what about giving something for free

Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.
willemijn
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what about giving something for free

Post by willemijn »

On all places where I look for advice how to improve bookings, they always mention to have something for free on your website.

Now I have a rather detailed list with things to do, restaurant reviews and descriptions of how to get there, wine producers to visit etc. However, I do not want to openly add this information to my website, because I know all other people in this area will immediately take it. I only send this to my guests.

How do you look at this and what can be done to prevent this information (which is hard work to collect, describe and keep up to date) to be abused?
Willemijn Lindeboom
www.villainumbria.com
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tansy
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Post by tansy »

I get my guests to do the work for me...they collect brochures menu's etc and also once the website is up & running I hope they will add to the guest comments - then I should be able to continue to add links etc.

But just saying in our guest book - tell us where you have been - where you have enjoyed - has told us more than we could ever wish ....and we've lived here 5 years!! :lol:
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

Hi Willemijn,

Are you sure that others will steal your work? I wouldn’t be concerned with that, I think it is more important to fill your site with useful information for the visitor to your area. That will make people hang around on your site, feel good about your site, and come back for more.

It can also make you rank high on search engines for the name of your village or other local attractions. I am on page one of Google for my village, and I just noticed today that I am also quite high for well-known restaurants nearby, just because I recommend them once.

That is not going to bring you hatfuls of enquiries, but it may bring you the occasional one.
Paolo
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sazzleevans
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Post by sazzleevans »

I think most people will try to jump on the band wagon if they can see you have a new marketing idea. It cant be stopped. All you can do is keep offer a high degree of customer service and it seems that you are already doing that.

My marketing attack eyeonislacanela.com has really taken off. Its yet to have an impact on my bookings but in less than 10 days I have had at least 4 people place direct marketing adds on my forum Its hard to stop and quite flattering but this simpy confirms that you are correct in thinking that other people will try to maximise on your ideas.

SARAH
willemijn
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Post by willemijn »

Thanks for the feedback.

I probably will have to stop being protective over this data I gathered!!!
Willemijn Lindeboom
www.villainumbria.com
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

willemijn wrote:Thanks for the feedback.

I probably will have to stop being protective over this data I gathered!!!
Think so,it's always best to share :lol: You are trying to attract people after all!!
www.thepetitmanoir.com
reddevil
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Post by reddevil »

Your information, if copied exactly, is copyrighted under some kind of law and so if you wanted to you could get legal advice if anyone copied your website.

However, unless you put good information on your site for people to look at (with the small possibility that somebody will copy it) then fewer people will stick around and will go to a site that has more informative info.

Take your pick.
--------------------------------------------------
What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

Your information, if copied exactly, is copyrighted under some kind of law and so if you wanted to you could get legal advice if anyone copied your website.
You can assert the copyright to everything on a webpage simply by putting
© [your name]
at the bottom of the page.

When someone does copy your text or pics you can send them a 'cease and desist' letter. But if they ignore you, the next step is legal action. I'm not a lawyer but I doubt it would be worth it.
Paolo
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

I've moved the discussion on keyboard characters here.
Paolo
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anabella
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Post by anabella »

what if you put a password so you can give access to the information only to the people you want...
keithfenton
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Post by keithfenton »

I'm not a web wizzard but have thought about putting information for my clients i.e. those who have booked , such as arrival information on to a seperate page on the website
but without a link fron the other pages. You could then give out the page address only to those you want to.
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vrooje
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Post by vrooje »

Keith,

That's a good idea too, although even then the page would be indexed by search engines and could be found by others unless you got a bit technical and told search engine robots not to look at that page.

If you were really worried, you could make your page only accessible by entering a password.

We just put our information into a pdf file and we e-mail it to our clients.

Cheers!
Brooke
accommodation-in-spain
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Post by accommodation-in-spain »

Hi everyone

I had this exact problem a while ago. I have a site that is quite highly ranked and noticed a new site paying for advertising that was a mirror image of mine! Flattering as you say but very annoying.

I looked into the copyright side of things and found this site really helpful:

http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/

I then added all the right copyright info to the bottom of each page (including name and dates) and then contacted the site designer (if that is what you can call him as he just stole my whole design) and the site owner. I asked them to change their site info asap or I would take it to my solicitor.

They did fight it a bit but as soon as I told them that they had a personal holiday photo (which they said was theirs) with a picture of my daughter on it, plus gave them a list of all the copied data they did change the information.

The site still has some items that are the same as ours but as long as it does not look too much like ours or have the same data then I am happy.

Paolo can you tell me what the 'cease and desist' consists of - sorry if you have already covered this but I have just joined this forum.

Thanks
www.Costa-Luz-Holiday.com - your on-line holiday brochure for the Costa de la Luz
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

A 'cease and desist' letter is just what you said to these people - I know you have stolen my stuff, stop doing it or I will take legal advice. I believe it works most of the time.
Paolo
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accommodation-in-spain
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Post by accommodation-in-spain »

Thanks Paolo

Thanks for that, that is exactly what we did and it did the trick!

Cheers
www.Costa-Luz-Holiday.com - your on-line holiday brochure for the Costa de la Luz
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