An Old or Slow Website: What It Costs a B&B, and What to Fix

You built your B&B website a few years ago. It was fine then. Now it loads slowly, looks a bit tired, and the photos are from before your renovation.

You don't see the problem. You know your B&B is lovely. But guests only see the website.

What it costs you

Nobody sends a mail saying "your website is slow, so I left". They just leave.

The cost is quiet:

• Guests leave before they read anything. On a phone, a page that takes too long loses people. They go back to the search results, or to a booking platform.
• Guests doubt you. An old-looking site, old photos, a broken link: a guest wonders if the place is still open, or still cared for.
• Fewer direct bookings. If booking is hard on a phone, guests book where it is easy. That is usually the platform, which takes a share. See why a B&B needs direct booking.
• Google ranks you lower. Speed and mobile use are part of how Google sorts sites. See Core Web Vitals explained.

You can't put an exact figure on it for your B&B. But you can see the signs.

How to tell if it's your problem

A ten-minute test:

1. Use your phone, not your laptop. Turn off wifi, use mobile data. Open your site.
2. Count. Does the first page appear quickly? Or do you wait?
3. Look. Is the text readable without zooming? Do the buttons work with a thumb?
4. Find three things: how to book, the price or a "from" price, and how to contact you. Can you find each in a few seconds?
5. Check the facts. Are the rooms, photos, prices and house rules current?
6. Ask a friend. Someone who doesn't know your B&B. Watch where they get stuck.

For a free speed test, you can use Google PageSpeed Insights.

What to fix first

In this order. Each step helps even without the next.

1. Speed. The most common cause is large photos. Resize and compress them. See how to improve website speed.
2. The phone view. The site must fit a phone screen and be easy to use with a thumb. See our mobile guide.
3. A clear Book button. On every page, easy to see. Then guests can book without hunting.
4. Current photos and facts. Rooms, breakfast, prices, house rules, contact details. Remove what is no longer true.
5. Basic housekeeping. Fix broken links, keep the address and phone the same as on Google, and make sure the site uses a secure address (https).

Fix it or rebuild it?

Often a few fixes are enough. Think about a rebuild when:

• the site is slow even after you compress the photos,
• it can't be made to work on a phone,
• you can't edit it yourself, even for small changes,
• booking is hard to add or hard to use.

If you rebuild, keep what works: your texts, your best photos, your address on the web. Don't start from zero.

A good first step

Do the ten-minute test this week. Write down what you find. That list is already the start of your plan.

Questions about your own situation? Talk to us →