Sometimes
things work out okay after all - in spite of our best efforts to screw them up!.
We
were asked to present at a workshop in Boat of Garten in the autumn of last
year about online reservations and increasing website conversion. Being a
little smart, I thought we’d do something slightly different and use a linked
image gallery to make the presentation instead of a tried and trusted and frequently amended
PowerPoint presentation.
Did
it work? Did it hell!
The
feedback reviews for our presentation were the lowest I think we’d ever
received and lagged well behind the other speakers. Tail between our legs and
lesson well learned.
However
out of it did come a few very good follow ups and one of these lead finally to
the launch of a new website for a fantastic Guest House in Braemar – Callater
Lodge.
I
say finally because when Andy at Callater Lodge called us we were just in final
testing of the new Content Management System which we using to drive our new
suite of Open Rooms MM12 website packages for accommodation providers.
“Final
Testing” does cover a multitude of descriptions however and as a result the
site did take a few week longer to complete than it should have done. However
it is now live with what we think is a more contemporary slant on the Highland
hospitality website featuring some great images and most importantly good
content.
The
site also utilises the functions of the Bookassist Booking Engine with fully
integrated room reservations in the website (not linking out) and the same
availability is also shown live in real time on the Guest House’s own Facebook
page.
Ian
McCaig of Plan B said, “We were a big bit frustrated that we didn’t get the
site live when we said we would be but we are belatedly happy with the results.
Being a small guest house in The Highlands shouldn’t mean that there should be
any sacrifice in website functionality and the new site now combines Callater
Lodge’s own social media activities with a full Content Management System and a
highly specified booking engine that can offer promotional pricing, sell
vouchers, utilise Discount Codes and a whole lot more. We look forward to
helping Andy develop the site functionality and online presence as we
progress.”
The
Open Rooms MM12 packages were created and built around the needs of small
hotels, guest houses, B&B’s and self-catering operations and are integrated
fully with the award winning Bookassist Booking Engine.
Based
on an ever expanding series of template strictures each site is then given a full
make over which transforms the template into a bespoke designed fully content
managed website with online booking from the start.
Andy
Shore from Callater Lodge gave his view on the process, “I went to the meeting
in Boat of Garten with a view to gaining knowledge about new technology,
booking engines and mobile applications. Ian is right actually; his
presentation wasn’t the best! But after chatting with him one to one it was
clear his enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to help was all there. I had no
hesitation in enlisting Plan B to design our new website and integrated booking
system. As Ian has mentioned there have been a few hiccups along the way but as
with any new system that was not unexpected. We now have what we think is a
great working website and online booking system, which is already proving its
worth.
We
look forward to our continued relationship with Ian & Plan B to further
develop our electronic media and hopefully keep one step ahead of our
competitors!”
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