Back after 2 months

Come for a relaxed chat about anything at all and meet your fellow rental owners.
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Vitraux
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Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:52 am
Location: Bergerac, Dordogne
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Back after 2 months

Post by Vitraux »

Hello All,

I haven't dipped into the forum for 2 months now and it has taken me all morning to catch up.

The reason for this is that I have been in Lanzarote, my daughter has just given birth to our first grandchild - Isabella, so I just had to be there.

The weather in Lanzarote has been the worst in 72 years, during the time i was there they had torrential rain for 10 days on the trot (never hapened before), the cars just came to a standstill nobody can drive in the rain it is so unusual for them, also the houses are just not up to it, the apartment we stayed in leaked like a seive and the doors and windows would not close again once opened.

Before that they had a plague of Locusts that came in on the Callima (hot sandy wind)from North Africa, what with that and the Tsunami, and the fact that it has been a long cold winter here in South West France, the weather patterns for the world have shifted significantly.

Anyway it is nice to be home, - still no bookings though, I think I will just sell up and go. (getting depressed again).

Ann

www.bed-and-breakfast-in-thedordogne.com
You must learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.
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paolo
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Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
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Post by paolo »

Welcome back, Ann.

Tell me - what is your marketing 'portfolio' at the moment? Where do you advertise your house? Maybe we can see why you're not getting the bookings.
Paolo
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Alan Knighting
Posts: 4120
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France

Post by Alan Knighting »

Ann,

Considering your location and that you are offering such a "themed" product I find it quite amazing that you have no bookings. Some comments - they are supposed to be constructive:-

  • I find your personal Website rather dark and gloomy and not all that easy on the eye. My reaction is that it needs brightening up in the use of colours and contrasts.

    Your pricing scedule needs bringing up to date - it quotes 2004 not 2005.

    You appear not to have an availability calendar. Perhaps you should have one?

    There appears to be a fundamental problem with the site. When veiwing it in my browser (Internet Explorer 6) it keeps dropping into "Work Offline". This is despite the fact that I am on broadband. If this happens to others they will very quickly go away.

    And finally. Please don't rely solely on your personal Website. If you do you will be seriously disappointed. You really must get yourself onto a number of Property Listing Sites to have any chance at all.
Dont sell up and go away. I think you have an almost unique product which is worth plugging.

Kindest Regards

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

Post by Sue Dyer »

welcome back Ann and congratulations! You should post a picture of the little one here in the cafe for us all to "ahhh" over.
A few of the villagers near our rental cottage head out to Lanzarote for Jan/Feb for an extended break out of season - they've all come back thorougly depressed with the weather too. :(
Hope your bookings pick up - just a bit of moral support coming your way. :) Sue.
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

Sue,

Off-topic, but just to say how nice it is to see your picture now. I can't quite make out what you are holding, you're not rolling up some rock 'n roll herbs are you?
Paolo
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Sue Dyer
Posts: 2562
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:26 pm
Location: Belford, Northumberland

Post by Sue Dyer »

It's an oyster!!! It was New Years eve in a lovely restaurant in Arras. I was so impressed with the seafood platter I took a photo of it which I look at and long to return!
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vrooje
Posts: 3202
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Ann,

I think you have a beautiful product -- I'm surprised you aren't getting more bookings. Well, I should say, if you are using rental listing sites and perhaps Google's pay-per-click, I am surprised. If not, I am not surprised at all...

Without going into a detailed website review I just wanted to point out one typo on your front page: "Please choose you language" does not give a very good impression from the start, although the site as a whole is very professional.

Cheers!
Brooke
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tansy
Posts: 2059
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:29 am
Location: La Manche, Normandy, France

Post by tansy »

Ann - I like your site ....when the colours first came up I thought oh uckkie brown...but with the jade colour it really works.

If I may suggest why don't you do an example weekend of what you could do there - i.e. an itinery (please could we have spell check?) :roll: ...just a thought as when I look at your site I was hit with...what is there to do...do you do courses for stained glass there - I didn't really understand that aspect.

Don't give up....if it was easy everyone would be doing it!!

...just get the word out...see if perhaps you could get some articles published about your husband...contact the media...I saw C4 advertising recently for persons starting a new project.

Good luck
helene
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:47 pm
Location: Bretagne, France
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Post by helene »

Hi Ann - I went to look at your website but could not download it - web page not available - so you may want to quickly check that out. It is tough but as you can see there is lots of support so if you can you should hang on in there. Obviously something is blocking potential guests especially given some of the positive comments about your site and location so try and think positively about what you have to offer and you may find that attracts positive outcomes. I know sounds a bit weird and I have obviously been reading too many new age and Paul McKenna books but it does appear to work.
regards & good luck
helene
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Vitraux
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Location: Bergerac, Dordogne
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My new Granddaughter

Post by Vitraux »

Hi All,

Thanks for all your comments, I have taken them all on board, you have cheered me up and here is a picture of Issy for you all to coo over. :)

I think I left out a dash on my website that's why some of you had trouble, I will try again.

www.bed-and-breakfast-in-the-dordogne.com

Thanks again.

Ann









[img=http://img114.exs.cx/img114/8408/issysmallpic0hu.th.jpg]
You must learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.
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vrooje
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Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Ann, I have a feeling you meant to do...

Image


Psst -- what a cutie! :)
Brooke
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Sue Dyer
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Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:26 pm
Location: Belford, Northumberland

Post by Sue Dyer »

Ann, awwwww, shes gorgeous. I take it you are playing the doting grandmother to a "T"?

Stick in there - watch "Field of Dreams"... if you built it they will come :)
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

...and then after you have watched Field of Dreams, we may be able to give you some specific advice to get more bookings.

If that's of interest please detail your current marketing 'portfolio' - where are you advertising your house? You have a good product (although I think it is mis-branded at the moment), so with proper marketing you should be doing OK.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
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Vitraux
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:52 am
Location: Bergerac, Dordogne
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Post by Vitraux »

First of all thanks Brooke, for fixing the photo, I am not very Technical - brings me out in a rash.

I think my problem is that mine is not a rental property but a
B & B and therefore perhaps in a different market.

Paulo, where would you like me to post my portfolio?

I maybe worrying much too early, it seems that gites get booked up much more quickly than B & B, so I shouldn't compare myself to those of you with rental homes, I think people tend to book within a fortnight of arrival for bed and breakfast accommodation, so although I only have a couple of bookings that could be quite normal, is there anyone out there with experience of this?

Thanks for you comments about my granddaughter, she is really lovely but over 3000 miles away, thank god for webcams, she changes almost daily. Don't know how I am going to cope with not being able to hold her though. :cry: I think Iberia will be doing quite well out of me over the next few years.

Best wishes

Ann
You must learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

where would you like me to post my portfolio?
Hi Ann,

You could post something in Bookings - list the sites you are on, or the links to the actual pages. And anything else - mags, brochures, etc. As you say, B&B is a different market, but we'll do our best.
Paolo
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