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Ask HN: UX feedback on a website I made

by alessiosantocs on 1/19/16, 5:26 PM with 13 comments

• by 192939210 on 1/20/16, 2:11 AM

  The website looks very nice. It also does a good job describing the atmosphere of the place, which is what makes it unique.

  However, its hard to tell what the options for accommodations are. The "villa" name is confusing, since a villa is a house, but the villa is described as being inside the farmhouse. In general, I'm not understanding how the property is laid out - a map would be very useful, to make it clear how the different suites are connected. In addition, its hard to tell the options apart. Without clicking on each individual item, I can't tell how big each room is, which is something I would want to know when picking a room.

  More photos would be helpful. I would add a photo of the interior on the homepage, and some photos of the food on the Food page.

  On the "accommodations" page, I would make the entire photo of each accommodation clickable, not just the button.

  The logos of the different review sites should be clickable, so that I can easily go and read the reviews.

  Finally, I would consider adding a section about the surrounding farm, and the pool. Reading the TripAdvisor reviews, they sound really nice, so I would want to read about them on the website.

  Edit: typo in the description: "100 ectars" should be "100 hectares"

• by DrScump on 1/20/16, 2:41 AM

  I would move the large text off the building (or choose another color) for readability. Maybe italicize authentic for emphasis.

  Maybe a different color for the smaller text.

  "An ancient typical farmhouse with panoramic pool on the hills of Tuscany" sounds a bit awkward to me. I would reword as "A(n) historic Tuscany farmhouse with modern conveniences" (assuming there are any besides the pool, otherwise "outdoor pool" or open-air pool or whatever)

  "Boschi di Montecalvi" I would put in a different font or color for emphasis... if there is a page with underlying history that is public, make it a link.

  I would say instead: "Boschi di Montecalvi is set in the beautiful hills of Tuscany, near the small medieval town of Suvereto. (perhaps a link for Suvereto?) The estate features a swimming pool with breathtaking views and is surrounded by a 100-hectare(?) park. Accomodations include XXX rooms (what kind of rooms? how do they differ from the apartments?), apartments, and a fine restaurant with typical Tuscan dishes. (and local wines, maybe?)

  "Real food, real wine..." capitalize Tuscany (always, for English version) and lose the "a" and the comma: "Come enjoy traditional Tuscan cuisine featuring local dishes and organic produce."

  "How to get here" I would change to "Planning your visit"

  "A farmhouse in Tuscany for children" / A farmhouse in Tuscany near the seaside / Last minute farmhouse in Tuscany

  Maybe instead:

  A welcoming locale for the whole family / Near the Tyrrhenian coast / Short-notice visitors welcome

• by skiprox on 1/19/16, 7:45 PM

  Maybe don't have the link in the last callout section ("meet us") be only visible on hover. It doesn't match the other sections and i'm not sure it offers much. Also you probably don't need that callout section on the "Meet us" page.

  Otherwise looks rad!

• by specifictso on 1/19/16, 7:20 PM

  that orange color clashes in some places, notably that blue section halfway down the index page

  higher resolution images would be nice

  otherwise, looks good. straight to the point, modern, nice work.

• by LarryMade2 on 1/20/16, 4:59 AM

  Navigation isn't bad... Not sure about the washed out photos in the first pages the concept is nice but not quite there... Seems like you are going for italy travel poster look, maybe?

  The photos and styling is upscale but the body font and background are.. well ...pretty plain. Slight parchment/aged plaster effect background and a stylish font set.

  First time you go into any of the room pages the photo catalog scrolling is jerky (in FireFox, Linux) might want to do a browser check.

  Not getting much "experience" in my mind; I think (as a customer) I'd me more intrigued with some point-of-view shots of looking over the country side from a spot on a porch or in a room, or maybe a POV with that scrumptious food to get a better sense of the atmosphere. OK, some are in the accommodations - need to have one or two out in the front.

  The pictures of the food in "meet us" should at least be in the food section as well. You have some awesome food pics on your facebook page...

    "watch a sunset..." a picture's worth a thousand words they say... hint.
  

  Directions...is just a map... maybe a paragraph or two about where one could fly in from. "enjoy a Scenic 45 minute drive from xxx airport, international airports are yyy and zzz, or if you prefer to boat in, there is a port at www..."

  No mention on what's nearby/activities; even if no cities, are there recreation/hiking spots? Roads to Bicycle? Old towns to explore?, festivities? Local wines, artisans, culture?

  Looking at facebook headline page... same outdoor photo - looks like it was taken on an overcast day...

  You've got some great underutilized photos on your facebook history! Print em out and play with em... Here's some notable ones, there's a lot more (used timeline dates to identify)

  January 7 EXCURSIONS AROUND BOSCHI DI MONTECALVI (Definately needs to be in your website, maybe with a map.); April 5, 2015 (I think this is better than the copped "meet us", because it is one of the few that has a vista); May 3, 2013; May 27, 2013 (wow a live person smiling! I have a thing about too many empty scenes); June 14, 2013 (wine with rose - hint toward romantic getaway); October 18, 2013 · (local culture!); July 16, 2014 (an inviting patio); February 10, 2015 (Nice inviting pool shot); February 20, 2015 (even better farmhouse/pool shot); March 2, 2015 (very outdoor party friendly); June 4, 2015 (food porn); July 30, 2015 (cozy dining atmosphere);

  Heh, landscape reminds me of where I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Gets hot and dry in the Summer? Suggest day trips and relaxing great evenings.

  Hope that helps