Travel companion website

[peacemeister45]

Hi everyone,

My name is Jonathan and i have set up a website called www.retiredbackpackers.com . The site is designed to allow mature travellers find like minded travel companions. It is uniquely positioned as the only travel companion site aimed specifically at the over 40s.

I am using this forum with the hope to create affiliations with tour companies and accomodation providers.

Oh and please check us out: www.retiredbackpackers.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[peacemeister45]

Oh and i am also happy to hear from anyone else who feels they can work closely with a travel companion website

 

[creacom]

Hi Jonathan,

Welcome to UKBF.

Thats a very interesting site you have there and a great idea! I imagine a similar service is available to younger people and you spotted a gap in the market.

Hope UKBF is useful for you.

Jacqui

 

[njsexecutive]

hello
Brilliant website idea , You might want to think about trying to talk to some companies like saga holidays and cruise holiday companies to make them aware of what your doing as they might be a great contact for you.
I run an executive car company myself so if you require your clients to be picked up at the start of there journey to a seaport or an airport then i can work with you on providing quality and comfort for the over 40s .Contact me personally via private message where we can talk some more.
Thanks
Nick

 

[peacemeister45]

Thank you for your msg. This forum i can see proving highly useful. Definitely potential to work together in the future. retiredbackpackers.com is in its early growth stages but later down the line we may be able to synch our services

 

[telemax]

Hi

Great Idea,

I was reading something about this in one of the papers the other week, about how niche travel sites, are coming to the forefront as opposed to the more mainstream stuff, I also reckon you have a big market there.

The only thing is I'm 36, does that mean in just 4 years I become a "mature" traveller?

Jonathan

 

[brianp]

Hi,

Seems like a nice idea. It's something that I'm sure many people would be interested in. I had a quick look at your web site and would now like to make a suggestion. Your web site says "Register for free" - does that mean you can register and contact other members for free, or just register and be contacted by other fee-paying members for free? I've seen this "Register for free" thing so many times now, and feel that it's almost always done as a con, trying to get people interested, only to find out they get very little without paying. Dating web sites are a classic example. Personally, I'd make it very clear at the outset. If there are two tiers of membership, I'd state that clearly on the home page. If there is no clear statement, and this is just a personal opinion, I wouldn't bother signing up.

Good luck,

Brian

 

[Andrew1969]

hi,

i was interested in your post. I am in the process of setting up and online villa rental business on the island of Sardinia. I am not sure how you work or what you are looking for but would be interested to explore ways of working together.

 

[onthedottyping]

Hi Jonathan

Welcome to the forum - lovely to meet you

Samantha

 

[NetSells]

welcome

 

[peacemeister45]

Hi,

Seems like a nice idea. It's something that I'm sure many people would be interested in. I had a quick look at your web site and would now like to make a suggestion. Your web site says "Register for free" - does that mean you can register and contact other members for free, or just register and be contacted by other fee-paying members for free? I've seen this "Register for free" thing so many times now, and feel that it's almost always done as a con, trying to get people interested, only to find out they get very little without paying. Dating web sites are a classic example. Personally, I'd make it very clear at the outset. If there are two tiers of membership, I'd state that clearly on the home page. If there is no clear statement, and this is just a personal opinion, I wouldn't bother signing up.

Good luck,

Brian

Hi Brian,

I agree with you on that note. retiredbackpackers.com however is Completely free.

Maybe i should make that clearer

 

[peacemeister45]

hi,

i was interested in your post. I am in the process of setting up and online villa rental business on the island of Sardinia. I am not sure how you work or what you are looking for but would be interested to explore ways of working together.

Hi Andrew, sounds promising.

Thanks for writing.

When we get our "accomodation" section set up we will have to have a chat.

 

[peacemeister45]

Hi,

Seems like a nice idea. It's something that I'm sure many people would be interested in. I had a quick look at your web site and would now like to make a suggestion. Your web site says "Register for free" - does that mean you can register and contact other members for free, or just register and be contacted by other fee-paying members for free? I've seen this "Register for free" thing so many times now, and feel that it's almost always done as a con, trying to get people interested, only to find out they get very little without paying. Dating web sites are a classic example. Personally, I'd make it very clear at the outset. If there are two tiers of membership, I'd state that clearly on the home page. If there is no clear statement, and this is just a personal opinion, I wouldn't bother signing up.

Good luck,

Brian

Hi Brian, I entirely agree with you. Alot of other sites do this and it is a con. We are however one of the rare sites true to our word. retiredbackpackers.com is 100% free for all its members.

 

[XEC Internet Consultants]

HI Jonathan

I have a number of travel related websites and a travel blog in the signature below. We'd be happy to do a feature on your site. If interested, drop me a line!

Cheers
Stephen.

 

[peacemeister45]

HI Jonathan

I have a number of travel related websites and a travel blog in the signature below. We'd be happy to do a feature on your site. If interested, drop me a line!

Cheers
Stephen.

Hi Stephen,

Thank you very much for your msg.

I would be very interested in featuring in your article. What information do you need?

Kind regards

Jnnathan

 

[XEC Internet Consultants]

Hi Stephen,

Thank you very much for your msg.

I would be very interested in featuring in your article. What information do you need?

Kind regards

Jnnathan

Jonathan

Here is a good example that was provided by one of the other forum members on here about bird watching in the Camargue.

So if you do something with a similar length and if possible an image or two then that would be brilliant.

Any other questions then give me a shout.

I also have a few other places I can publish articles - so if you think you can stretch to a few different ones then that would be even better.

Particular topics for those sites are backpacking (I'm sure there are a few retired backpackers around now), the Cotswolds, Spain, Wildlife Holidays, Dublin, Ecuador and Working Holidays.

Finally feel free to add your site to my travel directory!

Stephen.

 

[Agent 007]

Hi, what a great idea. I'm an avid traveller myself but prefer places like Asia to your European destinations so something like this would definately be something i'd consider because the places i like to visit aren't the sort of places a woman likes to travel alone. Well done - fab idea - oh and welcome x

 

comments about the website:

that image: it puts me off at my age (not far off 40). are you sure it doesn't put other people off?

there's not much to click on to take me forward, and tell me more. it almost appears as if i've got to register before i can do anything (that may not be true but that's how it appears to start with)

yeah, there's just not much to click on to go to. oh, one thing you can click on is the logo, which takes you to... the page you're already on. so many website link to their home page from their home page. why do that?

hmm, when i click guest search i get taken to... a entirely blank empty page. i'm going to guess javascript is necessary to see that page possibly? well i haven't got javascript turned on, so i just deserve a blank page do i? (that's what's referred to as inaccessible).

ok, i've turned on javascript (i always have it turned off for various reasons i won't go into, so do some other, not that many i'll grant you, but then a lot of mobile devices don't have javascript,... blah blah blah, in short, why cut off accessibility to some people?) and yup, it was the lack of javascript which got me a blank page, now i can see one... ah and i notice some more pages to go to "Home | About us | FAQs | Contact Us | Terms | Privacy Policy " -- were they there before on the home page? if so they were so small i didn't notice them, only just noticed them. About Us: yes that's the kind of page i expected to be able to go to from the home page, which probably was there but i missed. very small type. retired people, they're older so less likely to have such great eye sight. and the FAQ page, that's the kind of page i expected to be able to go to from the home page (which you probably can -- yup i've just gone back and that little menu is there on the home page, tiny, nearly off the page).

i think your website falls short! sorry. you need to put yourself in the shoes of your visitors, (and to do that you need to know who those are) and accomodate and help them -- content, organisation, features etc. based on what they'd find useful -- find out what their goals are and why they have those goals, then with that knowledge use your imagination/common sense to come up with things which help them achieve that goal (in the context of what you/your site does of course)

 

[peacemeister45]

Hi Bend,

Thank you so much for your commments. Really really useful and incredibly helpful.

I have taken them all on board

 

[DanMartin]

Welcome to the forums Jonathan. Good to have you on board.

 

[studentgems]

Hi Jonathan

Welcome. I think your idea is excellent

 

[Jenni384]

Hi and welcome to the forum