My Favourite Reviews: What and How

We raised this in the August Newsletter, and we'll probably raise it again, as it can become a very powerful tool in generating more interest in MFHC.

My Favourite Reviews invites your guests, past and present, to post a description of their favourite things about your cottage. It's just about their favourite things, though. We've seen and heard too many horror stories of review sites being abused with unfair and often untruthful postings. Let's face it: if you really wanted to, it's always possible to find something to be pessimistic about in just about any cottage. What we want to do is to allow people to see what others enjoyed about your cottage.

You can e-mail your guests to invite them to list their favourite things about your cottage or their holiday and give them the link to your page.

Then, invite them to click on the 'My Favourite Reviews' button and add whatever compliments they feel comfortable making.

When guests submit their reviews, they'll come to us to moderate. Negative comments will not be permitted. Assuming the review complies with the criteria, we'll publish it and let you know it is live for you to check. Should you have any concerns about it, just let us know.

It goes without saying that the more reviews your listing attracts, the more viewings it will enjoy—and the more value for money you'll get from it.

Why not set up a standard e-mail template to make it easier to write to guests after their stay?

 

Boosting Your Search Engine Presence

We've been setting up Schema for your listing on MFHC. This is one of those thankless, hard-labour tasks undertaken by our web developers who work behind the scenes. You won't notice any visible difference in your listing, but the search engines will help it become more powerful.

The benefit to you is that it will maximise the presence of your listing on Google, Bing, Yahoo and Yandex search engines. Ultimately, this means your listing, without people finding MFHC first, will generate more viewings and click-throughs to your own website.

If I try to explain the technical side of Schema, I may need treatment. So I'll leave it to the experts and direct you to the Schema website, which explains all. If you're really keen, you can get your web designer to add Schema to your own site.

 

Improvements to your listing

Using Google Analytics, we can see which buttons potential bookers prefer to use when looking at your listing. As a result, we've added two new buttons to its menu. This is the bit below your main photo.

The first of these is a new Map View button. This displays the location of your property on Google Maps and Street View. Bookers tend to like these as they reassure them that your idyllic cottage isn't overlooked by a power station or scrap metal merchants.

The other is the link to 'My Favourite Reviews', which shows any reviews posted for your cottage and has a form to upload reviews. If you skipped the article on this above, then do read it to see how this will help to improve click-throughs to your own website.

 

Holiday Cottage News

The Cottage News page is aimed at promoting holiday cottages to potential bookers. A monthly article explores a popular theme (September's is 'Farmers' Markets'), which usually links places and things to do with a nearby holiday cottage. If your cottage is in Tetbury, Cheltenham, Lymington, Linlithgow, Bath, Harrogate or Smarden in Kent, then the latest News article should cheer you up.

We welcome suggestions for future themed articles, ideally with regional, national or county appeal, allowing us to incorporate cottages. Just e-mail us your ideas in the form of a title - and the name of your cottage.

News articles are then promoted using our social media outlets to ensure they reach a wide audience, well beyond those already visiting My Favourites.

Why Have A Holiday Cottage Website?

This might be a strange article coming from us, but it actually reveals three distinct benefits of having a website that advertising on a directory won't deliver. OK, I expect that in telling you about this, we may preach to the converted here, as you have to have a website to appear on My Favourites, but you might find it a helpful read all the same.

There has only been one blog topic this month, in part because we've been kept busy responding to all the comments it has generated from readers around the world. It is titled "A Holiday Property Website: Is It Really Necessary?"

 

Top Tip: Service Your Boilers!

It's the time of the year when central heating systems that have been sleeping in the spring suddenly need to burst into life.

And burst they do as it's also the time of the year when central heating systems are most likely to break down. Sod's Law dictates this only happens when guests are in residence, at which point, in addition to an engineer's emergency call-out fees, you now have to add the cost of compensation and risk a damaging review.

We advise spending a few pennies to get your engineer out to service your boiler system on a suitable changeover day in the next 2-3 weeks. That way, you can significantly reduce the risk of a breakdown.

If you haven't got a pet engineer - then start searching. When taking on a new cottage, before we even have a problem, we call suitably qualified engineers until we find one who agrees to attend at the drop of a hat; when you're a holiday cottage owner, you can't keep your guests waiting in the cold!

Thanks!

Well - that was the good news. As for the bad news? Er... there isn't any. Sorry.

So, we hope you've enjoyed this month's news and information. More to the point - we hope you'll be rushing off to implement the advice given!

It's always great to get feedback from you. Please e-mail us with your thoughts on how we can make MFHC do an even better job of promoting your cottage. Remember—suggestions we implement will earn you a free Featured Favourite listing, driving even more potential bookers to your website. When writing, don't forget to tell us what works as well to ensure we keep it going!

Have a good month.

Rick Bond

September, and harvest festival time in the shires (at the time of writing). But there’s an all year round harvest festival to be enjoyed all over the UK in the form of Farmers’ Markets. If you’ve yet to visit one, put aside your next trip to Tesco and head for your local farmer’s market. As well as providing deliciously tasty, organic and locally grown foods, shopping at one is a great way to support the local economy and a healthier lifestyle. You’ll find the majority of the produce originated from within a few miles of the market, rather than having been flown and driven hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. What’s more, the stallholders themselves will often suggest delicious ways to prepare and cook their wares.

There’s probably a farmers’ market near you – go visit. But why not incorporate a trip to a market within a short break at a holiday cottage, creating a real culinary break without having to spend a fortune in restaurants. Check out our favourite farmers’ markets in the UK. For each one, we suggest a local holiday cottage with an appropriately kitted out kitchen perfect for creating a feast from the results of your foraging.

 

1. Stroud Farmers’' Market, Gloucestershire

Where: In the Cornhill Market Place and surrounding streets.

When: Every Saturday, 9am–2pm

Why: Voted the best Farmers’ Market in the UK for the second time in 2013, it's been featured on many a celebrity chef programme including Rick Stein and the Hairy Bikers. The website lists foods in season and seasonal recipes to go with them. It also provides links to all the regular attendees, so you can check out what’s in store before you leave home.

We like: Godsell's Artisan Cheeses. Check out the ‘3 Virgins Cheshire cheese’ or the ‘Hooded Monk Cheddar and chilli’.

Where to stay: The Cotswolds. We recommend Greyhound Barn in Cirencester, or Clematis in Stow-on-the-Wold

 

2. Cheltenham Farmers’' Market, Gloucestershire

Where: Long Gardens Promenade

When: 2nd and last Friday of each month. 9.00am – 2.00pm

Why: The Cotswold Life Magazine reckons this is the best farmers’ market in the county (and they should probably know). This bustling market nestles in the heart of this Regency town offering wares brought in from tiny out of the way Cotswold villages. Expect to find the occasional entertainer and, being Cheltenham, the occasional art and craft stall within the vibrant market mix.

We like: The Veggie Deli. Their veggie chorizo and their butter bean stew almost have their own fan clubs.

Web: Cheltenham Farmers Market

Where to stay: Cheltenham.

 

3. Winchester Farmers’ Market, Hampshire

Where: Middle Brook Street and Middle Brook Street Car Park

When: 2nd and last Sunday in the month. 9.00am-2.00pm

Why: Apparently a big favourite of Rick Stein, and no wonder; with more than 90 regular stalls, it’s one of the largest farmers’ markets in the UK with every thing from hog roasts and ostrich burgers to organic soaps and goats milk. Even so, the rules are that all produce on display must have been sourced from within 10 miles of Winchester. Luckily there’s nothing in the rules that says how far afield you can eat it. The Guardian recently awarded it their ‘Best in Country’ status.

We like: Blackmoor Game. Purveyors of every kind of game birds and animals from venison to wood pigeon. All their birds have either been caught in the wild or reared as free range. Go for their gold award winning venison and leek sausages.

Web: Winchester Farmers Market

Where to stay. We recommend Inglewood, a delightful cottage located at the gateway to the New Forest.

 

4. Edinburgh Farmers’ Market

Where: Nestling in the lee of Edinburgh Castle on the Castle Terrace.

When: Every Saturday. 9.00am – 2.00pm

Why: Over 55 stalls every week including lobster (when in season), ducks eggs, Scottish oatcakes, cider, chocolate and porridge. On the first Saturday in the month there are slow food cooking demonstrations. The website lists all the regular producers as well as recipes (go for the Wild Boar and Boufrage).

We like: The Stoats Porridge Bar. The world’s first porridge bar. If you thought porridge was only good with salt or syrup, then think again. Try it flavoured with white chocolate and hazelnut or blueberry and cranberry.

Web: Edinburgh Farmers Market

Where to stay: Linlithgow. We recommend Williamscraig Cottages. Beautifully stylish 4-bedroom cottages with 4-poster beds and hot tubs some 40 minutes from the city centre. Great for doubling up with a golf trip or jet skiing on Loch Lomond to work up an appetite.

 

5. Wye Farmers’' Market, Kent

Where: On the Green in the pretty village of Wye at the foot of the North Downs between Ashford and Canterbury.

When: 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. 9.00am – 12.00pm

Why: Passionate local producers create a virtual larder on The Green, jam-packed with produce harvested from the ‘Garden of England’. The website lists all the regular producers including the distance their produce will have travelled to get there.

We like: Handmade by Henry, which sells individually handcrafted chocolates made from different types of chocolate and natural ingredients and no artificial additive or enhancers. Chocolate as it should be! Also, Perry Court Farm which makes fruit juices from over 100 varieties of traditional English apples. They also make Apple Crisps, a guilt free way way to keep the munchies at bay if you want to relax and enjoy the frequent street entertainments that are a part of this market.

Web: Wye Farmers Market

Where To Stay: Camber Sands. We recommend The Salty Dog -  a delightful family-friendly Kent coastal cottage

 

6. Harrogate Farmers’ Market

Where: Cambridge Street, Harrogate

When: 2nd Thursday in the month. 9.00am – 2.00pm

Why: If you really do need an excuse to visit this historic spa town with its parks, gardens, tempting tea rooms and cafes, then the 40 plus stalls offering a huge selection of locally produced meats, pies, vegetables, herbs, cheeses and honey at Harrogate’s Farmers’ market must be it. It may sound incongruous, but the array of splendid produce also includes locally sourced ostrich and buffalo meat!

We like: Tomkinsons Bakery, a small family run bakery, creators of a range of high quality artisan breads. It’s all terrifically tasty no-nonsense bread – the kind you take home, cut a slice and experience an irresistible desire to devour the whole loaf there and then. One usually succumbs.

Web: Yorkshire Farmers Markets

Where to stay: We recommend Hookstone House. A large Yorkshire Dales holiday cottage in Darley.

 

7. Bath Farmers’ Market

Where: Green Park, Bath – the old Somerset & Dorset Railway terminus.

When: Every Saturday. 8.30am – 1.30pm.

Why: The first farmers’’ market in the UK, established in 1997. All produce is sold directly by the people who produce it and has to originate from within 40 miles of Bath. The range of stalls is huge with a fair sprinkling of award winning pies, cheeses, teas, breads, sauces, sausages and patisseries.

We like: Two cheese traders: Firstly, the Bath Soft Cheese Co, which produces a range of award winning soft cheeses. Go for the ‘Wyfe of Bath’ – a succulent, nutty and creamy semi-hard cheese. Secondly, and for a hard cheese, purchase a tasty truckle of the mature own-brand Cheddar from Worthy Farm. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Worthy Farm is the home of Glastonbury Festival.

Web: Bath Farmers Market

Where to stay: Bath.