Hi there folks, just looking for some initial feedback for my website.
Is a work in progress but i thought id ask early on as stuff can be easily changed.
www.e-casa.co.uk
Website for Review
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 6070
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
- Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
- Contact:
Hi Barrie,
I found that I couldn't make up my mind whether you're offering holiday rentals or using your site as a rentals listings? It seems (to me) to hover between the two. I don't feel it's 'personal' enough to tempt me to have a holiday with you, and I'm not keen on the 'E-Casa' title either. I think it's a bit too 'Impersonal'.
I quite like the orange theme running through the site though, as it's 'sunny'.
You do need to check through with a spell-checker. One glaringly obvious (to me) mistake was the spelling of 'Alacante') on the map. Should it be 'Alicante'?
There are a few cases of the text sort of 'repeating' itself in the way you use the words. Some of it is unclear too. The bit about Spain's 'award beach town'(?) being one of them? You need also to keep a careful eye on the grammar used. For example, you can't use an exclamation mark followed by a comma, then continue your sentence. These may seem like small things, but to anal retentive pedants like me, they're everything! Seriously though, decide on your market and tailor your language to suit. If you're expecting to attract businessmen, then (usually) they'll be clued up. You need to be too.
To sum up from a married man with 3 kids point of view, while I like what you're offering - I wouldn't give it a second glance as it's too 'businesslike' for me in its tone. You need pictures of the villas from every angle and you need to 'talk' to me in a language that makes me want to visit.
Of course, these are only my own opinions. Hopefully no animals were harmed in the making of this critique.
Bon chance!
I found that I couldn't make up my mind whether you're offering holiday rentals or using your site as a rentals listings? It seems (to me) to hover between the two. I don't feel it's 'personal' enough to tempt me to have a holiday with you, and I'm not keen on the 'E-Casa' title either. I think it's a bit too 'Impersonal'.
I quite like the orange theme running through the site though, as it's 'sunny'.
You do need to check through with a spell-checker. One glaringly obvious (to me) mistake was the spelling of 'Alacante') on the map. Should it be 'Alicante'?
There are a few cases of the text sort of 'repeating' itself in the way you use the words. Some of it is unclear too. The bit about Spain's 'award beach town'(?) being one of them? You need also to keep a careful eye on the grammar used. For example, you can't use an exclamation mark followed by a comma, then continue your sentence. These may seem like small things, but to anal retentive pedants like me, they're everything! Seriously though, decide on your market and tailor your language to suit. If you're expecting to attract businessmen, then (usually) they'll be clued up. You need to be too.
To sum up from a married man with 3 kids point of view, while I like what you're offering - I wouldn't give it a second glance as it's too 'businesslike' for me in its tone. You need pictures of the villas from every angle and you need to 'talk' to me in a language that makes me want to visit.
Of course, these are only my own opinions. Hopefully no animals were harmed in the making of this critique.
Bon chance!
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 6070
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
- Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
- Contact:
Well I'm confused, not hard really 
but didn't we (the forum) review your site a while back and then more recently I thought I remembered you were selling.
Sorry, nosey ol' bird here
but didn't we (the forum) review your site a while back and then more recently I thought I remembered you were selling.Sorry, nosey ol' bird here
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.
Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
Indeed, hub always says I have the memory of an elephant (do elephants have good memories then, I wonder). Could be worse, he could say I have the backside of an elephant 
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.
Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
Hi Party 
..
I remembered that too.[hes in my neck of the woods..]
.but if you notice hes got sold on one of the houses...which seems a bit strange on a 'New' Website...
unless this is cos hes not just renting houses but selling them now so of course a sold house on a website makes you look successful at selling...
Did you get your cleaner and shutters sorted Barrie hope Paula was some help.....
..I remembered that too.[hes in my neck of the woods..]
.but if you notice hes got sold on one of the houses...which seems a bit strange on a 'New' Website...
unless this is cos hes not just renting houses but selling them now so of course a sold house on a website makes you look successful at selling...
Did you get your cleaner and shutters sorted Barrie hope Paula was some help.....
Hi there folks thanks you for all your feeback. Much appreciated.
Rock and a hard place here, im trying to convey a profesional rental business but only with my own property so i wanted to try and give people as much as a service as possible from the websiite...this may make it seem too corporate and less personal I agree, ill try and get a happy medium in there.
Sorry about the text, i lifted it from the old site and ive not revised or modified it yet (thats the next phase) i just wanted to get eyeballs on the site to find out how people found the navigation, content, information etc etc
As for renting or selling, e-casa (sorry bout the name for those who dont like it) was intended for rental only but we have access to a number or UK buyers and one gentleman in particlar offered us an exceptional price for our new build property in Los Montesinos (which was in fact just finished ready to rent!) so thats the story behind that. We plan to buy another 3 houses by the end of next year as rentals have went well the past 7 months so we can begin to set out as we intended to offer consumers a portfolio of private accomodation from all over with a high standard of service too. Wont be easy i know but i think well get there in the end...well if i can get a better website. So any more ideas folks please feel free to bash them out.
I did finally get a cleaning firm to do all my cleans and manage the properties, a really nice couple who are very competativley priced. I spoke with paula and she was fantastic but in this circumstance we went with another company.
Rock and a hard place here, im trying to convey a profesional rental business but only with my own property so i wanted to try and give people as much as a service as possible from the websiite...this may make it seem too corporate and less personal I agree, ill try and get a happy medium in there.
Sorry about the text, i lifted it from the old site and ive not revised or modified it yet (thats the next phase) i just wanted to get eyeballs on the site to find out how people found the navigation, content, information etc etc
As for renting or selling, e-casa (sorry bout the name for those who dont like it) was intended for rental only but we have access to a number or UK buyers and one gentleman in particlar offered us an exceptional price for our new build property in Los Montesinos (which was in fact just finished ready to rent!) so thats the story behind that. We plan to buy another 3 houses by the end of next year as rentals have went well the past 7 months so we can begin to set out as we intended to offer consumers a portfolio of private accomodation from all over with a high standard of service too. Wont be easy i know but i think well get there in the end...well if i can get a better website. So any more ideas folks please feel free to bash them out.
I did finally get a cleaning firm to do all my cleans and manage the properties, a really nice couple who are very competativley priced. I spoke with paula and she was fantastic but in this circumstance we went with another company.
A few quick comments
Whilst the initial look is very "business like" I don't think the brown is a great holiday colour. I don't mind the orangey terracotta colour at the top it is the bit with the text in I don't like.
I don't think you are doing yourself any favours by having links to car hire and flight companies on the front page - have them by all means but perhaps on a seperate travel page.
I personally don't like wether forcasts either. OK if the weather is good, but in January when people are booking it may be off putting if it is showing rain.
I don't really understand the point of the news page - you are selling holidays not keeping people informed.
I don't really understand the photo on the front page - it just looks like a park bench. Is is in the villa garden?
Once you click on properties I expect to get at least a picture of the properties on offer. It takes two more clicks to get that, and when I do the description is scant - As this is what you are selling I think you need to push it more.
I think the talk of "expanding our portfolio" will put people off. If people are booking their villa direct they want a personal service. They don't want to feel like they are part of your "investment".
I hope this isn't too negative.
Ju
Whilst the initial look is very "business like" I don't think the brown is a great holiday colour. I don't mind the orangey terracotta colour at the top it is the bit with the text in I don't like.
I don't think you are doing yourself any favours by having links to car hire and flight companies on the front page - have them by all means but perhaps on a seperate travel page.
I personally don't like wether forcasts either. OK if the weather is good, but in January when people are booking it may be off putting if it is showing rain.
I don't really understand the point of the news page - you are selling holidays not keeping people informed.
I don't really understand the photo on the front page - it just looks like a park bench. Is is in the villa garden?
Once you click on properties I expect to get at least a picture of the properties on offer. It takes two more clicks to get that, and when I do the description is scant - As this is what you are selling I think you need to push it more.
I think the talk of "expanding our portfolio" will put people off. If people are booking their villa direct they want a personal service. They don't want to feel like they are part of your "investment".
I hope this isn't too negative.
Ju
The site looks very professional and i love the great use of colour and graphics.
The buttons all seem to work but I have to agree that it could fall between two stalls due to the confusion over rental, selling and area descriptions. You could probably add a couple more buttons so that potential renters can jump easily to property descriptions, area summaries etc more easily.
I particularly like the weather info. I tried to add that to my site through my ISP but they only list UK cities- how did you do it? Also like the news stuff- is there a "good news" filter somewhere?!
The buttons all seem to work but I have to agree that it could fall between two stalls due to the confusion over rental, selling and area descriptions. You could probably add a couple more buttons so that potential renters can jump easily to property descriptions, area summaries etc more easily.
I particularly like the weather info. I tried to add that to my site through my ISP but they only list UK cities- how did you do it? Also like the news stuff- is there a "good news" filter somewhere?!
Manyana Marketing Ltd...
Here's a weather site that offers free stickers, not sure if it's any good.
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stat ... click=big2
Ruth
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stat ... click=big2
Ruth