site builder problems

I couldn't give you a review on the other site so am coming here to do it.  I like your site very much but would like to see more photos of your work, perhaps install a page devoted to just photos of jobs you have completed, women especially love to see pictures.  BEAUTIFUL windows! (;>

Hi Dana8221,

Search engines keep cached copies of what their bots report to them to serve quicker results. You have to get your site crawled by the bots. They will get to it eventually, but Google Webmaster tools(free) allows you to request Google crawl asap. I don't know if the other searches have this or not, but Google is by far the most important.

Drew

Hi Dana

I tried to reply to your request on the other page (when you asked if anyone would checkout your site) but was unable to find a link that would go to you – so I hope this gets to you.

I have been a web-developer using Homestead since before 1998. I noticed that you did not use a Homestead Template - that is good but it presents a problem by trying to make all the pages the same like Jonathan stated in above comment.

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I owned and operated a Siding and Roofing Company in Edmonton for about 10 years during the Oil Boom Days. We had 25 – 30 crews in the summer and 10 – 15 crews in the winter-time as it gets to be –40 degrees during the winter there and only a few would work in the winter. We only worked with major general contractors and it was only new construction. You must have more patients working with customers as their home is being renovated.

When I was in the construction business I always like to go to the printers and I would set up a time after they closed and we would work in the back. I had times that I had wished I had studied art instead of construction. I am now retired so I took some additional college courses and started up as web-developer www.cherryhillpc.com. (You can contact me through the Contact Page on that site if you need to ask anything).I Hope you do not criticize the site too harshly, it is kind of like the shoe markers kids do not have shoes. I get busy with other things and since my websites are down now I have nothing to do other than check out other Homestead Customers Sites – lol

I see that you did not use a Homestead Template and created your own design. How I do this to keep each page the same like the heading colours and text size and font.

1. Create a Master Template with your Red Background Heading on Top
2. Add the house picture (Optimize the Picture) the lines between colours will be better and it will take less time to download.
3. If you use lighter colours then put a “Thin Dark Border” around the pictures.
4. Add your Navigation Bar and use the options that again Jonathan mentioned. However when you are adding the Bar before the rest of the pages are made, you just leave the URL's Blank and as you make these pages, you can then add them to the Bar.
5. You said you didn’t understand changing the colours of the Bar. Click on the Navigation Bar and then look over at the right side option box and select the Tabs at the top to see the other options that you can do with the Bar.
6. Create a Text Field (Height + Width) and write a couple words in the Font and Size you want. This width is without Pictures. Then when you add a picture, you can adjust the width by <copy> & <paste> the first Text Field to the side of the picture.
7. Now Create your pages by going onto the Master Template and <saving> it as such pages, as Home - About - Siding - Windows etc. Each time you are ready to create another page, repeat the process by going back to the Master Template and <saving> as e.g. Windows or Siding

Now about the colours you are using - Black and White & Black and Red are great to stand out in a News Paper Ad to stand out from the rest. But here, you already have the visitor to your site. I found it hard on the eyes. These colours were used in the 90's but now we are using more white background (Printable Pages) and even when we use Black Text it is a little hard on the eyes so we use a medium-dark grey that more easy on the eyes + you can use more colours with grey then back.

Also use an Aggressive Font e.g. Arial, Tahoma or Verdana. You can use Bold Words with these and they stand out well.

When you talk about the things that your company does when it installs siding that other companies do not. List them with Bullets, as it will stand out and more easily to read. (Internet Users do not read the text like we read a Novel – “We Only Scan Pages” (read in point form) if we find something that we like, we then read it.

Bullets e.g.

• ·        We use screws not nails or worse stapled siding.

• ·        Screws cost more and takes longer to install but we have less call-backs.

• ·        We use bah bah bah etc.

  Also you should find an old “wavy” sheet of siding that you have taken down (especially from the south or west side of the house) from a renovation that was nailed up for a number of years. Take a picture of it and “Explain More Fully” that nailed or stapled siding does not move when the sheet expands. Also a picture of nailed siding while it is still on the house. 

You can leave the present pages of your site up until you are done creating the new pages.

• Name the pages as e.g. ‘about us2’ and ‘windows2’
• Create a New Navigation Bar – do not delete the present Bar, as you will need it until your new pages are completed.
• When you have completed all the new pages, you go in and <delete> each old page and then <re-save> each of the new pages ‘Without the Number 2’ in the name.
• Then <delete> the pages with the Number 2’s and you are all set.

Sorry this is so long – I hope this helps you – You might want to Print it. (if you like it) I didn’t know that it took so much text to take something from my head to putting it on paper – lol

Hugh

Thanks Keith - I notice that you help others out as well. If I know how (and have time which is always limited) I am willing to share. I believe if we help someone else out they in turn can repay it by helping some - Merry Christmas