Getting the Web Bit Right

Websites are so important that it is amazing that so many tourism organisations still get it wrong.

Getting started

Develop your own website including your information in other famous tourism websites.

Do a cost benefit analysis and don’t forget to include the cost of keeping your website up-to-date.

Work with an experienced or professional website developer, it pays to pay for this.

Ensure they deliver an easy to navigate website that is best value for your needs and budget.

Online consumers are reluctant to read large amounts of text but while images can be very effective, too many images will slow down the time it takes for the consumer to see the page on the screen.

Ensure your site is accessible to all types of users – some people have slow computers, slow Internet access, and small monitors or could be visually impaired.

Highlight your contact details and maintain pricing and make sure you reply to any enquiries within 24 hours!

Site Promotion

A majority of website traffic is delivered via search engines. Your site should be built by a reputable developer who can also make it search-engine friendly.

Ensure all literature, emails etc refers to your website address.

Consider expanding the reach of your product online through community, government, and commercial website partners.

You should include your information on other websites such as Local Tourism Associations, regional tourism organisations, etc.

You could consider marketing through advertising on non-travel-specific websites and commercial travel sites. Common social sites like Face Book and Twitter also provide a platform where one can easily reach a big audience with the products on offer.

Post travel happenings and stories to the social media sites. The post will go to all fans and be seen by those who visit your site. Ensure you drop a comment with a link to your website.

Maintain your website

Ensure that technically your site is ‘available’ to Internet users all or close to all of the time.

Your content must be accurate, current, relevant and compelling – this will be a site visitor's initial experience of your busines, your professionalism and your product.

Online bookings and payments if managed effectively can help your business, if they dont work it will reflect badly on you.

Develop arrangements to ensure bookings and payments made online are secure. Decide which payment options will be accepted and illustrate it fully on the website booking form.

Simple steps but so, so importantto getting the right image and utilisation!

For help with your website see www.copperphoenix.co.uk

BBC to Film at Jenner Museum

BBC Points West will film the dig by the University of Bristol and the Saxon Nunnery they've found in the Museum's garden on Friday 12th June.

Hpefully this will further increase the awareness of the Museum in Berkeley so we can continue with the necessary fundraising to prevent its closure.

Copper Phoenix is applying for restoration grants but the Museum will need more assistance from the general public too.

Watch this space.

Saxon Nunnery in Museum Garden

The annual archaeological dig in Berkeley, Gloucestershire by University of Bristol believes that it has found the first ever excavated Saxon Nunnery which was part of a Mynster (Monastery), with domestic buildings in the garden of The Edward Jenner Museum and the remains of the Nun’s Church by the tower in the churchyard at the end of the Museum’s garden.

The Berkeley Project to find Saxon Berkeley and the missing nunnery has been going for five years. This year the Saxon Church has been found at the foot of the Edward Jenner Museum’s garden, by the church tower. The current tower dates from 1753 replacing an earlier tower damaged during the Civil War. The original Saxon Church that was part of the Mynster was recorded as far back as 1541 but had by then fallen into disrepair.

Of great interest to the Edward Jenner Museum was a rubbish pit found at the site of the church dating to the time of Dr Jenner: three broken snuff bottles were found amongst broken chinaware and other domestic waste, which is contemporary with the date that Edward Jenner lived in The Chantry. Sarah Parker (Museum Director) said: In the 260th Anniversary year of Jenner’s birth to find such a personal tangible link with him is a huge bonus on top of the other exciting but much earlier discoveries in our garden.

The remains of a high status Saxon building have been found underneath the Museum’s lawn, complete with a cobbled entrance and a refuse pit with oyster shells, staple food in the medieval period.

Other small finds in this area have included a William the Conqueror coin, a coin from the reign Henry I, and various medieval items from horse bridle furnishings and buckles to clothing pins. Some Roman coins and materials have also been discovered

Dr Stuart Prior of University of Bristol said that if the church was associated to the buildings and they do turn out to be part of the Anglo-Saxon nunnery it will be the first time that a nunnery of this date (7th - 9th Century) has ever been excavated and all the evidence to date including the Anglo-Saxon records support this Hypothesis! Which is very exciting.

With one more week to go it is hoped that there will be more finds and further developments of this fascinating story.

- ENDS -



Notes to Editors:


1) The Edward Jenner Museum & Conference Centre is based in Dr Jenner’s former home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Dr Jenner lived in the house from 1785-1823. It was from this (Grade II* Listed) house that he pioneered world-changing vaccination against Smallpox. Joint tickets with Berkeley Castle can be bought at either venue.

2) 2009 is the 260th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s birth and a series of events throughout the year are marking the occasion. See www.jennermuseum.com for more details