Can you review my site?

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.
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Can you review my site?

Post by MadDogWoman »

www.frenchsecrets.co.uk

It's my first attempt, using Frontpage (I am a complete idiot when it comes to HTML), and I have borrowed ideas from other websites you have reveiwed, though I am not quite sure this is the "done thing". I have tried to keep it simple and easy to navigate and have incorporated some ideas given to me by other web developers (even though I don't really understand the benefits - tags for pictures?) but have found Frontpage quite difficult to work with.

Looking forward to hearing from you (with some trepidation)!

Nicola
Linda Freese
Posts: 175
Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:00 am
Location: Costa del Sol

Post by Linda Freese »

Hi Nicola

Didn´t look at the site in depth but these are my first impressions.

1. Too much copy on the home page. I think the fact that it is a 2 bedroom property with a swimming pool that you are advertising should be easier to see.

2. More photos of the property. I could only find a couple and had to search for them! Do you have one of the swimming pool? Apologies if I missed it as I only looked briefly at the site.

3. The rates page looks far too complicated! I think it would be easier on the eye if you listed the rates by seasons.

On a positive note, I like the FAQ page and the property looks lovely in the couple of photos that you do have on the site.

Good luck and I hope this feedback helps!

Linda :)
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Thank you!

Post by MadDogWoman »

Thanks Linda. All feedback gratefully recieved!
There are lots of pictures by clicking on the first link on the left. "Explore Le Pourtaou"
Nicola :D
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HolidayWebs
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:12 am
Location: Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca
Contact:

Post by HolidayWebs »

I think it's pretty good for a first attempt - I liked it a lot. I think the confusion re the photos is that I thought Le Portaou was a place so I think you need to rename the section 'Explore Le Portaou' & make it obvious that this is the property.

I think you should drop 'centreing' the text every where & look at left or right aligning it - will look much neater.

Re the rates, you can reduce the lines & just put date ranges e.g. 8 Jan - 12 March £300 etc. You could then include them on the Rates page. The least amount of clicking to another page the better.

If you wanted to do you could add links from words within your text:
"We invite you to explore the house and the Midi-Pyrénées region through the links provided to the left. Please feel free to contact us by email or by telephone if you have any questions or would like to enquire about a reservation."

But all in all you are definitely on the right lines,

Z.
Visit http://www.puertopollensa.com ... you'll love it!
The most beautiful resort in Mallorca.
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Centering text

Post by MadDogWoman »

Thanks Zelda/Linda
I am working on the prices page as I type.
Any particular pages you think would improve with left/right align rather than centre? The text is in boxes, maybe it would be better if it was wrapped around the pictures?
What do you folks out there think?
Nicola
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Sue Dyer
Posts: 2562
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:26 pm
Location: Belford, Northumberland

Post by Sue Dyer »

Hi, I agree with left aligned text.

I've offered on the thread re pasting in HTML but again if you want any help with FP problems I would see if I knew the answer. I've used it for around 10 years and have become used to some of its little quirks. (it has many!)

I've done quite a few sites using it and whilst they might not be up to web designer standard they've done the trick for myself and friends. Just drop me a mail if you need to :)
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Cripes

Post by MadDogWoman »

Hi all
I've made some changes:
Got rid of the centre align and aligned right/left according to location of pictures.
Highlighted some key words on home page - 2 bed, sleeps 5, pool etc and added some links
Changed "Rates and availability page" to incorporate prices and simplified it
Changed "Explore Le Pourtaou" to "Explore the House"
Cripes! I forgot to keep copies of the original pages before I changed them! Doh!
Nicola :lol:
Thanks for the feedback!
Linda Freese
Posts: 175
Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:00 am
Location: Costa del Sol

Post by Linda Freese »

Hi Nicola

It looks much better and much clearer.

Well done!

Linda
johntaylor
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:14 am
Location: Pedreguer, Costa Blanca, Spain
Contact:

Post by johntaylor »

Hi Nicola,
Looks like a lovely part of the world! Just one comment for you and a very personal one at that - your background looks dusty!! to me. Like your section on FAQ's
John
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Ooo err!

Post by MadDogWoman »

John
Good job you have not been in (my half) of the house then!!!!
Nicola
:wink:
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vrooje
Posts: 3202
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Hi Nicola,

Well, I'm at a bit of a loss for words... having personally written the copy for http://www.experienceburgundy.com a few years ago. I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... but this is pretty close imitation, and I don't recall being asked permission. Some of the text on your page is copyrighted to the above site, so I would ask you to revise it a little more to make it more different from mine.

For example, "escape the frantic pace of modern society and immerse yourself in the warmth and charm of France's Burgundy region" is a phrase I created just for our house. The beginning of it being used on another site decreases both sites' uniqueness. The FAQ section on experienceburgundy.com is also something I spent a long time working on. There are a few other, equally striking examples. In general it's okay to get ideas from other sites, but you need to make your text more different from the sites whose ideas you like.

You do have a beautiful property. I would suggest changing the background of the home page to white rather than using the picture background. Picture backgrounds are a good idea in theory, but they can also be distracting. If you want to keep the picture background to separate the home page from the other pages on the site, I suggest limiting the bgimage to the table background only, and leaving the rest of the page background white; that might look more professional.

Another thing: I noticed some pictures of the house that weren't on the "Explore the House" page, e.g. the kitchen picture on the "Discover the Region" page. Is that your kitchen? If so, I would say that in the caption, and also put that picture on the house page.

-Vrooje
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Post by MadDogWoman »

vrooje wrote:Hi Nicola,

Well, I'm at a bit of a loss for words... having personally written the copy for http://www.experienceburgundy.com a few years ago. I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... but this is pretty close imitation, and I don't recall being asked permission.
Vrooje

Point taken and my sincere and humble apologies! You site is quite lovely though and I did say I had taken ideas from other sites. I will make some amendments - a lesson learnt and all that! By the way I used to own a house in Burgundy, a lovely region at the best of times but moved further south for the climate.

Thank you for your other comments though - all feedback is gratefully received!

Nicola :oops:
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vrooje
Posts: 3202
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Nicola,

Don't worry too much about it -- as I said, it is flattering. :) I make no claims of ownership whatsoever to the site layout or content ideas, just the actual copy. Thanks so much for being so attentive to it!

I'd be happy to help if you wanted outside ideas for unique copy. For example, I'd probably try to emphasize the year-round aspect of your rental with talk of "cozy nights by the fire after a thrilling day of skiing" (if you have a fire to sit by, that is!) or possibly describe watching a light snow falling over the mountains while savoring (insert local delicious hot dish here) with a glass of Medoc (or other wine).

Cheers!
Brooke
MadDogWoman
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:39 pm

Post by MadDogWoman »

Brooke

Thank you for your very generous comments and let this be a lesson to others!!

I have made some changes and may well be picking your brains directly rather than via your website. Shame I only have cosy radiators rather than open fires! The fires went after a rather nasty fire of a different nature where the pompiers had to be called after we'd been here only a week. But that's another story altogether!

Nicola
:)
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Sue Dyer
Posts: 2562
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:26 pm
Location: Belford, Northumberland

Post by Sue Dyer »

The fires went after a rather nasty fire of a different nature where the pompiers had to be called after we'd been here only a week. But that's another story altogether!
and one you'll have to share with us, maybe in the Cafe?? :)
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