Your Opinion Please, Part 2

[EddieWalker]

Tug,

I honestly don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for the great advice that I've received here. Everything from buying and fixing equipment, to killing weeds and now, website advice. The list goes on and on, and I'm very thankful for all the help that I've received.

Eddie

 

[txdon]

Go to the local dealer and pick out one that looks good and get a shot of you with it.

That would be an integrity issue here in Texas!

Eddie, your truck is just fine, besides it will be in the background and you will be the focused subject.

 

[jinman]

Eddie, I don't know why your truck has to even be in the shot. If you were standing in front of your hot tub gazebo, that would show who you are and your work. If you can stand in a kitchen with clients and get somebody to snap a good picture, then that would be perfect in my opinion. Yes, we want you in the shot, but I think you with your product is a lot more important than you with your transportation. When the photo of you is so large it dominates the page, it doesn't matter what you look like. It's intimidating in my opinion. Be careful also about colors of your clothes. While your blue stripes are okay, a soft earthtone might be better. Reds, yellows, and any bright color would not be my choice. . . just my opinion.

 

[dex3361]

Eddie, How about a picture with what looks like a potential customers job site with a set of plans laid out and you shaking hands with the customer like you are sealing the deal with a hand shake. Just a thought.

 

[Bird]

Since no one else has mentioned it, maybe it's just my old deteriorating eyes, but that pale green print on white for that long column on the left is a bit difficult for me to read. I would much prefer a darker, easier to read, print.

And one of the things I have in common with jinman is that I used to be responsible for writing manuals, responding to correspondence, and proofreading what others had written. So grammatical and spelling errors stand out like a sore thumb when I'm reading what others have written. But then I'll make the same mistakes myself, and fail to catch them. I learned years ago to proofread what others have written, and to be sure and have someone else proofread what I write.

 

[IH3444]

One thing I noticed Eddie is that when I've seen windows bricked in, the contractor will chisel out the half bricks, and "weave" the full bricks in the new section. That way, as the wall ages in, it's less noticable that there was ever a window there.

How about just a picture of your wife on the front page, with CEO under the picture. Make it a big picture!

Then a link to your picture under "worker bee".

Sorry, just can't help but rib you a bit Eddie!:

 

[tugboat-2]

txdon : ...good golly Don, my sincere apologies for offending Texas-integrity with my "truck" suggestion. It was only meant to show a nice shiny new truck for the sake of the ad. Certainly NOT meant fraudulently!

Had Eddie "hired" an Ad-Agency to do the webpage and they showed a nice truck with professional models posed as carpenters, for instance,.....would that also offend "Texas-Integrity"? ....here in Canada it would just be considered good professional advertising?

I'm honestly NOT trying to be argumentative Don,.. I felt it a quick, easy way to dress up the ad with a shot of Eddie in a solid pastel coloured shirt by the front corner of a shiny new truck. But "NO" deceit or fraudulent "intention" whatsoever!! Sorry if I got it wrong? (FYI, ..my wife and I LOVE Texas and get down "almost" every winter,.. driving across the State to Corpus Christi and down to South Padre Island, ...so please know I would never intentionally offend our "friendly" Texans!!)(I hope to get to Dallas in March for the Pedal Steel Guitar Convention!!?..and will spend many happy hours on your roads).

....If I may, I'd like to scrap "my" thoughts on the truck idea after reading the suggestion put forth by~"Jinman"~and ~"dex3361"~ because I agree,.. let's replace the truck with an old fashioned "firm-hand-shake",.. "sealing-the-deal" with a hint of blueprint as background on the client's kitchen table with a happy wife pointing to the new cabinets, . . . or some such idea, (thanks to Jinman and dex3361),..that will attempt to increase Eddie's "solid, trust and integrity" as a businessman AND as a contractor!!

...Eddie, yes you're lucky having folks developing thoughts by kicking ideas around like this. Much of it will get scrapped, but FROM these suggestions,...you will eventually feel proud of the fine website that many have contributed to, . . and "we" will be proud knowing we had a part in its development.

Good luck and a Happy New Year to you, Steph and the kids!!! (Praps we'll swing-by "IF" we get down this year?)(Would love to meet y'all!)
CHEERS!
. . tug

 

[Uncle Doug]

Eddie, I agree with the others to group the photos of projects by type and use thumbnails which enlarge when clicked. This would allow you to have more photos of your work but less tabs.

Don't know if you can with your server software but some have it that when the mouse passes over a thumbnail photo it pops-up instantly but returns to normal after the mouse passes. This keeps the user from having to go back and forth with the back button. Even a slide show of different projects would give the customer a quicker overview of your work without having to go down the list of each tab.

I do like the family photo like it is. It give you the family guy look instead of all business and no fun.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks everyone. I work at it in spurts when I get the urge. Right now, I'm taking notes and reading up on what I can do with the software that I have available. There is a basic template, then there are the advanced options.

I still have a long way to go, but at least now I have some better direction and ideas.

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[dex3361]

Eddie
I always feel a lot better after I talked to references (satisfied customers) if you could develop a list of references that could be provided to customers that are seriously considering your services. I liked the testimonials, I would keep them incorporated in the Web page somehow.