Over a year ago I read an article in a marketing magazine advising that all websites should be updated every 3 years. This made me question my own website, which had been in place for 8 years, and my grown up children advised me it was looking rather ‘sad’! So I was spurred into action – a new website was needed.
We are a traditional, mixed family farm which is run by three generations of the Maynard family, so everyone gradually became involved.
First of all I felt we needed some really good photos. As the saying goes, ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. We are located on a beef and sheep farm in the scenic Culm Valley, so we wanted to capture the snow covered fields in the winter, lambs frolicking in the fields in the spring, our cattle grazing in the summer pastures and the stunning autumn colours. So every family member was involved snapping a good image when they saw it. We even had a friend pop in with their drone to get some aerial shots.
My daughter, Hayley, is an Industrial Designer, so she volunteered to design a suitable logo. There was lots of discussion over whether we should have a sheep or cow. Eventually the cow won the day. Then we moved on to a suitable colour pallet and fonts, deciding on gentle calming country colours.
My eldest daughter, Katie, is in marketing, so she took on the design of the actual website. She worked very hard sorting out the navigation, page layouts and selection of photos (We had so many we couldn’t use them all!). Next came the text and it is actually quite hard to think of everything a potential guest might like to know. We have tried, but if you think of anything else just let us know and we can add it! One of the hardest decisions was what attractions to add in the ‘Out and About’ section, as there are so many wonderful places to visit in Devon to suit all ages, the choice is endless. We faced the same problem when we wanted to highlight places to eat, as Devon is a haven for scrumptious local food.
Well, finally it is completed and we are delighted with the finished result. We truly feel it expresses how proud we are of our corner of Devon and we love sharing it with the guests who decide to come and stay in our holiday cottage.
Have a look and I hope you like it – www.helepayne.co.uk
Sally