New Website from Long Time Lurker

[Sugaholler]

Hi,
Leaving design preferences aside, my only two suggestions would be

1. Optimize the amount of custom fonts that are loaded, especially if not used.
For example, from what I can spot, here are the fonts that your website loads:
Google Webfonts:
Actor:normal;
Open Sans:300,300italic,400,400italic,600,600italic,700,700italic,800,800italic;
Coustard;
Calluna Sans;
Felt Tip Roman;

I'm pretty sure that you don't need to load all available weights of Open Sans, as each takes some loading time and memory.
2. Avoid the fonts rainbow on your website.

a. The navigation uses Trebuchet MS;
b. The "Stay with us for a romantic..." uses Calluna Sans;
c. The main copy uses Verdana (why not use Open Sans instead?)
d. The blockquote element uses Felt Tip Roman (it makes the text less readable by the way);
The best practice is to use a combination of max 2 fonts on the same page, not 4.
Additionally, using fonts like Trebuchet and Verdana take your website back by at least 10 years..

Thanks for the advice on the fonts. I worked with Open Sans for a while and didn't like it maybe I'll go back and give it another try.

 

[Sugaholler]

i agree about the daffodils. i'd get a neutral color on the sides in place of the daffodils. i love the main background color and all your pictures, and the daffodils are distracting. i also love the name..

Thanks for the notes. Maybe I can keep the daffs in a more subdued way so as not to blind anybody.

 

[Sugaholler]

Just to emphasize EmptyNest's suggestion about getting rid of the daffodil background, here's what happened yesterday. I had a window open on my computer with your site. My husband sat down and went to your site. He said wow, this place looks great...those daffodils are driving me crazy.
He didn't know anything about the discussion here! So I thought I would let you know what a typical guy on the street (he's not the one that does anything to do with websites here) thought about it..

Ok the daffodils are over the top! This is why I needed to ask the question on this forum. The people who know me personally wouldn't be so honest. haha.

 

[Sugaholler]

My only point would be - your video is good clear and the right speed - however I wouldn't put that sound on, this is because if people are having a crafty look at work it will hold them back, yes they can turn it off but if they don't know to in advance it will be playing before they can stop it. Music is fine but there must be a quick easy way to turn it off or choose to have it on..

Thanks its just a youtube embedded video so the mute button is in the usual youtube place there at the bottom of the video? I hope.

 

[Sugaholler]

Hi Good Friends!
Haven't see you in ages!!! Miss all our chats.
Only thing I will say right now..is those daffodils no matter how pretty they are..do not go with the page and make it look so OLD SCHOOL web.
Also, the gold text on the burgundy background is a bit hard to read.
All my best!!!
Just so you know...your EX PREZ from long ago .

Ok the votes are in and the daffodils are going out soon. I tried turning down the brightness on the text to help with the readability. I'll keep playing with that.
BTW this is your friends' son, now on board with the business.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Sugaholler]

Hi Good Friends!
Haven't see you in ages!!! Miss all our chats.
Only thing I will say right now..is those daffodils no matter how pretty they are..do not go with the page and make it look so OLD SCHOOL web.
Also, the gold text on the burgundy background is a bit hard to read.
All my best!!!
Just so you know...your EX PREZ from long ago .

Those were my top two comments as well, to a nice looking website! I noticed the prices, and man, those daffodils don't inspire the feeling of a $200 experience for me (suggestion, don't know the area, but a beautiful area nature view...waterfall, etc..might be nice- just one picture...don't repeat over the page). And the contrast between the text and background made it hard for me to scan / read.
I really liked the top navigation bar and drop down options. I liked that you had the contact info there as well.
.

Lots of wild daffodils every here this time of year, just popping up now, kind of memorable theme for our guests starting about now as part of early spring, but everyone seems to hate them so I'm moving onto to summer straight away. I tried the one picture thing but I ran into challenges with balancing page speed. I'll look into it again!

 

[Sugaholler]

Fussy user here...I would rather not have to click the calendar to see the prices. I have a chart on each room page that shows the range of prices for a given month/season. Then the guest can click thru to the calendar to see the exact rate for the date.
Never mind. I just saw the 'compare' page. Now I'm going to copy that for my site! Great idea!
Maybe you need a couple of rate range columns to show seasonality. If there is a difference..

You are right. I'm going to put the prices more up front. Meant to do that already but forgot!

 

[EmptyNest]

Just to emphasize EmptyNest's suggestion about getting rid of the daffodil background, here's what happened yesterday. I had a window open on my computer with your site. My husband sat down and went to your site. He said wow, this place looks great...those daffodils are driving me crazy.
He didn't know anything about the discussion here! So I thought I would let you know what a typical guy on the street (he's not the one that does anything to do with websites here) thought about it..

Ok the daffodils are over the top! This is why I needed to ask the question on this forum. The people who know me personally wouldn't be so honest. haha.
.

Oh yes they would because I do know you personally

and I say lose the daffodils all together.

 

[EmptyNest]

Hi Good Friends!
Haven't see you in ages!!! Miss all our chats.
Only thing I will say right now..is those daffodils no matter how pretty they are..do not go with the page and make it look so OLD SCHOOL web.
Also, the gold text on the burgundy background is a bit hard to read.
All my best!!!
Just so you know...your EX PREZ from long ago .

Ok the votes are in and the daffodils are going out soon. I tried turning down the brightness on the text to help with the readability. I'll keep playing with that.
BTW this is your friends' son, now on board with the business.
Thanks for the help!

.

yes i know
say hi to dad and mom for me!

 

[JBloggs]

Hi Good Friends!
Haven't see you in ages!!! Miss all our chats.
Only thing I will say right now..is those daffodils no matter how pretty they are..do not go with the page and make it look so OLD SCHOOL web.
Also, the gold text on the burgundy background is a bit hard to read.
All my best!!!
Just so you know...your EX PREZ from long ago .

Ok the votes are in and the daffodils are going out soon. I tried turning down the brightness on the text to help with the readability. I'll keep playing with that.
BTW this is your friends' son, now on board with the business.
Thanks for the help!

.

Ok the votes are in and the daffodils are going out soon. I tried turning down the brightness on the text to help with the readability. I'll keep playing with that.

If you want, you can always post a question as a poll! You can get a ton of feedback in one fell swoop:
Daffies as our website background:

1. Love them
2. Hate them
3. Maybe subdued
4. Other

My vote - OTHER: with your rates, you need to up the ante on your website and give it a more elegant feel, in other words 86 the daffies.

 

[EmptyNest]

Yeah the daffodils are gone But the background is too flat. why not try something like this for a bit of texture.

 

[JBloggs]

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time.

 

[Arks]

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time. .

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time.

Not me. I went with black...because it was the default in the theme I bought, and I didn't know how to change it!
Plus, I'm color blind so don't do colors.
But since then, I've read that black if the color of "classy" and "top of the line", so I decided to keep it!

 

[JBloggs]

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time. .

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time.

Not me. I went with black...because it was the default in the theme I bought, and I didn't know how to change it!
Plus, I'm color blind so don't do colors.
But since then, I've read that black if the color of "classy" and "top of the line", so I decided to keep it!
.

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time.

Not me. I went with black...because it was the default in the theme I bought, and I didn't know how to change it!
Plus, I'm color blind so don't do colors.
But since then, I've read that black if the color of "classy" and "top of the line", so I decided to keep it!

This is true, but you also are not a typical B&B.

 

[Madeleine]

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time. .

All NEW innkeepers think maroon is the color for a B&B website and marketing. Every time.

Not me. I went with black...because it was the default in the theme I bought, and I didn't know how to change it!
Plus, I'm color blind so don't do colors.
But since then, I've read that black if the color of "classy" and "top of the line", so I decided to keep it!
.

the website we inherited here was black. it did look sharp!

 

[Country Girl]

Hi. I think your website looks great! The only thing I would suggest would be to add photos of your breakfasts.
My youngest son went to UVA. I love Charlottesville.

 

[JBloggs]

Holler, I was going to suggest something, but I have no room to talk. I was going to ask if you are trying to appeal to a younger crowd as you have hiking and more right there. So I was going to say...perhaps a little more personality, for the younger mindset on the site. BUT, and that is a BIG BUT, I clicked on the TA link and saw your quirky comment (which I love). But then I was ON TA and about fell over with those reviews!
THAT NEEDS TO BE UP THERE! I mean, if you aren't full and want to bring in more business, BRAG, DANG IT, BRAG!
May I walk in your shadow?...845 Excellent Reviews...good golly miss molly!

 

[Sugaholler]

Holler, I was going to suggest something, but I have no room to talk. I was going to ask if you are trying to appeal to a younger crowd as you have hiking and more right there. So I was going to say...perhaps a little more personality, for the younger mindset on the site. BUT, and that is a BIG BUT, I clicked on the TA link and saw your quirky comment (which I love). But then I was ON TA and about fell over with those reviews!
THAT NEEDS TO BE UP THERE! I mean, if you aren't full and want to bring in more business, BRAG, DANG IT, BRAG!
May I walk in your shadow?...845 Excellent Reviews...good golly miss molly!

.

Thanks! My dad has been on the TA bandwagon since forever. His personal strategy is to make TA work for the business and not the other way around, drown out any negative reviews with reviews from happy customers. At the same time, they are kind of uncomfortable with self-promotion on the web and even advertising about great reviews, awards, etc... I'm working on helping them toot their own horn a little more.

 

[Sugaholler]

Hi. I think your website looks great! The only thing I would suggest would be to add photos of your breakfasts.
My youngest son went to UVA. I love Charlottesville..

Thanks Country Girl - our food photography is definitely lacking. Thus, no good pictures to post! All of the pictures of the breakfasts look, well, unappetizing... but guests go away happy.

 

[EmptyNest]

Hi. I think your website looks great! The only thing I would suggest would be to add photos of your breakfasts.
My youngest son went to UVA. I love Charlottesville..

Thanks Country Girl - our food photography is definitely lacking. Thus, no good pictures to post! All of the pictures of the breakfasts look, well, unappetizing... but guests go away happy.
.

You all do everything so well. Why not just set aside some time to do a breakfast photo shoot? Even if it is not professionally done, you can set it up to look good. Others here have.