holiday bookings

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.
james kerr
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Location: duex serves
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holiday bookings

Post by james kerr »

hi there all,
this is my first season and although bookings have come through like every one else i could always do with more.
the bookings are slowly coming through for the winter season.
could anyone sugest any ideas on how to increase enquires.
many thanks
james.

p.s good luck to you all in the winter Image
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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 »

Probably want to hear something more constructive but it does happen in time!!

Are you with listing sites as well as your web?

Good luck to you too.

p.s. I'd also "big" the place up a bit in the text on your home page. Maybe a couple of paragraphs?
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Post by guest 4 »

Hi James,

I love some of the pics on your site, however the interior shots of the house do look a bit gloomy. The breakfast room pic is really nice.

I went straight into your home page, not a lot on it to tempt me to look further, perhaps you should add more detail and pics on that page to capture your audience.

Good luck with your bookings.

Ruth
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Sue Dyer
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Location: Belford, Northumberland

Post by Sue Dyer »

James, I'm afraid I agree with Kip re the pictures. Maybe you could stage the beds with some bright cushions etc for photos? Put something in the bedrooms to give them a bit more lived in look? I know there is a fine line between making somewhere too personal and merely inviting!

Just my opinion, wouldn't like to offend!
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Sue Dyer
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Location: Belford, Northumberland

Post by Sue Dyer »

James - I hope we haven't scared you off! :oops:
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vrooje
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Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Hi James,

I like the color schemes you have, and I also really like the simplicity of the text on the front page. The only thing I might change there is to add a few more search keywords to the text. You could, for example, change "We can accommodate up to 6 people..." to "Our French country farmhouse in the Deux-Sevres region can accommodate up to 6 people..." and perhaps change the word gite to "gite / holiday rental" -- because not everyone knows to search for "gite", and if they don't, they're less likely to find your site.

On the same topic, I suggest that you change your page titles to something a bit more descriptive -- search engines love page titles, and I think someone is more likely to click on a search engine entry for your home page entitled "Villa Lintern - a French Holiday Rental Farmhouse in Deux-Sevres, Sleeps 4-6" than they are to click on one entitled "www.villalintern.com".

I really like your outdoor photographs -- those panoramas are quite inviting, and the "Relaxing by the river" picture is a good example of proper "use" of people in photographs. Those kayakers make me want to grab an oar and join them! :)

I think the indoor photographs are a little more mixed. Like others, I like the sunny breakfast table picture, but perhaps the others could be re-shot when you have the opportunity.

I'd recommend this excellent article that Paolo wrote:
Top tips for photographing your property

Using those tips has really helped my pictures. I hope nobody will mind if I post an example... during a visit to our rental property three years ago, we took this picture:
Image
Living on a different continent than our rental property, it was a shame that we didn't notice until we got home that the closet door was open, that the bed looks really flat and seems to disappear into the wall, and that the colors are a bit washed out compared to the actual look of the room.

This year we took this:
Image
Using some of the article's tips really improved the photo, or at least, I think so.

Taking good photos of your property is a never-ending process that requires a lot of planning (and a lot of disk space), but it's well worth it, as it is a huge factor in a potential client's decision of whether to book your place. And I think that some of the pictures you have, like this one:
Image
could be greatly improved just by taking the photos at a different time of day, when the face of the building itself isn't in shade.

Sorry if I sound negative here; obviously you've done plenty of things right as you do have bookings in your first season. But like you said, we could all always use more! :)
Brooke
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Post by guest 4 »

Well done Brooke, exactly what I wanted to say but did it in a clumsy way, I love your before and after shot BTW, just shows what can be acheived with a little moving around and 'thinking'.

I think you have a great place in a gorgeous location James but you need to make more of your interior pics to entice potential bookers.

I hope I haven't offended, we all like to help if we can. :lol:

Ruth
e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

Brooke, those before and after pictures of the bedroom are truly an inspiration to us all. Like that little game in the newspapers "spot the difference" I counted at least 8 specific points that improve the second picture, and the overall effect is superb.

Back on topic... James, I concur with others above and in particular your front page needs quite a bit more to welcome the visitor. My first point was "Where is this place ?". At first glance I could not even tell which country until I spotted a possible clue in the word "gite". Even then it took a few clicks to find out where in France.

You can easily fill up some of the white space on that front page with some warm and welcoming notes about the region, and about why your gite is different/better/interesting. You have made a good start, but it seems to peter out too quickly, just like me at this point.... :cry:

I'm sure you wanted more than just critique of your website, but perhaps a few specific questions would probably elicit some more feedback... I guerantee there's many here who could offer it.
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Overboard
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Post by Overboard »

James, you've got a very user friendly and nicely laid out website.... apart from the Home page! What happened! Add some of your stunning images from the gallery page and maybe some more text about the area and your site would greatly improve (I love the sunflowers!). Your kitchen image and the sun terrace are my favorite pictures of the property, those pictures really sell the property well, can you perhaps stage the bedrooms a little better? Snip some tall flowers from that garden of yours, stick em in a vase and place on nightstands, that would just about do it. Pink flowers between the beds in your twin room would really suit the bed frames....
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Jimbo
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Location: Charente Maritime

Post by Jimbo »

Vrooje wrote:
Taking good photos of your property ... is a huge factor in a potential client's decision of whether to book your place.
When I hire new photographers for location shoots, I'm never much interested in looking at their 'portfolio' of what they consider to be their best work. What I need is a set of proofs of all the pictures from a specific shoot. That way, I can see how the photographer has handled different aspects of the location, what they've chosen to zoom in on and amplify, what they've ignored and how successful they've been. Brooke's two bedroom shots are a perfect example of this - once I've seen the second one, she's got the job!

Professional photographers 'hammer' a potentially rich situation into the ground. They don't just take a few quick shots, rather they work methodically trying out differing viewpoints, usually starting from a distance and closing in, immersing themselves totally in the subject matter. This is a good technique for teaching yourself what works pictorially.

James, I respectfully suggest that you consider going back to the drawing board with your pix, working at them again until they better reflect the obvious quality of your property. Once they're good enough, they will 'carry' the text. Your best shot by miles is the sunflower with its head above the rest - this is observation of a high order. You could use it to fill some of that white space on your front page and help promote your property - 'Villa Lintern - Head And Shoulders Above The Rest'.

Good luck

Jim
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Brooke, those before and after pictures of the bedroom are truly an inspiration to us all.
Yes indeedy...
A simple way of showing exactly what can be done.... :wink: :) gets us all thinking Im sure :wink:
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boberry
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Post by boberry »

Hi James

I like the main photo on the main page

can I make a suggestion, that you read out loud what you've written-it sounds a bit like an abbreviated text for a newspaper ad

perhaps 'or a gîte is available for 4

Also maybe 'Here at Villa Lintern we deliver holidays etc'

I also get the impression from the Good Life that you mean self sufficiency Tom and Barbara style, maybe the Easy Life would sound more like it?

Not meaning to offend just my impression

I'll have a longer look when I've got more time but good luck with it - I was tweaking my own website for ages, with help from this forum
home is where you lay your @
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boberry
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Post by boberry »

Oh yes I agree with previous comments replace the front page photo of the living room with the photo of the sunflowers including the text
home is where you lay your @
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I agree with everything said above - the front of the house should be taken when it is not in the shade and you should also airbrush out the electricity cables (I have the same problem with the front shot of my house).
I didn't think some of the furniture looked very inviting, for example in the bedrooms - the beds didn't look made due to creases everywhere (try putting the pillows on top of the quilt), there weren't bedside lamps for all the beds and the hanger rail instead of a proper wardrobe doesn't look very attractive.
The farmhouse lounge looks very cluttered and would you really have the chair right up against the wood burner? I'm sure the room could be rearranged to make the woodburner the focus of the room.
Sorry for being negative - I also don't like the text, black times roman looks a bit dull.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.
How true is that[and I didnt mean this aimed at you at all James] just mean in life generally :wink:
Whenever someone says as well..
Hope you wont take offence..
you know immediately youre gonna :!: :)
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