WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING WRONG ???

[les Favets]

Have three gites in original stables a 7 hectare lake which our clients are able to fish freely inclusive of hiring. Gites are to a high standard.  Swimming pool, prices are not expensive We are situated in the Massif central area of the Auvergne bordering the Allier.  Have many active facilities attached to the region.  Advertise in this and other Magazines. Have installed own Website and have 2 bookings for the complete year.

What am I doing wrong ?

Les Favets

[Catalpa]

Are you advertising directly to the fishing market? You've probably got family gites (haven't looked at your profile for a website) but if something relatively unusual / special is the fishing at your site, then are you targetting directly the people to whom it will appeal? Then if you emphasise the family-friendly aspects of the site, family stuff to do in the area and region...

Can you offer 'fishing for beginners' courses with rod hire and stuff?

But perhaps you already are. Bonne courage!

[Lizzie15]

What am I doing wrong ?

 

You might not be doing anything wrong but maybe the advertising needs honing? Where can we look at your website/advertising? Do you advertise online ?

 

[Teamedup]

Where are you advertising? Are you with Gites de France? That would always be the first place I looked for a gite.

[CatherineS2]

Also, are you advertising on any of the online gite directories? It's great to have your own website, but people need to find it...

I advertise with VisitFrance and holiday-rentals and I am now solidly booked until mid-September (and have been since Easter), almost exclusively via these websites.

Have you looked at the forum for property rental owners on www.laymyhat.com? All the posters on that site are very very helpful, and you can post your site for review and will get all sorts of good advice!

Courage, mon brave! We will all get to the bottom of it for you - the answer is out there!!!

[Owens88]

Hi there

Sympathies

1)If you search for things like:

fishing holidays France

Where do you appear ?

2)As previous posters have suggested, are you broader than fishing? If so what family friendly/sailor friendly  (whatever) messages have you put out ?

 

Goood luck

[les Favets]

Hi all !!  Nice to know there are friendly people out there.  I piggyback on three or four other websites. We don't offer family holidays because we are unable to accommodate the numbers in one gite.  We are offering the facility to fish in our lake but!! a big but! we do not permit night fishing which the professional would be looking for ( there are reasons ) It is ideal for couples who wish to get away from it all and are looking for a lay back relaxing holiday. If any of you know the area it does offer the facilities of many outdoor activities.  Re my website ( Here goes ): www.ruralfranceholidays.com

Thank you all for you consideration and any further comments would be appreciated

Regards les Favets

[Catalpa]

Had a quick look at your website (on my slooow dialup connection). Looks professional, photos take time to load but the text arrives first so plenty to read while waiting. My quick look didn't show me any "look at the size of this!" type photos of fish. Are there any? Is that relevant?

Off the top of my head:

if it's not really a family gite site, you need to target people interested in fishing who haven't got kids. And as someone has said, the August months are expensive. So who has to take holidays in July / August but doesn't necessarily have kids. How about targeting teachers and lecturers at agricultural colleges who *might* be a bit more interested in rural pursuits?? You could offer them a special deal. Are there big UK angling clubs you could contact. Send your details to smaller angling clubs. How about talking to one of the angling magazines and seeing if you can offer a free stay in one of your gites for a competition prize. You'd get coverage - though you'd probably have to take out an ad too. Yes, there's a cost associated with all this... but what's the cost of having empty accommodation?

And thinking about it, plenty of people *do* choose, even without kids, to holiday in July / August because the weather is likely to be more predictable.

[Lizzie15]

I've just taken a look at your site.Possibly there are 2 issues

1- getting people to visit your site in the first place

2- Once people find your site:

The gites look really fresh and new,very nice! Maybe take a few pictures with them looking not quite so empty? How about some fruit in the bowl,flowers on the table? Those sort of touches that make people want to come and stay in your pleasant properties. How about dividing the advertising up so that the gites aren't just a list of numbers but give them individual character- perhaps some sort of name for each property? Are they warm and cosy in the cooler months? If so, let people know- if not,why not? How about considering shorter lets to get people to try them out? You wouldn't necessarily have to charge very much less for a shorter visit?

Your gites look really nice, I think maybe the marketing needs a fix!!

 

[Teamedup]

My thought is that you also need to push that these places are just for couples and not families. There can't be many places such as yours can there? Maybe that aspect needs pushing as some people may like to get away from les enfants completely.

[Russethouse]

I think you are right about the 'big' but re night fishing, however it might be a good idea to say what the lake is stocked with or what the 'catch' might be.

I notice a couple of the local festivals could appeal to hobbyists too, so perhaps finding out the dates of these and adding them to the web site might help.

Agree about adding flowers, fruit etc too. Do you offer welcome packs ?

Are you registered with the local tourist office ?

Good Luck

[ChezShells]

Hi

Good looking site

I would say the first thing to do is pictures, I think the first picture that anyone will see has to do it for anyone to look further, the page didnt take too long to load but having so many pictures on one page I dont think is a good idea, make one more page with other pictures and take them off the main page.

But maybe its location, it is smack in the middle of France, not read all threads but maybe you should market for French travellers.

 

Lee

[Coco]

And thinking about it, plenty of people *do* choose, even without kids, to holiday in July / August because the weather is likely to be more predictable.

Ah but, my husband's a fisherman and when it's really hot the fish all sit at the bottom and don't bite!!  He wouldn't be interested in fishing in August at all.

First question Le Flavets.  Are you a fisherman yourself?

My husband has just looked over my shoulder whilst I was looking at your site (which we both agreed looked very professional) he commented on what a beautiful lake it looks for fishing.  He is a fly-fisherman and when I asked him what he thought of it and why you're not getting many bookings he said that you don't state on your site what fish the lake is stocked with and whether it is course-fishing, fly-fishing or both.  Do you offer facilities for storing live bait?  You don't say.

He felt that it would be absolutely essential to advertise in the fishing magazines, Trout Fisherman being the most popular for fly-fishing, but he couldn't remember the course fishing magazine.  He also suggested contacting the magazines and offering one of their feature writers a free stay at your place in return for an article in the magazine.  This clearly isn't going to help for this year, but could do wonders for next year's bookings.

I think the website looks great but perhaps at the moment you are falling between two stalls.  There isn't quite enough details in there for serious fishermen but on the other hand, there is enough (ie permit price included in gite price) to make those who don't want to fish feel that it's not really the place for them.  Why don't you quote the permit price separately but as a service offer to get these in advance for fishermen booking the gites.

My husband goes off on a fishing trip with a friend of his each year and neither his friend's wife, or I, would be welcome.  I don't really think I would want to go either!  Men looking after themselves in a gite for a week   Why not offer a shopping pack on arrival, and mention any local restaurants.

Do you have "fishing" type keywords on your website so that it comes up if people are searching for fishing holidays.  What about joining a fishing webring?

[Motorhead]

Maybe it's because you can't stand a bit of robust banter Royston (private thing between me and Royston on another forum), fishing folk are like that.

I do think, however, that you are going along the right if not tight lines. Currently fishing is the best USP for  gites and motorbikes will be the next one (but that is another story). You shouldn't have to spend a lot on advertisng. The angling community is very tight knit and word of mouth travels fast. If I had your place I'd be inviting a bunch of angling journalists down for a freebie and the rest would follow.

That is, of course. if the fishing was really top notch. Is it?

Now I know a lot about fishing and fish in particular (nearly started on a phd in marine biology once) and I'd be happy to come down (it's not that far) and give your lake the once over and suggest any cheap   or no cost improvements that might be beneficial

[LesFlamands]

I've had a quick look at your site and would suggest

1. Pricing in pounds - makes it much easier for UK visitors.

2. Give the gites names not numbers and generally try to give them some individuality.

3. Show a photo of the swimming pool.

[Russethouse]

I wonder if theres a job (or TV prog ) in being 'Gite Doctors' ???

[mascamps.com]

Oh dear, let's hope that the TV companies don't read this site or you'll have given them another idea

One thing that I would take off is the "not suitable for children" unless it is absolutely definitely not suitable for children. What age of "children" isn't it suitable for? At the moment, you're excluding kids from 1 day old to 18.

On a design front, I would put the photo gallery on a separate page and probably also the booking form. The combination of all those photos must make it a nightmare to look at on a dialup line.

Somewhat more importantly, you should put your address in normal text rather than in a graphic. Even if someone knows the exact name of your place, they wouldn't be able to find it on google (google ignores the keyword list and just looks at the text).

 

Arnold

 

[Catalpa]

++ One thing that I would take off is the "not suitable for children" unless it is absolutely definitely not suitable for children. What age of "children" isn't it suitable for? ++

Oh I don't know... made me instantly want to book!

I would think an unpatrolled, unfenced 17 acre lake would be what every parent... wants?? That's got to be the hook? for this episode of the Gite Doctor program.

[mascamps.com]

For sure about the lake but that only excludes kids from, say, 2/3 to maybe 14/15 or so.

What I'm saying is that you don't want to be excluding families unless either a) you have to for some reason or b) you are specifically aim to attract those without kids.

 

Arnold

 

[Mutts]

Nice website but I'd agree that your marketing needs a fix!

You're focusing on the negative "not suitable for" and not the positive "ideal for...."

If you're pushing the fishing line (pardon the pun), get an expert in to sort the lingo; photos of fish - on reel, landed and on BBQ. You could also promote the idea of "romantic getaway"; "ideal for couples" - anything other than no this or no that. "No smoking" can be somewhere in the small print.

No more photos on the site or it'll take too long to load, but a gallery with links - inspired topics : sunset; sunrise; one man's fish is another mans poisson BBQ's cooking fish; tables set for meals with wine (& flower). Some imagination is called for.

Good luck

Linda

 

[Macker]

A mate of mine who is big into fishing suggested that the offer of a free fishing holiday to a few of the journos of the big fishing magazines in England can result in a good old write up and an explosion in bookings. A pick up service from the nearest airport can also work wonders as fishermen don't seem to be big drivers (?)

[mascamps.com]

One word of warning re the pickups - it is incredibly hard on your car. We have completely worn ours out in just over a year from doing them (and it wasn't a dinky car either).

What we found was that although we told people in the confirmation e-mail that they needed to prebook pickups, a sizeable proportion just called from the airport after they'd checked the taxi prices which makes for a lot of dashes to the airport over the summer. Also, most of those calling from the airport just assumed that we had a minibus and therefore could pickup six or seven at a time.

Strictly speaking you shouldn't do pickups on a phone call anyway as that's a taxi service which requires different insurance.

 

Arnold

 

[les Favets]

once again a big  THANK YOU  to you all for your input todate.  I am trying to arrange my mind around what has been suggested, so if somewhere along the way I don't cover comments in total, please don't think it a slight. I must remember that it is a selection of views that have been put forward. Not suitable for children is solely based arroung the fact that we can only accommodate 2 persons per gite and of course the lake. We do have info in Fishing Web sites but stress that we offer a holiday where one can fish in our lake rather then a fishing holily.  HOW DO WE  go about having people to visit our web site?  Will be looking at " Lay my hat " site ( looks good )  Advertise with various mags ( This one ) not Gites de France as everyone else , have a limited budget. Reduce prices in the Summer and high season ( surely that is the time when one is able to obtain a return for their investment )  Are my prices Hight ?  SORRY BUT I HAVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION JUST COME UP AND HAVE TO LEAVE THE SITE  but will come on again this evening to complete my thoughts .

Regards Les Favets

Reg

[Buntina]

re: your website

I have to say that its not going to attract visitors / clients of its own accord - if you get your website listed in other directories / holiday websites, then you may get some business - but your site isn't going to attract clients just by itelf, i.e not from search engines

A few things need changing

• Split your pages up - grow the site page on page - month on month
• Get better photos
• 1 page = 1 subject (like fishing, walking etc)
• Go into depth on your specialist subject (fishing) a quick scan, as most people do, your site says nothing about fishing holidays to me

To get a better idea look at our gite site:
http://www.south-france-gite.com

There are many, many Gites in France, specialise (as you are doing) then focus your advertising / marketing (including the website) on this specialist area

Hope that helps!

 

 

 

[Coco]

Advertise with various mags ( This one )

I don't wish to deride LF in any way, but I don't think it would be the best place to advertise.  It tends to attract people who are interested in living in France or at least having their own holiday home there.  It is not THAT easy to buy off the shelf, so doesn't have a huge casual circulation.  Therefore, I don't think it will be the best use of your advertising budget.  When I advertised with them I got two enquiries but no bookings at all, whereas I fully booked my gite both years I was running the house as a gite, via French Connections (useless now for B&B) so you have to pick the right place for the type of property you have - it really is a minefield.  I would still say your money may be better spent advertising in a fishing magazine.

I know it's no help, or consolation as regards bringing in the money, but I do think that this is an exceptionally bad year, for whatever reason.  I know of several gites around here who only have 3 or 4 weeks booked whereas in previous years they've had 14.  As far as we are concerned with B&B we started off extremely well in February and March, most unexpected early bookings but I've just checked my bookings month by month, compared to last year and we're down A LOT on our April, May and June bookings.  If it wasn't for the repeats and word of mouth bookings, which have really saved my bacon, we would be really struggling this year.  And of course if it's your first year, you won't have those yet to fall back on!   - Apart from August, most B&B bookings are made within a fortnight or so of arrival, so I think for us the fact that it started so well and has died is probably due to the aweful weather.  HOwever, I don't know the reason for gites having such a bad year, they're usually booked up for the summer by Easter, so the weather shouldn't have been a determining factor.  Perhaps it's the UK economy and people being unsure of their future.  Certainly, if we were relying solely on the UK market we would be VERY, VERY hungry by now!  Thank God for the New World