Finally a Website

[TommyOH]

I'm not sure where this should go, so move it if it needs to be moved. Since I am a new site owner, I thought I'd put it here.

Anyhow, here is my new site. I did all the work myself. It's not listed anywhere yet. I wanted to put it to my fambly here first to see what you all thought.

So be gentle, and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is accepted kindly.

http://www.aroollc.com/

Also, I was reading Pat's post about out of area buyers, and I think I'd like to add a section for investors in other areas. If you're interested, I'll add you, just PM or email me. Thanks in advance all :)

[Dan Auito]

Excellent Job Tom! I'll have to investigate it further but upon initial revue, you've done a FANTASTIC job. Bravo!!!

[TommyOH]

Thanks so much Dan, that means alot coming from you.:praise:

[DSutter]

Tommy, you need to get Tim to work with you on your web site. You have a great start and he can help you get it tuned to do exactly what you want.

I worked with him on the site I use to attract investors wanting to unload commercial properties a couple of years ago. I was buried in potential deals in a short period of time.

[Debbie]

ALRIGHT!!! Way to go Tommy!

I attempted to check out your website about an hour or so ago without success.

That must be because there were too many Magic Bullets members and guests blocking me while they were checking your website out. Jeez! Such rude people! :SM135:

Now, I have access to it and it looks pretty good to me! :thumbsup:

[TommyOH]

Thanks gals! Yes, Tim has a great website, and I'm looking forward to some constructive criticism. I'm sure my copy can use some work. I just tried to be basic for people to understand, but I know there's room for improvement. :)

[InvestorJoe]

I agree with BigD. The site is a great start and Tim could point you in the best direction.

But, what is your purpose with that site? What do you want it to do for you?

[TommyOH]

Well, basically I am looking for people in pre-foreclosure, or anyone who wants to get out from under a property (Short Sale and Subject 2 prospects). As a side bar there is a section for Out of Area Investors in case I get inquiries from people outside Ohio. Kinda hoping some of the fambly here wants a spot in there. No fee, just someone to refer people outside my area to.

[Bernie (WV)]

Not bad, nooooot bad.

3D letters would really make it stand out!

I've never built my own website but 3D letters seem to catch my attention for some reason.

Great start! :thumbup:

[Aldo]

I had the same problem as Debbie, plus my compuker is dying, but I was able to get there tonight.

That's a great start. You offer a lot of great/valuable info, etc., and everything is right there in front of visitors, making it easy to find what they're looking for. If you're looking for enhancements, my suggestions would be to add more color and some graphics. But, that's me.

.....3D letters seem to catch my attention for some reason.
That's because they're larger and easier to read. Bernie, that's Debbie's fault. Thanx to the extra birthday she gave you, you've arrived at the age when vision begins to deteriorate. (lol)

[TommyOH]

Well, thanks so much for all your input! Just as a side note, I reviewed my site logs and in the 5 days I have had the domain name, I have had 152 visitors and have managed to get listed on both Yahoo and Google. Don't ask me how, I followed their suggestions and did not do the paid inclusion stuff.

Aldo, I was thinking the same as you....a little more color...so i'm playing wiwth some ideas. Thanks again to my fambly!

[Aldo]

152? Wow! Too bad 147 of those hits were mine. lol

Yep. I went back a few times because I liked what I saw.

[SPIVALAW]

Well if folks are going to help us improve our web sites maybe you all could give mine a look over and some feedback??

Thank you
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!!
howard

LAW:
Main web page - www.spivalaw.com
Auto Accident Page - www.georgiaautoaccidentattorney.com
Worker's Compensation Page - www.georgiaworkcomplaw.com

Please take a peek at our other web pages:

REAL ESTATE:
Brokerage- http://www.srei-inc.com

Rentals - www.savannahs-best-properties.com

Weddings, Retreats & Private Functions - www.savannahwaterfrontweddings.com

SPECIALTY PROPERTIES: www.savannahrei.com

VACATION RETREATS & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS: www.savannahvacationretreats.com

UNIQUE PROPERTIES www.savannahsuniqueproperties.com

CHARITY: Justice For Children Foundation - www.justice4children.org/

CLASSES: REAL LIFE Investment Training - www.thebestclasses.com

RADIO SHOW- NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS www.neversettleforless.net

[Debbie]

LAW:
Main web page - www.spivalaw.com

I would rid the pic of the road inside of a forrest. It doesn't make sense to me. However, if you insert pics of faces of families---that would tie in to the phrase "We change people's lives".

Auto Accident Page - www.georgiaautoaccidentattorney.com

This one is good

Worker's Compensation Page - www.georgiaworkcomplaw.com

I would replace the 3rd pic on the right (man pushing button) with a picture of a Highway worker or Firefighter. Something that is unrelated to heavy machinery as the first two pics.

REAL ESTATE:
Brokerage- http://www.srei-inc.com

Nice pic of an outer city. How about adding another picture below--inside the city showing perhaps a horse/carriage?

Rentals - www.savannahs-best-properties.com

I'd throw in an additional picture or two.....

Weddings, Retreats & Private Functions - www.savannahwaterfrontweddings.com

Looks good!

SPECIALTY PROPERTIES: www.savannahrei.com

Looks good!

VACATION RETREATS & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS: www.savannahvacationretreats.com

Looks good!

UNIQUE PROPERTIES www.savannahsuniqueproperties.com

UGH! I sure wish I own them!

CHARITY: Justice For Children Foundation - www.justice4children.org/

Um....problem with the website---it's uneven.

CLASSES: REAL LIFE Investment Training - www.thebestclasses.com

I would soften the background color. It's rather bright to the eyes....

RADIO SHOW- NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS www.neversettleforless.net

Good website with only two complaints---1) Forum is closed and 2) I've never seen you participate the forum!


I noticed there's one or two pics of boat/dock/sunset being used repeatedly on your different websites. Nothing wrong with it except you need to take multiple pics, using different angles. This way, each website using different pics of boat/dock/sunset looks fresh....not "plagarized".

Well, that's the end of my criticism. I hope we're still friends! :icon_buss

[SPIVALAW]

Thank you.
I have worked hard on these.
I appreciate the input.

Howard

[k6saunde]

Tommy,

I like the concept of what you want to do with your website. But I do have some suggestions.

1. Use a Template, you can buy one from several website template sites. This will save you from having to try to design the site from scratch. Also it will look professional.

2. Don't include your email address on any page within your website using text. If you have to give your email address, make it a .gif and insert it. The reason for this is to keep spammers from getting your email address and sending yout thousands of junkmail.

3. 3D text may seem like a good idea, but it really isnt. In most cases it is hard to read and looks cheesy.

4. If your going to use green as your color of choice make it a money green, like banks use.

5. Use complimentary photos that add to your websites design, but not to many of them and keep them small in size.

6. Use smaller fonts and don't use bold text sparingly. You can get alot more info on your site by doing this and it will look much better.

7. Center the site in the window, this gives it a much more professional look and keeps your website from being resized with different monitor resolutions.

8. Your website is your sales pitch, your 5 second commercial. People will look at your website and decide whether to read on or go to another site in less than 5 seconds, so you have to grab their attention and hold it, not only from the look of the site but the content included in your site.

There is alot more I could tell you about website design but that would take too long. If you have any specific questions just ask me. I own a computer consulting business here in Pittsburgh and one of my services is building websites.

BTW, Hello all :thumbsup:

Keith

P.S. This is for everone out there. Try to keep from posting your email addresses on this or an other forums. Spammers have spiders and robots that look for addresses on all websites. Once they have your email address, you will get a ton of spam. :spam:

[Jeffery (LCLA)]

Tom, the site looks really nice and straight forward. You're being up front about making money and that's great. The site seems to be worded so that the readed feels like you're talking to him instead of being pitched by big bad corporation. Great site, very, very nice.

[Debbie]

There is alot more I could tell you about website design but that would take too long. If you have any specific questions just ask me. I own a computer consulting business here in Pittsburgh and one of my services is building websites.


Keith,

Welcome to the Magic Bullets Fambly!

It certainly sounds like you're a true expert on building websites. I'm impressed!

May I suggest that you create a thread on building website? You can be our 'guru' on website!

What say you?

Debbie

[k6saunde]

As long as Im not stepping on anyones toes here I would love to. But would feel better about it if I got the OK from the forums Admins. :praise:

If they say its ok, then I will be happy to help out.

Keith :noel:

[Debbie]

As long as Im not stepping on anyones toes here I would love to. But would feel better about it if I got the OK from the forums Admins. :praise:

If they say its ok, then I will be happy to help out.

Keith :noel:

Heck no! You would not be stepping on anyone's toes!

In case you didn't notice my title, I'm a Moderator. Hence, you have my permission to start a new thread. :punk:

Debbie

[SPIVALAW]

there is no guarantee that I wont sue you.

Sorry I am the resident token lawyer.

[TommyOH]

Hey Keith, welcome to the fambly, and thanks for the constructive criticism. I have no problem with it at all by the way ;)

There are many things you mentioned. #1 is the template thing. I've thought about it, but I haven't seen a unique template, and my site is not just another we buy houses, or stop foreclosure, or regular real estate site. Also as Jeffery mentioned, it seems as I am talking to an individual, which I think i would lose with a cookie cutter template.

I will definitely take the advice on the email, thank you ;)

#3-6 duly noted, and I'm actually working on that now.

#7 The thing is, what drives me nuts the most about surfing the web is not being able to see a whole page and having to scroll sideways, up, down, and back....lol. So I set it up as a % based table so it fits in anyone's browser. Just my preference, but I don't think I'm alone on that one.

#8 I couldn't agree more....And any sales pitch suggestions are more than welcome.

Just for an update, I'm on day 25 being online and I've had 988 visitors as of midnight last night :)

[k6saunde]

There are many things you mentioned. #1 is the template thing. I've thought about it, but I haven't seen a unique template, and my site is not just another we buy houses, or stop foreclosure, or regular real estate site. Also as Jeffery mentioned, it seems as I am talking to an individual, which I think i would lose with a cookie cutter template.

I hate to burst your bubble, but your not the first person that wants something totally different than everyone else out there.

I will tell you the same thing I tell all my clients, presentation is key to the success of your website. Its like when you sell a home that you just rehabbed, you want to make sure it has good curb appeal, right?

It's the same with a website, if the site looks good it doesnt matter that there are other sites that look similar. Everyone wants to be different than everone else. I understand that completely, but the kind of different that you and most people want will cost you big money to get.

Why not find a good looking template (and there are literally tens of thousands of them out there) make your site look professional, Clean, Fresh and easy to navigate and then once you have impressed them with how nice the site looks (aka curb appeal) you can WOW them with the content (aka whats inside the house). After all, the content is what really separates you from the other websites, not the size of the tree in the front yard.

Concentrate on the content, leave the web design to the professionals, no offense intended.

#7 The thing is, what drives me nuts the most about surfing the web is not being able to see a whole page and having to scroll sideways, up, down, and back....lol. So I set it up as a % based table so it fits in anyone's browser. Just my preference, but I don't think I'm alone on that one.

The problem is your formating is completely screwed up and the page looks completely different to everyone that views it on a different size monitor or at a different resolution. Not to mention it doesn't look professional. And after all that is what you are going for isn't it? A professional looking site that you can be proud of. Centering the site as I suggested will solve both these issues.

Just for an update, I'm on day 25 being online and I've had 988 visitors as of midnight last night

Don't confuse the amount of visitors to the website with actual human visitors. There are bots and spiders that will visit your site several times a day giving you false numbers. I almost always get tens of thousand of hits to a website when I am in the process of making it. Doesn't mean I have that many visitors.

The only way you can tell if the site is truly being viewed by interested customers is to use a website monitoring program that will break all that info down for you. It will tell you where they came from, how long they stayed, what pages they visited, time and day of all visits, give you graphs and pie charts letting you know what your peak and off peak times are of visitors, and most importantly how many actual visitors and how many bot and spiders have visited your site and what they have scanned. This and sooo much more info that if you really want to know about who and what is visiting your website. This is an invaluable tool.

Not trying to burst your bubble just letting you know how things work. :thumbup:

Keith

[steve-homefree]

Larger fonts.
You know,for us older folks.
I'm 46 and still fighting off the reading glasses.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.

[k6saunde]

Larger fonts.
You know,for us older folks.
I'm 46 and still fighting off the reading glasses.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Im going to be turning 41 myself in a few days, so I know what you mean Steve. But when building a website you use the smaller fonts to conserve space and to make it easily readable.

If the font is too small on a website there are two things the viewer of said website can do.

1. change the resolution of their monitor by going into setting and selecting a more readable resolution say 800 x 600. To do this "Right Click" anywhere on the desktop that does NOT have an Icon. Click on "Properties" in the drop down menu. Up at the very top of the window that opens click on the "Settings" tab. Under "Screen Settings" there is a slide bar, just slide it to the left until it says "800 x 600" then click on "Apply" it will change the resolution to what you have selected and it gives you 30 to apply the settings or to reset to the previos settings. I foyu like the setting click on "OK" if not click on "Cancel" or wait for the time to run out. That's it, your done!

or

2. IE has a function that allows you to change the font size of any website to make it more readable. This will however change to formatting of the website and may distort how it looks. To do this go into IE (Internet Explorer). at the very top of the page in the upper left hand corner it will say " File Edit View Favorites Tools Help". Click on "View", then select "Text Size" from the drop down menu. Then you just select the size you want. its that easy.

Hope this helps

Keith :SM103:

[k6saunde]

there is no guarantee that I wont sue you.

Sorry I am the resident token lawyer.

Oh yeah?? Well I'm rubber and your glue, LOL

[ZNICK]

Guys, if the font is too small, there's no need to go into IE or anywhere to make them bigger. Just hold down the "ctrl" key and use your scroll wheel on your mouse. Bigger... smaller... easy!

Also, people who are truly motivated sellers just need to know one thing... that you'll buy their house, lol. Of course, I think my websites are the best, lol!

Z

[k6saunde]

Guys, if the font is too small, there's no need to go into IE or anywhere to make them bigger. Just hold down the "ctrl" key and use your scroll wheel on your mouse. Bigger... smaller... easy!

Also, people who are truly motivated sellers just need to know one thing... that you'll buy their house, lol. Of course, I think my websites are the best, lol!

Z

Or you can do as Znick suggested, if you have a wheel mouse.

Nice clean, professional looking site Znick, well done. Still suggest you take your email off the website and your forum posts to keep spammers from spamming you to death.

[Tim]

There is no practical was to prevent your email address from ending up in the hands of the spammers. There is really no point in worrying about it.

The best way to handle it is to filter at the server level if you manage your own domain and your ISP will allow it. Additionally, avoid using MS Outlook in any form. Use something like Thunderbird with NLP spam filtering to avoid having to read it. It will also block images from being loaded which is the primary 'ping-back' method to confirm a live email address.

I checked our logs this morning and yesterday we filtered out over 1000 spam messages at the server, most of those were to email addresses that were never made public and in many cases don't even exist. Often times, the spammers will 'guess' at valid email addresses for domains.

Tommy, I don't know that I'd worry too much about finding the right 'template'. You have lots of options if you are just wanting a site where you can create content and not have to worry about the presentation. The easiest is through the use of server side includes to maintain the stuff that is common between pages all the way up to a full blown content management system like Drupal, which I use.

[k6saunde]

There is no practical was to prevent your email address from ending up in the hands of the spammers. There is really no point in worrying about it.

I respectfully disagree with your assessments and recommendations.:smiley:

Although it is likely that at some point in time a spammer will get your email address and start sending you spam. It is irresponsible to tell people that "There is really no point in worrying about it.". And as I suggested in an earlier post, there are things you can do to prevent your email being targeted.

YES, there are tools available to stop spam at the server level and at the PC level, programs such as McAfee Spamkiller. But why would you willingly put your email out there to be picked up by spammers in the first place??

Using your thinking it is better to get an alarm system for your home, but leave the doors unlocked because it is inevitable that you will get robbed some time.

The best way to handle it is to filter at the server level if you manage your own domain and your ISP will allow it. Additionally, avoid using MS Outlook in any form.

You are correct that you can monitor and block emails at the sever level, but most people building their first website aren't going to be tech saavy enough to do this or to know what to ask for when they sign up for a host.

There is NO reason why you can't use MS Outlook or Outlook express. I have been using it for many years without issue. I also have over 500 clients using somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500+ computers that use it everyday, again without issue.

Use something like Thunderbird with NLP spam filtering to avoid having to read it. It will also block images from being loaded which is the primary 'ping-back' method to confirm a live email address.

The problem with using a blanket spam filtering program is it has the tendancy to mark wanted emails as spam too. The better and more practical option is to use a program that starts with a known spammer list, then allows you the ability to add to it easily. McAfee SpamKiller is such a program.

I checked our logs this morning and yesterday we filtered out over 1000 spam messages at the server, most of those were to email addresses that were never made public and in many cases don't even exist. Often times, the spammers will 'guess' at valid email addresses for domains.

I agree with you that once spammers get one valid email address from a certain domain (eg: mymail@mydomain.com) that they just use a program to spam every possible email address on that domain. But if you don't make your email address readily available to them, then it is MUCH less likely that they will find your address and start spamming you in the first place. Prevention is always the first step, then detection and finally removal.

Tommy, I don't know that I'd worry too much about finding the right 'template'. You have lots of options if you are just wanting a site where you can create content and not have to worry about the presentation. The easiest is through the use of server side includes to maintain the stuff that is common between pages all the way up to a full blown content management system like Drupal, which I use.

Finally, Drupal and about a thousand other websites offer "Templates" with the purchase of one of their hosting programs. Since Tommy already has a host, I was mearly suggesting to make his site look the best it could possibly be. He should look online for a "Template" that he was happy with. For the first timer a template can save days if not weeks or months of design time. Not to mention it looks professionally done. And for an average cost of $30 to $75 it is well worth the investment.

After all a website and its content is judged by how it looks. Take two websites with identical information, one generic with no style, and poor design. The other Professional looking, with a pleasing color scheme and well formatted text and photos. The better looking website will always have more traffic, more people that will stay to view your message, Stay on your site for a longer period of time, and most importantly is a better investment for your time and money. When it comes to website design style counts, anyone that tells you different is misinformed.

Giving faulty, misleading, or inaccurate info about any subject is more harmful than helpful. I agree that you are entitled to your opinion as is everyone, I just happen to disagee with your assessment.

I appologize if I come off sounding like a jerk or know it all, not my intention. But almost 18 years in the computer industry, building websites, working on desktops, servers, laptops, building networks and advising clients on all matters computer related is what I draw my conclusions from.

Keith
Self Proclaimed resident smart a$$ and know it all. :noel:

P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All.

[Tim]

I'm usually a live and let live kind of guy and I was going to just ignore this response entirely until I read part of your comment farther down, which I will point out when we get there. But in the mean time...
I respectfully disagree with your assessments and recommendations.:smiley:
That's fine because if two people agreed on everything in a conversation, one of them is not needed.

Although it is likely that at some point in time a spammer will get your email address and start sending you spam. It is irresponsible to tell people that "There is really no point in worrying about it.". And as I suggested in an earlier post, there are things you can do to prevent your email being targeted.
Irresponsible? You take the unimportant things in life waaaaay too serious. The reality is there is no point in 'worrying' about most things people worry about. The only thing you can do to prevent spam is to not have an email address. Short of that there is nothing you can do.

YES, there are tools available to stop spam at the server level and at the PC level, programs such as McAfee Spamkiller. But why would you willingly put your email out there to be picked up by spammers in the first place??
Hmmm, are you sure you read my response, I mean really read it or did you read what you wanted it to say? But, there are many benefits to making your email address available to others, it is called contact, human interaction, socialization. From your responses I submit it is a skill you might want to work on.

Using your thinking it is better to get an alarm system for your home, but leave the doors unlocked because it is inevitable that you will get robbed some time.
No, using my analogy, it is better to lock your doors (server filtering) and get an alarm (Thunderbird spam rules) and then not worry about being robbed because worry doesn't help anything.

You are correct that you can monitor and block emails at the sever level, but most people building their first website aren't going to be tech saavy enough to do this or to know what to ask for when they sign up for a host.
True, hence the use of Thunderbird. That way they don't have to be tech savvy.

There is NO reason why you can't use MS Outlook or Outlook express. I have been using it for many years without issue.
I didn't say you can't use it, I said avoid it.

I also have over 500 clients using somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500+ computers that use it everyday, again without issue.
You are being irresponsible in not recommending something other than Outlook.

The problem with using a blanket spam filtering program is it has the tendancy to mark wanted emails as spam too. The better and more practical option is to use a program that starts with a known spammer list, then allows you the ability to add to it easily. McAfee SpamKiller is such a program.
Perhaps you should expand your horizons. The spam filtering in Thunderbird is the best I have ever seen and understand that in my day job I am deeply involved in speech recognition and natural language processing. The statistical engine used by Thunderbird is far better than the McAfee offering and it is free.

I agree with you that once spammers get one valid email address from a certain domain (eg: mymail@mydomain.com) that they just use a program to spam every possible email address on that domain. But if you don't make your email address readily available to them, then it is MUCH less likely that they will find your address and start spamming you in the first place.
Wow, I guess you totally forgot about whois harvesting.

Prevention is always the first step, then detection and finally removal.
Yes, but the reality is the ROI on spam prevention is poor.

Finally, Drupal and about a thousand other websites offer "Templates" with the purchase of one of their hosting programs. Since Tommy already has a host, I was mearly suggesting to make his site look the best it could possibly be.
Now we come to why I responded. I guess it was a cumulative effect, but by this time in reading your reply, I was really questioning your knowledge of what you were espousing. Drupal is free, anyone can download it and install it on their domain as long as they have php and mysql. You don't have to buy it as a bundle with your hosting.

He should look online for a "Template" that he was happy with. For the first timer a template can save days if not weeks or months of design time. Not to mention it looks professionally done. And for an average cost of $30 to $75 it is well worth the investment.
Uh huh, well as I said, the easiest way would be for him to isolate the common elements in server side include files.

After all a website and its content is judged by how it looks. Take two websites with identical information, one generic with no style, and poor design. The other Professional looking, with a pleasing color scheme and well formatted text and photos.
You would think so, wouldn't you? But, real world data says otherwise.

The better looking website will always have more traffic, more people that will stay to view your message, Stay on your site for a longer period of time, and most importantly is a better investment for your time and money.
You are confusing traffic with stickiness. But again, if the content is identical crap the pretty one might win, but a content rich site will trump a pretty but vapid site every day of the week. Unfortunately for your clients, I have real world experience and results that back my position.

When it comes to website design style counts, anyone that tells you different is misinformed. Only to a point, and it is a really early point in the potential customer relationship.

Giving faulty, misleading, or inaccurate info about any subject is more harmful than helpful.
Advice you should follow.

I agree that you are entitled to your opinion as is everyone, I just happen to disagee with your assessment.
That's fine. I'm comfortable enough in my position, experience and demonstrated results to not feel threatened by your disagreeing with me.

I appologize if I come off sounding like a jerk or know it all, not my intention. But almost 18 years in the computer industry, building websites, working on desktops, servers, laptops, building networks and advising clients on all matters computer related is what I draw my conclusions from.
Funny thing about experience, unless you are really careful it tends to by myopic and you end up thinking every problem is a nail because you know how to use a hammer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All.
Well, on that we can most assuredly agree.

[SPIVALAW]

Okay its Christmas and you folks are experts....

maybe you all could give mine a look over and some feedback??

Thank you
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!!
howard

LAW:
Main web page - www.spivalaw.com
Auto Accident Page - www.georgiaautoaccidentattorney.com
Worker's Compensation Page - www.georgiaworkcomplaw.com

Please take a peek at our other web pages:

REAL ESTATE:
Brokerage- http://www.srei-inc.com

Rentals - www.savannahs-best-properties.com

Weddings, Retreats & Private Functions - www.savannahwaterfrontweddings.com

SPECIALTY PROPERTIES: www.savannahrei.com

VACATION RETREATS & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS: www.savannahvacationretreats.com

UNIQUE PROPERTIES www.savannahsuniqueproperties.com

CHARITY: Justice For Children Foundation - www.justice4children.org/

CLASSES: REAL LIFE Investment Training - www.thebestclasses.com

RADIO SHOW- NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS www.neversettleforless.net

[Jeffery (LCLA)]

Okay its Christmas and you folks are experts....

maybe you all could give mine a look over and some feedback??

Thank you
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!!
howard

LAW:
Main web page - www.spivalaw.com
Auto Accident Page - www.georgiaautoaccidentattorney.com
Worker's Compensation Page - www.georgiaworkcomplaw.com

These are great. Nice graphics, informative and made me want to get injured so I can visit your office.
Please take a peek at our other web pages:

REAL ESTATE:
Brokerage- http://www.srei-inc.com

The title bar on this one mentions investments, however, this site seems to focus on properties for sale.

Rentals - www.savannahs-best-properties.com

9 Rio Road is advertised as $1600 for 1 year lease and the others list a monthy rent. Is the rent in fact $1600 per year or $1600 per month and require an annual lease?

Weddings, Retreats & Private Functions - www.savannahwaterfrontweddings.com

This one is one of my favorites. I like the colors and graphics. It does, however, lack information such as policies, deposits, and rent. I realize that 1% of the population truely means it when they say "I don't care what it costs, it want it", however the other 99% may be more budget minded and if they can see that they can get your place for the same price as something else, you may pull in more business.

SPECIALTY PROPERTIES: www.savannahrei.com

Ditto above

VACATION RETREATS & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS: www.savannahvacationretreats.com

Again, Ditto (since it leads to the same place)

UNIQUE PROPERTIES www.savannahsuniqueproperties.com

The title bar on this one it titled Page 1. I tried to look at more information on the Step back in time house and the virtual tour link took me someplace else. I would also recommend taking an updated photo without the date. The date on the photo would suggest to me that the house has been sitting vacant for nearly three years so there must be something wrong with it.

CHARITY: Justice For Children Foundation - www.justice4children.org/

Informative, great resources and I see that avalanche really likes baby blue. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has banners that you can put on your page and if this were my page, I'd include it.

CLASSES: REAL LIFE Investment Training - www.thebestclasses.com

Nice layout, good information and nice COLORS. There seems to be something missing on the resources page but I just can't put my finger on it. Hmmmmm....

RADIO SHOW- NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS www.neversettleforless.net


That's my opinions. I hope they'be been helpful. It's now time for me to get ready to make my party rounds. Greatfully, this year, I've been able to consolidate some of the Christmas parties. Merry Chirstmas.

[SPIVALAW]

great suggestions. thank you

Yes my web guy passed away and I need to do some update things like add magicbullets.com

The date on the house is an embeded date on a tax record photo.
House is not vacant and it is great!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!

[k6saunde]

Irresponsible? You take the unimportant things in life waaaaay too serious. The reality is there is no point in 'worrying' about most things people worry about. The only thing you can do to prevent spam is to not have an email address. Short of that there is nothing you can do.

You are correct that it is most likely that a spammer will eventually get your email address and you will get spam. Of that there is no doubt, but my point was that there are steps you can take to prevent them from getting your email address in the first place. Are they 100% effective? NO, but then nothing is in the computer industry for any given topic.

Hmmm, are you sure you read my response, I mean really read it or did you read what you wanted it to say? But, there are many benefits to making your email address available to others, it is called contact, human interaction, socialization. From your responses I submit it is a skill you might want to work on.

Yes, I did REALLY read your post. Yes, there are many benefits to making your email address available to others. And Yes, contact, human interaction, and socialization are great things. But there are also precautions you can take to make it more difficult for spammers to get your email while still making your email address available to your potential clients.

No, using my analogy, it is better to lock your doors (server filtering) and get an alarm (Thunderbird spam rules) and then not worry about being robbed because worry doesn't help anything.

I don't see how "server filtering" is Preventative measure to keep your email address from being found and used by spammers. Which is the point of my original comments. You CAN do certain things to lower your chances of a spammer finding your email address. Again, is it 100% effective? NO, but its just one more thing you can do to protect yourself.

True, hence the use of Thunderbird. That way they don't have to be tech savvy.

I have never used Thunderbird, that is why I didn't comment on it. But using McAfee SpamKiller doesn't require someone to be tech savvy either. And the support is much better. That is unless you like searching through endless FAQ's and knowledge bases? Or want to try to explain your problem to someone using a Chat window. Now before you retort, Yes, with Mcafee you do have to pay for it. And Yes, McAfee also has FAQ, Knowledge Bases, and Online Chat. But it also has an 800 number you can call and talk to a real person.

I didn't say you can't use it, I said avoid it.

If you going to use a blanket statement like "Avoid It" the least you can do is give valid reasons why it should be avoided.

You are being irresponsible in not recommending something other than Outlook.

It appears that you have an axe to grind with the well known and proven software packages such as Microsoft Outlook and McAfee. That you would rather use lesser known Free programs that you perceive to be better. Instead of using Programs that have proven track records. That is your right, but to suggest that I am irresponsible in suggesting these programs to my clients is just plain wrong!

Perhaps you should expand your horizons. The spam filtering in Thunderbird is the best I have ever seen and understand that in my day job I am deeply involved in speech recognition and natural language processing. The statistical engine used by Thunderbird is far better than the McAfee offering and it is free.

That is your Opinion, I just don't agree with it.

Wow, I guess you totally forgot about whois harvesting.

Why not enlighten us all with your vast knowledge?

Yes, but the reality is the ROI on spam prevention is poor.

Again, your Opinion and again I disagree.

Now we come to why I responded. I guess it was a cumulative effect, but by this time in reading your reply, I was really questioning your knowledge of what you were espousing. Drupal is free, anyone can download it and install it on their domain as long as they have php and mysql. You don't have to buy it as a bundle with your hosting.

My mistake for not knowing every FREE software package out there. Some of us don't have the time to Play with toys in the business world.

Uh huh, well as I said, the easiest way would be for him to isolate the common elements in server side include files.

And how will using SSI help the look of the site??? All SSI does is allow you to make it easier to make changes to the site once you already have a template. SSI allows you to make changes to the template and then have those change propogate throughout your site. That way you dont have to make changes to every single page if you have to change your header or footer or menu item.

You would think so, wouldn't you? But, real world data says otherwise.

Would be curious to see where you are getting this info from. And if this was the case and looks didn't matter, then why do small, medium, and large companies spend Billions of dollars a year to make their site look good?? Hmmm, maybe they just haven't seen your real world reports??

You are confusing traffic with stickiness. But again, if the content is identical crap the pretty one might win, but a content rich site will trump a pretty but vapid site every day of the week. Unfortunately for your clients, I have real world experience and results that back my position.

Return Traffic is what I was speaking of, and it is a proven fact that on an average you have less that 10 seconds to impress a potential client with your website. Does everyone rely strickly on the looks of a website and not the content? NO, but the vast majority of people do, they associate good looks with good information. Is it right? NO! Is it fair? NO! But it is reality.

Only to a point, and it is a really early point in the potential customer relationship.

On this I agree, The look of the site is important, but the validity, usefulness, and accuracy of the content is what is most important.

That's fine. I'm comfortable enough in my position, experience and demonstrated results to not feel threatened by your disagreeing with me.

So is that why you have taken every opportunity thoughout this post to make personal, derogatory and inflamatory remarks against me?? Let me review.

You take the unimportant things in life waaaaay too serious.
But, there are many benefits to making your email address available to others, it is called contact, human interaction, socialization. From your responses I submit it is a skill you might want to work on.
You are being irresponsible in not recommending something other than Outlook.
I was really questioning your knowledge of what you were espousing.
Unfortunately for your clients, I have real world experience and results that back my position.

And my favorite....

Funny thing about experience, unless you are really careful it tends to by myopic and you end up thinking every problem is a nail because you know how to use a hammer.

Stated, like someone without any experience, LOL! There is also no reason to reinvent the wheel, or if its not broke dont fix it. You choose the analogy. But in the end experience is what makes us better at what we do, not worse as you suggest.

Now for my retort to your personal comments about me.

It has been my experience that people who are "comfortable enough in my position, experience and demonstrated results" don't have to resort to personal attacks make their point or disagree with someone else.

I still stand by my original comments made to Tom, and as I said in retort to your first post, I respectfully disagree with your opinions. I however don't feel it necessary to make personal attacks to get my point across or debunk your recommendations.

Keith

[k6saunde]

Okay its Christmas and you folks are experts....

maybe you all could give mine a look over and some feedback??

Thank you
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!!
howard

Would be happy to, Will let you know what I think as soon as I have the opportunity to look at them in depth. Until then, Merry Xmas Howard aka "Law God", LOL

[SPIVALAW]

Ding Ding
Seconds out...

[Tim]

...maybe you all could give mine a look over and some feedback??

Thank you
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!!
howard

LAW:
Main web page - www.spivalaw.com
Auto Accident Page - www.georgiaautoaccidentattorney.com
Worker's Compensation Page - www.georgiaworkcomplaw.com
Howard, on those pages unless you are trying to get them to be a primary source of finding clients I wouldn't change the look or feel. The content is probably static but if you are like the other attorneys I worked with before, that doesn't matter.

I would update the copyright notice and the you have too many keywords. Also, some are duplicated and that is bad for SEO but, again, for the purpose of those sites that probably doesn't matter.


But the next pages are different...
Please take a peek at our other web pages:

REAL ESTATE:
Brokerage- http://www.srei-inc.com

Rentals - www.savannahs-best-properties.com

Weddings, Retreats & Private Functions - www.savannahwaterfrontweddings.com

SPECIALTY PROPERTIES: www.savannahrei.com

VACATION RETREATS & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS: www.savannahvacationretreats.com

UNIQUE PROPERTIES www.savannahsuniqueproperties.com

CHARITY: Justice For Children Foundation - www.justice4children.org/

CLASSES: REAL LIFE Investment Training - www.thebestclasses.com

RADIO SHOW- NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS www.neversettleforless.net

On these you definitely need to be concerned about SEO and the marketing copy on the page.

Here is an offer I'd like to make, if you are willing...

Over at the Real Estate Investing Field Guide I work with one member to improve their investing related site. Sometimes, it is a site used to find great properties to buy, sometimes it is to find tenants and manage properties. It doesn't matter, the underlying principles are the same. It is done openly, in full view of the other members. All of the transitions from start to finish are documented, warts and all. All of the testing and the results of that testing are shown for others to learn.

So, here is the offer.

We can do that here, for one of your sites, you pick for the members here at MB to learn more about using a site as part of their investing tool-set. No charge, no limits, nothing held back.

You can even leave your existing sites in place, I will be glad to host the investigative site on my servers and then at the end everything can be moved to your servers. Or it can be done in place on your servers. It is just as easy either way.

Whaddya say?

[Tim]

Tommy, the same offer is extended to you too.

We can do two at once.

[SPIVALAW]

Lets see,
you will post a site for me,
lend me your professional expertise,
teach me some marketing and Internet placement and things that I don't know
and the fee is zero?,

can I have some time to think about it?
Should we form a committee to study the feasibility? LOL

I accept your generous offer.

By the way, on most of these sites, I do ads or mail outs or signs or flyers to a specific target client or customer, and the web site is to give the focused marketing group a place to go for additional information and photographs.

[SPIVALAW]

but if you are like the other attorneys I worked with before

I doubt that is even remotely possible.

[ThreeRiversREI]

So, here is the offer.

We can do that here, for one of your sites, you pick for the members here at MB to learn more about using a site as part of their investing tool-set. No charge, no limits, nothing held back.

You can even leave your existing sites in place, I will be glad to host the investigative site on my servers and then at the end everything can be moved to your servers. Or it can be done in place on your servers. It is just as easy either way.

Whaddya say?

I would love to be included in those allowed to follow along and learn from the experience!

[InvestorJoe]

You are correct that it is most likely that a spammer will eventually get your email address and you will get spam. Of that there is no doubt, but my point was that there are steps you can take to prevent them from getting your email address in the first place. Are they 100% effective? NO, but then nothing is in the computer industry for any given topic.
I hope you see the inconsistency in your statement. You talk about preventtion but acknowledge that your efforts will eventually fail. I think what Tim is saying is then why worry about it? If you can't prevent them sending you spam why not focus your efforts on not having to read it?

I don't see how "server filtering" is Preventative measure to keep your email address from being found and used by spammers. Which is the point of my original comments.
I don't think he was talking about preventing them from sending you spam, only your having to read it.
You CAN do certain things to lower your chances of a spammer finding your email address. Again, is it 100% effective? NO, but its just one more thing you can do to protect yourself.
Which, by your own words will eventually fail. So, again, why not focus your efforts where you can be successful?

I have never used Thunderbird, that is why I didn't comment on it. But using McAfee SpamKiller doesn't require someone to be tech savvy either. And the support is much better. That is unless you like searching through endless FAQ's and knowledge bases? Or want to try to explain your problem to someone using a Chat window. Now before you retort, Yes, with Mcafee you do have to pay for it. And Yes, McAfee also has FAQ, Knowledge Bases, and Online Chat. But it also has an 800 number you can call and talk to a real person.
Huh, the way you were spouting off earlier it appeared that thought you knew what you were talking about. If you are a consultant, don't you have an obligation to present the best options to your clients? Wouldn't that imply that you investigate the products out there?

BTW, the support for many open source programs is better than the paid variety. Thunderbird is an example of that.

If you going to use a blanket statement like "Avoid It" the least you can do is give valid reasons why it should be avoided.
There are thousands of blogs and pages that list them. An experienced computer consultant should know about them.

It appears that you have an axe to grind with the well known and proven software packages such as Microsoft Outlook and McAfee. That you would rather use lesser known Free programs that you perceive to be better. Instead of using Programs that have proven track records.
That is just plain funny to those of us who know Tim. You couldn't know but he is certainly not antiMicrosoft. I'm sure his resume is in Google somewhere, you might want to look it up.

That is your right, but to suggest that I am irresponsible in suggesting these programs to my clients is just plain wrong!
You know, I went back and read that exchange a couple of times and I'm pretty convinced that he was responding to your calling him irresponsible. Funny how you whine when the tables are turned.

My mistake for not knowing every FREE software package out there. Some of us don't have the time to Play with toys in the business world.
Hmmm, I sense a little bitterness there. I wonder if some of your former clients opted for some of the free open source products that often have higher quality than the paid variety.

Would be curious to see where you are getting this info from.
Again, you would have no way of knowing unless you'd known Tim as long as I have but he doesn't do anything without extensive testing and surveying.

And if this was the case and looks didn't matter, then why do small, medium, and large companies spend Billions of dollars a year to make their site look good?? Hmmm, maybe they just haven't seen your real world reports??
Where did he say looks didn't matter?

So is that why you have taken every opportunity thoughout this post to make personal, derogatory and inflamatory remarks against me?? Let me review.
I submit, sir, that he was responding to your attacks in your post. More whining from you when the tables are turned.

Stated, like someone without any experience, LOL!
Again, I know you would have no way of knowing this but Tim wrote a retail store management package in the late 70's that was used for many years and formed the basis for other follow-on packages. You claimed 18 years of consulting experience. He has far more than that. He has formed and sold three consulting groups that I know about and I seriously doubt I know all there is to know in that area. How many successful businesses have you formed? How many people have you employed?

It has been my experience that people who are "comfortable enough in my position, experience and demonstrated results" don't have to resort to personal attacks make their point or disagree with someone else.
Again, you are just whining because he turned the tables on your irresponsible remark earlier.

[SPIVALAW]

:>)

[k6saunde]

Investor Joe..... Pleasure to meet you.

I meant no disrespect to Tim or anyone else here in this forum. If you truly read my initial post in response to Tim's recommendations you would have read the first line, that says "I respectfully disagree with your assessments and recommendations."

As for my comment to Tim that "It is irresponsible to tell people that "There is really no point in worrying about it." The Key words are "It is" not "You are". I was not calling HIM irresponsible mearly the comment he made. I feel any step large or small, that can potentially prevent a spammer from finding your email address in the first place is NOT a waste of time. And should not be dismissed so quickly. This is my "Opinion". And last time I checked this was America and I was entitled to "My Opinion".

That being said, I still stand by my original recommendations to Tom to minimize the availability of your email address to spammers. And, to use some type of template to make the site look more professional. In my "Opinion" it is never a waste of time to take steps that will reduce the chances of a spammer getting your email address. No matter how small. Or to make your website look the best that it can, whether using a free template or one you pay for.

I do agree with Tim on some issues. First a good server side and even PC side Anti-spam program is essential in protecting you AFTER the spammer already has your email address. I mearly disagree with his particular use of programs to accomplish the task. It doesn't mean he is wrong and I am right or that he is right and I am wrong. It just means we disagree on what application to use to do the job. He has obviously had success using his choice of software as I have had success using my choice of software. Very rarely have I come across two computer professionals that can agree on the best software or hardware to accomplish the same task in every instance.

Second, SSI is an excellent way to make changes to the sites Header, Footer, Menu, etc. without having to make changes to every single page in the site manually.

Third, a websites content is what is most important when it comes to building a website. But, I still believe that the look of the site is important as well. And all things being equal, a more professional looking website inspires more confidence.

InvestorJoe, I respect the fact that you want to stand up for your friend. I'm sure Tim is a great guy and well liked by all. I hold no mallace toward him myself. But I see no reason to personally attack someone just because you disagree with what that person thinks or says.

And as far as "Whining" about the derogatory remarks he made about me. I don't think it is "Whining" to note the comments one made about you. But that's just my "Opinion".

In Closing, I did NOT join this forum to get into a pissing match with Tim or You or anyone over this or any other subject. I joined as I believe we all did, to be part of a community that helps one another to be the best possible investors we can possibly be. To give and receive knowledge that may help another to find the right direction. To help make sence out of something that you can't seem to understand on your own. Or to mearly offer your opinion on a subject that you may have more experience with. :SM056:

It was my intention to offer my "Opinion" on a subject that I am familiar with to assist Tom who is not as knowledgeable as I on this particular subject.

It was not my intention to offend Tim or anyone else by doing so. So in the spirit of the holidays and of the helpful nature of all this forums members. I would like to appologize to Tim and anyone else that may have taken exception to one or more of my comments.

Now.......... does anyone else have something to say about my comments? Or can we drop this subject and get back to helping one another?

And just because I am a self proclaimed smart a$$............. I want to warn everyone, that I might just "Respectfully Disagree" with you next. LOL

And for those who may not have a sense of humor......"Thats a JOKE!"

Keith :smile:

[Debbie]

Now.......... does anyone else have something to say about my comments? Or can we drop this subject and get back to helping one another?
Keith :smile:

I'm for ending the heavy duty discussion and get back to learning from everyone's knowledge!

[stallingsorg]

:praise: :praise: :praise: :praise: tommyoh is right! dan auito is right!, dsutter is right!, kaoproperties is right!, bernie (fl) is right!, investorjoe is right! aldo is right! spivalaw is right!, k6saunde is right!, jeffery (lcla) is right!, steve-homefree is right!, znick is right!, tim is right!, threeriversrei is right!, stallingsorg has no website so I’m alright! RIGHT??? so what is the problems!!!

[Dan Auito]

Agree to dis-agree and move forward.

[TommyOH]

Sorry guys, been away for a bit. And I've missed the spirited debate once again....lol. First, Kevin, thank you for your suggestions. I am looking at different things and quite a bit of what you offered as criticism has sunk in. I'm not quite a beginner at web-sites. The idea was to get the response I did from Jeffery. People thinking I'm a down to earth honest person, talking to them, one on one. However, I've only had 1 conversion from all those visits.

As far as my stats, I know how they work. I am over 1100 visitors, and that is visits, not page hits. My page hits are over 8,000 after 30 days. My tranfers total over 64 MB of files that have been viewed. If you note, my pages are very small, average of 8k, so the numbers do add up.

But hey, you are both right, and I am still learning, so thank you both for the information and guidance.

And Tim, I'd be a fool to not take you up on your offer. I think it would be most excellent for everyone to see how all this works and goes together, including myself. Just let me know what we need to do.

[ZNICK]

Nice clean, professional looking site Znick, well done. Still suggest you take your email off the website and your forum posts to keep spammers from spamming you to death.

I can't take credit for the site... it's a template made for real estate investors, lol. I got it at: www.investorpro.com/bonus . They have like 100 templates though, so not many are alike.

As far as spammers, I have a great tool I use, it's a little red X at the top of my e-mail program. :tongue: In all seriousness, I don't get much spam at all... I'd guess maybe 10 spam e-mails a week.

[Tim]

Cool, Tommy and Howard the first steps are the same for both of you, except, Howard needs to decide which of his sites he wants us to work on!

The first things you have to think about AND document are...

1) What is the purpose of the site? I know it sounds simple but you really need to nail this down. If your site serves more than one purpose then you are going to have a more difficult time. It is still doable but more difficult. So, write a paragraph or two about the purpose of the site and post it here.

2) Then think about what problem your offering solves. The site will address some problem, document it here. Not the solution, that will come later, document the problem your site will address. No, this is not the same as what you wrote as the purpose.

Then we will take the next step. While you are doing that I will take screen captures of your sites and highlight the good and the not so good layout and navigation stuff.

When you complete your two steps and I complete mine, we will be ready to take the next step and start modifying the site. That is when you need to decide whether we are going to use my servers temporarily or if the changes will be made on your server.

[Debbie]

Tommy/Howard---

You guys are lucky!

It really is funny how as an ex-state government program resolver (me) is so easily intimidated on how to be a website creator. :SM003:

Oftentimes, I've been told that I'm great at resolving complicated matters but kinda stink on simple matters. Creating websites apparently is too simple for me to figure out how to create one. :SM003: :SM003:

All I want is a website (for starter) involving rental properties. But part of my problem is that I have no vacancy majority of the time, hence it's hard for me to justify having a website.

I'm gonna hire one. Who wants to be my web creator for a not too expensive fee?