# Chronology Of Having A Website Developed



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Well, I just wanted to start a small user friendly thread, which should help myself document occurrences in the development of a website for my company, plus provide an insight and maybe even a tutorial to others who have not gotten one yet.

I hope this winds up being informative and helpful for other members to not sit on their butts as long as I have and go ahead and do something, but with a plan. 

First things to be considered, besides who you want to use to create your site:

Determined my website domain name and searched to see if it was available and then find a domain seller to provide that name for me. 

For that, I used GoDaddy and bit the bullet for a 10 year registration of my 1st chosen name to get a minor discount for one reason, but more so, so I would not have to remember to re-up my membership fee on a yearly basis.

The domain name URL is : www.rightwayroofingcompany.com 
But, the only thing done so far, is having had my Logo uploaded to the WebMaster, who still needs to tweak the graphics display. It is too flat vertically and too streched out horizontally as it stands right now.

By the way, as I am going on with this chronological order of required tasks and developments, if someone has something very applicable to suggest, please feel more than welcome.

I will try to document anything relevant on what one needs to do from their end to assist the webmaster achieving positive results.

*My wish list for things to be included:*
I have not prioritized the order of my wish list yet, as I will await valued input for what would be more necessary immediately.

*1.* Have a Favicon made from my Logo, so that those who bookmark the URL can find it by standing out from the crowd.

*2.* The RenoWorks Online Visualization plug-in, for home owners to play with color choices.

*3.* A Polling Function, requesting what aspect is most important to the home owner/site visitor.

*4.* Add on pages with significant article content, primarily authored by myself, but willing to use some freely available to get things going. I currently have come up with over 50 Topic headlines which are all roofing, ventilation, guttering and helpful tip related, which I now need to fill in with appropriate content. I presume that the content should be graciously endowed with proper and relevant keywords, but I will ask prior to sitting down and writing them.

*5.* A Free Report radio button on my Top 10 Tips On How To Choose A Contractor.

*6.* The manufacturers product which I carry and an easy button to click on for them to see the styles and colors available for them.

*7.* Other helpful content, which may not be directly related to roofing or guttering, but would be helpful, none the less.

*8.* Awards and other certifications or similar recognizable achievements on a simple page.

*9.* A lengthy list of not only customer references, but also dozens of customer testimonials.

*10.* Common HO DIY Questions with answers, possible as a side bar link to a specific local forum or blog, or just a list of questions, categorized in some sort of fashion that would be easy to navigate.

*11.* An in depth photo record of a recent job in progress slide show, with Before, After and any pertinent In Job Progress photos.

*12.* A regular Photo Gallery of multiple other jobs, but not as in depth with the quantity of photos as the featured recent job slide show.

*13.* A Wall or Hall of Shame, for tasks done by unnamed others which were done very shoddily and possibly matching a corresponding Right Way Roofing method of doing a similar task with photo comparisons.

*14.* The obvious standard categories, such as FAQ Contact Us (Which I intend to have available in multiple easy to find locations), About Us, Mission Statement, Code Of Ethics suscribed to, etc...



So far, I only initiated contact with the selected WebMaster 2 weeks ago and was told they were slightly backed up, but would at least get something going soon. Now, I need to supply them with some personal questions and answers to their bio sheet request.

How does my 1st wish list look so far? What am I going overboard on and what have I minimized or missed?

Any input is appreciated.

Ed


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## floorinstall (Sep 8, 2007)

Ed great idea. After over thirty years in business I find myself in the same position. I have just started the daunting task of creating my own web sight , thanks. I'll keep you posted as to my progress also.


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## Alphabuilder422 (Mar 18, 2008)

Ed, 

I am a 2nd generation builder. First year under my own company. I am also in the process of development an effective website that is helpful to the clients to understand our view point in development, building and remodeling. I will follow this tread to see the progress of its development as well. Thx for setting one up.


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## Patrick (Apr 12, 2006)

http://patrickkubala.com/index.html Thats my new site, its still far from finished


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Well, it just so happened that after I made my post, I checked my e-mail and the WebMaster had some questions about formatting and color styles and actual site design input and feedback requested from me.

We were on the phone no less than 3-4 hours discussing all sorts of pertinent issues which would be relevant in SEO type content and the sort.

I think that maybe the Logo is shrunken down enough without becoming distorted. The familiar star-burst eminating from the company name fits the top header section without having to expand it higher which would create too much white space at the top, plus the company name is legible. He told me that he will work on it some more for additional clarity.

I've got to be honest, I did not expect someone to spend this much time with me so far, showing me different options available and giving general advice.

I was informed that the client that he had to complete a design for prior to me, would probably be getting completed late tonight or sometime tomorrow, at which time, my site will get singular attention paid to it.

As everyone who has had a little bit of their own finger in the makings of a new creation, I feel quite excited about this upcoming development.

*So, from my first posts wish list, does anyone have any recommendations on any of those items so far?*

Ed


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## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

Ed, you've done a great job so far. My thinking has paralleled yours, and in fact my revamped website is to go live this week. Or at least my designer says so. I've told him that if it isn't ready this week, I'm confiscating his car and I'll stop feeding him (he's my son!)

Some points:

-What's a Favicon?

-I don't neccesarily agree with the poll. I'm not sure you want to make public whatever your readers might say.

-Are you writing the "free report" or does it come from elsewhere? What if several of us develop some guidelines to choosing a contractor, put it up in this forum, and then link to it. Then the "clickee" might feel some credibility because it's not coming "directly" from our own website.

-I thought up the Wall of Shame just this past weekend. It's a great idea and I'm happy that someone else corroborates the thought even if they beat me to it. 
I saw a deck on a customer's house that bore little relationship to the Building code, yet from 20 feet away looked terrific. The deck is 2 years old, yet from certain angles is already sagging, and the main beam is already bowed. I'd love to put pics on my site.


Other web designers have repeatedly told me I have too much on my site, (over 800 pictures), and they criticize me for not having Flash, and they've even told me I shouldn't have FAQ's. Well, wait a few more days. I'm doubling the number of pages, tripling the FAQ's, adding topics, and at least 200 more pics. 
Feedback from my customers is terrific. I never fail to get great comments, and it seems that some people read every page. I am absolutely convinced that I am getting huge business from my site, and I expect my new version will do much better.

So, Ed, I think you are most defintely on the right track. With a wily old coyote like you, I hardly have to say it, but the biggest thing my customers seem to appreaciate is the KISS principle. No Flash, No Trash.


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## Susan Betz (Feb 21, 2007)

Stone Mountain said:


> No Flash, No Trash.


Flash is too often abused. It should not be the only item on the top page.

But I think flash, done sparingly, enhances a page. It's like icing on a cake: are you eating for the cake, or the icing?


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Stone Mountain said:


> Ed, you've done a great job so far. My thinking has paralleled yours, and in fact my revamped website is to go live this week. Or at least my designer says so. I've told him that if it isn't ready this week, I'm confiscating his car and I'll stop feeding him (he's my son!)
> 
> Some points:
> 
> ...


You both are amongst about a dozen or more members I was hoping to see respond in this thread, so I thank you sincerely for the feedback and any further input.

Ed


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

You are on the right track.
Put it up even if imperfect. Optimization takes forever, so start the process
while keeping the abillity to work on it.
Keep it reasonably attractive but not too template looking. Mine has an aged looking design and now looks like an ugly homemade site. The only problem(?) is, it works amazing, so I won't work on it yet. So be stuck with something that looks ok. 
Content Management. Get something that lets you keep working on it.

Wall of Shame? I wouldn't do it. Too negative.
Don't even think using "about us" type of fluff. Your shiny trucks and uniformed employees mean nothing. Make who you are show everywhere else.

And read this


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Yes George, I absolutely will have it up and running even at its most very basic level without significant content.

Since I like to write, all I need is an inspiration for a title that deals with some aspect of my trade that I am passionate about, so I will be supplying further content articles for submission as well.

I hear that is a pretty productive method of elevating your sites stats and status, by being publicly acknowledged as an Expert in that particular field.

Ed


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## MattCoops (Apr 7, 2006)

If you like to write about the trade you are in that is a good thing.
Google likes *content*. Get a good amount of quality content. And something in there that keeps people coming back for more.

Set goals for your website. Make it work for you.

And once it's out there, promote it to no end. Make sure it's on your business card, displayed in ads, and tattooed across your forehead.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

floorinstall said:


> Ed great idea. After over thirty years in business I find myself in the same position. I have just started the daunting task of creating my own web sight , thanks. I'll keep you posted as to my progress also.





Alphabuilder422 said:


> Ed,
> 
> I am a 2nd generation builder. First year under my own company. I am also in the process of development an effective website that is helpful to the clients to understand our view point in development, building and remodeling. I will follow this tread to see the progress of its development as well. Thx for setting one up.


My first thoughts, even prior to joining this forum about 16 months ago, was to tackle the web site creation on my own, with the options that I knew of at that time, being a software package called, WebEasy 6 Professional and also a site that had a design thing called Marlons Design Dashboard.

With very few exceptions, like George Z and MattCoops, most who have had no prior experience in that undertaking were left with unsatified feeling about the feasability of attracting customers through their hand created efforts.

It was multiple experiences like these, which left me to decide on a firm who specializes in doing their job correctly, for you, for a resonable fee.

I think it is going to be key, especially this year and in the upcoming future, to attract customers who already have a quality pre-perception of your companies capabilities and integrity, rather than just being one of a handful they contacted out of some other lead source, whom all state they attain the same high degree of service. 

I had started last fall, with another website developer, who did not live up to the reputation and did not get anything even started for me, even though I too, was negligent in not following up with concentrated dedication with them also.

So, that is my current lesson:
Follow through and be in contiual contact once things are ready to start. If they can not provide the service needed to satisfy my requests for info in the beginning stages, what experience level will I have with them in the future?

Ed


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## MattCoops (Apr 7, 2006)

I wish you all the luck man. 
A website is a great marketing tool. But it needs to be advertised also. You got to market the marketing.

So which developer are you using?


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

MattCoops said:


> I wish you all the luck man.
> A website is a great marketing tool. But it needs to be advertised also. You got to market the marketing.
> 
> *So which developer are you using?*


Not one of the 2 that advertise here, but one that has been discussed frequently amongst current satisfied members. This company would have been my first choice last fall, except that their own website remained unfinished at that time, which left me in doubt.

So far though, I am extremely satisfied with the personal time spent on the phone with me.

I prefer not to say in the forum yet, but it will be available when it is ready, which I presume will be shortly.

Ed


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

Evening Ed,

Has your developer mentioned any basics for SEO? 

There are a few basic rules that if they're done from the get go will make things easier. First and foremost is targeting keywords with everything, from the ground up--use them in your page titles, section heads, file names, etc.

Make sure the majority of your site is linked from your home page. Most search engine spiders only index pages within the top two hyperlink levels of your site.

Instead of a poll, I'd go with an opt-in option for visitors to input their email address in order to recieve some of your free info. Leverage your content into getting their contact info for a multi-step autoresponder campaign. _(I'm working on adding this to mine.)_

Don't forget testimonials/letters of referrence.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

ChrWright said:


> Evening Ed,
> 
> Has your developer mentioned any basics for SEO?
> 
> ...


Yes, testimonials and references are # 9 on my Wish List from my first post. I have several thousand references, which are categorized and sorted by Town/City first and then by Street Address secondly.

I was thinking that to recieve the Free Report, they would have to do a very simple submission request and also as secondary and third submission options, they could suscribe to the future article content and also obviously for the Request For a Roofing, Guttering and Ventilation Consultation and Scope and Specification Review for Budget Analysis. (I don't like using the word, "Estimate").

Please, feel free to keep the suggestions rolling in.

Ed

edit:
P.S. Knowing what needs to be done for good achievable results through SEO is one thing, but knowing how to actually implement it, is a complete different ball game. I know much about it from reading other peoples trials and tribulations with their efforts, so I determined that they should do what they do best, but I absolutely insist on being kept informed and have a maintenance log available for my searching for what has worked and what remains stagnant.
Ed


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## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

It's such a pleasure to read some intelligent discourse on business matters. I am nowhere near being a computer maven, and would never attempt to write my own website. That's why I had kids. One is a techie for a cable/internet company and the other has 3 years of programming.
Anyway, you've all made some good points.
I tend to disagree with you George, about the "Wall of Shame". I have had many people tell me they've seen the other guys work and it looks fine. But, I see so much poor work out there, I think it is incumbent on me to educate people as to what to look for. 
My customer's feedback indicates that a bigger website is much more desirable. 
I have an "about us" section that includes a bit of company history, wherein I mention my brother, and I constantly have people ask about him, which means they are reading it. 
I have another spot where I mention the cost of having crews supplying raw meat to vicious dogs and candy to kids, and I have had several people comment favourably on that.

Last weekend I sold a big deck to a doctor who had printed off about 40 of my pictures, which we used to design his deck. THis happens often.

All this indicates to me that people are actually reading my site, and everything it. That's given me the motivation to expand it and put lots more into it. 
The new site was supposed to go live today, but the developer went on a date last night, so he's still sleeping. I may go home and grab his car as punishment! (besides, it's a fun car to drive (a v-8 1989 Mustang with aftermarket suspension wheels, seats, etc: Goes like hell!)


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Regarding customer references or testimonials, I have seen both, a seperate page, usually with a "More" link attached at the bottom of the list and I also have seen a scrolling side bar of testimonials.

Which do any of you feel makes the most desired impact?

Currently, I feel that a scrolling text in a small side bar module on the Home Page, plus a link to a seperate page that has massive content.

How about you and your opinions?

Ed


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

I think pull quotes throughout the site look good.

My intro portfolio page starts with a pull quote from one of my testimonials:

http://www.wrightworks.net/Remodeling-Photos.htm

On my main page, I recently changed the format. Before, I simply stacked them one after another in a single column. This is great for those who like to read everything, but some people just want to scan the highlights. 

I changed it to pull quotes at the top of the page, which link to the full testimonial further down:

http://www.wrightworks.net/WrightWorks-References.htm


A few ideas, FWIW.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

When I checked out your site yesterday, I was impressed, not only with the volume of testimonials, but the sincerity and adulation of your service.

For me, that worked great.

Ed


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

What we do, is we put up the comments
from the completion form in the testimonials page.
It is now over ten pages of them.

http://ecopainting.ca/testimonials.html

Looking at our web stats, we see most of these pages get a lot of visits.
And they are also keyword rich.
When we e-mail the proposal, our signature links to that page,
not the usual link to the home page.
Customer feedback is that it works.


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## Alta (Apr 3, 2008)

Great post. Thank You


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## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

George you have a great site. Can I borrow a few of the ideas?


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## StairJunkie (Jan 21, 2008)

Ed The Roofer... not sure if it's too late to tell you this but I'm a bit overwhelmed by your home page. Without putting much effort into reading but just scrolling down the page my mind is wondering where to look first, so many different sections happening. I think simple advertising is effective advertising. If you could try eliminating just one of the side columns... I think it would help give the site a cleaner and more organized look and feel. I like the idea of your top drop down horizontal menu, there won't really be a need for a duplicate side menu like you have now unless there would be links to sub categories to the page that you're on.

Just my thoughts so far. Looking forward to whatever you do though. I just think the homepage is a bit busy, but I'm just one opinion, collect all other opinions and decide from there.

Do look for the market leaders in your specific industry and see what their sites look like.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

He is just stting up the modules so far. 

I would like to get more feedback on the left and right margin column feedback though.

Is that too busy?

I want to keep each page to a point that little or no scrolling down is required. Am I correct with that aspect?

Ed


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

Stone Mountain said:


> George you have a great site. Can I borrow a few of the ideas?


Thanks,
I sent you my cell, call me whenever.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Just an update.

Wow. This guy will spend whatever amount of time and then multiply it 2 or 3 fold with you to answer any questions and go over all of the thoughts or concerns others have brought up.

That is exactly what I was expecting and hoping for from a couple of other users opinions, and so far, he has surpassed my customer service expectations vastly.

I do want to point out, that when I hired him to do my site, he had other clients already scheduled ahead of me, so I accepted the fact that it was not going to be a one week rush project, which is what I would prefer anyways. I come up with a lot of different questions and write them down in a folder for future reference and then we discuss all of those things wheever I want to speak with him.

Now, as in everything, the results will eventually speak for themselves. I have been give a little home work to do, just to study up on things and then I can converse a bit more on the same level and kkow where he is heading with his ideas.

I really like the way he set up that Roof Design Feature, so that customers can choose a roof and color and style of shingles to get a preview of what they will look like on a sample home. This then leads them to hopefully have a desire for m e to use the full working version of RenoWorks Software on their own residence as a customizeable service and selling feature. They do not have to clicvk on a link to go to another site for that, but stay right on my Roof Design page.

I will be working on a Commonly Asked Concerns section, in addition to a more basic FAQ page too. How many times on the DIY site, do you see the same questions being asked over and over again, but with only a minor variation. These would be more appropriate, I feel, in a Commonly Asked Concerns About Roofing, page.

By the way, I self discovered that by providing a goodly amount of responses on the DIY site, that I have already built up an arsenal of topical information that I can easily draw upon for these sections, without having to put much current thought into it, but just do some creative editing about the questions and answers to common roofing related concerns.

That is your free tip of the day. :jester:

Ed


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## RPortinga (May 5, 2008)

I started out in construction through web design - about 10 years ago, I was doing some design work on the side and was hooked up with a General Contractor. I started doing their site and other computer related work for them on a contract basis. After a few months, they said they liked me, and wanted to hire me full time, but that they didn't have enough computer work to keep me busy full time, so I would have to learn construction. I said yes and haven't regretted it since.

I've done sites for three other companies I've worked for now in the ensuing years, the latest was just revamped and went live last week. (check my signature for a link as I can't post them in messages yet).

Ed, a couple things that struck me right away;

Your logo is hard to read. I run my monitor at a fairly high resolution, and the script of the logo runs together. Also, the colors are not represented anywhere else on your site. Yes, it has lots of blue, but it's a distinctly different blue than the logo. I think either you should try to match it up more with the color of your logo (along with some red highlights), or get away from all the blue to a more complementary color scheme.

On a more general note, it looks like your site was built using Joomla... a content management system (CMS). 

A CMS can be a great way to go for small-medium sized business, because you can hire someone to do the design and set-up, but then you can use the web-based administrative features to mange the content (thus the name Content Management System) yourself, keeping your maintenance costs down. It allows you to update the content without having to know the ins and outs of actually creating web pages. 

A CMS works by using a page template. Most sites use one template for all pages, but that doesn't have to be the case. Content is usually then stored in a database, and the pages are created on the fly ... when you enter in a specific page or click on a menu item, the template reads from the database what it needs for that specific page, builds it behind the scenes, and sends it to your browser. The web design aspects and content aspects are totally separated.

When you work with a design company that builds you a site using a CMS, make sure you are clear on if you are getting a custom designed site (a site where they create a design just for you, then put it in a template format the CMS software can use) or are they simply modifying an existing template (or worst case scenario, taking a stock template and just plugging in your logo or something). There is nothing wrong with modifying a template to your needs... there are hundreds, if not thousands of really nice templates out there for Joomla and other CMS programs, many of them are even free... usually so long as you keep copyright info intact... and so long as you make sure you are not paying for a custom template and not getting that. There is a difference between custom designed, and customized.

One thing to watch out for with using a CMS is not to get too carried away with all the different modules you can put on a site... really look at each section and make sure it is adding something to your site, more than just eye candy at any rate. Does it add to the experience of a potential customer visiting your site, or does it just clutter things up and make it harder for folks to find what they are looking for?

Ask friends, neighbors, and strangers to check out your site and give you honest opinons of what they think... Grab a couple of those friends of yours that are not the most computer-savy and put them at your computer on your site, then ask them to do certain things ... like... "If you wanted to have me give you an estimate for a project, how would you contact me?". Ask specific questions, not just "how do you like it?".

Oh, something specific I just noticed on your site Ed, keywords have been talked about.... META keywords show up in the code of a page, but not when it is displayed... right now your site only has "joomla" as the keyword. There is some disagreement how important "meta tags" are these days when it comes to search engines because of abuse over the years, but I still think good, solid keyword use in your page only makes sense. Make sure your designer puts the keywords you want in to your pages. 

Someone asked about favicon's - there's an easy way to create your own that I came across... genfavicon dot com (sorry, too new a member, can't post URLs yet).

I created a block B from our company logo and used that to generate the one for our site. Then you just upload the favicon.ico file to the home folder your website is on (or have your designer do so). 

Flash on a website is like seasoning food. When done right, it enhances the overall natural flavor. When done wrong, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

There are some excellant sites done entirely in flash, but you need a designer that knows both the design and technical aspects very very well. And expect to pay thousands of dollars.

As far as FAQs and such... for a contractor, they can be very useful. This is where you need to do your research and find a designer that has done sites with other companines in industries similar to yours.

If you're a contractor, don't pick a design company that specializes in doing sites for boutiques and salons. It's like the difference tween stick framing and using metal studs. Some guys work well with either one, but most only have the tools and experience to do really well in one or the other.

Ok, I've probably rambled enough for this being just my second posting here so far. This just happened to strike a chord that is close to my heart.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

nice site ed, very professional. are there referrals or testimonials anywhere? I couldn't find any. Also the news thing really doesn't seem to have anything to do with roofing or your company. Logo was hard to read too, and it didn't seem like the main focus of your site. I almost feel that it was too informative and not enough geared on towards why choose your company instead of joe schmoes. nice to see a change from all the really boring, bland, non functional sites out there.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

My content has not been added yet.

This is just the layout. The web dude is going to get on mine this week, so he can finish up his previous clients site.

I sent him a list of about 30 Testimonials and a reference list of over 2,000 homes we roofed, but I will let him tell me how many he wants to include.

I am surprised about the size of the Logo comments, since I see it very clearly, but maybe I am so biased and used to it, so its really good to get some outside comment and honest opinion.

I think that I might be limited to the size of the Header module for height though. I'll ask him.

How important is a larger and clearer Logo on a site?

Most sites that I see hardly have any Logo at all, just the company name in a bolded larger font.

RPort and Tsun, thanks for the feedback. I want my web guy to get a copy of this thread for an overview.

Ed


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## Susan Betz (Feb 21, 2007)

Wow, Ed, you've made huge strides since I last looked. It's coming together really fast. I've seen people take years to get this much into a website.

My major complaint: your logo is pretty ugly. Sorry, I hope you're not emotionally attached to it. The colors don't work with the rest of the page, it looks hokey. 

I voted in the poll and didn't get to see the poll results.


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## RPortinga (May 5, 2008)

Ed the Roofer said:


> I think that I might be limited to the size of the Header module for height though. I'll ask him.
> 
> How important is a larger and clearer Logo on a site?


I think it's important... building a brand can be a huge thing for a business. Think of how many trucks or billboards you pass by while driving, you may not always be able to catch the text on a vehicle sign the billboard, but if there's a recognizable logo, that will make an impression on you. And I think most marketing types will tell you it is important to carry that branding across all things you do.

There are some trains of thought that you put a "large" version of your logo on the main page, it helps catch a browsers attention and solidify that branding, then the rest of the pages you can get by with a much smaller one that is there to identify and reinforce.

Your designer should be able to do something like that for your site if you want without too much hassle. Just tweek a copy of the template that is used and set just the home page to use that modified copy.

On my current company site, I actually ended up increasing the size of the logo from the previous version because I redid the whole header layout and ended up with more space than I had before... and I think it worked out very well in the end. You can see the previous version to compare at staging.bauercompanies.com


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Susan, 

I have been clicking on the Poll and then you have to click on View Results and I have seen them and another guy on another forum saw the results also. Did you click, View Results? I will have the results reset to Zero when it goes live.

RPort,

I sent a link of this thread to the Web Designer, so he could see the comments made.

Should I have a Logo Graphics artist redo it so the colors don't bleed so much?

I have used this logo for my Company for 24 + years so far and even though it may not come out clearly in a small sized setting, I do definitely have people always refer to having seen it on my job signs. Slightly larger, but it is a visual that they seem to remember.

Ed


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

Ed

There is something about the way the logo appears that make it appear strange. It seems distorted some how. If your logo is recognizable I difinetly would look into having it cleaned up for your site. My logo or lack of logo for me is not a issue. 

But for a company like yours 24 years with the same logo. I think that it would help build of off existing branding/name recognition. A good or recognizable logo is huge benefit for companies as I am sure you are aware of.

The overall site looks very good. I think it has too much info on it though. Seems a bit overwhelming. It is hard to find the right balance of what and how much info to put on our sites. I know I had people tell me they preferred the plain old one I had before versus the new one. It is a difficult balance to strike for sure.

I personally perfer simple sites. I look at my site overlay on google and I get traffic to the same areas. The picture galleries, what we do section, the process section and click for an estimate the other areas are very rarely visited. 

I have had the new site up for abot 2-3 months and will monitor it for 6 months if the traffic stays the same I will return to a much simpler layout


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## Susan Betz (Feb 21, 2007)

Ed the Roofer said:


> Susan,
> 
> I have been clicking on the Poll and then you have to click on View Results and I have seen them and another guy on another forum saw the results also. Did you click, View Results? I will have the results reset to Zero when it goes live.
> 
> ...


I didn't click "view results" - I didn't even see it. I'm a little ADD, if something doesn't pop out at me, I may not see it, literally. It's on to the next thing, and then later I realize I didn't see what I thought I should have. 

On the logo. OK, maybe go for an update? You can keep the basic logo and make it more modern. You don't want to lose recognition, just the "off" factor. The colors are definitely off with the rest of the site. If you have to keep the logo colors, have the designer change the template colors. You need a better blend. I'd pass the logo over to a good graphical artist, order "update" and see what they come up with. You may be surprised and pleased.


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## RPortinga (May 5, 2008)

Ed the Roofer said:


> Should I have a Logo Graphics artist redo it so the colors don't bleed so much?


It's probably worth doing so... and look into having it done in a "vector" format, that way it can be resized easily without getting the "jaggies".

The vector file would probably be done in Illustrator or something similar, not a program just anyone has... though there is a free graphics program called The GIMP that will read most files.

either way, I'd have them also give you several copies in various sizes either in a transparent GIF or PNG format so you can use them on the web, making quick forms and such... and probably even a B&W version for use on fax cover sheets or print ads. Our logo was originally orange and black, and I did up what you see now with the Orange and Blue to sort of make it less harsh, and I did a B&W one for most of our forms because the blue "BROS" would get washed out when faxed or printed on a laser printer.

The guys doing your website may have someone that can do so for you, most the heavy work is done... you're not creating a new logo, especially if as you said, it is already recognizable in your market.


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## MattCoops (Apr 7, 2006)

*good reference*

Ed,

I think this is the best roofer's site out on the web.

Your site is sort of similar to this, in my opinion, and I think that is good.

Tell your web designer to keep up the good work. Soon, surely he will earn a web design award.


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## Hammer_Nail (Jun 16, 2008)

*Looks good Ed*

Looks good Ed. I looked at your Source Code, and saw no much in the Title and Meta Tags. What's your SEO strategy, have you chosen your Keywords, etc. -Scott:thumbsup:


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

Just an update.

If things don't start getting put together for a finished product soon, I will need to consider other options.

Even at this point, I wouldn't mind delays, as long as I would be kept informed what was going on, but it seems as if there are some lack of communication problems going on, with a once again pattern of not getting responses from my e-mails.

I'm glad I didn't mention who was building the site, because I don't want to publicly bash them.

What is really weird, is that all of the contractors I know from this site who used them before me, had a wonderful and timely experience working with them. 

Did I ask for too much in the lines of customized add ons? Even if I did, a response explaining the problems trying to implement them would be a proper customer service, which I have not been getting lately.

Although, once I do get the guy on the phone, he will spend more than enough time with me going over everything.

The biggest thing that sucks, is that my expectations and excitement for this project have dwindled down from a 10 to a 1-2 due to the delays and lack of response.

I am still holding out hope that I will get an answer shortly to one of my current e-mails I sent, one from last weekend and one from today though.

So, another thing on the list, is top get a commitment on the time-frame it will take to put the site together for you.

Ed


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## pcplumber (Oct 12, 2008)

*Your site looks great!*



George Z said:


> What we do, is we put up the comments
> from the completion form in the testimonials page.
> It is now over ten pages of them.
> 
> ...


You put a lot of thought into your site. I didn't know painters were this much into marketing. Really nice!


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