Time wasters and video of our inn

[JBloggs]

It gets back to more of the inn less of the innkeepers. I know it is debatable, we say the innkeepers make the inn, and yes they do, but you don't know this until you are there. Just like pets, I will be best friends with a pooch at an inn, but having them central on the website means they wander in and out of my room etc. It is a fine line. Guest interviews may be worse than innkeeper interviews. IMO.
So a photo of the innkeepers welcoming you to the inn is just right! The rest just seems to unnatural to me. A video of what to see and do in the area I LOVE, I am all for that!

 

[Samster]

I'm a bit baffled by the unanimity of the anti-video sentiment here. There are good videos and bad videos - no different than good photos and bad photos....good web sites and bad web sites.
PAII conducted a study with Texas Tech University 2 years ago. In the study we asked 300 innkeepers - what do you think is important to have on your web site? Then we asked 300 B&B guests - what do you think is important to see on a B&B web site? Needless to say, there were plenty of variances. One of the big variances - meaning things that your potential guests WANT to see on your site, but you don't think are relatively important - was information about food - they want to see more photos of food, explanations of the kinds of things you will serve, etc.
Relevant to this thread, B&B guests want to see videos more than innkeepers feel it's important to provide them. You can do a highly-produced or over-produced video that feels too much like a commercial, or you can "keep it real" with the tone and the kind of things you include. It would be hard to completely avoid the "I feel like I'm being sold to" feeling one might get when looking at a video, but anyone clicking on a video on a B&B web site probably expects to see something that was made for the purpose of convincing them to make a reservation.
I think video can do things that some photos can't - you can hear about the inn in the innkeeper's own voice - that plays nicely with the "authentic" kind of experience many innkeepers try to deliver. Video of the grounds and house sometimes "feels" more real than what you see in a still photo.
Here's just one example of some innkeepers who have kept their videos from feeling, IMHO, "over-produced."
http://www.fortyputneyroad.com/videos
The newer generation of your guests - Gen X and Gen Y - love watching videos on line. We do it all the time, probably several times a day. Keep in mind that the oldest Gen X folks are now in their mid-40s, so it's no longer really the future generation of guests. They're really the "now" guests.
Just some food for thought as you keep getting messages/solicitations to have video on your web sites.
Jay.

hmmmm....I'm not sure that you can equate the Gen X & Gen Y folks watching videos (as in downloading movies, funny you Tube stuff, and TV shows) online to watching a video of a couple of innkeepers doing a tour of their inn.

It's my impression they have very short attention spans and just want to be able to see what there is to offer and then BOOK, if they like it.
We had a short video spot on our City that was on our attractions page that was from our CV&B. That was plenty imvvho....

 

[Samster]

How about posting your inn video on your FB account and Blog, to me that is a place someone would want to view the video.
Don't get me wrong, I HAVE VIDEOS on our website, not innkeeper videos. To me, and again, just my opinion, they remind me of a mortuary ad. The music is always terrible, the innkeepers stiff and boring, it doesn't do justice to the inn. If people think photos are staged, an inn video is the umpteenth stage. Put something more FUN on youtube and share it on FB and Twitter and your blog.
Jay I just looked at the FortPutn first video and it makes me run away screaming. No I am not exaggerating. So they are there on the website if someone wants to view them, nervous guests, poor sound, earthy innkeepers in an very elegant setting, it is all just too ...not what I want, not what I want to represent our inn, not anything anyone I know is interested in.
Next study, if there is one, give them samples of a variety of inn videos, then give us their demographics and how many B&B's they visit per year, and price. If anyone wants to keep prodding and find a great Inn video, please post it, I want to see it, I really do..

I agree. Use the social networking sites where those generations are used to seeing video.

 

[paulavery]

Here is some data that can be used...
http://www.irishmountain.net/ has videos for each suite and the main entry.
The Cabin Loft page was visited 5,561 times in the last 9 months. The video on that page was watched 1,322 times.
On the home page there is a video too. It was viewed 2,327 times in the last month. The home page was visited 14,605.
So... I'd say on a room page the video is being watched 1 out of 5 times. On the home page it is more like 1 out of 7.
I THINK (correct me if you know) that YouTube only counts a view if the user watches the entire video.
Paul

 

[Samster]

Here is some data that can be used...
http://www.irishmountain.net/ has videos for each suite and the main entry.
The Cabin Loft page was visited 5,561 times in the last 9 months. The video on that page was watched 1,322 times.
On the home page there is a video too. It was viewed 2,327 times in the last month. The home page was visited 14,605.
So... I'd say on a room page the video is being watched 1 out of 5 times. On the home page it is more like 1 out of 7.
I THINK (correct me if you know) that YouTube only counts a view if the user watches the entire video.
Paul.

Wow...that is some busy website with a lot of text. You can't click on the room photos to see more and the videos are at the top of the page. That kinda answers it for me.

 

[JBloggs]

Wow Paul does everything need to be on the homepage?
I digress, sorry. I didn't click any of those videos, why? People in them, I don't want to see anyone in a hot tub. But I am American, perhaps the 20 somethings in Canada love to see this. (?)

 

[Samster]

Wow Paul does everything need to be on the homepage?
I digress, sorry. I didn't click any of those videos, why? People in them, I don't want to see anyone in a hot tub. But I am American, perhaps the 20 somethings in Canada love to see this. (?).

I looked at one of the videos...I'm also not a fan of seeing someone else in the bed that I might occupy, even if they do have their clothes on. Show me more of the view or something, please.

 

[EmptyNest]

Here is some data that can be used...
http://www.irishmountain.net/ has videos for each suite and the main entry.
The Cabin Loft page was visited 5,561 times in the last 9 months. The video on that page was watched 1,322 times.
On the home page there is a video too. It was viewed 2,327 times in the last month. The home page was visited 14,605.
So... I'd say on a room page the video is being watched 1 out of 5 times. On the home page it is more like 1 out of 7.
I THINK (correct me if you know) that YouTube only counts a view if the user watches the entire video.
Paul.

Wow...that is some busy website with a lot of text. You can't click on the room photos to see more and the videos are at the top of the page. That kinda answers it for me.
.

You are right on that one...way tooo busy a set up, I didn't know where to look first.I wasn't impressed by this video either. OF course now their stats will go through the roof with all of us clicking away..HA HA

 

[paulavery]

I've been promissing them a site redesign for the last year... maybe I should move that up my to do list.
My mom hired a university student to film and edit. The student also did the voice over.
BTW I am not a fan of hot tubs. I typically avoid them. Same with jacuzi tubs, even my own....

 

[Penelope]

Me too, I just find them all to look very fake and my attention span is just way too short. Give me clear, detailed photos any time. And for heaven's sake show me the bathroom...yes your quilts and decorations are lovely, but how big is the john, are you not showing it because it's done in 1970's yellow linoleum??? Missing bathroom pics make me move on..

I thought I was the only one that had to see the bathroom photos....

.

I thought I was the only one that had to see the bathroom photos....

Preferably with the toilet seat down. It's a quirk...