Your home inspection website

General Inspection Topics General Inspection Discussion
181

Hi Kate,
I would love to hear your feedback on www.vhillc.com which I’m sure has a bit of room for improvement!

Thanks,
Mike

182

When you have time, here’s mine…

1ST Class Home Inspection

183

Hi, Mark (Brickhouse) –

Here’s my feedback for the homepage of your website at http://waco-home-inspections.com:

  1. I couldn’t verify it via the Texas Secretary of State website (which is apparently undergoing some renovations), but I did verify it through the TREC website, and “Waco Home Inspections” –- which is your website address but not your company name (which is “The Home Inspection Service”) –- is available. You may want to seriously consider re-branding yourself and changing your company name to take advantage of the built-in SEO for both your service area and your business type that are already reflected in your website address.

  2. You’re using the identical HIP template that David Macy is using –- nothing inherently wrong with this, since you’re not direct competitors -– but some of my comments about your site are also the same.

  3. There are a few generic identifiers and labels on your page that you should delete. These include: “Home” in the red banner under the main graphic at the top; “Home Page” above your contact info; and “Navigation” above your links in the left panel. That term is outdated, and the two “home” references are unnecessary.

  4. Change the text under your company name to:

Serving Waco, Temple, Hillsboro, Killeen & the surrounding area

Also, make this text bold so that it stands out better.

  1. I’m not a fan of this color palette: a pink bubble, deep red banner, and pinkish-purple column on the left. Bolder colors work better, so if you can fix this, try some different color combinations.

  2. Good job putting your contact information front and center! However, delete the “Submitted by admin” text because this is a dead giveaway that this is a blog template and not one for a professional business website (the fact that it’s hosted by HIP notwithstanding). Then, center your contact info, make it much bigger, un-italicize it (which makes it slightly harder to read), and bold it.

  3. Also, add the acronym CPI after your name, and below your TREC license number, add the following text:

Certified Professional Inspector®

This is the professional designation that InterNACHI certification affords you, so take advantage of it in your marketing.

  1. Your text is generally well-written and you’ve re-packaged the original text to improve upon it, but I’d still like to give you some replacement text and a new heading for the following reasons:

a. You’re telling your visitor to do something that they’re already here to do, which is to keep reading to find out more about your services.

b. It’s a pretty dense first paragraph that you’re making your visitors read, and its focus is kind of all over the place. Something short and snappier is what’s called for.

c. There’s some repetition that makes this longer than necessary (such as “Buying a home is a major expense” and “Because of the expense of buying a home,” etc.).

d. You’re selling the concept of home inspections when all you need to do now is sell yourself. Your visitors are already sold on the idea or they wouldn’t have come to your website.

e. The line “All homes have significant defects” comes off as alarmist to the layperson. You’re also unintentionally conveying that you have some sort of agenda to find major problems that you believe already exist, regardless of the home. This could give your visitors an uneasy feeling that may cause them to keep looking at other inspectors.

f. Also, “Everyone involved needs to know every aspect of the property” is not your responsibility. Your duty is to your client only, not to “everyone involved.” Who your client chooses to share their report with -– that they paid you for -– is their decision, not yours.

g. So, here’s some replacement text for the three paragraphs (along with a new heading), which covers buyers, sellers and homeowners. It’s short and succinct. Also, make the very first line of bolded text the largest:

Welcome to Waco’s Premier Home Inspection Company!

A Quality Inspection When You Need It

A home is the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, so it’s important to understand the condition of your investment. The Home Inspection Service will provide you with a thorough inspection and a report you can rely on.

Are you:

  • buying a new property and want to be sure of what you’re getting?
  • selling a property and want to eliminate possible problems that could delay or lose a sale?
  • a current homeowner and want an evaluation and advice about any maintenance and safety issues for your home?

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or ready to downsize the family home, I’ll give you the information you need to make a confident decision.

Licensed & Certified

As a TREC-Licensed Home Inspector (#20706) trained and certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), I follow a comprehensive Residential Standards of Practice. This means that I’ll inspect all of the visible and accessible systems and components of the home inside and out, from the foundation to the roof. I also abide by a strict Code of Ethics, which protects your interests.

I understand that real estate transactions are time-sensitive, so I’m happy to accommodate your busy schedule. Following your inspection, I will compile my findings in an easy-to-understand report that includes checklists, as well as detailed descriptions and digital photos of any defects or safety issues I’ve discovered. I will [email? mail?] you your report within [how long?], and my job isn’t finished until you understand everything in it.

  1. Embed links for both TREC (use the direct link so that your license number can be verified here: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/newsandpublic/licenseeLookup/search.aspx) and InterNACHI so that people can find out more about these organizations and why it’s a big deal that you’re licensed and certified.

  2. Be sure to re-embed the link for your sample inspection report in the text above where it says “easy-to-understand report” (and don’t italicize that text, but do change the color of the font to the traditional blue that indicates that it’s a link), but do something to the report first: make sure you fill out the first couple of pages with fake information; otherwise, I don’t even realize that it’s a sample report instead of a blank report until I get to the fifth page. Folks are unlikely to page through what looks like a blank report, so fill in an address that’s something like “1234 Any Street,” or write “SAMPLE REPORT” in red across the first page or at the top so that it’s immediately obvious that it’s a sample report, which will be of interest to your visitors. This will ensure that they’ll actually look through it to get an idea of the end product.

  3. Do fill in the blanks in the last paragraph of the replacement text to reflect your report’s basic format (electronic or hard copy, or both?), method of delivery, and turnaround time.

  4. Good use of the “Have me call you!” icon!

  5. Your FAQs are awesome! Very good idea to feature these right on your homepage. I have some edits for most of them.

  6. At the heading, delete the apostrophe; it should be just “FAQs” (but not the quotation marks).

  7. At question #1:

a. Delete the first sentence about it being the number one question you’re asked; that’s irrelevant, and you don’t want to plant any seeds and make your visitor worry about cost before you’ve sold your services. The answer you provide is sufficient.

b. Cap “internet."

  1. Delete question #2. Again, you don’t want to plant any seeds, and I don’t think anyone would necessarily ask this question. If they would, they can do their own homework. Your prices are your prices, and you don’t have to defend them if you’re providing excellent service and a reliable product. Deleting this question will also give you an even 10 FAQs. (So you’ll need to re-number the questions.)

  2. Replacement text for #3:

What can I expect from my home inspection? Click on the link at the left titled “What’s Inspected” for details about the systems and components that I inspect. Also, click on the link titled “Sample Report” to get an idea of what your report will look like. I’ll report on any item I find that is a safety concern or could be a costly repair. In addition to your home inspection report, I’ll provide a free Home Energy Report™ at your request.

  1. Replacement answer for #4:

I strongly recommend that you attend your inspection so that I can describe my process, explain my findings, and educate you about important maintenance items.

  1. Replacement answer for #6 (revised to state what you do provide, rather than what you don’t):

If I find indications of a termite infestation or other wood-destroying insect activity, I can recommend a TREC-licensed exterminator who can perform a full evaluation and remediation, if necessary.

  1. Replacement text for #7:

Can you repair the defects you discover? The Code of Ethics of both TREC and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) prohibits home inspectors from performing repairs to items we inspect for a full year from the date of the inspection. This is for the consumer’s protection and to avoid a conflict of interest.

  1. Replacement text for #8:

I got an inspection from you and the deal fell through. Will you do another one for me at a discount? I consider my clients my customers for life, and I value your business! Please contact me to discuss this further.

  1. Replacement answer for #11:

The seller is not required to repair any defects or deficiencies noted in my report. However, such items can be negotiated, as can the sale price. This is a discussion you should have with your broker or Realtor. If you’re selling the home, my Pre-Listing Seller’s Inspection will help you devise a to-do list that can make the home show better, and I can also recommend reputable contractors. If you’re buying the home, I can help you plan and budget for short-term and long-term repairs and upgrades.

  1. The following text has problems:

We are a top Waco, TX home inspector on Inspectopia.com! Home Inspectors

a. Change “We are” to “I am”

b. The first link is broken, so either fix it or delete this text. If you fix the link, make it so that it opens in a new window, rather than bounces your visitor away from your site.

c. The second link (“Home Inspectors”) is completely random, so delete it. You don’t need to provide a different site or search engine for other inspectors. If your client is relocating, they can easily go on the Web themselves and figure things out. This link takes them off your site, which you don’t want.

  1. Change “Bookmark/Search this post with” to “Bookmark this site with” — this is another blog element and doesn’t make sense for a commercial business website. It’s an HIP placeholder that should be changed.

  2. Update your copyright year, move “Copyright 2014” to the front of that line of text, and delete the comma after your business name.

  3. Change “Surrounding Areas” to “the Surrounding Area”

LEFT SIDE:

  1. All of your links are way too tiny. Make the font much larger.

  2. Change “About Us” to “About Me,” and combine the information at “Qualifications” with this link. As a consumer, I expect them to have the same information, so don’t make me look at two different links for it.

  3. Delete “Blogs” –- I’m looking for a home inspector; I don’t care about your blogs.

  4. Rework the order of your links. I’m not going to “Book A Home Inspection” (which should be changed to “Schedule Your Home Inspection") until I find out more about you and your services.

  5. Change “Inspection Areas” to “Service Area” so that I don’t confuse this with the areas of a home that you inspect.

  6. Then move your “What’s Inspected” link after your “Service Area.”

  7. Move your “Home Maintenance Inspections” to next position.

  8. Move your “Sample Report” to next position.

  9. Change “Home Inspection Authorization” to “View My Contract” –- an authorization is different from a contract, and you want your link description to be as specific as possible.

  10. Consider linking the TREC SOP and COE in this list, too.

  11. Change “Prices” to “Pricing” and move it here.

  12. Then have your “Schedule Your Inspection” link here.

  13. Delete the “Links” link. There’s nothing of value there for your visitor, and it just clogs up the list.

  14. Move your “Inspection Photo Galleries” link down to the bottom of the list.

  15. Put quotation marks around “Three Deadly Mistakes”

  16. Change “News” to “Inspection News” and move it to last position.

  17. With the exception of the generic image at the top and the phone logo in the middle of your page, there are no visuals or other images. So, consider adding some web seals and logos, including perhaps a TREC logo, as well as the “Click to verify” InterNACHI seal, and display them down the left-hand column. You can find what you need at http://www.nachi.org/logos.htm

  18. This is a very “Get’er done”-type business website, so you don’t have a whole lot to do to make it more robust and consumer-friendly. But do think about that name change, as well as getting a custom logo (and we can help with that, too!^).

184

Go Kate!

185

Thank you, Kate. All of your suggestions are valuable to me, and I will follow up on them. Is it plagiarism if I use your suggested paragraph revisions if you know I am going to do it? Thanks for the insightful review. Nick sure needs to keep you around!

Sincerely,
Mark Brickhouse

186

Hi Kate,
Is the website review over? I still haven’t heard back on what your impressions are of my website. I would love your feedback and expertise in this matter.

Luis
www.royalpropertyinspections.com

187

Hey Kate,

Go ahead! I can take it!

www.bthomeinspections.com

188

Kate,

I owe you an apology. Sorry I mistakenly forgot it was you that was doing this thread and sent a email to Jessica yesterday. So let me just tell you what I told her mistakenly. I greatly appreciate the comments and suggestions you gave me. and want to re do my website. I currently use SiteSpinner Pro and am looking for something newer with greater capabilities better templates “so I do not have to build it all myself”. I also am looking for something that makes SEO easier and such. I want it to have some nice features but do not want it to run to slow. I would like to add a blog feature right in the site but am not sure if that is even possible or if I just publish one to my domain. Is there a site building program you or anyone else out here reading this recommends? I have several domains and do not believe I need hosting at least not for meekerindustries.com. I use simplehost which I think is now Jumpline and they are fairly decent. No weekend support though :frowning:

189

Hi would love you to give my site a look over it’s saphomeinspections.com

190

Hi, Everyone:

First, NO, the homepage review project is not over until I’ve reviewed every member’s homepage per their request, and apologies for being out of touch on this thread. I got sidelined recently with another priority project, but I’ll be returning to the homepages shortly and will be going in order of request, as usual. Thanks again for everyone’s patience.

Secondly, if I give you replacement text in my feedback, use it as you see fit. It’s not plagiarism, so don’t worry about that. (In fact, as members, you are free to use any of InterNACHI’s website content, including our consumer-friendly informational articles at www.Inspectopedia.com, and if you’re required to give the attribution/source, it will say so at the bottom of the page.) In the case of my feedback, do cut-paste at will, even if it’s from someone else’s feedback. I’m trying to make your tasks easier, which is why I’ll frequently just rewrite the stuff for you!^)

Mike, as for recommendations for a website/new host for you, there are probably others out there who can give you feedback about optimum functionality for what you need (report download, etc.), but I personally am liking the Inspector Pages layout – it’s clean and uncluttered. (And I’m not even biased!^)

Thanks again for hanging in there with me – hope to have more feedback up by the weekend!

191

I think you misunderstood me. I want a NEW great site building software program.

192

Sorry – can’t help you there, Michael. You might want to start a new thread asking for what you’re looking for.

193

I did. Absolutely no useful comments.Some fool even started some negative garbage. It amazes me the complete losers that are out there in internetville :slight_smile: I figured most guys wrote their own sites but I guess I was wrong yet again. I just figured I would ask you as you seem so knowledgeable about the content part of them. I thought maybe you had some experience building them. Thanks anyhow :slight_smile:

194

Michael –

You might try emailing Tim Eaton or Chris Morrell directly to see if either one of them can make any recommendations for you.

Good luck!

195

Michael, I like WordPress. I built these on the WordPress platform: www.ContractorsAssociation.org , www.CertifiedMasterInspector.org and www.Gromicko.com

196

(I received special dispensation to circle back, so here’s another homepage review!)

Hi, Eric (Van De Ven) –

Here’s my feedback for the homepage of your website at www.magnuminspections.com :

  1. The tag for your homepage is non-descript (it just says “Home Page”), so change it to either your business name or your service area so that you can get some SEO mileage out of it.

  2. In your company name, you may need a comma before “Inc.” Check your letters of incorporation to see how it’s rendered and correct it here, if necessary.

  3. You have a big space to the left of your business name. Maybe it’s time for a custom logo?^)

  4. For now, you might consider filling that space with the text for your service area that’s now in the blue banner below, or move your phone numbers here on two lines. Whether you move the phone numbers up or leave them where they are, delete the word “Phone” and the colon after it. It’s self-evident that they’re your phone numbers, and you don’t want to have three colons (one after “Phone” and another after each of the city names).

  5. You should also increase the size of the blue banner so that the text is more readable, and make the text bold so that it stands out better.

  6. Delete the quotation marks around “Serving South Florida since 1994,” and cap the word “since”

  7. In your buttons:

a. Change “Company Info” to “About Me” or “About Magnum Inspections” (without the quotation marks). Use the recognized website conventions for links like these.

b. Your “Testimonials” should not appear before your services, so move that button to a later position.

c. Your “Inspection Types” should be changed to “My Services” or “My Inspection Services.” Again, use standard language found on most websites so that your visitors can find what they want quickly. Also, your secondary page should reflect what your button promises. At that particular link, you start talking about reports and other things before you get to your services, and this is confusing and will frustrate your visitors. Create more links if you have to, but don’t try to cram a lot of information at one link that doesn’t reflect what your visitors expect to find right after they click on it. This goes for all your links.

d. Your “20 Questions” link was intriguing, and I was going to suggest that you change it to “FAQs” until I clicked on it. At this link, you’re actually giving home-buying advice. It’s your website and you can do what you want, of course, but your first duty is to yourself, which means getting inspection business, not educating home buyers on the home-buying process. I recommend that you offer this advice (that goes well beyond the scope and expertise of a home inspector, even someone with your knowledge) as one of your last links. You also do a fair amount of Realtor-bashing at that link, and that’s also something I wouldn’t publish. It makes you look slightly antagonistic, and it puts your visitor on high alert that maybe if they hire you, things won’t go so smoothly with all parties involved.

e. I also recommend that you include an FAQs link to actually answer some of the questions that your visitors will invariably will have about home inspections that they may mistake your “20 Questions” link for. Again, you have some of this info kind of buried on your “Inspection Types” page, so you really should look at organizing the info at all your links with your visitors’ desires in mind. Help them hire you by presenting your information in a sensible order, and keep the information at each link brief and succinct. If it means creating more links, do that, but don’t let the focus wander all over the place –- give your visitor what you’re promising at each link, right away. (And as for your links, please review the text for grammar issues and revise accordingly because you have a lot of sentence fragments. Write the information as if you were actually talking to your visitor, so don’t skip the verbs or speak in choppy phrases, etc.)

f. At your “WDO Termite” link, insert a slash between the words/phrases so that it’s “WDO/Termite”

  1. Delete the underline from the “Welcome” text because it’s not a link, so this will confuse your visitors.

  2. Also in that text, delete “Home Page,” and also delete “Inc.” unless you need it there for legal reasons. A simple welcome to your visitors is fine –- they already know they’re on your home page.

  3. Also, you don’t need to explain the purpose of your website. Your purpose is to sell your services -– that’s self-evident and doesn’t need explaining, just doing. So, try this text instead (and make it bold for better legibility):

If you need a highly trained and licensed home inspector in Martin or Broward County, Magnum Inspections offers full-service inspections for home buyers, home sellers, and real estate professionals.

  1. Your photo is great. But do change the caption to:

Eric Van De Ven, CPI
InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector®

You don’t have any InterNACHI identifiers on your homepage, and you should use our seals, taglines, and the CPI designation to infuse some additional credibility beyond your license number.

  1. Unless the address on your business license is for your office, black it out (using Photoshop or Paint or some other program), or just delete your license. (Displaying it doesn’t mean uploading it to your website –- it means displaying it in your place of business.) Even if your home address is listed in the White Pages, you want to do what you can to protect your family’s privacy by not giving it out on your business website. You can also link your license number to the DBPR website so that your visitors can verify it themselves. Of course, if the address is for your office, that’s fine.

  2. The text below your license needs a heading, so try “Hire Experience That You Can Depend On” (bolded but no quotation marks).

  3. In that text:

a. Bold it so that it’s easier to read.

b. Delete the underline under “6,000” -– again, it’s not a link, so don’t confuse or frustrate your visitors.

c. Insert a hyphen between “single” and “family”

d. Change the slash between “home” and “condominium” to the word “and”

e. “with in” should be one word: “within”

f. Delete the word “let”

g. Insert the word “will” before “help”

h. Change “property” to “purchase” (the purchase is potential; the property is actual).

i. Change the last sentence to:

Click on the links to learn more about my services, my qualifications, and other valuable information.

j. Then, be sure to link “my services” and “my qualifications” to the appropriate pages that spell out that info.

k. At the end of the next paragraph, cap “counties”

  1. So, again, you’ve got another heading that’s underlined but not linked, so delete it. Also, I strongly recommend that you make “Latest News” one of your last links on top and not the bulk of the text on your homepage. First of all, your first-time visitor doesn’t care that you’ve redesigned your website. Secondly, while it’s useful on some level for your visitors to know about HI licensing in Florida, I can tell you from a layperson’s perspective that I don’t care about all the politics and details, the grandfathering, etc, etc. If you’re required to be licensed, then I want to make sure you’re licensed. Beyond that, it’s every man for himself, and this is your only chance to show me why I should hire YOU before I click off and keep looking.

What you have here now is not only of very limited interest to your visitors (take my word for it), but it’s also encouraging your visitor to consider OTHER INSPECTORS. You’re sounding like a broker instead of an inspector who wants my business. Your homepage should have one clear focus: to secure the inspection appointment. Everything you have on your homepage should lead to that singular goal. Everything else comes in a distant second, and that’s why you should put this information about licensing at a link.

  1. Your visitor is looking for the following specific information, in roughly the following order, which you should give them on your homepage (because this is, realistically, your only chance to nail the inspection and keep people from clicking off):

a. your contact information;

b. your service area;

c. your availability;

d. your qualifications (licensing, training, related experience);

e. your services (standard and ancillary);

f. your report’s format, method of delivery, and turnaround time;

g. any freebies or extras I can expect to receive;

h. your prices and methods of acceptable payment;

i. your testimonials; and

j. links for everything else (sample report, sample contract, link to the SOP, etc.).

This information and these links should appear on every inspector’s homepage, with some of the information actually spelled out instead of being linked (a. and b., for example). Anything beyond this list is filler and should be presented as last links.

  1. Under the paragraph titled “Disclosures,” which you will hopefully move off your homepage, the text below that needs some re-organizing. Present the information in the order that your visitor is looking for it, and consider deleting some of the links, since they’re repetitive of the links at the top of your page. Also, divide them up so that each link is on its own line (so, separate the information and links about yourself and your sample reports -– put each on its own line).

  2. Again, your “20 Questions” link is beyond your focus of getting the inspection (and the phrase “signing the contract” makes me assume that it’s about signing the contract for my inspection, so it’s doubly confusing). Delete this text and link.

  3. Uncap “Clients,” and move your “Testimonials” link to a position after you’ve presented your different services.

  4. Same thing with “Electrical” –- I assumed this has to do with your electrical inspection, but since it’s apparently just safety tips, present that near the bottom or last position. Your services need to come first.

  5. Insert a hyphen between “Four” and “Point”

  6. Change “Your Inspector is Licensed” to “I am licensed”

  7. For that link, insert a space between the colon and the license number -– it shouldn’t be all crammed together like it is now. Also, delete “State License” at the end of the link -– it’s redundant.

  8. Don’t refer to yourself in the third person as “your inspector” –- you’re not my inspector yet (!), and you should use the direct approach by saying “I,” “me” and “my.” Talk to your visitors, not at them.

  9. Move your contact information above the InspectAPedia link -– that’s much more important. Also, change “Phone” x 2 to the different counties as you have above, and insert some space between the two numbers.

  10. Also, change “E-Mail” to “Email me at:” and repeat this information at the top of your page. It shouldn’t be buried at the bottom here.

  11. In the text for your InspectAPedia blurb:

a. Change the hyphen after the link/name to “is an online” etc., and be sure to uncap “Online”

b. Insert a hyphen between “problem” and “prevention”

c. Change the dash or hyphen after “advice” to a double-dash.

d. Delete “energy conservation” –- the way it’s worded now, it looks like it’s trying to be prevented.

e. Delete the last line that says “Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.” I wouldn’t expect an online encyclopedia to be biased, nor would I expect it to present any sort of conflict of interest, so why raise the issue?

  1. Overall, you have some nice visuals on your page and the organization is generally good. But you can do much more to seal the deal by just being flat-out self-promoting. Don’t promote the inspection industry and don’t promote other inspectors -– promote yourself, and do it by being direct (see #16) and by using more InterNACHI seals and logos that will offer your visitors some branding visuals, which make an instant impression that’s faster than text. You might also consider uploading the “Call me now” icon/button.

197

Nice work Kate, keep it going, thanks.

198

Thanks Kate!

I have made many of the changes already.

Thanks!

As to some of your observations, the 20 questions link in particular, I want my site to educate clients, even if they end up not being my clients. That page is very important as far as obtaining insurance here in Florida goes. It is why the answers need to be found to those questions, before they even call me.

In several instances, the inspection doesn’t even happen and eventually, when those people end up being my clients, they have thanked me for saving them the cost of an inspection for a home that already had 10K worth of work to do and that they couldn’t get insurance for.

Again, Thanks for looking at my site!

199

Thanks for clarifying your reasons about linking those “20 Questions,” Eric.

I think it’s valuable information you have at that link, too. I can see why some home buyers would be grateful to find this information, especially when they hadn’t really been looking for it at your site but found it anyway. My point, however (and I think you get it) is that you’ve given it prominence on your site at the expense of other more immediately relevant information about your services that your visitors need to have in order to hire you. Once you have all the other stuff up and findable first (in terms of order of presentation), then this is bonus information, which is definitely useful. But you have to admit that it’s more appropriate coming from a broker than an HI, but it speaks to your breadth of expertise, which, obviously, is a selling point. As a consumer, I don’t care so much about where I find that kind of bonus information as long as I find it, especially if I find it in time!

Thanks again for your comments!

200

Nick and Kate,

Thanks for the info :slight_smile: