A different kind of tired!

[Don Draper]

Day two of two with NO GUESTS...relaxing!!! BUT have our website people here, they are taking some new photos and we are changing our site. I forgot how utterly exhausting this is! Running around putting the house back together after the photos are taken, feeding them, feeding us, trying to clean up the messy innkeepers quarters...phew!
I am remembering how much fun it was to put our initial website together, and 3.5 years later it's really cool to see how we're refining and shaping our marketing. For anyone who will be hiring a marketing or web design firm...while these guys are the pros and you have to rely on their professional judgement on technical things, you have to KEEP reminding them what your inn is all about, who you're marketing towards, how you want things to look. It's a great exercise for us, makes us remember why we came here in the first place and who we're hoping to serve and draw in.
I keep fighting with the photographer...she naturally wants things "prettified" and keeps adding little embellishments, esp. on the breakfast table. I am adamant that we NOT put anything in the photos that aren't part of our every day routine. We're butting heads but in a good way! They are enjoying the experience as well and learning from us.
Off to do the next guest room!

 

[Morticia]

Terrific!
I had a prof photog here who only does B&B's. He was very helpful in explaining why he was doing things the way he was doing them.

 

[user 26]

i am totally onboard with you on this!
i love great pictures in websites.
but i just hate it when i stay somewhere and think 'how is this even the same place i saw on their website?'
it's great to show your place at its best advantage. convey its style, its warmth, whether it's old fashioned or victorian or traditional or funky .... but no glamour shots, please!

 

[Don Draper]

These same folks did our original site and it is incredible to see how much the technology has changed in such a short time. They don't even need big flood lights anymore, everything is "speed lights" that communicate digitally with each other. The camera is connected directly to the computer so you can see immediately if a pillow is crooked or you need more light in a corner.
It was fun but I am completely exhausted now. Being creative takes a lot of energy!