Makeover near finished feedback wanted

[Skamokawa]

After a major overhaul of our site, the developer has let me loose to finish tweaking photos and copy. Our internet speed is so slow today that the server host will no longer let me in until I'm re-authorized. The good thing is that means I'm done for the night. The not-so-good-thing...I hoped to get more photos uploaded. This process has been extremely frustrating today. I shot, renamed, captioned and resized but could not upload most of them. So......
I have been looking at this so much today my eyes are swimming and words are dancing so it really is time to stop.
Please have a look and tell me what you think of navigation and information presented, also any other glaring errors/things I've overlooked.
This has been a very long time coming!

 

[Innkeep]

Isn't it amazing how much difference only a few years makes for websites? I have a much better idea of what to expect when I come out for a visit!

Kudos for all your hard work.
For us midwesterners, the small "location" map at the bottom of each page might actually be zoomed out a bit, perhaps to the size of the state, so we could figure out where you are. The directions page helps everybody get there, so you're not losing any information there.
Might give some thought to information about yourself. Many of the innmates have gone in that direction.

 

[Skamokawa]

Isn't it amazing how much difference only a few years makes for websites? I have a much better idea of what to expect when I come out for a visit!

Kudos for all your hard work.
For us midwesterners, the small "location" map at the bottom of each page might actually be zoomed out a bit, perhaps to the size of the state, so we could figure out where you are. The directions page helps everybody get there, so you're not losing any information there.
Might give some thought to information about yourself. Many of the innmates have gone in that direction..

Thanks Innkeep. The small maps on the bottom of each page actually place us further down the road from where we actually are. Its an ongoing problem. The large map on the directions page is right on. Somewhere (I hope) I have a graphic that locates Skamokawa as part of the Lower Columbia River Region. It may be sized too small for this edition, I'l know if I can find it.
Personally I lean to reading about what the accommodations are like rather than reading the innkeeper's - "We quit the corporate world to fulfill our dream" or some variation thereof, but so many here have stated they won't stay if they can't get a feel for the innkeepers that I'm coming around. It's just that we quit the corporate world to fulfill our dream - Ack! A living cliche'.

 

[Mary at Bridgewater Inn and Cottage]

Love small B&B and Cottages, I can relate , good to see the site improvements you made .Now I better improve my site !

 

[EmptyNest]

The problem is not slow internet that won't let you in....if you are blocked from the server, it would be because you logged in too many times with an incorrect password. You must contact the hosting company and give them the locked out IP address.

 

[JBloggs]

NICE! VERY NICE!
Just looking at the home page quickly (this typo):
Welcome to THIS B&B:
your vacation home in rural ,
(capitalize Your)
I would remove the rental image from the header slide show. You can have that elsewhere without a kitchen entry being as a WOW photo - which is what the header is all about.
And now for an obvious question: The title suggests TWIN where is the other one? In the photo I only see a single. In my mind I want to see the image that fits the B&B name on the home page. Just a suggestion, I love the shot that is there of course, love love love it. But the twins would be great as a starting point home page image.

 

[OnTheShore]

The link back to your website in the Contact block on the left sidebar doesn't work (because it is recursive).

 

[Madeleine]

Ah! The Fort Clatsop pic did it. I know around where you are now!
Anyhoo...about the site...

• Altogether a big improvement!
• I did not check any SEO so I won't talk about that
• The home page photo is too big. The other pages have the smaller size and my opinion is to make all the page headers the same size. Why? Too many clueless people have told me, 'I can't find (fill in the blank),' because they didn't think there was anything to scroll down to. (Yes, I see the links above the photo, it won't make a difference to the clueless.)
• I think the green is a little too dark. Your inn name and the other text is at the very top is getting lost.
• OK, one thing about SEO ;-) - your page names could be better, especially the one for your vacation rental. Put all the really important stuff at the beginning. If you want to tag your inn name onto that sentence, do it at the end. The more important info (Lower Columbia River Vacation Cottage/Rental/House) should be at the very beginning. Use the other page titles to do the same. You don't need your inn name in each one. Always start with something you think someone would search for using up a lot of your keywords in the titles rather than starting with 'policies' or 'meals' or things like that. Your 'our area' page should really pump in the best keywords for what guests usually do: Kayaking, Hiking, History - Lower Columbia River Washington.
• Nicely done. All the new pix will really help.

 

[Madeleine]

In the slide show photos (I did this, too, and it made me insane going back and fixing it...) Stink to one theme. If you are going to capitalize all the words except prepositions, do it consistently.
Agree with JB that the photo of the stove in the cottage is not the best one for your header slide show. The front porch one is inviting, tho!

 

[EmptyNest]

Ah! The Fort Clatsop pic did it. I know around where you are now!
Anyhoo...about the site...

• Altogether a big improvement!
• I did not check any SEO so I won't talk about that
• The home page photo is too big. The other pages have the smaller size and my opinion is to make all the page headers the same size. Why? Too many clueless people have told me, 'I can't find (fill in the blank),' because they didn't think there was anything to scroll down to. (Yes, I see the links above the photo, it won't make a difference to the clueless.)
• I think the green is a little too dark. Your inn name and the other text is at the very top is getting lost.
• OK, one thing about SEO ;-) - your page names could be better, especially the one for your vacation rental. Put all the really important stuff at the beginning. If you want to tag your inn name onto that sentence, do it at the end. The more important info (Lower Columbia River Vacation Cottage/Rental/House) should be at the very beginning. Use the other page titles to do the same. You don't need your inn name in each one. Always start with something you think someone would search for using up a lot of your keywords in the titles rather than starting with 'policies' or 'meals' or things like that. Your 'our area' page should really pump in the best keywords for what guests usually do: Kayaking, Hiking, History - Lower Columbia River Washington.
• Nicely done. All the new pix will really help.

.

Personally I LOVE the wow factor of the large photos on the home page. I also like the contrast of the dark greens I think the inn logo looks fine on the green.
Maybe someone's monitor needs color adjustment

 

[JBloggs]

The Pacnw is green, evergreen to be correct. I think the color bodes well w the location and scenery.

 

[JBloggs]

Wow fast correction...well done. I am on my iPad, and hgave to say the streamlined page is very attractive. Too many bells and whistles just distract me, iam enjoying the iPad version.
Ps the header images fit nicely as well.

 

[Skamokawa]

Yep, it wasn't the slow speed, it was the incorrect naming of some files that caused the lockout. Fixed some of the bad labels last night then was able to get back in.

 

[Skamokawa]

Love small B&B and Cottages, I can relate , good to see the site improvements you made .Now I better improve my site !.

Where did you see the 'cottage' copy?
We actually have a separate apartment. I'm purging all references to 'cottage'.

 

[Skamokawa]

NICE! VERY NICE!
Just looking at the home page quickly (this typo):
Welcome to THIS B&B:
your vacation home in rural ,
(capitalize Your)
I would remove the rental image from the header slide show. You can have that elsewhere without a kitchen entry being as a WOW photo - which is what the header is all about.
And now for an obvious question: The title suggests TWIN where is the other one? In the photo I only see a single. In my mind I want to see the image that fits the B&B name on the home page. Just a suggestion, I love the shot that is there of course, love love love it. But the twins would be great as a starting point home page image..

The apartment photo will be removed from home sliders.
Getting a good shot of our exterior is not easy. An outbuilding (where the apartment is) blocks the view of one of the gables from the street side, and it is difficult to get a good view from the water side without being in a boat. I've got a great water shot, but its snow covered. I can add that to the home slide show soon, but not quite yet!

 

[Skamokawa]

The link back to your website in the Contact block on the left sidebar doesn't work (because it is recursive)..

Recursive. That's terminology above pay grade. There are some links on the 'Our Area' page that also don't work. Maybe the same problem.

 

[Skamokawa]

Ah! The Fort Clatsop pic did it. I know around where you are now!
Anyhoo...about the site...

• Altogether a big improvement!
• I did not check any SEO so I won't talk about that
• The home page photo is too big. The other pages have the smaller size and my opinion is to make all the page headers the same size. Why? Too many clueless people have told me, 'I can't find (fill in the blank),' because they didn't think there was anything to scroll down to. (Yes, I see the links above the photo, it won't make a difference to the clueless.)
• I think the green is a little too dark. Your inn name and the other text is at the very top is getting lost.
• OK, one thing about SEO ;-) - your page names could be better, especially the one for your vacation rental. Put all the really important stuff at the beginning. If you want to tag your inn name onto that sentence, do it at the end. The more important info (Lower Columbia River Vacation Cottage/Rental/House) should be at the very beginning. Use the other page titles to do the same. You don't need your inn name in each one. Always start with something you think someone would search for using up a lot of your keywords in the titles rather than starting with 'policies' or 'meals' or things like that. Your 'our area' page should really pump in the best keywords for what guests usually do: Kayaking, Hiking, History - Lower Columbia River Washington.
• Nicely done. All the new pix will really help.

.

Got lucky with the Fort Clatsop pic. The living history folks were there the same day I was. I think you're right about the page names. I'm making a list as I go through the comments here.

 

[EmptyNest]

The link back to your website in the Contact block on the left sidebar doesn't work (because it is recursive)..

Recursive. That's terminology above pay grade. There are some links on the 'Our Area' page that also don't work. Maybe the same problem.
.

No, if the links on your area page don't work. It is because the incorrect URL was with the original link on your site, or..the link has changed and you need to update it.

 

[Skamokawa]

The link back to your website in the Contact block on the left sidebar doesn't work (because it is recursive)..

Recursive. That's terminology above pay grade. There are some links on the 'Our Area' page that also don't work. Maybe the same problem.
.

No, if the links on your area page don't work. It is because the incorrect URL was with the original link on your site, or..the link has changed and you need to update it.
.

Funny. I checked the links before I put them in, must have typed incorrectly. Its on the punch list. Thx.

 

[EmptyNest]

The link back to your website in the Contact block on the left sidebar doesn't work (because it is recursive)..

Recursive. That's terminology above pay grade. There are some links on the 'Our Area' page that also don't work. Maybe the same problem.
.

No, if the links on your area page don't work. It is because the incorrect URL was with the original link on your site, or..the link has changed and you need to update it.
.

Funny. I checked the links before I put them in, must have typed incorrectly. Its on the punch list. Thx.
.

Problem...no http:// with the url. Also you always want to check "Open in a new window."