Constantly Change Website Room Photos

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JBloggs

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
17,744
Reaction score
9
For those who pay big bucks to the likes of professional photogs and web design, what do you do when you change out something in a room? Leave it right? The image is nice and who cares if something changes, like a quilt - as we obviousely have to change them out/buy new ones etc.
A person called who saw a small sofa in a particular room (which is now in another room) and called to see if her daughter could sleep on it. We don't do more than two to a room, except one suite that has a proper sofa bed for a third person - not child. Just wondering how often you get questions about things no longer in a room? I am certainly not retaking all the pics when I change the linens!
 
Only for major changes, and then only when we can afford it! Last winter we installed all hardwood blinds (to replace white vinyl ones) and that has really changed the "look" of our rooms. But it won't be until this fall that we'll have time/resources to reshoot. I have changed just about all the quilts since we shot our photos and haven't done updated photos...my own photos just don't look good enough so we're waiting for the pros to get here.
We just made a big change to the configuration on one room...it used to have a double and a twin bed and now has just one queen. The pic stayed the same but I changed the description...luckily no confusion yet, people seem to be reading and knowing that they are booking a queen.
 
I reversed a room and haven't taken a new pic because the angle of the old pic is better than what I can get now. Personal opinion is if the change makes a wonderful difference that will really improve bookings, get it out there. But, usually the pro pix are stunning so I guess I'd leave them unless there would be a lot of confusion.
If I got beautiful new bedding I'd want to get it online. When we came here none of the bedding matched the online pix and the online pix were horrid because of all the old 'grannie' bedding.
 
this does not exactly answer your question because no 'big bucks' were paid for photos.
but since i left 'my' b&b, taking my own things with me ... my beds (headboards), wing chairs, artwork, quilts and various personal items with me ... no new room pictures have been changed to show how the rooms look now. the pics were taken by me showing how the rooms were set up when i was there.
one really odd bit is that my son's old room is now a guest room and they are using one of my pictures of another room ... so two rooms have the same picture on the website.
i wonder if guests notice or care. i wonder if they comment or question. or if it means little to nothing.
i can't seem to stop myself from checking the site from time to time. most of 'my' site was discarded, they just use the room pictures and parts of the room descriptions.
 
If you make an obvious configuration change, then I would post a new photo..or you are going to have people assuming that is the way it is and expect it. Of course, you can take your own great pics so you should:)
 
this does not exactly answer your question because no 'big bucks' were paid for photos.
but since i left 'my' b&b, taking my own things with me ... my beds (headboards), wing chairs, artwork, quilts and various personal items with me ... no new room pictures have been changed to show how the rooms look now. the pics were taken by me showing how the rooms were set up when i was there.
one really odd bit is that my son's old room is now a guest room and they are using one of my pictures of another room ... so two rooms have the same picture on the website.
i wonder if guests notice or care. i wonder if they comment or question. or if it means little to nothing.
i can't seem to stop myself from checking the site from time to time. most of 'my' site was discarded, they just use the room pictures and parts of the room descriptions..
The new website is confusing, with or without accurate pictures.
Did you keep your blog?
 
i closed it.
supposedly all the posts were transferred intoanother of my blogs, but i can't seem to retrieve the posts. and the blogger people don't answer me.
the new inn manager requested access to the inn blog, but it had become very very personal which i explained to her. they could always create a new blog.
 
i closed it.
supposedly all the posts were transferred intoanother of my blogs, but i can't seem to retrieve the posts. and the blogger people don't answer me.
the new inn manager requested access to the inn blog, but it had become very very personal which i explained to her. they could always create a new blog..
Oh, such a shame your posts have disappeared. I liked your blog, in large part because your personality was front and centre. You've got a great writing style!
 
thank you, hj.
i suppose i can figure out how to retrieve the posts someday.
you understand i could not just 'hand it over'.
 
thank you, hj.
i suppose i can figure out how to retrieve the posts someday.
you understand i could not just 'hand it over'..
seashanty said:
you understand i could not just 'hand it over'.
Yep, I totally understand.
I know some blogs are very 'business'. They're about things to do and places to eat and are really as extension of the 'Area Attractions' and 'Packages' pages of a website. These I could see transfering to a new innkeeper with the rest of the business.
But a lot of blogs are written in a personal, conversational style and I think it would be strange for a new innkeeper to take it on, unless they did some heavy editing to strip it down to just the facts.
 
thank you, hj.
i suppose i can figure out how to retrieve the posts someday.
you understand i could not just 'hand it over'..
seashanty said:
you understand i could not just 'hand it over'.
Yep, I totally understand.
I know some blogs are very 'business'. They're about things to do and places to eat and are really as extension of the 'Area Attractions' and 'Packages' pages of a website. These I could see transfering to a new innkeeper with the rest of the business.
But a lot of blogs are written in a personal, conversational style and I think it would be strange for a new innkeeper to take it on, unless they did some heavy editing to strip it down to just the facts.
.
I would definitely remove the personal posts from my blog before turning it over to someone else. My blog is mostly inn-related, but there are a couple of them that are just me nattering on. SS's was too personal to turn over to someone else. Who knows what they would have pulled out and what they would have left.
And I just looked at the website again. It is so confusing. They are renting rooms and apts all on the same page.
 
as a guest, i love to see pictures of 'my' room at a b&b.
there was one place i stayed that i chose the room because it had the pretty blue toile pattern i love and a canopy bed with one of those funny fainting couches at the foot of the bed. none of this was in evidence and i asked why. the innkeeper told me 'it hasn't been that way for years' years?
sad_smile.gif

i CHOSE that room because of the pictures and the descriptions. if i wanted 'whatever', i would have stayed at a place that assigned me a room. disappointing.
 
as a guest, i love to see pictures of 'my' room at a b&b.
there was one place i stayed that i chose the room because it had the pretty blue toile pattern i love and a canopy bed with one of those funny fainting couches at the foot of the bed. none of this was in evidence and i asked why. the innkeeper told me 'it hasn't been that way for years' years?
sad_smile.gif

i CHOSE that room because of the pictures and the descriptions. if i wanted 'whatever', i would have stayed at a place that assigned me a room. disappointing..
That's a great reason to keep pix as up to date as possible. Of course, now I'm going to go look at my pix...
 
I think you should update the pictures if there's a configuration change, different bed or other change in furnishings. I had to do that with a couple of rooms here. One room, I have yet to get a new photo up with the chairs in the sitting area vs. the antique sofa. Which reminds me...there are some old photos in the photo gallery.
I definitely book a room because of how it looks and would be disappointed if there was some major difference when I arrived.
 
Back
Top