Paul, bless your heart, we really would embrace everything if we thought it beneficial and cost worthy. For American Inns I would say a basic template website that caters to B&B's could be a hot seller. But it can't be too pricey. I think there is NONE OF THIS AVAILABLE TO US, there is either big pricey companies also hiring the hot photographers to go along with it, and those who know nothing about B&B's trying to sell to us, and they do, daily. The issue with the big pricey companies is many inns do not feel they are luxurious inns, they are B&B's and nice, but not luxury inns, so they don't want to oversell what they have on offer.
On the same token, holy cow bat man if you could get your foot into the UK market, overall the majority still have tiny "crappy" for lack of a better term that fits oh so well - images, tons of text and just unappealing websites. I am not trying to put them down, just suggesting the UK websites lack luster, big time. They are just a website, they are not visually attactive in any sense.
So that is where I would go. If it were me. Directories suck. They do, they all want our money, and they are a dime a dozen now. The number of them pleading for me to sign back up like LanierBB, Iloveinns, and Trip Advisor Paid listing who can quadruple my bookings if I only paid them to do it... People Google. Old people, young people. Think about it. IF THEY TRAVEL nowadays they google. They really do, unless it is the AAA crowd, and they get the guidebooks and use no-tell motels or the old RV.
Whatever direction you go, I would like to know I am behind ya and wish ya all the best!.
Welcome back. QUESTION
I didn't get what you were saying about who you do or don't use. Have you done away with all the directories?
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Happy Keeper said:
Welcome back. QUESTION
I didn't get what you were saying about who you do or don't use. Have you done away with all the directories?
I have them on rotation. Some are rotated out on a permanent basis now. I have used one or two here and there with no results so did not renew and they pander you to renew for the rest of your life.
I did renew BBONLINE and now with the new facelift on their website they may be next to go and
then I will be roaming "commando" so to speak in the directory realm.
So far they are all a bust, bedandbreakfast.com is only needful it seems for those who buy and give the gift certificates, so if you don't take that those and their redemption percentage, then really what use are these directories now? For those who may be reading this like Mary White who is shaking her head and saying 'But the PR! Don't forget the PR!" I am just not so sure the PR is amounting to that hill of beans anymore. So many inns are doing their only press releases and getting the word out there on how great B&B's are.
If we could get a collective voice on this forum with each sharing (from the best of their knowlege) what their must have's for directories are, those who actually BRING IN PAYING GUESTS and those who are just a bunch of fluff...I would love to hear from all of you near and far.
So for our inn we are listed with bedandbreakfast.com and bbonline.com currently (the first was another chance to prove themselves)
Not on BBfinder, not on iloveinns, and not on lanierBB, not on the newer ones who seem to follow us all on twitter and google plus etc like findbedandbreakfast.com or bedandbreakfastnetwork.com or bedandbreakfastplanner.com or Bnbchoices.com or BnBcoop.com or Bnbtravel.com or betterbedandbreakfasts.com and
will never ever be on bnbstar.com.
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