Hawthorn House, Witney
I'd just like to say "thank you" for 2007.
I puchased Hawthorn House in Feb 2007 and had never run a B&B before. The previous owners were advertising with sites that, when I looked into them were not user friendly and too complicated to use. I therefore stopped advertising with the 4 sites at that time. I looked into Cotswolds Info and as a "new user" of the internet, I found this to be very easy to use and I could find my way around very quickly. Also, by using a password I can update my "hot deals" immediately which I often do. I can also check out how many "hits" I have had and how many e-mails.
Some advetising sites don't do this, nor can you accurately get feedback from callers, as to where they found your number etc. I listened to friends and family and people who were not in the "trade" and I shouldn't have done.
Not ALL advertising works, but I am glad to say that Cotswolds Info DOES work. I shall be linking my web-site to Cotswolds.info also as it saves me the job of putting all tourist info on my site as well as me having to find out about different places to visit etc.
I have always found Richard and his colleagues very helpful indeed and would recommend anyone in our area to advertise with Cotswolds.Info They even put me in touch with someone who designed my web-site and who runs her own B&B therefore she knew what sorts of ideas work. Again the service has been fantastic and I will be renewing my subscription again this year.
Thank you - Alison Smallman, January 2008
Richard Pinder and Cotswolds.info
Buscot Manor, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, opened in Autumn 2006, a Five star Gold Award
assessed new business, with no established client base, having missed the summer 'season',
with a limited advertising budget and a long winter ahead.
Due to the time of the year, we were unable to engage any advertising / marketing support
from Visit Britain, Cotswold or Vale until 2007.
We contacted Richard Pinder at Cotswold.Info and we were not only offered immediate advertising
access on his site, but he offered expert advice and a generous start-up deal which, at
his suggestion, trialled inclusion in different 'sections' of Cotswold.info
and from which we were able to monitor take up and advise future cost effective marketing.
Twelve months on, we have been extremely disappointed with the service and take-up from
the 'official' tourist sites (which are by no means cheap). However, through
Cotswolds.Info we have enjoyed from the outset, a constant take-up of guests not only from
the UK, but from across Europe, America, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong etc. Business has been
beyond our expectations.
We are writing this (voluntarily and unpaid ..... so perhaps we are not such good business
people?) because we believe that Richard Pinder offers an exceptional site with:-
* exceptional potential customer access
* exceptional client service / marketing analysis
* exceptional value for money
If our advertising budget limited us to only one site, it would be Cotswolds.info
If you provide accommodation in the Cotswolds, quite simply, our experience and advice
is that you should use this site.
Edward & Patricia Armsden Buscot Manor 27 Sept. 2007
The Coach House B&B, France Lynch,
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Dear Cotwolds info,
I have Canadian guests staying both teachers, who think your
website was the best and most transparent and user friendly one they used…….Congratulations…….and
they got me through it and are pleased with the result!!
Thanks so much, Libby Rolls - July 2007
Nolands Farm at Oxhill, Warwickshire
I have more hits via your website than any of the others that I advertise with. I am so
pleased
I am on your pages. Thanks, Sue - April 2007
Corsham Field Farmhouse
Your website improves all the time. The topics are so varied and comprehensive and
your enthusiasm communicates really well. We consult Cotswolds.Info for information
regarding the Cotswolds area, excursions and local news for our own use as well as providing
information for our guests.
The number of bookings generated through your website far surpasses any of our other advertisers. Thank you so much.
Julie Anne and Robert - Corsham Field Farmhouse - April 2007
Stow Cottages
Bob and I would like to thank you so much for the fantastic website you
produced for our cottages, it really is the best thing that could of
happened for us.
All our cottages have been fully booked this year thanks to you.
Merry Christmas and a healthy new year.
Yvonne Johnstone, December 2006
Old Farm B&B, Dorn Nr Moreton-in-Marsh
I have received a lot of guests via your site - loads of campers too (too many in fact
- we may need to take that off next year as we only have 10 pitches and we got fed up of
turning people away!).
Sarah Righton, December 2006
Hillcrest Holiday Cottage nr Minchinhampton
Having only started Holiday
letting last year, I, misguidedly went through a large
holiday company to advertise my property.They took a large commission.
I
then found Cotswolds.info and thought I'd try give it a go... Advert
and website later, I am now receiving so many booking enquiries
that I am now confident to go with Cotswolds.info alone.
But
we could do with more properties for holiday letting
in south Cotswolds- I have had to turn away loads of visitors!
Tricia Barnett, website - www.hillcrest-cottage.co.uk
The Dial House Hotel - Bourton-on-the-Water
'My wife and I took over The Dial House in September 2001. At the time 30% of our enquiries came from the Internet. In the three years that we have been here this has increased to the current percentage of 85% and is still climbing. Cotswold.info provides us with a large percentage of those enquiries. As more and more people start to use the internet and with the increase in broadband usage this can only get better. Guidebooks have got a lot of work to do to continue to be an attractive form of advertising.'
Adrian Campbell-Howard
Proprietor - The Dial House Hotel, Bourton-on-the-Water
www.dialhousehotel.com
Website Visitor
"Would just like to say how helpful I found your website, it is the only one I have come across with a vast range of attractions to see in the area, and has meant I can plan an action packed holiday in the area. Thank You"
The Eight Bells Inn - Chipping Campden
"As an accommodation provider in Chipping Campden The Eight Bells Inn relies heavily on word of mouth recommendations, guide book affiliations and the Internet. We spent a lot of time on our website and now find over 75% of our business comes via the Internet. We are constantly bombarded with new Cotswold Website Providers wanting our business but have stayed only with Cotswolds Info. as we have found them an excellent provider with at least two enquiries per week generated via them. We intend to subscribe to Cotswold Info. for the foreseeable future."
Julie & Neil Hargreaves
Crown and Trumpet Inn - Broadway
"I find that using the Cotswold.info website allows myself to help, both my regular and potential clients, to keep up to date with the latest pictures, current events and information that will help them, hopefully, to decide to book either a room at The Crown & Trumpet Inn or try one of our Broadway Holiday Cottages".
Andrew Scott - Proprietor
Laverton Hill House - Village of Laverton
"We started Laverton Hill House B+B in January 2004,
and since our start up, we have found the business generated by Cotswold.info to
be very worthwhile. We are very pleased with the service that we receive, and we
look forward to continuing our relationship with them."
Edward Hammond - Owner
Badgers Hall Tea Rooms and B&B - Chipping Campden
Paul and I Purchased Badgers Hall in 1996 to open a Traditional Tea Rooms with the addition of Bed & Breakfast accommodation.
Whilst we were happy with the way business was growing we were always curious as to why other establishments seemed to do better or by the time we received enquires for our B&B we would be a last resort rather than a first choice
The Internet has always fascinated me. Its all very well having an excellent product but if no one can find you what’s the point?
Cotswolds.Info has changed all that – our enquires and bookings now well exceed our expectations not only for Bed & Breakfast but also for those Tea Shop lovers who thought their quest for a traditional afternoon tea was lost.
How small business succeeded in the past with the hope that they had chosen the right guide book must have been a real lottery?
The Internet is such great value for money.
Karen Pinfold
proprietor
Badgers Hall
www.badgershall.com
Burford House Hotel - Burford
"The internet now accounts for around 60% of our reservations. Cotswold.Info is a genuinely productive site for us and I am sure that this is due to the quality of the information on it, the presentation of this information and the fact that it is user friendly. At a time when large conglomerate type web-sites seem to be dominating the internet more and more it is good for we small independent hotels that Cotswold.Info is there."
Simon Henty
Burford House
www.burfordhouse.co.uk
Broad Oak Cottages - Stow-on-the-Wold
"It is a sign of an increasing trend that most of our bookings now come via the Internet, of which the majority book through our Cotswolds Info Link to the Cotswolds Guide. Clearer digital photos have replaced the old fashioned brochure and information is always up-to-date. It is a most efficient and productive way to advertise and give guests exactly the kind of cottage which suits them".
Mary Wilson
Owner - Broad Oak Cottages
The Laurels Bed and Breakfast - Woodstock
"I wouldn't normally bother to give a testimonial for
something I`m paying for but on this occasion I`m happy to do so due to the exceptionally
high standard of Cotswolds.Info. How often are you able to talk to the owner or managing
director of a company - not often would be most peoples answer.Well at Cotswolds.Info
it`s different you can and that`s called customer service a commodity sadly missing
almost everywhere these day`s. Since joining Cotswolds.Info there has been a significant
increase in online inquiries and bookings. I have no hesitation in recommending other
cotswold accommodation providers to put themselves at the front also for greater
business exposure by joining Cotswolds.Info now".
Nikki Lloyd The Laurels Hensington Rd Woodstock Oxfordshire OX20 1JL email:laurelsfirst@aol.com
Ninevah Farm Bed and Breakfast
"We are very pleased with the increased amount of Guests you are sending to our Farm B&B - more than twice we got via the Smoothhound website".
Mike Yardley
South Hill Farmhouse, Stow-on-the-Wold
You will be pleased to know that I have just run our webstats for www.southhill.co.uk for the last 365 days and cotswolds.info came top of the referring sites, even above Google, very good work! I hope you can do the same for the new site.
Siân & Mark Cassie - March 2005
http://www.southhill.co.uk
Cotswolds.info gives us more than
twice as much traffic to our holiday cottage website as
its nearest rival........ Siân & Mark
Cassie - May 2006 http://www.southhill.co.uk |
