Question
We recently added photos to our website that we took ourselves. When we first looked at them, they seemed good quality, but after adding them to the website, they don’t reflect the standard of what we offer. Employing a professional photographer is a huge expense but our competitors did this and their websites look so much better.
Is the financial commitment worth it?
Answer
As the saying goes ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression’ and in today’s image focused world, getting those first images right is important.
When we were judging this year’s Luxury BnB Magazine awards there were regular comments made about the photographs that weren’t high resolution and obviously hadn’t been taken by a professional photographer.
I honestly believe that the price you pay will bring you a great return on investment. But remember when choosing a photographer to ensure they have experience in this area. Different photographers specialise in different areas of work, not all are good at taking pictures of everything.
You need someone with an eye for detail to make sure that a cushion has been positioned correctly or the picture is not a little bit lopsided. Do your research before making the investment and you won’t regret it.
I would suggest taking a look at the articles written for Luxury BnB by professional photographer, Neil Fraser.
Question
Though restrictions have been lifted I have still kept some of the changes I have made over the past 12 months in place, especially choosing a set time for breakfast and pre-ordering. Do you think keeping this will be off-putting for guests going forward?
Answer
Everybody runs their B&B in a different way and how you choose to run yours is your choice.
Some guests that were regular visitors pre-Covid may take a little time to get used to the changes but new guests won’t know what you did in an alternative way before, so for them it will just be how you choose to serve your breakfast.
We need to remember that though things are starting to return to some sort of normal, not everyone will feel very comfortable with all the restrictions being lifted at once. They might be pleased that you have put plans in place at your B&B to reduce contact with other guests.
Sending a Newsletter to your guests advising them of the restrictions you will be keeping in place, the Covid-19 policy that you have in place now restrictions have been lifted and any other ‘opening up’ news you want to share, might be a good way of stimulating a few more bookings.
People interpret regulations and restrictions differently so being clear about how things are running at your B&B is important so guests know what to expect when they arrive.
This is the last Talk It Over With The Tiny Troubleshooter feature I will be doing for the LBnB Magazine. I’ve been doing far more Business Mentoring over the past 6 months to support the wellbeing of micro businesses and their owners. Therefore I’ve made the difficult decision to give up B&B Keeping. My support is being requested from all over the world, and I’ve spent 7 years trying to persuade people to reduce time spent travelling to meetings and chat online, and Covid-19 has been the converter! We need to count the positives don’t we, as there has been so much negativity.
I want to say a huge thank you to Team Luxury BnB, namely Dom and Juliet, for having me and wish them and you well for the future. If I can be of help with your wellbeing or the wellbeing of your business, drop an email to tina@tinaboden.com – It would be good to chat. Best wishes, Tina B
