With the current market climate the way it is, businesses and gîte owners must compete within a market which is getting ever smaller and tougher.  You need your business to be noted above others.

 

With a well designed website you can compete on equal terms with large businesses and holiday companies and drive the business towards you rather than them.

 

Why do you need a website?  Your business or gîte has operated quite comfortably up until now.  But times have changed - not everyone needed a mobile phone ten years ago, not everyone needed a website just two years ago - now, a well designed website may make the difference between success or failure.

 

Just having a website isn’t quite enough however.  Some people think a DIY website will be adequate, there are plenty of templates available for you to use, but your amateur website may just make your business look amateur.  In the same way that you may have employed professionals to help construct your holiday accommodation, you may need to use professionals to help get people into that accommodation.

 

So what is an effective website?  Contrary to some thoughts, it is not an all singing, all dancing site with flashing lights and long introductions which take forever to load.  An effective website is simple and easy to use.  Information should be well laid out and easily accessible.  Your website should be an ideal complement to your business.

 

Check some of our website tips, many professionals use these simple rules to achieve the ideal site.

Case Study - Holiday Bookings

 

A family looking to rent a holiday home for the summer may browse through a number of brochures or use an internet search engine to create a shortlist of possibilities.  More and more people are using dedicated holiday lettings sites to search for their idyllic place in France.  Whilst these sites are good, they don’t really give a true feel of the properties on display.  With a link to a good, well designed website you are far more likely to reach their shortlist than without.  If you don’t reach the shortlist then you won’t get the business.

Top Tips

 

Tip 1

Keep it Simple

Follow the “3 click rule” and make sure that the right information can be found within just 3 clicks, not hidden away in the depths of your site.

 

Tip 2

Keywords

Use the right words and headings to get your site listed on Google and MSN searches.

 

Tip 3

Make it look Professional

A poor quality website will give the impression that your products and services are also poor quality.  Avoid clipart and grainy, badly cropped prints.

 

Tip 4

Don’t be Flashy

Flashy, animated introductions and automatically playing music are big turn-offs.  Moving images, scrolling text and flashing lights on the page distract from your content and add little value.

 

Tip 5

Think Sunshine

If you are marketing a holiday letting then make sure your pictures are of high quality and taken in the sunshine.  Nobody in England wants to stay in a Gîte where even the website promises cloud or rain.

 

Tip 6

Grammar

Make sure the grammar and spelling are as good as they can be.

 

Tip 7

Colours

Use colours that compliment your business and work well together.  Use a design that matches your other marketing material.