Here is an effective way to use your holiday cottage guest reviews to improve your website rankings.

1: Register your holiday cottage’s location with Google My Business so that it appears on Google maps. I’m guessing that most of you have already done that.

2: Add images and descriptions to your listing. Some of you have probably done that too!

3: Invite guests to submit reviews to your Google listing. Just send them the link to your review upload page. That’s the clincher, and Google will reward you. If you want to know where to find your review address to pass on to guests, email: Rick at My Favourite Holiday Cottages for details.

As with almost everything good on Google, the result won’t be instant, but it will be worth the wait as Google increases its trust in your site by finding an increasing number of independent reviews. By the way - don’t try uploading reviews from your own website - Google will spot that your review was

For some of you, this will be important. In July, Google Chrome browsers will begin to block straight-forward access to every website that does not use HTTPS encryption.

Https:// is how your holiday cottage website address begins if you have an SSL Certificate. If your website address starts with 'http://' it does not have SSL compliance, and, as far as users of Google Chrome are concerned, as of July 2018, your site will no longer be accessible through that platform. This means that if people try to open it on Chrome, they will not be able to do so. Instead, they will get a Chrome message saying it is an insecure site. It's not something you want happening if your business depends upon bookings from your website.

The solution is straight-forward, instruct your web developer to set up your site with an SSL Certificate. IIt’s a relatively simple and inexpensive task. If you are told otherwise, consider getting another web developer (but it is best not

All Change Please!

Uh Oh! Apparently, finding that bookers really don’t like being charged a 10% ‘booking fee’ on top of the rental price - even if it does include insurance, it looks as if HomeAway is planning to transfer the charge from the guest to the owner. Will they get the insurance instead? 

Well, naturally, this will be more popular with guests. You do wonder, though, what owners’ responses will be when they find around 10% lopped off their booking income for no apparent gain (unless there is more news to come).

Read more

 

Links to More Good stuff from the Holiday Homefront - June 2018

How To Market Your Holiday Cottage By Thinking of it as a Shop

6 Surprising Stats to Help Advertise Your Vacation Rental

What Holiday Cottage Upgrades Will Your Guests Soon Consider Essential?

Boost Your Holiday Cottage's Website Rankings & Traffic with Google My Business Reviews

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Eco Chic Cottages - The Chestnuts and Culls Cottage are Places where Luxury and Sustainability meet.

Have a fantastic holiday, and tread lightly on the earth.

When we opened The Chestnuts holiday cottage over ten years ago, Eco Holidays had a touch of the worthy about them. They were often dimly lit - using as few lights as possible, swaddled in thick dark curtains to keep the warmth in and the cold out. Extra layers were often de rigueur to keep your core temperature up. I remember one eco-holiday where I barely removed my bobble hat - inside! But we knew the ethos was right; we just needed to do it differently.

Holidays are a special time to relax and indulge yourself; they shouldn’t be about giving things up (such as comfort) or wearing extra layers.

The Chestnuts and its sister cottage, Culls, deliver just that, and most of our guests don’t start looking for an Eco property. As far as we are concerned, all properties should do what they can

Our Favourite UK Walking Festivals for a Weekend Break

Walking with a group is a great way to discover spectacular locations while making new friends. The UK has roughly 80 walking festivals, encompassing everything from gentle woodland strolls to gruelling mountain ascents. Most are run by local ramblers passionate about sharing their knowledge with visitors, and with summer approaching, this is the perfect time to choose an event and book your place. Here are a few of our favourite festivals in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK. For each festival, we have included a recommended holiday cottage to stay in, while enjoying your walking holiday.

 

## Ulverston Walkfest

Friendly Lake District event for ramblers of all ages and abilities. Set in the southern fringes of the Lake District, Ulverston Walkfest runs from April 27 to May 6, emphasising respect and care for the environment. The festival includes a series of guided hikes

Holiday Cottages Near Our Favourite UK Child-Friendly Theme Parks

The UK has fantastic family attractions that are more than just a fairground ride - where kids can drive diggers, race sheep or meet mysterious woodland characters. From North Yorkshire to Devon, here are a few of our favourite small children’s theme parks.

The Big Sheep Rollercoasters, ‘EWEtopia’ indoor adventure playground, animal petting, lamb-feeding and sheep-racing on the North Devon coast

You will find this much-loved family attraction in Abbotsham, inland, from Westward Ho! Beach in North Devon. Sheep Racing (Red Ram wins by a nose ahead of Sheargar), Pony rides, animal shows, lambs to bottle feed, piglets to pet, sheep dogs at work, indoor adventure playground, the biggest rollercoaster in Devon and an award-winning brewery make the Big Sheep a great day out for the whole family. Venture there too early in your holiday, and be prepared for your children to demand a return visit.

A Selection of Our Favourite Holiday Cottages and Nearby Beaches in Dorset

We’ve matched a choice of delightful holiday cottages with one of Dorset’s fabulous Jurassic Coast beaches to inspire ideas for a memorable seaside self-catering holiday.

Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is home to incredible geology and an abundance of dinosaur fossils. This unspoiled stretch of sandy bays, towering cliffs and secret coves is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – a status shared with natural wonders of the world, such as the Great Barrier Reef. Whether you want to hunt for fossils, swim, sunbathe or spot dolphins from the coast path, holidays in Dorset are an excellent opportunity to explore this enchanting environment. We have a variety of holiday cottages in Dorset to choose from, none of which are more than a few miles from the coast. Here is a selection of desirable coastal cottages linked to some of Dorset’s fabulous beaches in this beautiful county, which we highly

A short break in pet-friendly holiday cottages in the Peak District is not complete without a visit (or two) to a local pub, along with a walk or a stroll there and back. Frequent visitors to the Peak District, dog owners, Wendy Boast and her husband, Neil, from Visit Peaks Holiday Cottages, like to sample old and new favourites each time they visit. Here’s a selection of some of their favourite pet-friendly Peak District pubs

  The Stable Bar

The Stable Bar (part of the Monsal Head Hotel and Restaurant) is 100% dog friendly, and its location is possibly one of the best in the Peak District for walks and views. From the Monsal Head, you overlook the Monsal Head viaduct and Monsal Trail, which has stunning scenery all around. The Stable Bar is a short diversion off the Monsal Trail, and there is plenty of parking if arriving by car. The Stable Bar food and beer are always good quality, there are some doggy snacks at the bar for four-legged friends, and

From fresh seafood and Cornish ale at Falmouth Harbour to the finest Yorkshire Dales cheese in the market town of Leyburn, food festivals are a great opportunity to get to know a region through its food and drink. Food festivals are also an excellent excuse to spend a weekend somewhere you haven’t visited before – and we have a variety of holiday cottages within a few miles of some of the UK’s best events. Here are a few of our favourite UK food festivals, from Sandringham in Norfolk to Abergavenny in Wales.

 

Powderham Food Festival, Devon

Delicious Devon cheese, meat and cider on the grounds of an ancient castle Powderham Food Festival takes place at Powderham Castle and Grounds, near Exeter. Visiting the castle’s ancient deer park by the Rive Exe estuary is lovely at any time of the year but particularly appealing when it is full of stalls selling the finest fresh produce from across the county. The festival is open from 9 am to 5 pm on