Our new charter business website.

[boatboat]

Good site, my ideas:

Simplify! Max of 5 pages... Welcome, The Boat, Your Crew, Gallery, Book Now.

Keep the content to a minimum. Smaller font and therefore less scrolling. On the Welcome, The Boat, and Your Crew pages, use smaller pictures which change every 5 seconds. The gallery page should just be a large picture viewer, so the user can click through rapidly.. Not forgetting the boat layout drawing! The book now page could indicate a little of the process of what will happen if they decide to go ahead. Also, concise guest comments as soon as they are available are always a good idea.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Here's another. Not saying it is perfect or better than yours henry but it provides nice comparison and inspiration. Some of the photos are absolutely fantastically excellent top notch if you don't mind me saying, ahem
www.wavecharter.com

I think you're totally outgunned there Henry. 43 scatter cushions and 4 matching towels plays 13 scatter cushions by my counting.

 

[rubberduck]

I hope you've got deep pockets


Henry

Personally I like it, would like to see the buttons change colour or something when you hover over them, & Pics are very good but need more current bun on the front page. Make it "shiny must have". A bit dark maybe, then so is Addison lee so what do I know. (Just checked & they've lightened up a bit, so perhaps I was right,

 

[henryf]

Here's another. Not saying it is perfect or better than yours henry but it provides nice comparison and inspiration. Some of the photos are absolutely fantastically excellent top notch if you don't mind me saying, ahem
www.wavecharter.com

You haven't got an iPad have you? I wonder if those old gennys aren't quite man enough to charge one up

On that site I am being invited to download some programme or other in order to view the photos.

Scatter cushion count eh... I have held a few back in the photos, we have a dozen on the dining table seats and they get right on my....... But Mrs HenryF is in her element


Re: the food most meals will be taken ashore. We are bucking the trend in not charging for provisioning the boat. I want a simple one off fee. In many cases you almost double the initial day rate once you take into account the provisioning charge, the fuel, mooring fees and 10% gratuity for the crew.

If someone wants to slosh around in Crystal and have caviar sandwiches they can but they will have to pay for the privilege! We can even put a professional chef on board but there is no point in doing that if someone doesn't want it. The nature of our cruising ground means that there is lots to explore ashore and many places to eat. From what I gather the Med charters involve going places and anchoring up so you are more self contained. We go places and then explore or take in the sights. Even Newtown Creek our most remote spot has the ability to dinghy for supper at the New Inn.

One of the things common to all you guys is your knowledge of boats. You already know masses about living ona boat. I am trying to gear the site to someone who has never stepped foot aboard a boat of this type and so am trying to both excite and also manage expectations in the same breath.

Image sizes are something we thought long and hard about. I wanted the site to be very visual. We tried having images which changed but it became a distraction. There is also a danger you slow the site down for people on marginal connections. You also increase bandwidth for people accessing via a mobile / pay by Mb service. The guests on Match allowed just 10Mb per day would end up going over their limit if they perused our site for too long

Keep them coming. We will be implementing some changes today. Some others will require new photos to be taken. We are hoping to get some action shots of the boat soon.

Henry

 

[harstonwood]

Far to many references to "lactose intolerant".

Also agree with " rainbow" comments

Why not just make the point that the charter caterers for all diets and offers a discrete and bespoke service

If you like, i can run it past some of my close friends who are in same sex relationships, and work in the city, likely to consider such a charter. By complete coincidence, one is also vegetarian and lactose intolerant ( no really!) amazingly, he is good fun!

Overall however, looks good, and covers all the issues. Actually price seems very reasonable.

Hav you considered dinner cruises, but using a michelin standard chef? Real top end?

 

[vas]

Henry, I may have the wrong end of the stick, but
design,
inclusiveness,
I(phone/pad)

are completely different things.

Reading the comments and looking at the site again, it seems to me that you are targeting to something that is rather too specific.
Yes, I understand that 2K a day is not everyone is willing to spend (it's more than my monthly salary so I may not qualify to talk here...), but I'm not sure that all this talking helps much. I'd go much more minimal so that the reader visualises him/her self in there the way they want to (in order to spend the dosh). If you're trying to make them visualise the whole experience the way you feel is best for them, for starters they'll be annoyed. Also the more the text the more chance to find someone offended/annoyed/restricted by something you argue,

Finally, since I've a deep hate for anything i*, tried your site on my smallish screen size android Sony xperia minipro and the site is OK but pics are rather large!

summarizing, focus on activating punters imagination and not forcefeeding them with your facts

cheers

V.

 

[henryf]

Far to many references to "lactose intolerant".

Also agree with " rainbow" comments

Why not just make the point that the charter caterers for all diets and offers a discrete and bespoke service

If you like, i can run it past some of my close friends who are in same sex relationships, and work in the city, likely to consider such a charter. By complete coincidence, one is also vegetarian and lactose intolerant ( no really!) amazingly, he is good fun!

Overall however, looks good, and covers all the issues. Actually price seems very reasonable.

Hav you considered dinner cruises, but using a michelin standard chef? Real top end?

He is my man then, although we don't specifically mention vegetarians. Does he have a nut allergy ?

I talked the rainbow friendly thing over with a very good mate who is gay. Ultimately I want people in same sex relationships to feel comfortable booking with us. Unlike a hotel where you put 2 guys in a twin room and allow them to move the beds or the booking is made in one name and you leave the guys to sort themselves out a boat has fixed berths and is a bit more intimate with the staff. Yes, of course you can specify at time of booking but a boat is like a B&B in the sense you are in someone's house as it were. My mate made the point they wouldn't book into a B&B for the reason of having to explain and risking refusal. They would just book into a hotel.

The rainbow friendly mention on the front page will stay, the section inside the site is being modified.

Henry

Oh, the dining idea is a good one although we are limited on cooking facilities. You also have to accommodate the chef if you wish to experience the full boating / fine dining thing at a remote anchorage.

It's much easier to go somewhere near a superb restaurant and book them in there!

 

[vas]

Have you considered dinner cruises, but using a michelin standard chef? Real top end?

I'm wondering if it is possible to cook something decent on the galley of such a craft!
I mean can a proper chef really work in that space and hardware available or is it an non-starter?
Don't know, just genuinely interested to know.

V.

 

[harstonwood]

Its all about preparation

First class food where I work is, generally, to a very high standard. Cooked by skilled chefs and deeep chilled for re-heating on board

As an aside, we ate at the Waterside inn last week, a special treat for my 50th

Service and the overall experience couldn't have been better, a nice gift when leaving, and a 15 minute chat with chef de patron Alain Roux

It was the attention to detail and quality that made it so memorable......if you could emulate this on your charter, your on a winner.

Don't mention the £56 glass of cognac though

Best of luck

 

[Talulah]

The terms and conditions regarding children is very much the opposite to "We are happy..."
It reads quite the opposite.
Maybe a need for separate "Childrens Policy" document.
You then associate children as being animals/pets by mentioning them in the Animals/Pets section. A mother will pick this up. May be it's intentional. We really don't want children but tolerate them and you can bring them if you must.

Actually I think the whole Terms & Conditions thing needs scrapping and rewriting.
Probably best to have a more detailed doc but downloadable pdf.

Some typos.

 

[henryf]

Once again the verbal content is there as much for search engines as it is for customers though I hope it is all relevant.

There is a huge danger in letting people imagine themselves that they over imagine. I am desperate for people not to over expect. If anything I would rather over deliver on their expectations. Now I may be worrying unesessarily. I want to deliver a 70 foot experience in a 50 foot boat and it simply can't be done so I'm trying not to sell a 70 foot experience.

I also want to make sure we don't try to run before we learn how to walk.

What I am trying to sell is an experience I know really well. I want to show people the Solent and a bit like using local ingredients in your cooking that, to me means the charter is unique to that area. We aren't trying to emulate a Mediteranian charter. For instance I could count the number of times I have been swimming on one hand. Probably 1 finger of 1 hand!

We are also bucking the trend for UK charters of cramming as many people as possible on board and just taking them out for a p1ss up. Nothing wrong with it, I just wouldn't enjoy that type of charter because I wouldn't feel I was adding to the guest's experience. I want people to step off at the end of their time with us and think wow, I never realised how lovely the Solent is. I also want people to find themselves and wind down a bit.

You won't go hungry in the Solent and if you like fine dining let me show you a couple of places which will blow you away in all but the bill. For the price of your cognac I can have 2 of you fed with the most gracious of service. I'll even throw in a coffee and a nightcap for free when you get back on board.

Oh, on the point made earlier on special dietary requirements I'm not sure we can service them all. I once chose meals prior to boarding a flight and was staggered at the variety offered especially when it comes to religious based diets. I'll keep a couple of nut cutlets in the freezer just in case

Henry

 

[henryf]

The terms and conditions regarding children is very much the opposite to "We are happy..."
It reads quite the opposite.
Maybe a need for separate "Childrens Policy" document.
You then associate children as being animals/pets by mentioning them in the Animals/Pets section. A mother will pick this up. May be it's intentional. We really don't want children but tolerate them and you can bring them if you must.

Actually I think the whole Terms & Conditions thing needs scrapping and rewriting.
Probably best to have a more detailed doc but downloadable pdf.

Some typos.

I put that bit in as a bit of a gag!

It's really hard with the kids. You and I have discussed children in the past - no we're not thinking of having them together so stop sniggering in the back row.

People always think their children are the best behaved in the world. I want to try and put across the potential issues of having the wrong type of kids on board. Ultimately it could result in your charter being terminated, if I felt safety was being compromised I would pull the the plug and suffer the wrath afterwards. Better to be answering a solicitors letter than a coroners.

The T's & C's do come across as being harsh hence the first paragraph. I wrote them yesterday and so haven't had a chance to go over them with refreshed eyes yet.

Will re-read.

Henry

 

[Talulah]

The statement

The skipper will have a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster offshore qualification

suggests he doesn't have one yet.
Better to state the

The skipper holds

 

[Talulah]

The statement:

Skipper’s mate. The mate will assist the skipper when it comes to berthing and will also keep watch whilst underway. The mate is there to ensure your safety at all times.

Suggests "we will be spying on you at all times."

 

[Talulah]

One of the crew members will be housed in the single berth crew cabin in the aft of the boat. The second crew member will be housed in the 3rd cabin leaving the master cabin and VIP forward cabin available for your use.

May be best to have an arrangement with a local B&B.

 

[DAKA]

Hi Henry,
Site looks very good to me, splendid.
I havent read the whole thread so apologise if any of my thoughts are duplicated.

The black background looks fab but I'm not sure the black puts me in sunny book a charter mood, perhaps a sunny spring colour ?

The photos follow a theme of quaint and I can just imagine my grandparents enjoying sauntering through the cobbles on their mobility scooters, great for a Sunday morning stroll but even they would enjoy a little of Cowes glitz on a Saturday evening .
Where are the babes supping champagne in baking sun dressed in bikinis .

I realize that you dont want to attract the drug dealers but its the illusion of the playboy/Bond lifestyle that sells boats and charters even to the over 40's (who are actually in their 60's but think they are still part of the 40 scene).

Good luck with it

 

[Nick_H]

Henry, I'll be honest I haven't read the whole thread or the whole web site, but my first impression is that the site is much too verbose (that being the main reason I haven't read the whole thing!) There's far too much minor detail that i'd expect to be in a welcome pack once i'd booked or enquired, rather than having to wade through it to decide if I want to. I'd prefer to see the word count halved. I'd also prefer to see some bullet lists rather than endless text.

Completely seperate point, and I'm not sure if you've covered this (I haven't read it all as mentioned), but i've always thought that the overwhelming factor that puts most potential clients off booking a UK charter is fear of bad weather on the dates they've booked. I'd therefore carefully consider a generous bad weather clause to ensure the potential client doesn't think they may pay a fortune to sit staring at the rain.

Finally, I guess you're targetting corporate bookings as well as private, so you have to appeal to whoever organises such things for his or her bosses, and who's immediate career prospects hang on the success of it! I guess they will be more interested in the professionalism of the charter, like how the boat will be presented, do you have all the relevant safety certs and quals, is the co. financially sound etc., quite different maybe to the private client, so maybe a seperate page for corporate charters?

 

[gjgm]

Havent read it all either,- that would take longer than the charter
The bullet point The Cost..sounds a bit vulgar to me if you are fishing for wealthy client/corprate bookings. I dont know what the right phrase is.. "charter rates" or something ?

 

[benjenbav]

I thought about this site overnight. Jeez what am I saying It must be good.

Anyway, whilst I see what some people have said about the duplication in mentioning that the skipper is YM offshore commercial endorsed and has first aid, sea survival etc quals I think that it is sensible to say that because the charterers probably won't know what YM offshore CE means. People on here do because they're interested in/perhaps own boats and maybe even own boats in the Solent. I for example am unlikely to charter your fine vessel to go to Newtown Creek cos if I want to do that I will, err, go there in mine.

Totally missed the rainbow bit when I first read the site but I'd lose it if I were you. "If there's anything you need we can help". I've got this nasty little rash. Could you send someone round to rub some ointment in, please?

And where's the blimmin bit about lighting up the azure waters of the Solent for a midnight swim. Ah, hang on, I can see why that's not there.

 

[andy maxime]

how brave opening this up to the forum,where we are all of course experts!

I have just launched a site with the help of a designer and the best bit of advice he gave me was to employ a copywriter. It took all the verbose stuff out that comes from someone close to and expert in an area and makes it readable by your target audience,the general public.

Have a look at www.auldallianceevents.com if you want to see what he did.