New Study Reveals the Impact of Travel Site Performance on Consumers

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JBloggs

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[FONT= 'Trebuchet MS']New Study Reveals the Impact of Travel Site Performance on Consumers[/h1]Article here
JB - As innkeepers promoting our inns and our areas we KNOW the impact a website can have on consumers, negative or positive. We need to grab them with the photos FIRST. We can have a whole slough of images all over the website but need to keep the main thing the main thing.
What can you do to improve your website?
Is flash a thing of the past now? What updates should we regularly do? Are you specials all out of date, ie Valentine's day...
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3 seconds? Holy cow.
I know I'm impatient, but I don't give up that quickly. Then again, I'm older. But you have definitely lost me after 10 seconds. Broken links will turn me off. And, like you said, old info. Not so much a Valentine's Day special as some people have the same specials each year. But a big 'new news in 2008!' banner will make me wonder.
 
3 seconds is actually not all that surprising to me. You see the site and either stay or leave right away.
I admit that out of date specials make me leave the site right away. I figure if they're not updating their specials, they're not paying very close attention to the inn so where would that leave me.
 
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed.
 
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed..
Samster said:
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed.
I am wondering though - is that a good thing? They are very attractive but sometimes when I am looking at one of those sites I get so distracted by the changing photos, I can not concentrate on the words. OK so I am not the X or Y generation but these things DO bother me and given that my generation is in the highest persentage of B&B guests (according to B&B.com's 1st qtr survey) it may be more than ME having this problem.
Pictures do say 1000 words but do they have to have ALL of them flipping on each page?
 
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed..
Samster said:
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed.
I am wondering though - is that a good thing? They are very attractive but sometimes when I am looking at one of those sites I get so distracted by the changing photos, I can not concentrate on the words. OK so I am not the X or Y generation but these things DO bother me and given that my generation is in the highest persentage of B&B guests (according to B&B.com's 1st qtr survey) it may be more than ME having this problem.
Pictures do say 1000 words but do they have to have ALL of them flipping on each page?
.
copperhead said:
They are very attractive but sometimes when I am looking at one of those sites I get so distracted by the changing photos, I can not concentrate on the words. OK so I am not the X or Y generation but these things DO bother me and given that my generation is in the highest persentage of B&B guests (according to B&B.com's 1st qtr survey) it may be more than ME having this problem.
Pictures do say 1000 words but do they have to have ALL of them flipping on each page?
Sometimes they make me dizzy. Seriously. And guess what I do? Next.
Yes, they are beautiful and allow more big pix. But sometimes all that flipping is a distraction.
 
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed..
Samster said:
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed.
I am wondering though - is that a good thing? They are very attractive but sometimes when I am looking at one of those sites I get so distracted by the changing photos, I can not concentrate on the words. OK so I am not the X or Y generation but these things DO bother me and given that my generation is in the highest persentage of B&B guests (according to B&B.com's 1st qtr survey) it may be more than ME having this problem.
Pictures do say 1000 words but do they have to have ALL of them flipping on each page?
.
I think the secret is to set the speed slower so the pix aren't 'jumping' all the time. I know a slower speed is good for me, not sure if a faster speed is what the younger crowd wants. I guess the best solution is to have a set of thumnails so someone can click thru at their own speed.
 
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed..
Samster said:
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed.
I am wondering though - is that a good thing? They are very attractive but sometimes when I am looking at one of those sites I get so distracted by the changing photos, I can not concentrate on the words. OK so I am not the X or Y generation but these things DO bother me and given that my generation is in the highest persentage of B&B guests (according to B&B.com's 1st qtr survey) it may be more than ME having this problem.
Pictures do say 1000 words but do they have to have ALL of them flipping on each page?
.
I think the secret is to set the speed slower so the pix aren't 'jumping' all the time. I know a slower speed is good for me, not sure if a faster speed is what the younger crowd wants. I guess the best solution is to have a set of thumnails so someone can click thru at their own speed.
.
We are going to redo ours, with some good new photos to be taken in July. We will change to that format, with a big photo across the top, but with a rotate on a slow speed and no writing on the photos - and only on the home page. The other pages will have static photos.
 
Apparently I am a teetering baby boomer now so I can't decide what I like!
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites. Oh, I saw a really great website today...hm, where was it. Oh yeah, Arkansas...hang on let me see if I can recall it in chrome here.
Here it is, I find this a very attractive website. Only PART of the header changes, so you can look past it if you wish. cut n paste. http://www.bridgefordhouse.com/
A great web designer.
 
Apparently I am a teetering baby boomer now so I can't decide what I like!
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites. Oh, I saw a really great website today...hm, where was it. Oh yeah, Arkansas...hang on let me see if I can recall it in chrome here.
Here it is, I find this a very attractive website. Only PART of the header changes, so you can look past it if you wish. cut n paste. http://www.bridgefordhouse.com/
A great web designer..
Joey Bloggs said:
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites.
I think that's it for me. I don't have a chance to really look at the photo and absorb the place.
I also think that Mortie's right that when it's in slow motion, it's not such a distraction. And I have seen it used really effectively that way.
Personally, I'd rather have the time to savor the pix of the place I eventually choose. And sometimes that is not possible.
 
Apparently I am a teetering baby boomer now so I can't decide what I like!
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites. Oh, I saw a really great website today...hm, where was it. Oh yeah, Arkansas...hang on let me see if I can recall it in chrome here.
Here it is, I find this a very attractive website. Only PART of the header changes, so you can look past it if you wish. cut n paste. http://www.bridgefordhouse.com/
A great web designer..
Joey Bloggs said:
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites.
I think that's it for me. I don't have a chance to really look at the photo and absorb the place.
I also think that Mortie's right that when it's in slow motion, it's not such a distraction. And I have seen it used really effectively that way.
Personally, I'd rather have the time to savor the pix of the place I eventually choose. And sometimes that is not possible.
.
Innkeeper To Go said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites.
I think that's it for me. I don't have a chance to really look at the photo and absorb the place.
I also think that Mortie's right that when it's in slow motion, it's not such a distraction. And I have seen it used really effectively that way.
Personally, I'd rather have the time to savor the pix of the place I eventually choose. And sometimes that is not possible.
That is me as well. And these moving photos do not allow that and then you have to wait until the picture you are wanting to savor comes back around. Well If I am really in the market (and not window shopping) I will just move on...no time to dilly dally. I also wonder if these photos are moving so that you can't look into or savor the photo... !!! Wonder how many others are thinking this?
I also can not concentrate on anything I am trying to read that appears on the same page... words are just lost. And again, while pictures say 1000 words, they can not capture all the things we need to tell our prospective guests... While there are pictures of a beautiful breakfast the picture does not say that it is complimentary or that this meal is gluten free...
I think that if I were going to have a slide show on my site, I would make a large single picture with a caption to click for a look at 'your inn' in a nice slide show.
 
Apparently I am a teetering baby boomer now so I can't decide what I like!
Actually, I don't like too much action, I like to look into a photo, that is what I love to do, not at, but into. Even the most basic simple shots can transport me to another place, momentarily. That is the effect I like on B&B websites. Oh, I saw a really great website today...hm, where was it. Oh yeah, Arkansas...hang on let me see if I can recall it in chrome here.
Here it is, I find this a very attractive website. Only PART of the header changes, so you can look past it if you wish. cut n paste. http://www.bridgefordhouse.com/
A great web designer..
Joey Bloggs said:
A great web designer.
Hmm. That website wraps around my screen very oddly in Safari on a macbook. I can't even tell who the web designer is.
 
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed..
Samster said:
Seems like many of the brand-newish B&B websites have a photo "slide show" at the top of the page...automatically fading changing photos. That catches my attention. There are still so many sites out there that have tiny photos...I'm constantly amazed.
I am wondering though - is that a good thing? They are very attractive but sometimes when I am looking at one of those sites I get so distracted by the changing photos, I can not concentrate on the words. OK so I am not the X or Y generation but these things DO bother me and given that my generation is in the highest persentage of B&B guests (according to B&B.com's 1st qtr survey) it may be more than ME having this problem.
Pictures do say 1000 words but do they have to have ALL of them flipping on each page?
.
I have to admit that I'm becoming an Adult ADD traveler - I like that on the homepage. Then, I just go to the booking engine which hopefully has photos of the rooms and their baths. I don't want to spend a lot of time on a site with a lot of text. Just the facts, ma'am.....
 
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