Your home inspection website

Hi, David –

Nick is right – although I appreciate being asked, my priority right now is to take care of everyone’s requests of reviewing their homepages, and my long list is still growing.

I would do as Nick suggests and find someone who can do the editing for you – they would have to be given administrative access to your site, and then they can just follow my edits in order. It’s really not too tough, but I understand your not wanting to hassle with it.

Good luck!

Besides, she ain’t got time 'till she does mine, David! :mrgreen:

I’m coming up soon, then she’s all yours!:smiley:

Hi, Nathan (Susdorf) –

Here are my comments for the main page of your website at http://United-Home-Inspections.com:

  1. Your homepage and website are incredibly robust. You offer lots of great content, including compelling visuals, starting with your logo and the complementary graphical elements at the top. Your website designer has done a great job – a very smart investment!

  2. Although I’m concentrating primarily on the homepage and not deeper pages/links, in your “About Us” page, you have InterNACHI listed by its old name (“NACHI” and “The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors”). We went through litigation and changed our name quite a while back to “InterNACHI” and the “International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.” You also have “Master Certified Inspector” (as well as some general typos) – you’ll want to clean up and correct this page up as soon as possible, since it’s one that most of your visitors will likely click on.

  3. In your drop-down menu for “Our Services,” I recommend two title changes for clarity:
    a. Change “Well Inspection” to “Private Well Inspection”
    b. Change “Septic Inspection” to “Septic System Inspection.” I see this a lot, but, strictly speaking, “septic” means “infected” or “putrefactive,” so, without “System,” it’s not an accurate description of the service.

  4. In the drop-down menu for “Interact,” change “Home Owner” in the first link to one word: “Homeowner”

  5. Suggested text change for the first slide of your slide show on the right:

The ONLY Certified Master Inspector® in Northwest Indiana!

I don’t think it’s necessary to mention that there are only four in the state in this slide – just talk about your service area. You have the info about being only one of four CMIs in the state under the CMI seal, and that’s good. You don’t want to have a lot of repetition on your homepage.

  1. Suggested text change for second slide:

We check built-in appliances for known safety hazards.
One in 10 homes has a recalled appliance, but the homeowner doesn’t know about it.

The hazard could be other than fire – “safety” covers everything. Also, the point of the “one in 10” text is, presumably, that the homeowner is unaware, so you want to plant this call to action to sign up. Also, since the revised version is more text, just make the font smaller.

  1. Suggested text change for third slide:

Your home inspection is covered by a limited home warranty that includes structural and mechanical items.

Speak directly to your visitor. Insert a period at the end.

  1. Suggested text change for fourth slide:

If you aren’t completely satisfied with our services, we will refund your money AND pay for another inspection—at no cost to you!

Need some punctuation. Also, don’t underline text that isn’t linked

  1. Suggested text change for last slide:

Your inspection is covered by a free $10,000 Honor Guarantee™ backed by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI).

  1. The three text links in the blue banner (“Schedule Online,” “Sample
    Report” and “Qualifications”) are great, but because your page continuing under it is broken up into three columns under the three links, it looks like the content in each column is related to the link above, but the content is actually independent of the links. I think you need more of a visual separation between the banner with the links and the content below it because it’s confusing as is. Your website designer can add a bold dark line below the links while also preserving a thin strip of white above it – I think that will set the links apart better from the unrelated content below it.

  2. Suggested replacement text for the two paragraphs in the middle column:

Whether you’re a home buyer, home seller, or homeowner, we’ll provide you with a detailed report about the home’s condition to give you the peace of mind you need to make a confident decision.

Our certified inspector will conduct an assessment and thoroughly evaluate the basement, the roof, and everything in between. Each of our inspectors is certified to assess all of a home’s systems, including the electrical, plumbing, and structural.

To ensure that we meet all of your needs, we also offer additional services, such as water testing, termite inspection, and radon testing. These services can be performed at the same appointment as your standard home inspection.

  1. In the first paragraph under the gold line:
    a. Change the first tilde to a comma.
    b. Start a new sentence at “Residential” (so delete the second tilde and the word “and” before “residential”).

  2. In the second paragraph, change “A home that contains hidden or obvious damage” to “A home that harbors hidden or even obvious damage”

  3. In the third paragraph, change “but nothing could be further from the truth” to “but that’s not always the case.” There’s no need to be so alarmist.

  4. In the fourth paragraph:
    a. Change “their home” to “the home”
    b. Change “live-in” to “lived in” (no hyphen)
    c. Delete “in many cases”

  5. In the fifth paragraph:
    a. Change “But, don’t” to “Also, don’t”
    b. Change the second “on the surface” to “on the outside”
    c. Change “Just because” to “Even if”
    d. Correct the spelling of “insulation”

  6. In the sixth paragraph:
    a. Delete “or not”
    b. Change “interest” to “interests”
    c. Delete the comma after “trained”

  7. In the last paragraph:
    a. Cap the linked “inspection request form”
    b. Delete “on our Website”
    c. Change “of your lifetime” to either “of your life” or “in your lifetime”

  8. Not really sure why you have the black-background slide show on the right side – it’s redundant of and less effective than the slide show at the top of the page. This is the sort of bells-and-whistles stuff that just gives the page movement, but it’s actually more distracting than informative. Suggest you delete it in case it compromises page download time for some users, and also simply because it really adds nothing of value.

  9. Your “Home Tip” is a nice addition – making it seasonal and timely shows that you’re maintaining your page, which is important for visitors to see. However, it includes some typos and other issues that need correcting:
    a. Change “Caulk leaks” to “Caulk any leaks”
    b. Change “vents goes” to “vents go”
    c. Change “to close” to “that will seal up”

  10. You have two company copyright notations: one for the company, and one for yourself. I don’t think you need both – I’m not sure what you’re differentiating in terms of content. I would instead enlarge the individual cities noted in your service area. This text is microscopic but it’s actually important for folks who aren’t sure if they live in or are buying in what’s strictly considered “Northwest Indiana,” since this region technically includes part of Chicago, which is not in your service area.

  11. Under your first company copyright notation, insert a comma after “Indiana”

Thanks for the info. I’ll get to work on the laundry list you created for me!:smile:

Thank you very much for your excellent comments on our web site. You are an asset to interNACHI, its members and the inspection industry. It is rare to have someone of your caliber in an organization. You are a gold star across the board.

Thank You again,
Jim McGrail

gold.gif

Wow! Thank you, Jim (!), David, Scott, Chris, Tracy – and, of course, Nick!^) – for your very kind comments – I really appreciate it! :stuck_out_tongue:

As I’m still plugging away, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind the four or so members who’ve contacted me off-list that they need to post their request and website URL on this thread in order for me to review their pages. This is meant to benefit all members, and not just individuals, although that’s the end result, too! I’m working on pages in order of request in case folks missed my “revised rules,” but you’ll lose your place in line if you don’t post your request in the thread.

Thanks again!

1 Like

Ditto.

Hello Kaye,
looking forward to your comment: www.HOMEINSPECTORUSA.biz

www.greathomeinspector.net

Hi, Billy –

Here are my comments for the main page of your website at http://www.stlhomeinspector.com:

  1. First off: Great homepage! The organization is generally excellent, you have a nice balance of visuals and text, and it’s easy to navigate – very user-friendly, which is obviously the point.

  2. I think it would be a good idea to link your services at the top, starting with “Residential.” I would expect them to work as links, but they don’t. It would be redundant of your “Services” link in the red banner under your logo, but I don’t think it would hurt to just embed those links. If I’m looking for a termite inspection, then I can click on it and – boom – I’m there, and there’s no need for me to look further. Getting the job is the point, so consider helping your visitor make the decision quicker.

  3. I think you should increase the size of the red banner and the links. It’s actually a little odd that the larger labels above are not links, while the actual links are smaller – it should be the opposite.

  4. In that red banner:
    a. Change “Cost” to “Prices” or “Fees”
    b. Change “Book” to “Schedule Your Inspection” (not everyone will understand “Book” as a verb).
    c. I would move your “Contact” link to last position.
    d. “Retired U.S. Air Force” does not belong in that banner.

  5. So, your slide show is very informative – I love the comparison images of thermal and digital, and you holding the electrical meter is great – it’s a nice show. But I will say that the little “bounce” that the slides do when they change is kind of jarring. I don’t know if other people experience that, but it’s a little distracting and makes me want to page down to get it out of my sightline. That may be just my personal deal, but I thought I’d mention it.

  6. Nice and simple SEO get by stating “St. Louis Home Inspections” above your photo.

  7. Fabulous photo. You look very calm, professional and trustworthy – exactly what I’d want in a home inspector.

  8. In the text to the right of your photo:
    a. Move “You’re a smart” down a line and add some space between the phone number and the text. You have plenty of room – there’s no need to crowd everything together.
    b. Change the comma before “a critical step” to an em-dash or double-dash.
    c. The acronyms under your name will be cryptic to your visitor, so just spell them out. We also only use “NACHI” internally – we are officially “InterNACHI,” but your visitor won’t know what that is, either, unless you spell everything out, which you have plenty of room to do:

Certified Master Inspector®

Member of InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors

Certified for Radon [and Mold?] Inspections by IAC2, the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants

(And it wouldn’t hurt to link to each organization so that consumers can check them out for themselves.)

  1. Change the first heading to “Your best interests are Priority #1.” When speaking about “best interests,” it’s actually plural.

  2. In that paragraph:
    a. Change “life passion” to “life’s passion”
    b. Insert a comma after “life’s passion and”
    c. Insert a comma after “need an inspection”
    d. Change “who do you hire” to “who you should hire”
    e. Change the second paragraph under the first heading to this:

With a background in property investment, renovations and inspections, rest assured that I have years of experience, which enables me to help you make critical decisions. My reports are concise and easy to understand, and include photos and detailed descriptions of the defects I discover.

(Just a note to you and other inspectors who may be reading this: I think the use of “narratives” and “narrative” is not necessarily clear for the reader/visitor, which is why I’ve been changing it to “detailed descriptions” in member brochures. The latter is a phrase that everyone can understand, especially when comparing them to the use of checklists. “Narrative” strikes me more as an internal term for inspectors, as well as a general term of art in writing. It doesn’t fully describe why it’s such a good thing in an inspection report.)

  1. In the second heading, uncap “Key” because you’re continuing that phrase in a complete sentence. Also in that paragraph:
    a. I would change the phrase “in this business” to “real estate transactions” (to cover both buying and selling) – you want to keep the focus on the home, not the inspection industry. You make your point about experience right afterward. (And good work speaking directly to your visitor!)
    b. Change “are educated on an equal level” to “are equal” – this is shorter and snappier and makes the point quicker, especially because we’re not talking just about education, but training and experience, too.
    c. Change the rest of the paragraph to this to keep things on-topic:

In addition to providing you with an accurate inspection, my goal is to educate you about the home and its various systems. That’s why I strongly recommend that you attend your inspection. It will take anywhere from two to seven hours, depending on the size and condition of the property. I’ll discuss my process and findings with you, point out important maintenance items, and answer all of your questions.

  1. Change the ellipses after “Fast Facts About Me” to a colon. Also, make sure this heading is bolded (I can’t tell for sure if it is).

  2. In the first item:
    a. Insert a hyphen between “One” and “Stop”
    b. Uncap everything in the un-bolded text that follows (except for the first word: “Book”).
    c. At the end, add “call” after “phone”

  3. Change “Board Certified” to “MICB-Certified,” or at least insert the hyphen between “Board” and Certified if you don’t want to use MICB.
    Also, change the rest of the text to “Certified Master Inspector®” – that’s the designation you’ve earned and are paying for, and it’s branded, so use it to your full advantage.

  4. At “Radon Expert,” uncap the “N” in the middle of the word “InterNational,” and insert the word “Certified” before “Indoor” (that’s the actual title).

  5. I think your Business Coach credential should come last in this lineup – it’s resume info, but not relevant to my wanting to get a home inspection.

  6. At “Construction Background,” use the same full-sentence formatting that you’re using for the other items, so say: “I have experience as a general contractor, performing home renovations and new builds for residential construction.”

  7. Combine the “I keep my skills current” and the “I have a team” bullets – they are related, and there’s no need to make this list especially long. Say:

I have other experts at my disposal and keep my skills updated by consulting with other master inspectors and colleagues, as well as local specialists, such as foundation contractors, structural engineers, etc.

Also, this bullet should be lower in the lineup.

  1. Combine the “I walk and crawl” bullet with the “Dress Accordingly” bullet (because the latter sounds like a command for your clients). Say: “I expect to get dirty so I dress appropriately for my job. I walk and crawl around areas that my competition can’t or won’t.” I also think that you should leave off the part about your clients getting dirty – it will discourage them from following you, which you actually want, plus, I think it’s possible for them to not get dirty at their own inspection. They won’t be going into the crawlspace or on the roof with you, etc.

  2. I’m not familiar with how HomeGauge markets their reporting system, but the title you’re using is both contradictory and not terribly clear. Try: “Comprehensive Report with Detailed Descriptions & Photos”

  3. In the paragraph below the graphic:
    a. Delete “full”
    b. Insert a comma after “sample report” – also, any reason you can’t just link to a sample report? I’d prefer that to calling you. If this is your way of closing the deal, then I understand, but if you’re going for what’s most convenient for the consumer, then uploading a PDF sample and linking it is the way to go.
    c. “existing used homes” is industry jargon – consumers don’t consider an existing home “used,” so delete that word.
    d. Change “pre-manufactured” to “manufactured/mobile”
    e. Insert a comma after “any building”
    f. Delete the rest of the text starting with “Your best interest” – stay on-topic; this is about the HomeGauge report.

  4. Delete the heading “What I Inspect!”

  5. Change “View Detailed List” to “View My Standards of Practice,” and move the link so that it appears at end of the checklist in #26.

  6. The link “Interview Checklist” should be changed to “More About Me” and moved to the end of the checklist under “Fast Facts About Me.”

  7. The link “Common Questions” should be changed to “FAQs” (no apostrophe) and moved up into the red banner at the top of your page.

  8. Change “How I benefit you!” to “What You Can Expect from Your Home Inspection:” (with the colon at the end) – this is more specific and direct. You’ve already made your personal pitch above; now I want some details about what I’ll get for my money.

Additionally:
a. Make this heading bigger – as big as the heading “Fast Facts About Me:” (and bold it).
b. Move the heading and the checklist below (#27) so that they appear above the HomeGauge heading, graphic and paragraph (#21). The facts about the inspection should come before the facts about the report. Present your service in chronological order.

  1. Keep each item in this checklist of the same format. Either use incomplete sentences/phrases or use full sentences. Here’s a re-worked list:

✓ I check over 400 items.
✓ I identify both major and minor deficiencies.
✓ I highlight potential safety hazards.
✓ I show you how the home’s various systems work.
✓ I review any defects or issues with you step by step.
✓ I check the furnace, A/C, and water heater for recalls.
✓ I provide a limited thermal imaging scan at no additional charge.
✓ I email your detailed report to you within 24 hours.

  1. I would say to go ahead and keep the testimonial under this heading if you didn’t already have a long list of them at the right, so this one seems out of place and detracts from the organization of this page up to this point. Especially because you have no name here, it doesn’t really help you. Plus, I’ve already heard about your passion for this business. All I want you to do at this point is focus on ME. So, delete the heading (“This is why…”), find a name for this testimonial, and move it to the right side of your page with the others.

Also, for this testimonial:
a. Change “an obstacle” to “of obstacles”
b. Delete the comma after “Thanks”

  1. Change “Services I Offer” and the links “View Full Descriptions” so that the heading reads: “My Inspection Services” and then link the individual services. I see that you have only one page, but it might be worth your time to create separate pages for each one, and then maybe upload an image that’s descriptive of the service. Again, as a web-savvy consumer, I expect a certain level of link functionality, and this section here isn’t giving it to me. Additionally, make all of this text/these links bigger – they should not be the same small size as the text on the rest of this page. Even though they’re repetitive of the links at the top, if you want to repeat them here, that’s fine, but don’t bury them further by using the same small font. This is your bread and butter right here.

Also:
a. Change “Thermal” to “Thermal Imaging”
b. Change “Year Warranty” to “One-Year Builder’s Warranty”
c. Change “Walk/Talk (No Report)” to “Walk-Through Inspection (Verbal Only)”

  1. Change “I Believe In” to “I Support” and insert a colon at the end of that line.

RIGHT SIDE:

  1. So, awesome that you have the CMI seal there, but the text under it doesn’t say anything about it, which throws me. Plus, it’s redundant of the text just to the left. So, how about:

As a Certified Master Inspector®, I have earned the highest designation offered in the inspection industry. Let me put my years of training, education, experience and expertise to work for you.

  1. Since you’re offering a money-back guarantee, why not separate this information out and use some kind of seal with the following text (corrected for punctuation):

If you feel I didn’t earn your trust, simply let me know and there will be no charge, plus I’ll pay for a new inspector of your choice.

Additionally, move this to last position (but before the testimonials) – you don’t want to offer your prospective clients a back door out until you present all the reasons why they won’t want to take it.

  1. Change the heading “Infrared Thermal Technology” (which is a redundant term) to “Infrared Technology.” And here’s the corrected text for below it:

I use a thermal imaging camera as a standard tool for all my inspections because it can detect defects that aren’t visible to the naked eye.

  1. In the next heading, change “Piece” to “Peace.” Also, insert a comma before “Inc.” and another one after it. Additionally, insert a comma after “Indiana”

  2. In the next heading, change “We” to “I,” and use this corrected replacement text for under it:

I’ll record the model and serials number for all your major appliances, such as the furnace, water heater, and A/C. If a recall exists for any of those items, I’ll notify you immediately.

  1. In all of your testimonials:
    a. Italicize the text, but not the names.
    b. Move each name to after the testimonial.
    c. In the name, insert a period after the first name’s initial, as well as a space before the last name. For example, instead of “CCurry,” use “C. Curry.”
    d. The names need to be uniform. “Tim” is totally random without a last name or last-name initial, so it lacks all legitimacy. You can use full names (with permission) or use a first name and a last-name initial, but be consistent throughout. This may require you to go back in your records, but it’s worth the trouble so that these look like credible testimonials.
    e. It would also be useful to add their cities, such as “C. Curry, Sunset Hills” or “Tim H., Chesterfield” – depending on which name format you want to use for all of them.
    f. I’m also offering some minimal edits for the individual testimonials to follow to clean up grammar and punctuation issues, with some word changes for clarity.

  2. In the “CCurry” testimonial:
    a. Insert a comma after “numerous questions”
    b. Change “completely explained” to “answered completely”

  3. In the “Tim” testimonial, insert a comma after “needs a home inspection”

  4. In the “ASnow” testimonial:
    a. Change “3” to “three”
    b. Change “after purchase” to either “after their purchase” or “post-purchase”

  5. In the “DDowdy” testimonial:
    a. Change “buyers” to possessive “buyer’s”
    b. Move the ellipses to just after “ever had” (without a space), or just delete them.
    c. Uncap “Anywhere”
    d. Delete the comma after “extremely well”
    e. Change the comma after “to check” to a period – this is an extremely long sentence with lots of verbs, so let’s break it up a little.
    f. Start a new sentence and change “and took” to “He took”
    g. Delete the apostrophe in “how’s”
    h. Delete the apostrophe in “why’s”
    i. Insert a comma after “whys”
    j. Change “any concerns” to “our concerns”
    k. Insert the word “that” after “so”

  6. In the “DDowdy” testimonial:
    a. Delete the hyphen in “un-turned”
    b. Delete “way”
    c. Insert a comma after “Overall”
    d. End that sentence after “competitive”
    e. Start a new sentence at “It is” (so delete the preceding “and”)
    f. Insert a comma after “any questions”

BOTTOM:

  1. In the black banner at the bottom in your address, insert a comma after “Ave.”

  2. In your business hours, change “AM” to “a.m.” and insert a comma after “Dark,” and delete those parentheses.

  3. Move the “Feel Free” text down on its own line, and uncap all the words except “Feel.” Also, change “PM” to “p.m.”

  4. In your service area on the right, change “Areas” to “Communities.”

Also:
a. Insert a comma after “Eureka”
b. Change “above” to “here”

  1. In the maroon banner at the very bottom, change “Book” to “Schedule an Appointment.”

  2. Also, don’t bury these links by making them so small – make them bigger and bold them.

Wow Kate.

Hi Kate,

I’m interested in your review for this site:

www.choosesuperiorinspection.com

You’re a rock star Kate. I need to hire someone like you to review my work or go back to college “English 101”. :slight_smile: Thanks again.

Hi, Michael (Clark) –

Here are my comments for the main page of your website at http://www.charleston-home-inspector.com/:

  1. Delete the angle brackets in your main page’s tag. You’re screwing with your SEO chances by making the first characters in your name symbols instead of readable text.

  2. Your page is doing something weird in that when I first open it up, I can almost see that there’s additional content on the right side, so then I have to stretch my browser window out horizontally, but I can’t see what’s on the right-hand side until I stretch out the window so that it takes up my entire screen because the left-hand side stretches out, too, but only with more blank space. Contact your website host (Home Inspector Pro) so that they can help you fix this so that there isn’t so much empty space on the left side, and so that everything on the right side will show up without having to re-size the browser window – some people may not even realize that there’s additional content, which partially defeats the purpose of your page.

  3. In the top banner, it’s great to see your logo! But I think it should be much bigger – this is your branding and your professional identity, so make sure we can see it very clearly.

  4. Your company name is a bit obscured where it is – you should lose the two angle brackets in front of it. I realize that they’re supposed to lead from the arrow in your logo, but they actually cause me to have to read your name again because the brackets are of the same size and color as your name and they’re also on top of the logo, so it’s visually crowded and somewhat confusing. You should move your name up to the top of that blue banner and BOLD it so that it stands out. Your company name should neither be obscured by any graphics (as it is now on both sides), nor compete with anything else.

  5. The image to the right of your company name of the magnifying glass and house is competing with your logo, and it’s also one of those cliché images that makes your page look like everyone else’s. Get rid of it. Make your logo gigantic. Your branding is crucial to your success, so don’t dilute it with stuff that anybody has on their page. Yours should be unique.

  6. You may not be using many different fonts on your page (it’s actually hard to tell), but you definitely are using too many sizes and styles. This gives your page a very “messy” look. Stick to just a couple of sizes of only one or two fonts – one size for general text, and another larger size for headings (and perhaps a much smaller size for items like your copyright notation at the very bottom, which you will insert later). Don’t mix these sizes up within the text – that’s what gives it a messy look.

  7. Change “Certified Master Inspector Award” to “Michael Clark, Certified Master Inspector®” (without the quotation marks, of course). You may have been given a nice plaque or certificate when you achieved your CMI, but it’s not an “award” so much as a designation that you earned, so exploit it for its true purpose. Plus, I don’t see your name anywhere, and it’s important to present that up front.

  8. The lighter blue block under the gray banner is completely wasted space. Your text is too small, and there’s a ton of empty space within it. You should consider deleting CMI from the gray banner above – just leave it blank – and move it here in this space. Make everything bigger. (Also, it’s not “Certified Master Home Inspector®” – use the proper registered name.) Also, “Exceeding the expected” is too curt and unclear, so just say: “Exceeding Your Expectations for More Than 25 Years!” On the next line, say “Call Me Today to Schedule Your Home Inspection at 304-610-4018” – this text should take up most of the blue block. It’s microscopic as is. (And don’t say “connect” when you mean “call.”) Then say: “Providing Home Inspections in Charleston, West Virginia” – so you’ll be deleting the random green text under the blue box, along with all those angle brackets. Punctuation is very important, so cut-paste the text that I’ve given you above (but not the quotation marks – that’s just to specify the text for you.)

  9. I’m not really sure what you’re promising with your “Expect Me Onsite” line, but you’ve misspelled “You’re,” so correct that, and re-think this text.

  10. Your photo is a great addition! You should make it much bigger (but not so that it’s blurred) – you have lots of space here, so take advantage of it. Also, you should consider swapping this photo out with the one at “Your Inspector” because I can see your face and you’re smiling in that one. The one here now of you in action can go on another page.

  11. Under your photo, you’re going a little crazy with the fonts again, plus, your phone number is already at the top, so, for that reason (and also because the line isn’t correct either in terms of grammar or punctuation) just delete it.

  12. In the paragraph under your photo, there’s an issue with the line spacing that’s causing many of the lines of text to run into each other from the top and bottom, so some of the letters and words are partially obscured. This may be caused by using a font size that’s too big for the field, but whatever is causing this needs to be fixed. It looks okay after the CMI seal, but then the problem reappears in the bullet list in bold under the two paragraphs.

  13. In that first paragraph:
    a. I think “Congratulations!” comes off as a little condescending, based on the rest of the text, although I know you don’t mean it that way. Congratulating someone on a home purchase is one thing, but congratulating them for essentially choosing to hire you is another. I would change that to “Welcome!”
    b. Change “informed, thought out” to “informed and thoughtful”
    c. Uncap “Home Inspector”
    d. Change “BEST Home Inspection” to either “BEST home inspection company” or “BEST home inspector” (but do uncap in either case)
    e. Delete “inside”
    f. Delete “of the property”
    g. Change “informed decision” to “confident decision” (to avoid repetition of “informed”)
    h. Delete “Here’s one reason why…”

  14. At this point, you should talk about your home inspection, and not about being a CMI. There are several issues going on here:
    a. There are some factual misstatements in this paragraph. For example, you don’t “agree to exceed minimum education credits”; you have to have a minimum number when you apply in order to qualify.
    b. This is not an award that inspectors are selected for, as your text both states and implies; it’s a professional designation that inspectors apply for/earn.
    c. There’s nothing in the CMI requirements that states that you must “exceed… a higher level of service,” whatever that means.
    d. You state that you’re the only CMI in WV, and then you’re sending people away by telling them to search for another CMI in their ZIP code by clicking on the seal – why would you do that?

  15. I think you should delete everything from “Here’s one reason” through “clicking the logo seal above.”

  16. Swap out the CMI seal (which you already have in the upper right) with the InterNACHI seal, which you don’t have anywhere, and which will connect with the text about your membership in InterNACHI (see #23).

  17. Start telling your visitors what they actually want to read about, which is your services, starting at “A detailed”

  18. In that paragraph:
    a. Bold the paragraph so that it stands out more.
    b. Un-italicize it.
    c. Start the sentence with “The details of my typical inspection can be found”
    d. Delete the quotation marks around the “What’s Inspected” link.
    e. Insert a comma after “but” (seems like a lot of commas, I know, but you need this one for proper punctuation).
    f. Change “you will understand” to “I will explain” (because you can’t guarantee what someone will understand, only what you will explain).

  19. In the bullet list (which must be fixed for proper line spacing):
    a. Change the first bullet to: “The roof’s structural integrity and drainage (gutters & downspouts)”
    b. Change the second bullet to: “Exterior cladding, trim, doors & windows”
    c. Change the third bullet to: “Decks, porches, railings & steps”
    d. Delete the bullet that starts “Roof” (now covered by the first bullet)
    e. Change the HVAC bullet to: “Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system”
    f. Change the plumbing bullet to: “Plumbing system, including water heater and functional flow of fixtures”
    g. Change the electrical bullet to: “Electrical system, including panelboard and receptacles/outlets”
    h. Change the last bullet to “And more.”

  20. The next sentence starts with the word “Relax,” which is very random without any context. Let’s un-bold and un-italicize that paragraph and use this text instead:

Buying a home can be stressful process, but, as your home inspector, I’m here to help. I’m trained to help you understand the issues with the home that are major (what’s really important), and what are cosmetic or minor maintenance issues. Here’s a short two-minute video that helps explain the difference.

  1. Good idea including that video – it’s very informative for folks who have never had a home inspection done before, and deleting all that extraneous text will (hopefully) ensure that it appears “above the fold” on your page. You want people to see this video first and then click on it.

  2. So, again, you have lots of different sizes and styles of font here in the next six paragraphs, and the focus is a bit all over the place, too, so let’s tighten things up here. You have links for your qualifications and testimonials, so this text can be much shorter. First, choose one size for all of your text. The size of the bolded text is good, but don’t randomly bold or italicize any of the text – you want important stuff to stand out, but it’s actually not all the stuff about you. As a consumer, I care most about what you’re going to provide to me. Make your personal pitch brief, and then get on with your services.

  3. First, you need to sell yourself – you don’t need to sell InterNACHI (and you’re not doing an especially good job of it anyway!^) We do far more than make you pass an entrance exam, which seems to be your focus (and I’m not 100% that other associations don’t make applicants do the same thing anyway), so let’s cut that first paragraph down to something that actually explains why being a member of InterNACHI is good for your clients, which should be your focus here:

I have been trained and certified by InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, which is the world’s largest home inspector association. I follow their comprehensive Standards of Practice, abide by their strict Code of Ethics, and stay up to date with the latest trends and techniques in the housing industry through their rigorous Continuing Education curriculum. Click on the seal at the left to verify my membership.

  1. Then, let’s combine the “I am a full time” paragraph” with the “My goal” paragraph – again, you want to keep related information together, and keep your text short and sweet.

  2. But first, you’re licensed?? Why is this information buried halfway down the page? This is why your name needs to appear up top in that practically empty blue box. Add your license number under it, like so (but make sure the two lines of text are aligned; it may not come out that way here in my post):

Michael Clark, Certified Master Inspector®
West Virginia-Licensed Home Inspector #???

  1. Here’s the replacement text for the two paragraphs I talked about in #24 (and re-insert the links, too):

As a full-time, state-licensed, Certified Master Inspector®, my goal is to provide you with an inspection report that you can rely on. I want to inform and educate you about the house you’re considering purchasing using easy-to-understand language. Click on the icon below to view my Sample Report.

View my Qualifications Page to see why Inspection Connection is your only choice in the Charleston area for the outstanding customer service you want and the accurate home inspection you need.

  1. Label your PDF using this bolded text to the right of the icon: “Click on this PDF to view my Sample Report.” I realize you talk about it in the paragraph above, but don’t neglect to label something that you want your visitors to click on – don’t assume they’re going to actually read all of your text.

  2. Then, you can insert your one testimonial, but you need to add a name (and also a city) so that this will seem like a legitimate review. Without that basic identifying information, it could be totally made up, and I wouldn’t know the difference. It’s okay to use a first name and last initial, followed by the city, or (even better) use the whole name, but make sure you have your former client’s permission.

In that testimonial:
a. Replace the comma after “tag along” with a semicolon.
b. Insert a comma between “process” and “too”
c. Change “to every” to “in every”
d. Change “You will be highly recommended from us” to “We highly recommend you” – this doesn’t change the content of what the writer is saying, but it does correct the grammar problems; you don’t want something on your website that is potentially embarrassing to your former clients, even if they wrote it themselves.
e. Delete the sentence that begins “The website is great too” – this is self-referencing.
f. Change the last sentence to: “Again, thank you, Mike – it was a pleasure working with you!"
g. Do keep this text italicized, but not the name and city, which you will add it after the testimonial itself.
h. Indent this testimonial on both sides so that it’s sort of “boxed” – this should be its own element separate from the general information about Inspection Connection.

  1. Delete the text under the PDF icon that begins “I am not self employed” – in point of fact, you are self-employed, so this is confusing, although I take your meaning. Also, the mix of colors and fonts and the extra exclamation points while discussing things that should be understood without drawing attention to them make this passage sound and look a bit desperate and amateurish. You’re a pro, so we’ll assume that you’re going to focus on the client completely, etc., etc.

  2. Nice photo, but it’s way too small. This landmark should be enlarged and perhaps added near the top of your page. If you want to keep it here to add a visual touch, it should still be much larger. Also, move it up so that there isn’t a lot of empty white space between the different elements.

  3. You have a new heading , so bold the sentence that begins “Here are,” and change that sentence to this:

Here are just some of the FREE extras that Inspection Connection offers:

  1. Un-italicize the bulleted items.

  2. In the bullet list, close up all the extra space between the bullet symbols and the related items.

  3. In all the bullets, delete the hyphens between the word “FREE” and the next word.

  4. The first item is actually called “Home Energy Report™” with the superscript TM symbol after it, so use the product’s actual name.

  5. For the second bullet, add the book’s title. If you use the “Now” book, it’s called “Now That You’ve Had a Home Inspection.” The title should either be inside quotation marks, or italicized without quotation marks.

  6. In the fourth bullet, insert a hyphen between “On” and “Site”

  7. In that same bullet, insert an asterisk at the end because you have a disclaimer for it after the nachi seal.

  8. In the last bullet, uncap everything except the first word, and add an
    exclamation point at the end.

  9. Move that disclaimer so that it’s after the bullet list, not after the seal. Increase the font size because it’s microscopic, un-italicize it, and change it to (starting with an asterisk):

  • Re-Inspections are limited to Kanawha and Putnam Counties. Other areas may require a fee for mileage.
  1. At this point, you may want to add your contact information (phone, email – and, by the way, where is your email address? You have to have one).

  2. Delete all this blank white space between the elements.

  3. Your hours and contact information (as well as the different social media icons) are WAY TOO SMALL. This is important information, so increase the size of all of it considerably. Also:

a. Don’t indent the heading.
b. Don’t italicize any of this text.
c. Change “8AM” to “8 a.m.”
d. Insert a comma after “Dark” and delete the parentheses around “7 Days a Week”
e. Move the “Feel Free” text down on its own line, uncap “To,” and change “10PM” to 10 p.m.”
f. Put some space between your phone number and “Bookmark”

  1. Change “Bookmark/Search this post with” to “Bookmark/search this site with” – HIP needs to make this macro change because I see it on every HIP site. This isn’t a proper blog, it’s a website, so “post” doesn’t apply.

  2. Again, you are hiding your service area by using the tiniest font available. If you want people to hire you, make this font readable for your site’s visitors. Also, change “surrounding areas” to “the surrounding area.”

  3. Add a copyright notation to the bottom of this page that says: “Copyright 2014 Inspection Connection”

  4. What’s the deal with the feather at the bottom? It’s pretty random, so I would delete it.

LEFT SIDE:

  1. There’s too much empty space to the left of this list of links, so contact HIP to find out what you can do to fix it.

  2. Change “Home Page” to just “Home”

  3. There are too many links here in a random order. You need to combine where you can and list these in a more sensible order, starting with who you are, your qualifications, your services, your sample report, your contract, a way to request a quote (and upcap “A” in that text), and then all the extras, such as your photo gallery, “The Cheapest Home Inspection” (because it’s not actually YOUR pricing – it’s more filler about why cheap inspections are bad, which is delaying me in hiring you, so put this down near the bottom). The “Q and A” should be “FAQs” – this title is a website convention and it’s what I’ll be looking for as a prospective client, so it needs to go much higher in the lineup. “Inspection Areas” should be “Service Area” so that I don’t think it’s about the areas you inspect in a home. Basically, as a consumer, I don’t care about news, blogs, recent posts, etc., etc. You need to approach this list as a consumer would and present the information in the order that the consumer would be looking for it. If you need to corral your family and friends to help you figure out the lineup, that would be a good idea. This website isn’t your hobby; it’s the gateway to your livelihood, so make sure you’re leading your visitors to the decision to hire you as quickly and easily as possible.

  4. Also, are your St. Albans home inspections and Charleston home inspections different? Don’t confuse your clients. Make your service area cities prominent elsewhere on this page, and just name this link “My Standard Home Inspection”

  5. For that matter, why not add the “Call me now” icon here, too? That would make things easier for the consumer.

  6. Delete the heading “Primary links” – you only have one, and it doesn’t belong down here by itself. In the CMI link, delete the word “Award” (again, it’s not an award; it’s a professional designation that you earned), and add the registered trademark symbol after it (the R in a circle). Move it up with the rest of the links.

  7. Is your “User login” for clients to retrieve their reports? If so, cap “login” and add this heading above it: “Retrieve Your Report”

RIGHT SIDE:

  1. So, again, there’s some great stuff here on the right side, but I can’t see it unless I scroll over (which I shouldn’t have to do) or widen my page (which I also shouldn’t have to do). All of the elements on the left, center and right of your home page (and each deeper page) should show up without me having to fiddle so much with the size of my browser window. It’s critical that you get this addressed.

  2. Great that you have the CMI seal.

  3. Great that you have the Honor Guarantee logo.

  4. Nice add with the texting box – I haven’t seen that before, and it’s a convenient feature.

  5. Um, you better NOT call me till midnight! There are few people in my life whom I want to hear from that late, and my home inspector is not one of them!^) Just delete that text over the seal; if I really want to hear from you late at night, regardless of the hour, I’ll let you know in my voicemail or text message.

  6. Other seals are good additions.

Awesome work Kate.

Are there any idiots out there who haven’t joined InterNACHI?

LOL! :mrgreen:

Thank you Kate, you’re truly awesome!

Now I have a ton of work to do, as well as learning** how** to do it!!

I can’t believe you caught me on misspelling “you’re”…I never do that!!

Hi Kate I would love for you to go over mine. :roll: http://rammhomeinspections.com/

Hi Kate,

Here is my link if you get a chance. www.topicalhomeinspectionservice.ca

Thanks

Joseph Barrs