What works well for one, won't for another.

viewtopic.php?t=257
Offers as good advice as I've seen anywhere, but again you have to think a bit about what (or who) your target market is, before you can decide which search terms to use.

Another way is to look at who is doing well in your area, and see who they list with.

[Nemo]

Agree re the photos, I think that should be a priority to get better ones.

The details page looks more like an estate agents description (selling a house I hope you understand?) rather than marketing a holiday let.

I know nothing about the area, but it looks as if it might be lovely. The outside of the villa is very pretty. However, who am "I" in terms of your guest? It appears as if the accommodation is basic (even if in reality it's not) and would only attract groups and not families. You only have two bedrooms but sleep six in each it appears? Certainly there is nothing there that would attract me to book a family holiday. Sorry!

If you want just the group market then fine but if you want familes then you must give them the descriptions and photos they need. Photos of double beds, the dining table laid ready for a meal and a tablecloth at least over what looks like a rather old marked plastic outdoor table. Give a factual description of each room, but personally I wouldn't include room sizes. How many people can be accommodated for lounge seating, dining etc. A good photo will show if the room is generous and people don't just book on space alone. The property has to invite them to want to stay and right now your website isn't doing that.

[Wonkeye]

I see you still have your 'dinning room'. Must be ever so noisy!! Also 'couple's' in ' king size beds for couple’s' shouldn't have an apostrophe. Sorry to nag.

[roczy]

Hi Wonkeye took the apostrophe out thank you, I also have had a professional photographer come yesterday and hope to be getting some nice pictures very soon also started getting bookings so things looking up. What do you suggest I call the dinning room? Thanks for nagging

[Jenny C]

It should be "dining room" - just one "n"!

[Giddy Goat]

... and what's a "caneo"???

Welcome to LMH roczy and may I just say that your English is pretty amazing, if it's your second language! However you do need a good native English speaker to proofread your site I think.

The property looks sweet from the outside and immaculate. I would agree with others that it would not stay that way long if you decided to attract stag nighters.

I look forward to seeing the new photos.

What is this room by the way?

[Annew]

Hi & welcome

I'd echo the comments about the photos and spelling.

Also the photo of your pool does make it look much larger than the size you specify in your details. It's really difficult to photograph a pool, but the last thing you want is someone complaining that it is smaller than it looks in the photo.

You may like to know that your site doesn't work terribly well in Safari or the latest Firefox - your gallery photos don't work well in either.

Very good luck with your venture and I would also avoid the hen/stag market in the area that you have your property!

[charles cawley]

I agree with the contributions above.

Photos are absolutely critical. I'm under pressure in the agency to buy an expensive camera and a low light lens to improve our efforts. The cost could come in at over $1500 US.

As little more than an amateur photographer who has taken hundreds of pictures, I never thought to be spending this sort of money. For us we can afford this sort of thing but, in the early days, I did manage to borrow cameras to take internal pictures which demanded a better camera.

Some owners use local photographers.. but this can be quite expensive. Spending less on the content of a site than on the IT can be a serious mistake.

A good start... all the best for your new venture.