a lot has happened since last winter

[cassis]

I would definitely not take the site down - any Internet presence is better than none, regardless of typos etc., and deleting pages would risk Google and other engines delisting them, meaning you'd have to start from scratch again.  The site pages are already listed on Google so please don't take them down. 

Corrections to typos etc. can be done gradually - nothing to panic about.  I hardly noticed them, but I tend not to read sites in detail, I skim them to get a gist.  Many people probably do take more notice, but even then, ANY site is better than none.  A lot of sites have typos etc. and I expect my French version is not 100% perfect despite being checked, but it does the job.

[betoulle]

agree about the French version - we are in France after all & to not appeal to the local market does you no favours........when we had our inspection last year (following the changes in registration rules & regs) we were told that everything needs to be in French first, English 2nd (something we were already doing I might add) so all our local info for guests, invoices, tarrif at gate etc are in French, with English translation.  Sure our French version has some errors though like Cassis we had help with it, but most of our French guests have all come via the website - OK we are with GdF which is not to everyones taste, but at least it shows that we are trying to work within the local market.  The French are now getting into booking via the internet & there are some great websites around - you need to try to keep one step ahead of the competition....... the Sawday types may become few & far between in the coming years - though Jon appears to offer excellent value for money.   Apart from the typos & errors though I like Jons website & would definitely consider staying there &/ taking a course - the food looks wonderful.....good luck with your venture.

[jon]

I am asking for help from a friend.She will make the corrections and then I will ask the web-creator instigate the changes.I do understand what you are all saying.....However ...yes there is a however....one or  two of you are going over the top.Friendly...far from it!

[jon]

Thank you to all the kind ....and positive people!

[jon]

After listiening to the news realting to the world;children being abducted and dying of starvation and family life being destroyed by war I wonder  why  people become so shallow that they feel the need to inflict pain upon others.With all this despair and turmoil embrasing the world is there any real need to get so excited about spelling and grammar?No.....I am not bonkers......but living amongst others who are.

[jon]

With All that is going on in the world;war,abduction of children,people dying from malutrition and financial turmoil......how shallow do you have to be to get so excited about spelling and grammatical errors ?I m not bonkers but living in a society which is bonkers!Some of you need to examine your thoughts and  look for a way to recome happy.

[Clair]

You are free to take or ignore it all.

[jon]

yes, of course...but it is sad that, even though you are all good spellers and computor lierate some of you  do not choose your words very carefully ....what does this tell you?A lot more than you think.

[Cat]

Your website is, at the moment, your best shot at attracting business.  Simply, if you don't give it 100%, people may wonder if you take a similarly lax view of other aspects of your business.

It has nothing to do with nit-picking, and even less to do with dreadful hardship that others may be suffering.   To try to suggest a link between the two is, frankly, rather insulting.  Do you imagine that people only have the capacity to concentrate on one issue? 

When constructive criticism on your website is asked for, and offered, you can take it or leave it, but to try to pin some kind of blame on those that offer it suggests a lack of business acumen.

[cassis]

Jon has never asked forum members here for a criticism of the website, constructive or otherwise (as far as I can tell by skimming through the posts here).  In fact, he didn't even tell us what the website address was or have it in his signature until someone innocently asked what it was.  If anyone asks for criticism then fair enough, but Jon didn't (did he? maybe I missed it).

[Cat]

I must have misunderstood then, and if I did I wholeheartedly apologise.  I thought that the purpose of most of these seven pages was to draw attention to his new business (I must admit I don't have the courage to read through them all again)?

Because if he wasn't asking for advice, then some people might be mean enough to imagine that it was just a thinly disguised attempt at advertising, and I'm sure that's not the case.

[cassis]

I doubt it.  Even I'm not that desperate.

If you look at the first couple of pages only, you'll see that there was no mention of the website until it was asked for.

Or do you think this was what ad agencies call a "teaser" campaign?  Clever - I'll have to give it a try.  [:D] 

[jon]

Thank you Cassis for explaining.I came back here to the website to chat.Mainly about how much has happened since I have been here.Everyone was telling me that life was going to be hard and no picnic.Well...not easy for anyone.I have never asked anyone to be interested in the way I will persue buisness.I am proud to have settled in;got the restaurant liscence, siret number and the house is comfortable,safe and looking rather spledid.If I find someone who can help me with the aspects of l;ife wnhich are not my forte, well then everything will be perfect..Actually I do not care about my spelling and my problems with computors.....I pay others to take care of this.The interior desigm and good cooking is my department...after all there must be something upstairs in my brain as my home was not purchased with monopoly money!Advertising!Please...as if I would imagine or expect that many of you would not be interested in fine cuisine.

[jon]

Lax view of buisness!How many of you clean your pool every day[when it is open]offer towelling dressing gowns,heated towel rails and a breakfast to include excotic/tropical fruits..fresh Dragon fruit,Longon and passion fruit plus something hot  and prepared that morning.That is called attention to detail...my detail.

[mint]

Jon, I can sense your passion and your determination to do the very best for your business and to look after your guests.

So, chill, eh?  Nobody's so far criticised what you do.  You'll carry on with every once of your sinew and every beat of your heart because I sense that that's what you're about!

I envy you, Jon; if I'd had half your passion, I'd have succeeded in lots of things I'd attempted in life.  But, alas, I was much too relaxed about things and unwilling to commit everything.

I feel that I'm like the kamikaze pilot who returned after the war to tell his story to journalists!  You see, he didn't commit totally and therefore lived to tell the tale!

[betoulle]

Hi Jon

For your information we do all that & more & are bl***y exhausted at the end of yet another busy season, but our high percentage of regular clients makes it all worth while & shows that an attention to detail pays off - the main reason people come to us??  Our website....I rest my case.  All any of us is doing is trying to offer friendly advice - it was after all you who asked us to contact you originally.....  I say for the last time good luck with your venture...

[cassis]

I confess my ignorance.  Far from serving dragon fruit, I don't even know what they are. 

My kiwis, apples and peaches are looking at me with a very inadequate look on their previously happy faces.

I feel like such a failure. [:(] 

[mint]

What, Cassis, you mean you can't get dragon fruit in Manhattan and Glasgow?  You can't be frequenting the right stores, Soz!

[Cerise]

Blasted dragons stopped laying again Soz?  My lot are sick of the sight of figs, but we have figs aplenty so that's what they are getting.

What is a dragon fruit anyway?

[YCCMB]

If they taste of anything it's a bloody miracle. Dragon fruit outside SE Asia (specifically Vietnam where they come from) taste of rock all. Well, they taste of pips and water. If you've tasted a decent dragon fruit, you wouldn't touch the ones they sell in Europe with a 10 foot pole. Or even a more vertically challenged pole, for that matter.

For the record and to spare me the ingominy of being accused of something vile and only tangentially linked to the topic, simply by daring to venture an opinion which may clash with that of the OP, my personal opinion (not a ctiticism) is that I don't care where I'm staying, I'd rather eat local, seasonal produce than something that's come halfway round the world in a refrigerated plane.

[img]http://www.passion4fruit.com/uploads/pics/dragon-fruit.jpg[/img]

[mint]

Good point about local, seasonal produce, Betty, and strikes a chord with me.

Much edible stuff doesn't travel well and doesn't taste anything like they should in their native lands.

I particularly dislike fruit that has been shipped over to Europe from the Far East.  I think particularly of pineapples, papayas (paw-paws), mangosteens, rambutans, lychees and the like.

Bananas are a bit of an exception, however, because they taste nice wherever in the world I've eaten them.

 

[jon]

Bernoule.....I know that you offer an exceptional breakfast and service but I was not asiming my words in your direction.There are so many Bed and Nreakfast establishements in France who feel that they are pushing the boat out by serving baquettes, jam,instant or possibly "POUR AND SERVE" coffee, yoghurt and thats it.Maybe the general public are happy with this but that is n ot what we are about.Yes seasonal foods, of course we grow some oof our own fruits as we have mature trees,blackbery bushes and we have began with veges.Of course we ise the markets...but there the tropical fruits too...I know that upsets some of you...well thats life.Well  been open less than 2 months and agree with you all that twebsite is not good enough....I probably found the wrong person.....or the wrong person found me.But if you are not good with compitors  and there is no choice you just get moving on with the matter....and do your best.But there is A WAY TO  SAY things and some of you  are being rude and you are enjoying it!That is to your detrimant!If you are giving advise[which was not requested on this site]firstly remeber how you would like to be addresses and then put your ideas accross.After all you I am sure that everyone knows that we all have different gifts in life and being kind is one of them.

[jon]

Lots of typing errors....but not intentional.Thats why I need a good web person.

[Quillan]

You know I sat down and typed, what I thought might be helpful to Jon. I then went to check something and saw his last post about not asking for help and people being rude so have decided not to post it. In fact I shall not bother to post in the thread anymore (I am sure one or two will be very happy about that).

 

What I and others have tried to do is give Jon some things to think about and point out some potential problems. There is no substitute for experience. It’s also a good thing to get different opinions. I wish somebody had helped me when I first started with the practical side of running a B&B, could have saved me a fortune.

 

I am sorry if I am one of those that have upset you Jon so I will leave it at that. It’s not how people write its what they write.

[jon]

As soon as people began picking wholes in the website spelling etc.....I told them that I am dyslexic.All the teaching or how to use a computor and lessons on how to type correctly are useless to me....I am afraid.I rely upon the web designer to construct the site iusing our pics       and to tell me  if there is too much text...., to space the pages etc.As   for forum people.....I enjoy the chat,shareing of interests and knowledge.Sometimes some of you need to think a little more before you engage in assesing people.You are not merely addressing the faults on the website you are judging my abilty as a provider of good food and hospitality.Please note that we were included in Hardens guide,Michelin,Good Food Guide,EgonRonay star and AA Restaurant guide three rosettes for many years...and favourably reviewed by Fay Mascher on many occassions.No payments of any kind to any of these parties....or insentives.