New Site Check!!

Hello Everybody,

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

I'm trying to design my first "possible" client's website (my brother
is
V.P. at a river rafting lodge and I'm trying to convince him that I can get
him up there in the search engines)! Take a look at his current webpage
www.morrisonslodge.com!

He didn't know I had an interest in webdesign and he had already been
looking at 3 other designers/developers and I'm trying to think of a way to
convince him to give me a shot at it. I'm going to build it anyway (all by
scratch so far btw - just notepad!! am I crazy or what?) and give him a .net
webaddress where I am uploading the files (until he agrees to give me the
control over his .com address). Here are the beginnings of what I've done:
www.morrisonslodge.net.

I have only made pages for "home" "river lodging"
"flyfishing" and part of
"rogue rafting." Also a reservation
(www.morrisonslodge.net/reservations.html) page that I don't have in the
navigation menu yet. Still working on content.

I sure need some better resources!! I'm working on it. I downloaded MS
Expressions, or at least .NET to go with it. Expression Web is 200MB!

Tell me what you think!

Ally

Thanks for your honest input.

I'm sorry it has come across hostile. I'll have to rethink that. I just got
my hopes up and wanted to impress him. He knows nothing about the internet
and websites. Unless one of the other guys he's looking at would consider
purchasing the .net address, I doubt my brother would have a clue about it.

I am not asking for compensation for the work. I just wanted a chance to
show off a bit (I know, I need some help there) and save him some money and
for experience for myself.

He asked at one point, "do you think you could build the website?" I
hesitated. Then rethought it later and figured I could really improve that
website. I think that made him question my ability.

Obviously I have a LOT to learn. It's been fun anyway.

Ally


"darrel" <notreal@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:1AnbfjTKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> > and give him a .net
> > webaddress where I am uploading the files (until he agrees to give me
the
> > control over his .com address). Here are the beginnings of what I've
done:
> > www.morrisonslodge.net.
>
> Have you gotten permission from him to do this?
>
> I'd rethink taking over the .net address until you have a working
> relationship with this country. It could come across a bit hostile to just
> register a similiar domain name and start redesigning their site.
>
> > Tell me what you think!
>
> Well, what you have isn't bad, but it's not really significantly different
> than what they currently have. I think you really need to push it further
if
> you want them to see reasons to go with you for their site redesign.
>
> That said, I hate spec work, and would never encourage people do to that.
> ;o)
>
> The best way to improve 99% of family resort/camping/B&B sites, IMHO,
is
to
> put money into identity redesign and professional photography. Whether
> either of that will provide a ROI is hard to say. Seems as if the resort
is
> good, they tend to be booked year 'round on word-of-mouth alone regardless
> of the quality of the web site. ;o)
>
> -Darrel
>
>

I don't understand what you mean by "that kind of spec work"?

:) lol again, obviously a lot to learn.

Ally

"P@tty Ayers" <pattyayersTAKETHISOUT@REMOVEgmail.com> wrote in
message
news:6n1hQxTKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> Ally, I agree - that kind of spec work is a very bad idea - not
> recommended..
>
>
> -- 
> Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
> Free Articles on the Business of Web Development
> Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form, Estimate Worksheet
> --
>
>
> "darrel" <notreal@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:1AnbfjTKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> >> and give him a .net
> >> webaddress where I am uploading the files (until he agrees to give
me
the
> >> control over his .com address). Here are the beginnings of what
I've
> >> done:
> >> www.morrisonslodge.net.
> >
> > Have you gotten permission from him to do this?
> >
> > I'd rethink taking over the .net address until you have a working
> > relationship with this country. It could come across a bit hostile to
just
> > register a similiar domain name and start redesigning their site.
> >
> >> Tell me what you think!
> >
> > Well, what you have isn't bad, but it's not really significantly
different
> > than what they currently have. I think you really need to push it
further
> > if you want them to see reasons to go with you for their site
redesign.
> >
> > That said, I hate spec work, and would never encourage people do to
that.
> > ;o)
> >
> > The best way to improve 99% of family resort/camping/B&B sites,
IMHO, is
> > to put money into identity redesign and professional photography.
Whether
> > either of that will provide a ROI is hard to say. Seems as if the
resort
> > is good, they tend to be booked year 'round on word-of-mouth alone
> > regardless of the quality of the web site. ;o)
> >
> > -Darrel
> >
>
>

I did tell him I was playing around with the redesign. I sent him a first
draft. He's pretty supportive but they have dropped off the map with google
and he is obviously concerned about that. They spent $5000 on their sister
company website www.rogueriverraft.com and at the time I didn't realize they
were two separate companies and wondered why he was linking the Morrison's
address to the rogue address.

He has been asking my opinion on the SEO side of things and sent a file to
me that one company gave him regarding optimization. They want at least $250
for 3-hour keyword research. See SEO post. Most of the things on that list I
felt I could do for him free of charge. I may not have made that clear to
him on the "free of charge" issue.

I'd probably better stop while I'm ahead. VEERRRRY tired.

Ally


"darrel" <notreal@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:1AnbfjTKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> > and give him a .net
> > webaddress where I am uploading the files (until he agrees to give me
the
> > control over his .com address). Here are the beginnings of what I've
done:
> > www.morrisonslodge.net.
>
> Have you gotten permission from him to do this?
>
> I'd rethink taking over the .net address until you have a working
> relationship with this country. It could come across a bit hostile to just
> register a similiar domain name and start redesigning their site.
>
> > Tell me what you think!
>
> Well, what you have isn't bad, but it's not really significantly different
> than what they currently have. I think you really need to push it further
if
> you want them to see reasons to go with you for their site redesign.
>
> That said, I hate spec work, and would never encourage people do to that.
> ;o)
>
> The best way to improve 99% of family resort/camping/B&B sites, IMHO,
is
to
> put money into identity redesign and professional photography. Whether
> either of that will provide a ROI is hard to say. Seems as if the resort
is
> good, they tend to be booked year 'round on word-of-mouth alone regardless
> of the quality of the web site. ;o)
>
> -Darrel
>
>

ahhh, yes lol

I just had some time during Christmas break to play around with some things.
I felt like I had gotten a new game/toy to play with once I learned some
CSS. It was like a new toy for Christmas.

It's true, I was hoping that if I was successful and bringing some new
business to him that he would be interested in compensating me a little but
I mostly wanted the recognition and to impress him :) He's my big brother.
I'm the baby if you can't tell.

"P@tty Ayers" <pattyayersTAKETHISOUT@REMOVEgmail.com> wrote in
message
news:$$$ME2TKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> Short for "speculative work" - where you do the work before the
client
> agrees to pay you anything, hoping that they might decide to pay you after
> all..
>
>
> -- 
> Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
> Free Articles on the Business of Web Development
> Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form, Estimate Worksheet
> --
>
>
>
> "Ally" <foxtrotta@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:cOUUezTKHHA.1128@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> >I don't understand what you mean by "that kind of spec
work"?
> >
> > :) lol again, obviously a lot to learn.
> >
> > Ally
> >
> > "P@tty Ayers" <pattyayersTAKETHISOUT@REMOVEgmail.com>
wrote in message
> > news:6n1hQxTKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> >> Ally, I agree - that kind of spec work is a very bad idea - not
> >> recommended..
> >>
> >>
> >> -- 
> >> Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
> >> Free Articles on the Business of Web Development
> >> Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form, Estimate Worksheet
> >> --
> >>
> >>
> >> "darrel" <notreal@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> >> news:1AnbfjTKHHA.1564@ns1.xroubaix.com...
> >> >> and give him a .net
> >> >> webaddress where I am uploading the files (until he
agrees to give
me
> > the
> >> >> control over his .com address). Here are the beginnings
of what I've
> >> >> done:
> >> >> www.morrisonslodge.net.
> >> >
> >> > Have you gotten permission from him to do this?
> >> >
> >> > I'd rethink taking over the .net address until you have a
working
> >> > relationship with this country. It could come across a bit
hostile to
> > just
> >> > register a similiar domain name and start redesigning their
site.
> >> >
> >> >> Tell me what you think!
> >> >
> >> > Well, what you have isn't bad, but it's not really
significantly
> > different
> >> > than what they currently have. I think you really need to
push it
> > further
> >> > if you want them to see reasons to go with you for their
site
redesign.
> >> >
> >> > That said, I hate spec work, and would never encourage people
do to
> > that.
> >> > ;o)
> >> >
> >> > The best way to improve 99% of family resort/camping/B&B
sites, IMHO,
> >> > is
> >> > to put money into identity redesign and professional
photography.
> > Whether
> >> > either of that will provide a ROI is hard to say. Seems as if
the
> >> > resort
> >> > is good, they tend to be booked year 'round on word-of-mouth
alone
> >> > regardless of the quality of the web site. ;o)
> >> >
> >> > -Darrel
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>