A review of "OurPlace" holiday accommodation booking website. By Arinah Zain, Hestie Till and Maddison Curthoys. May 2013.

1. SuperGroup
• Review of ‘OurPlace’, holiday accommodation Photos (Till.G, 2013)

2. Target Audience
• The target audience is people wanting to book holiday
accommodation. The site is easy to customize for
singles or families with different requirements. A person
can book a budget holiday or a luxury, romantic getaway.
„OurPlace‟ has added more features in recent months,
with overseas holiday accommodation now offered. An
option to add to value to your holiday, is local attractions,
and you can book tours and other activities at the same
time when you book your stay. An added bonus if you are
booking a holiday activity is to get a gift voucher that you
can redeem at your convenience. Photos (Till.G, 2013)

3. Findability
• The URL is very close to the company name and easy to find,
with spelling mistakes.
• Searching a very intuitive keyword that any surfer will use
when looking for a place to stay, will lead to this popular site.
• The site is now owned by a media corporation, and has links to
other websites promoting all the associated websites, and
making it easy to navigate from one to another.
• Advertising off-line is in newspapers (owned by parent
company) magazines. It relays on word of mouth and good
customer service to promote the website. Photos (Till.G, 2013)

4. First Impressions
• URL is very simple to remember, www.OurPlace.com
• The download size of the homepage is 1,862,408 bytes
• Font colour and the size was readable.
• The colours suited the information; blue and green are colours representing life,
earth and peace.
• You don‟t need to download any software‟s to view the website.
• Tourists may use this site because it shows a lot of featured holiday accommodations
and a small search box for last minute deals, its very convenient.
• You‟re able to choose the holiday type, attractions, and property type,
find the site on social networking sites and even sign up for the great deals.
• If you want more information on the a specific stay you‟ll always be able to enquire and
email them.
• Presents OurPlaces history and awards. This accommodation site won the amber awards
2009,
standard of excellence for hotel and lodging and travel 2009, 2009 top ten website and
Hitwise top 10 award in 2009.
• Many other advertisements links including jobs, videos, essential baby, holiday rentals and
even dating are presented
• Registering for good deals is accessible
Awards of OurPlace
(stayz,2009)
The fresh water apartment (Stayz,VIc)

5. Navigation
• The navigation system is very simple and easy to use; it provides you to all sorts of information just by a click.
• Just click on what state you would like to stay at and it links you to the different types of regions in that state
available.
• Logo on the top left hand corner which links people who are lost on the site to get back on the homepage.
• Location search bar that helps surfers find their vacation place.
• There are many contents on the homepage that links to more depth of the accommodation information.
• No broken links unless there Internet connections or the housing is not accessible.
• All images available are links to more material on the desirable stay. Also beside these graphics, there is always
the name of the stay, which is underlined meaning it will link you to more information.
• Navigating on this site is very consistent and visible, because all links would be presented in the colour green or
blue and mostly underlined.
• There are a few frames on the site allowing people to browse in an organized manner.
The Yarra Vallley (Stayz,2012)

6. Content
• Information:
- The information is of a high quality, clear, concise and free of errors.
Substantiating information:
- Website is owned and operated by Fairfax Digital, which is a branch of very
well recognised Fairfax Media.
- Website is over ten years old
- The focus of the website is to allow holiday property owners to advertise their
property
- There are some clear affiliations through Fairfax Media, being the Sydney
Morning Herald website, Domain real estate, Drive, MyCareer and more. There
are also websites for childcare available to holiday makers during their stay
- There is accurate and clear contact information to check or confirm each listing
• Interaction:
- There is a huge level of interaction with this website, being able to tailor your
search to suit your exact needs. These include searching by dates, places, type
of property (e.g. hotel, house, apartment, etc.), number of adults/children
staying, pet friendly properties, price range, holiday type and nearby landmarks.
- There is also a newsletter sent by email to notify users of special deals

7. Content
• Graphics:
- The home page has a map of Australia and New Zealand, with the user able to click on
their preferred area within those countries
- Each listing has a photo album the user may browse through
Animation:
- The home page has animated slides, showcasing different properties without being too
overwhelming
Sound:
- There is no visible sound features on the website, however as many people may be
browsing this website in an office, this may be preferred.
• Reviews:
- Each listing has reviews to back them up. These can be left anonymously or with a name
supplied.
- Reviews include percentage of good feedback depending on the star rating out of five that
users have given the listing
- The website has also won four awards in 2009
Digestible content:
- Content is very digestible, with a good flow of information as your eyes naturally move
across the page.
- Good balance of text and graphics
Currency:
- Website is very up to date with new reviews and live booking availability viewable

8. Content
• Multiple languages:
- Website does not appear to be available in multiple languages,
however this can be remedied with a change to browser settings
• Disabled access:
- Does not appear to cater for disabled users, however the listings
include availability of disabled access
• Terms and Conditions and FAQ‟s:
- The website‟s terms and conditions and FAQ section are at the
bottom of the website, with the FAQ‟s having a search function to
narrow down your question
• Follow up discussion:
- There is a clear “Feedback” button at the top of the home page
where users can contact the website operators

9. Making Contact
• Making contact is easy, fill in an on-line booking or
request form, and click. Automatic e-mail response and
reply by the owner/manager of the property is between
24- 48 hrs. You get provided with a telephone number
and directions or coordinates for GPS. Additional
requests can be negotiated directly with the provider.
• Photos (Till.G, 2013)

10. Attractors
• There does not appear to be any competitions on
the website, however the home page features
special offers on last minute deals available for the
closest weekend. Booking with OurPlace can give
you free vouchers – to restaurants, family
attractions and more. Signing up to the newsletter
enables users to get access to deals and special
offers, as well as any website news. OurPlace
provides many helpful external links, to child care
options for holiday makers, nearby festivals and
events, as well as activities for school holidays.

11. Other Useful Information
• Hints and tips are offered in a series of articles to facilitate a better
experience for travellers and guests.
• Properties have similar looking descriptions, with standardised lists
of what is available, to make it easier to compare and choose.
• The website also displays most popular searches and destinations.
This can be helpful for international travellers who do not know the
area well.
• The website also has a strong focus on customer security, with an
entire section devoted to helping customers stay smart online.
• The website has a Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest – this allows
users to see more reviews, news and offers. This also allows other
people who have not heard of the website to see it on another
person‟s Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

12. Photos (Till.G, 2013)

13. References
http://www.stayz.com.au
10 criteria to evaluate a website. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.mcil.co.uk/review/7-10-criteria.htm
Photos:
Till, G., T. H. (2013). Personal Holiday Photos
Stayz Awards, retrieved from http://www.stayz.com.au/about-us
Yarra Valley, retrieved from http://www.stayz.com.au homepage
Music:
Jung, S. (2010). (Jason Mraz) I‟m yours, Retreived from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyMQRVA2pnc