Shred my Site, 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.
snoozeboy
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Shred my Site, please

Post by snoozeboy »

Please criticise my website, www.chatelaccommodation.com

It's pretty new (3 weeks) and I need to add a lot of stuff to it. That said, it's Google PR is N/A, which may be because it's new, or it could be because it's not very good.

Please be as polite or as offensive as you please. I will treat all comments as constructive.

Thanks in advance.

SB
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

it takes quite a while to get a Google page rank. Have you submitted it to the Google sandbox yet?
gam
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Re: Shred my Site, please

Post by gam »

snoozeboy wrote:Google PR is N/A, which may be because it's new, or it could be because it's not very good.
Google revises PageRank in regular cycles - roughly four times a year. I think the last one was only a few weeks ago so don't expect a change for a couple of months. I can see your site has a sitemap.xml file but Google only seems to have indexed two pages so far (/photos and /multipass).

If you haven't already, set up a Google webmasters account and submit your site for index. Getting Google to regularly index your site (assuming you have quality, changing content) will, I suspect, be far more valuable to you than PageRank, which doesn't really matter too much unless you're planning on building a mega brand.
snoozeboy
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Post by snoozeboy »

er... no. Is it the same as verifying the site in Google Webmaster Tools?
snoozeboy
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Post by snoozeboy »

Thanks Gam

I'm trying to get the site verified in Google Webmaster Tools, but I don't know how to upload the HTML file into PMP.

I've contacted PMP to ask them how to do this.

SB
gam
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Post by gam »

I would understand "verifying" as placing a specific file or code on your site which Google can then use to link your site with your webmaster account i.e. to allow only the site owner to be able to access detailed Google data for the site (e.g. analytics).

If you have done that then you now have a linked site/webmaster account. Log into that and you'll see various interesting things you can do including submitting your sitemap.xml file. Google would/will eventually find this on its own, provided its where its supposed to be, but using webmaster tools speeds things up and can be used to ask Google to reindex if content has changed.

Edit: posts crossed

Google offers several methods to verify - I'm sure Promotemyplace will support one or more of them.


Edit 2

I've just had a quick look at your site and think you've made a good start. I'm sure you'll tune it a bit over the coming weeks and make a few small needed improvements but the one thing that stands out for me is your main page photo: you really need something which shows it to its best not on a dull gloomy day (and an SEO tip: give the image a better name e.g. ski chalet in Chatel France).
Last edited by gam on Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

You can add Google Analytics code to PMP, there's a link at the top of the admin page.
Martha
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Post by Martha »

Maybe edit the text a bit, "Block" is a bit of an unappealing word, do we really need to know about the strict building regs? :)

The Multipass is a great deal which you should promo on the home page (though I'm not clear how you're taking bookings if it's being renovated?)

Deposit feels a bit high to me though it's your call. Two deposits may be offputting

Blog is always a good idea, but maybe keep it a bit more relevant and positive?

Why not include the bed linen?

Map - crop off the left hand column, it's a bit confusing

The views are really lovely - I would maybe replace the main photo on the home page (which does look a bit dark) with one of those.

Some better interior pics would be good too.

Hope this helps!
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I think that damage deposit of 450€ is perhaps a little high too.
snoozeboy
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Post by snoozeboy »

Thanks HelenB - I'd already dropped it to 300e, but forgot it was there on that page at 450.
FelicityA
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Post by FelicityA »

snoozeboy - I think you are very brave to ask everyone to shred your site. I haven't ever dared to ask for comments on my relatively new one (also PMP).

On the photos, as someone already said, try and take the outside ones on a sunny day.

I think your highlights box is a bit crowded and there are too many points listed. I would leave out all those distances as you list them off elsewhere anyway. Just to say it is a central position would be enough for starters. I would put how many it sleeps in how many bedrooms first as I think that is the main first 'box ticker' (no good reading further if you are too many people).
snoozeboy
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Post by snoozeboy »

Thanks Felicity

People have been very kind (and constructive) so far! I think you should put your site up for review - the points people make are incredibly helpful and, apart from the obvious fact that my photos are dire (nicked from the estate agent's listing when I bought the place a few months ago), they're often not the sort of thing you'd have thought of yourself.

In fact, it saves thinking for yourself. Begin your site, post it for review on here and then do what you're told. Brilliant.
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

the current standard of decoration is fairly in-keeping with a French holiday-let apartment. It's clean and functional, but basic. The current rental prices are intended to reflect this
This would put me off completely, if I were a potential renter. Once it is renovated you can certainly highlight this in your advert but no need to describe a place as "in need of renovation".
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