Website

[Gemma]

Hello again!!!!!

I'm just in the process of sorting our website out and would love some 'constructive' comments please!

www.discoverthepyrenees.com

Many thanks!

[Benjamin]

OK I'll start it off [:D]

Your opening line is

Holiday in the Pyrenees France, at our Bed and Breakfast.

It doesn't flow and appears stilted. How about..........

Holidays at our Bed and Breakfast in the French Pyrenees.

[Gemma]

Thanks!  Good point. You can look at a site too much and not see the simplest things!

[jon]

Not too sure about the website but the boss looks wonderful....toirtoishell person.......every good home needs furry people.

[ChezShells]

Run of the mill site, looks ok, nicely laid out but

Images could be better, accommodation images are too dark and small, also a lot of single word lines - 

......... bed and
breakfast.

place the b&b all on one line, many more within the other pages.

Personally, I think the image on the main page should be of your best picture and the picture within the accommodation page of the landing doesn't do it for me, would be a good picture only for the toilet.

Edited to add that I like the first pic on the accommodation page and i'd use this as your main image, very hotel like, pic needs brightening up though.
Also the header is too big, anyone with a smaller monitor using 800x600 will have to scroll down to get a real look at what your offering.

Good luck with your venture.

[Barbel Bob]

Hi Gemma,

The site colours are nice and the header is good too. You have mentioned lots of good stuff, especially the likes of Ryanair, Easyjet, Europcar etc, you should add all these as links to their flight booking/Car rental page and also have them as separate links in your links page. This way they can find the flight without leaving your site.

Also, any links you have must be opened in a new window. The way you currently have it means they have to navigate back to your site via the back button. You want people to keep it open and surf the links you have added.

You have an offer on the main page about Xmas, you must link this to information about the offer or to the contact sheet. The first thing I did was try to click it as a link.

Hope this helps

Bob

[Wendy]

You say you do airport pickups. Have you found out what taxis actually charge to drop people at your place, or area?

Find out if you can.

Taxis charge tourists 50-80 euros to bring them 15 kms to our place from the airport ( a blatant rip-off; they charge the French half that) so we undercut them and charge 24 euros for a pickup. This gets us a lot of business from back packers and those not wishing to hire a car. Instead of saying 'a reasonable price' try and find out what a taxi fare would actually cost and undercut them. Put the pickup charge on your site. State, though, that they must book the pickup with their reservation. Otherwise you'll get people calling while you're eating dinner.  We state that pickups MUST be pre-booked. Though, we have had several people 'chance' the taxi's and then call us at the last minute.

 

[Danny]

Gemma

I think a nice map or two on your "getting here" page would be useful to show your location. Most people would have no idea where you are from your address. It could be useful to place your accomodation in relation to Toulouse Carcasonne etc, both to help to see how to get there and get to other places for sightseeing. There is really no need for the exclamation mark after getting here! It implies a bit of a challenge to me!

Danny

[ChezShells]

Hi

I have just done a site for a property we are going to let out, kept it brief and on a single page

wadaya reckon? See Here

[ChezEsme]

discoverthepyrenees.com - I like the colours & pictures but they're a bit on the small side.  Perhaps make them link to larger pictures? Maybe have a look at re-wording the index page text just to make it a little more snappy? I like the information pages and links to nearby towns etc and links to airports.

chezshells.com - I like the way it is all on one page although there doesn't seem to be that much information on where you're located and what's around your local area. Not sure on the grey and the pictures look a little fuzzy and small.  Again maybe make them clickable to larger, more clear pictures?  Would want more pictures & info before I considered booking.  The availability calendar is very useful.

[ChezShells]

Cheers

Have altered the page a little but will add to it in the next few weeks to alter loading times for dial up users hence my reason for a brief and to the point web page.
See Here

[Jo Taylor]

First page:

Holiday in the Pyrenees France, at our Bed and Breakfast.

 Misplaced comma, and 'holiday' is not a verb - how about "Holidays in the French Pyrenees at our Bed & Breakfast".

Situated in Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, you can find our warm and friendly Bed and Breakfast waiting to help you unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life. Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers is a small village near Puivert and Chalabre.

Clumsy and with another misplaced comma - try "Our warm and friendly B&B is in the small village of Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, a small village near Puivert and Chalabre, where you can unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life"

Whether you're looking for an active vacation or just somewhere to retreat to and take in the beautiful countryside, we will make sure you have a time to remember. We are ideally placed for both summer and winter vacations. The 600 hectare lake at Montbel is just a 4 minute drive away and the popular towns of Mirepoix and Limoux, famous for it's Blanquette, are within a 30 minute drive as is skiing at Mount d'Olmes. Of course there is always Andorra for your duty free shopping!

Unless you're targeting Americans, use 'holiday', not 'vacation'.
"600 hectare", "4 minute drive away", "30 minute drive" - 600-hectare, four-minute, 30-minute drive" (compound adjectives should have a hyphen; as a general rule if a number is lower than ten, spell it out.).
"popular towns of Mirepoix and Limoux, famous for it's Blanquette" - "it's" should be its - it's a possessive pronoun, not an abbreviation of 'it is'. (It's its when it's it is and its when it belongs to it.) Is it Mirepoix or Limoux which is famous for it? I know what blanquette is, but your readers may not - maybe explain what it is (its local speciality dish, Blanquette).

The first photo on the first page is very bland - it could be anyone's table and chairs, anywhere. Much better would be a lovely view. Its purpose is to grab the reader and entice them to look further.

Accommodation page:

The photos are all rather grey and bland - liven them up with some colour - cushions, flowers. Make them look more inviting and comfortable.

"All of our rooms are furnished to a high standard are cleaned every day. An iron is available on request. Rooms and linen/towels changed every 3rd day."
"All the rooms are furnished to a high standard and cleaned daily; linen and towels are changed every third day." Then, continue to describe other facilities - the iron can come later!

"Settle yourself on the cosy couches and take advantage of our wide screen TV & DVD collection that is of course unless you're not outside enjoying the local restaurant and bar!"
"Settle yourself on the cosy couches and take advantage of our wide screen TV & DVD collection - that is, of course, if you're not outside enjoying the local restaurant and bar!" ('unless you are' or 'if you're not'). The middle 'twin room' photo isn't showing.

"A family room is available by use of interconnecting doors for holidaying families. Please ask for further information."
"Rooms with interconnecting doors can be let as a family suite - please ask for details."
---------------------------------
Further proofreading available on request [:)]
(And I'm bound to have made a typo somewhere!)

Jo

 

[Owens88]

I like the honesty, sleeps 6 but more comfortable for 4.

 

Otherwise I wonder whey you have restricted the width of the page so much.

 

Feel free to critique ours. Good luck.

 

John

[ChezShells]

Hi John

Retricted - is a little narrow, may widen it, just wanted something different with no drivvel.
Sleeps 6 - gives a better idea as to the size I think

Yours, no comment on the site but v pricey!
You obviously must get bookings for high season.

Lee

[plod]

Blanquette de Limoux is a dish made with grapes and comes in liquid form!

[Jo Taylor]

[quote user="plod"]Blanquette de Limoux is a dish made with grapes and comes in liquid form![/quote]

Ah, right, I didn't know what it was then! I was thinking of Blanquette de Veau - I'm in a cows and cider region, not a wine one [:D]

[tenniswitch]

[quote user="Jo Taylor"]

First page:

Holiday in the Pyrenees France, at our Bed and Breakfast.

 Misplaced comma, and 'holiday' is not a verb - how about "Holidays in the French Pyrenees at our Bed & Breakfast".

Situated in Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, you can find our warm and friendly Bed and Breakfast waiting to help you unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life. Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers is a small village near Puivert and Chalabre.

Clumsy and with another misplaced comma - try "Our warm and friendly B&B is in the small village of Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, a small village near Puivert and Chalabre, where you can unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life"

[/quote]

A small quibble: don't use "small" twice in the same sentence to describe your village.

How about "Our warm and friendly B&B is in Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, a small village near Puivert and Chalabre, where you can unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life." or even better "Come unwind from the hustle and bustle of modern life in our warm and friendly B&B in Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, a small village near Puivert and Chalabre."

Then drop the second para where you tell them again that your village is near Puivert and Chalabre.

Also, I'd drop the cat photos.  I love cats but that's not what I'm interested in seeing when I'm looking for accommodation.

[Jo Taylor]

[quote user="tenniswitch"]

A small quibble: don't use "small" twice in the same sentence to describe your village.

How about "Our warm and friendly B&B is in Sainte Colombe sur l'Hers, a small village near Puivert and Chalabre, where you can unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life."[/quote]

Eek, that's what I meant to put. (Guaranteed typos at that time of night..)

[Owens88]

Retricted - is a little narrow, may widen it, just wanted something different with no drivvel.
Sleeps 6 - gives a better idea as to the size I think

Yours, no comment on the site but v pricey!
You obviously must get bookings for high season

 

Yes I should have said narrow. I did like the effect but it was perhaps too narrow. I also like no drivel.

Our pricing is right for the area and property, though we have a 'no hidden extras' policy (apart from bedlinen alas) whereas some of our competitors build up the cos significantly from the headline price. And yes August is full !

 

Good luck