Old Thyme Inn

"We did our homework. After deciding that we needed a new web site, we checked out the sites of other inns, noting those that we admired, and why. We looked for sites that went beyond "pretty" or technologically "slick", seeking instead those that appeared warm and welcoming, and that seemed to take the viewer effortlessly to necessary information. Most importantly, we looked for sites that did an especially good job of closing the sale -- of converting a visitor to a guest. After all, that's what it's all about. When we added up our notes, we were not surprised that a significant percentage of sites on our short list were developed by White Stone Marketing. We'd known Scott and Allison as industry leaders for many years, and had often talked of working with them someday.

When I first called to speak with Allison, I was impressed with her obvious knowledge of our industry, and of what constitutes a really good web site. My wife and I had decided this time out to have a 3rd party do our development, optimization, and marketing. We've been innkeepers for over 12 years, we've seen the industry change and marketing grow ever more intense, complex, and technical. We want to spend our time and energy making our guests happy, not trying to keep up on the intricacies of marketing in a world of social networking, blogs, and who knows what else. We feel comfortable and secure that our marketing is in the hands of knowledgeable, caring professionals.

Our new site was officially premiered the last week in April, and we couldn't be happier. We've been working with White Stone for several months to rev up our marketing engine, so it was already in high gear when the new site rolled out. Of course it's too early to say definitively, but the initial numbers speak volumes: our bookings for this month are up significantly over last year, as are down-the-road reservations. Comments are universally positive about the new site, and we fully expect that the combination of White Stone's expertise, services, and suggestions coupled with the wonderful new web site will be a major contributor to meeting the emerging economic recovery head-on. We believe that this development effort was the right thing to do at the right time, and we're so happy that we chose Allison, Scott, and the wonderful development, marketing, and support staff at White Stone Marketing.

Rick and Kathy Ellis,
Owners of Old Thyme Inn