erangeyjj Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I am new to the home inspection industry and would welcome any comments on my website. Thanks John Erangey Tarrant County Home Inspections http://www.tarrantcountyhomeinspections.com mobile site http://m.tchi.us (note: optimised for mobile viewing so not fully functional on a normal browser) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 The home page looks much better than what most newcomers come up with. The font changes after the first paragraph in the main column and that makes me wonder...is this your own writing or is it a tweaked off-the-shelf website? Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erangeyjj Posted September 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 The font was changed to indicate the top paragraph as a heading and the rest of the page as the main content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randynavarro Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Looks decent. Lots of text which is cumbersome if I'm trying to figure out how to know you better. I was curious and clicked on the Virtual Tour video. I watched for about 30 seconds and tried to click off--it stuck and I couldn't get rid of it. I'm using Chrome browser--maybe it's that. Edit: one more thing: personally, I like the term profession rather than industry. We're not cranking out widgets (maybe some of us are, though.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erangeyjj Posted September 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Thanks for the response. I must check the performance on different browsers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 In general the web is a visual medium. Overall the site has a whole lot of text and not much graphics, photos or eye candy. I am a content person but many web users like pretty pictures. Consider adding some eye candy. Consider streamlining your text as much as possible. Think about the 3 main points you want to get across and hit those hard. Not everyone is going to wade thorough all that writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 John, You are not gonna like this. Way too much text on first page. Are you a large company with several inspectors? Or are you an individual. Don't use "we" when you mean "I". Is that your photo answering the phone? I calculated a 1433sqft house and found the price to be approx $670.00 Is that a little high? Nearly all the content is boiler from AHIT or other source. The first sentence on the first page is quite long and difficult to read. Don't you have to be insured in Texas? If yes, why promote that you are insured. Usually that is an invitation for recourse for any piddling thing. The largest thing I did not get from the site was Why I should hire you and not another unknown. PS: I think you have the capability to do better; little more flash and little less words! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I use Chrome and didn't have any issues with the video functionality, but don't let that stop you from checking out browser compatibility. Prune the text. Not only is there a lot of it, but it's redundant. In the side bar, the dude on the phone should be you. If it is you, you should be in your inspector uniform rather than a suit. Here, you refer to yourself in the singular, yet you're plural on your website. If it's just you, loose all the "we, us, our" stuff and just be you. Picking nits, but...it's 'Price Calculator' on the buttons at the top of the page and 'Pricelist' in the navigation links at the bottom. I half expected different pages. Fix the navi link, don't post a price list. On the topic, how accurate is your calculator? It could be a point of contention if it isn't. I entered the SF of my house and found a relatively low fee. Then being more truthful, I adjusted for age, an outbuilding and a pool and the fee nearly doubled. User error or not, you could be calculating unreasonable expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Tom is saying the same thing as the others. He just has more time to compose his thoughts! I often refer inspectors to look at John Bain's site http://www.bainpropertyinspection.com/ because it is just plain fun to go there. I am sure some will be critical of John, but I think he nailed it for site "attitude". Facts, figures and a little fun. I'd hire him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Kienitz Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 TREC does not allow the use of "their" logo by inspectors ... unless you have received some special dispensation from the TREC legal folks. I doubt that you have received such approval. Many HIs do use it, but they are subject to being admonished and fined by TREC As Les noted ... you are "required" to carry E&O ... why broadcast it to everyone? Not for anything having E&O is for "your" personal and business protection and that (in my view) is my personal business decision. If clients ask if I have E&O I start getting vary careful about the next string of questions as I may decide I don't want that client and find my calendar quite full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Tom is saying the same thing as the others. He just has more time to compose his thoughts! I often refer inspectors to look at John Bain's site http://www.bainpropertyinspection.com/ because it is just plain fun to go there. I am sure some will be critical of John, but I think he nailed it for site "attitude". Facts, figures and a little fun. I'd hire him. Oh, you . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Tom is saying the same thing as the others. He just has more time to compose his thoughts! I often refer inspectors to look at John Bain's site http://www.bainpropertyinspection.com/ because it is just plain fun to go there. I am sure some will be critical of John, but I think he nailed it for site "attitude". Facts, figures and a little fun. I'd hire him. Oh, you . . . . . I guess you did call me first and ask. . . Sweet of you in a couple ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allseason Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I'll make a single comment. Don't post fees on your web site, it may prevent a client from calling, not to mention that fees are often adjusted relative to an individual builiding. I have often had a client call who has seen my web site it and it gives me the opportunity to connect on a more personal level. It works and I know that from personal experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Tom is saying the same thing as the others. He just has more time to compose his thoughts! I often refer inspectors to look at John Bain's site http://www.bainpropertyinspection.com/ because it is just plain fun to go there. I am sure some will be critical of John, but I think he nailed it for site "attitude". Facts, figures and a little fun. I'd hire him. Oh, you . . . . . I guess you did call me first and ask. . . Sweet of you in a couple ways. I didn't steal much and I did, indeed, ask first. It's a compliment, dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I didn't steal much and I did, indeed, ask first. It's a compliment, dude. I know. Just one reason (of six) I think you're sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Jerry, what is your website? I have not paid much attention to you since I sold you that hunting license! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I'm guessing most of the membership thinks that chest thumpin' is the best way to attract buyers. Listing credentials is fine. Providing sample reports is great. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I didn't steal much and I did, indeed, ask first. It's a compliment, dude. I know. Just one reason (of six) I think you're sweet. And do I want to hear the other five . . . ? I'm truly not sure about that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I'm guessing most of the membership thinks that chest thumpin' is the best way to attract buyers. Listing credentials is fine. Providing sample reports is great. Marc Marc, I think sample reports are good in some markets. On balance, I would not think they are that important. I don't think most sites have too much chest thumping. Usually the more thumping the less I pay attention. I think the potential client feels the same way. Jerry, I had looked at your site, just last week. I do like the photo and I do like the way you understate your credentials. Overall, my grade is B+! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erangeyjj Posted September 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Thanks for all the input. I'll have to make a few changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted September 15, 2011 Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 Les mentioned that the content could be copied from another source on the web. If so, that will really hurt you rankings in the search engines. The top search engines will recognize copied content very quickly and dump you in the sand box and you wont come up on searches. Once in there, you'll be struggling for a while to get out. If there is copied content, get rid if it. You can use the same message as content that you find elsewhere on the web. The key is, you need to re-word it do the search engines don't see it as duplicate. You can link to other sites. That does not record as copied content. However, if you copy and republish on your domain, down the tube you'll go as far as search rankings are concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredrick Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 Hi John, We went with SiteSell for our website and marketing of our site. The main reason we went with SiteSell is that we could get every tool available for a website and all the marketing we would ever need. I think we have a link on our site into the SiteSell software in the right column of the page. It probably says powered by SiteSell or Affiliate link. We found that we could build our own site with all the technical details left to the SBI technical people. It is what we call a block builder system for the folks who have the time to do it yourself. We happened to have enough time to do our site, so we started up April 14, 2011 and registered the domain name and we are 5 1/2 months into building our own marketing system that has put us in the top 1% of websites in the world. If you go over to Alexa.com you can input any website address and see how it ranks in the US and Worldwide. I think this morning our garage tips-101 site was at 49,000 in the US and around 320,00 Worldwide. That site we built attracts around 13,000 page views per month. Each month we climb up over most of the other sites, simply by following their system. Fred and I have created around 70 pages to our website so far and we are winning for around 40 keywords on our site. Eventually we will hit #1 on Google, Yahoo, and Bing for all of our keywords. Anyway, we found that after years of messing around with other website software and the piecemeal approach, it was a giant spend with little return on investment. We had our house plans up on a different system for 18 months and we wasted 18 months and plenty of money on other systems. Anyway if you are handy in the website building, they sell that package as a software bundle by the year or you can hire SiteSell to do it for you. Anyway it is the only system we use now. Check out our home page and hit the link into sitesell or sbi and see if that type of system works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 I'm not clicking on your link so, lemme guess Fred/Rick. You're an affiliate of SiteSell and earn commissions from them for referrals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 Bill, think you are right. One of us should just zap the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 Garage Rick has posted here before with useful information. It's possible that he's simply wildly enthusiastic about this service. Until we hear differently, I'm inclinded to let the post be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.