As many of you know, we’re going to launch our new home inspector website hosting service in the next few weeks. Of course we’re planning a killer deal for NACHI members. I decided to start a hosting service after seeing what a hard time many members were having trying to SEO optimize their own sites.
My question to you is, what do you want to see in an inspection service? I’ve already added a ton of features but want to hear any more suggestions in case there are some things I’m missing.
I’m also having a big dillemna with regards to content. Right now I’ve created many pages and you can add an unlimited number of your own. But I have not been filling out all the text within the pages (i.e. the Inspection Services page is blank). The reasoning is that when all the inspectors end up leaving their sites the default they end up hurting their own rankings as google sees them as duplicate sites and kills their rankings.
Do you believe I should fill in some pages with content or leave that all up to the inspector to write? We will have an entire message board intergrated with the Home Inspector Pro site surrounding these hosted sites and SEO optimizing and getting good rankings.
I think they should be blank due to what you have aleady addressed about having the same content as another site. I think this is the place (NACHI) for new site builders to gather information about what content they feel is important. I found NACHI to be beneficial in the beginning of my site building. I visited a lot of the members sights to get ideas. I do think that it is important for each inspector to focus in on what they do best and not to worry about their competition. When we look at each members site we also help with their ranking too.
I have been leaning towards making them mostly blank too, I’m just worried that not as many inspectors will sign up as they want to take the easy route. The members here who’ve read my articles realize why it’s important to write your own content, but most people don’t.
Hi Dom,
I’m quite comfortable modifying the inspector services pages,
as I have an editor program I am using that can change things on the web page quite easily. Although its aging now, FrontPage 2003 still works OK for me, and I’d like to be able to edit and change stuff around to my liking.
Looking forward to your offering!
Oh, all users will definitely have the ability to change and add as much as they want. You’re in a slightly different class though as your files are uploaded via a program, not using the template system I’m creating. Users like you using their own program will be in the 2nd group of hosting users.
Will have an easy to use link manager So it will be very easy for NACHI guys to swap links.
Good idea with the example site. I was thinking maybe to get each page started. Like on the testimonials page I listed an example which hopefully inspectors would then replicate.
Grassfrogs has a great start up with over 50 pages. But wouldn’t be good to start out with say 5-10 pages and then add a page a month or so, with your basic template help of course. That way our site is adding content on a continuous basis. And of course a good SEO plan.
1.upload reports with the option of pay b4 you view
2.download summary or full report
3.auto complete the inspection agreement from the appointment scheduled
The link manager is a great one…
James, I’m working on it for a future version. Haven’t decided yet whether to add it into the pdf or to make it part of the upload service.
Scott,
Already working on the pay before you view. Being dealing with multiple banks over the past few weeks to try and get the best plan. That part will actually pull information from the main Home Inspector Pro site.
Download Summary or Full Report, that one I haven’t heard before. What would be the reasoning behind this?
Scott, I’d have to run that by Nick and Chris. I could make a feature where you could add an agreement that has to be agreed to before viewing, but that’s more to deal with the Home Inspector Pro program that just hosting websites. While the two will be tied together as time progresses, it’s not necessary to be using HIP to have the websites. Anybody will be able to get a website.
I believe you’ll hear from the “Client”, that they do indeed wish to see the photos. I often have clients ask that I include all the photos taken. I never do of course as many of the photos are duplicates, poorly lit and or have no relevance to the actual report findings. On a 2000’sf bank owned property I may take approximately 75 photos, but only use 40 to 50 in the actual finished report. I deliver the photos via Photoshop Elements 6 photo sharing system and attach the report as an encrypted pdf file. This allows me to send large photo files without overloading the report. It also makes the report file manageable for my clients who still use dial up internet service.
I also have a grassfrog.com website. I started off with (3) pages of canned content from Roberta. Using her very easy to use Redhat CMS - Content Management System, I’ve now built my site to over (20) pages and completely altered the original (3) pages as well.
So it will be very easy for NACHI guys to swap links.