[Gillian Booth]

What percentage of B&Bs are quality assessed? How many choose to go it alone?

Do you think in these days of internet and trip advisor the customers need to see star ratings as much as they used to?

Just a few thoughts from a beginner, nearly there with our new B&B, not meaning to cause offence.

[Sue: White Horse Walking Holidays]

I started up in September 2008 with the aim of providing walking holidays and not regular B&B. I planned to go it alone and none of my guests were bothered that I didn't have a star rating. However, advertising was prohibitive and I've found that being assessed and getting onto the various associated websites (especially membership of Visit Wiltshire) is much more cost-effective than other forms of advertising. However, I'm now doing a lot more B&B than walking holidays but it's not that different really.

[joyce_taylor]

I think people are a bit wary of trip advisor as an accommodation provider could and lots do pay to have favourable reviews posted.Visit Britain assessment is seen as pretty much uncorruptible.

[Sharpe]

I pay my web designer for an optimised website that means we're first page on Google and Yahoo and this attracts on average 24 unique hits per day. This costs us £400 per year. We get an average 12 hits a day from the local tourism website. This of course depends on whether we're showing availability or not. Visit Britain and the local website cost about £300 per year. This translates into lots of non-commissionable bookings. We don't have to use an online booking service because we can fill the rooms ourselves.

[Gillian Booth]

Thank you. So Sharpe, do you think it is worth being rated? My point is really that now we have the internet it is often possible to see a lot of detail about a place, even a virtual tour, and make up your own mind. This is how I choose when looking for somewhere to stay. I already have a good web designer who does our site for another small business.

What do the stars mean really? More facilities, not necessarily better ones? I know in the past this was the only clue for prospective customers but times have changed. I've read lots of moans on this forum about silly or inappropriate rules to earn your points towards say, being rated 4 star. Is this simply hoop jumping?

As I said, I'm a beginner so still looking from the outside so to speak. I welcome any further views. Meanwhile I'll continue getting my rooms ready and pondering whether to go it alone. There isn't much provision in my area at present and I want to ease in gently to get used to it all.

[Sharpe]

I guess the point I was trying to make is that I would stay with Visit Britain for the moment as otherwise, all my advertising eggs are in my website basket. I don't have any other form of advertising and they do give me some business even in the winter. A lot of people do look at our local tourism website and use the TIC (tourist information centres) so we do get some bookings from them. And a lot of people come off their website to click on our weblink. You can have a great website but people have to find it.