Poltor Cottage's owners sought 101's expertise to create an effective online presence for their holiday property, resulting in a beautiful, user-friendly website that builds trust and drives bookings.
Background
Nestled in the quiet Cornish countryside, Poltor Cottage is a charming holiday retreat owned by Jeanette and Jonathan Oliver. In early 2019, they embarked on an extensive project to renovate the cottage, transforming it into a fully equipped holiday property. From the start, they recognised the importance of having a strong online presence for their holiday business. Managing both the website creation and the renovation project meant multitasking and the Olivers sought reliable, expert guidance in bringing the website aspect of their vision to life.
Objectives and Challenges
The primary goal for the website was to promote Poltor Cottage, attract bookings and provide in-depth information for potential guests. The website had to effectively showcase the cottage and its surroundings, offer an easy-to-use booking system and include a section for guest reviews from platforms such as TripAdvisor and the cottage's guestbook. It also needed to be ready to take bookings in time to coincide with the completion of the renovation project.
Creating the website presented several challenges. Not only did it need to be coordinated with the demands of property renovation, but it also marked the Olivers’ first venture into the holiday property management industry. They required a web design partner who could assist them in structuring the website, advise on content and address specific needs, including the seamless integration of their chosen booking system, Bookalet.
A Trusted Partnership
Jeanette chose 101 Websites, Apps & Email Marketing to create the cottage’s website because of her positive past experiences with the agency. She had previously engaged them for various medical and health association websites and was delighted with the outcomes. 101’s proven track record in developing successful holiday websites for other property owners added to her confidence in their ability to create Poltor Cottage's website.
Explaining her choice Jeanette says: “I’d worked successfully with 101 in the past, so they were my first choice for designing our holiday cottage website.” She adds, “They have delivered outstanding websites for many holiday property businesses and I was confident that they would provide the expertise and results we needed.”
While Jeanette had a clear vision for the website's aesthetics, including colour schemes and layouts, she needed help in shaping its content.
Jeanette continues, “We were essentially starting from scratch, involving extensive planning and information gathering. 101 listened carefully to our brief and translated it into precisely what I had envisaged.”
Thanks to effective remote collaboration, the project progressed smoothly despite the geographic distance between 101’s office in Norwich and the Olivers' base in Cornwall.
Creating an Effective Online Presence
The website was completed within budget and on time by the summer of 2019. It provides a professional online presence for Poltor Cottage, generating trust amongst potential visitors and effectively driving bookings. The site operates smoothly, with an appealing design featuring attractive images of the cottage and its surroundings. It's easy to navigate and provides valuable information about the cottage, the area, and frequently asked questions. All the essential information is clearly laid out for easy access.
Guests enjoy a pleasant and hassle-free booking experience thanks to 101's seamless integration of the Bookalet booking system. After the website's initial launch, a virtual tour was added to enhance the user experience. This feature allows visitors to explore Poltor Cottage's unique charm before booking, ultimately boosting the property's appeal.
Client Testimonial
“Working with 101 is a pleasure. They transformed our vision into a beautiful and user-friendly website. Their expertise in the holiday property sector made them the obvious choice for us. The website effectively promotes our holiday cottage and secures the bookings we need. The entire development process was enjoyable and 101’s responsiveness ensured everything stayed on track."
Jeanette Oliver
Owner, Poltor Cottage
Explore the Poltor Cottage website to see first-hand how effectively it presents the cottage's features, offers easy booking and provides useful information about the surrounding area.
