Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi all,

Please critique this website www.rentthismonth.com

I`m looking for input from both those that know about website construction and the site`s end user, anybody that has ever rented. The site`s intentions are to increase the visibility of affordable homes offered for rental in Virginia and gain new tenants.

Would like to make it so that most folks contribute, so please keep in mind that everything you say is something we may not have thought off and that is exactly why I`m asking for your imput. Of course add anything you can think off but at least answer these questions.

1. On a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate the appearance of the site?
   
   - What turns you on - off about it?
   - How would you improve it?
   
   
2. Do you think it needs more verbiage?
   
   - If so, how/where?
   
   
3. Do you get the feeling that if you were looking for a rental home you would be inclined to call or e-mail?
   
   -What should it have that would entice you to do that?
   

Please be frank and speak your mind, do not be afraid to hurt any feelings...

Thank you for taking the time,

Eli

1. On a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate the appearance of the site? 5
   
   - What turns you on - off about it? Nothing turns me on or off concerning the site, but would be useful if I needed an apartment in those areas.
   - How would you improve it?  I would add general information about the areas, directions.  I would give information on the company and what type of services.  Is this a listing service, management service or owner providing apartments and information?
   
   
2. Do you think it needs more verbiage?  Maybe
   
   - If so, how/where? You have the very basic information to get people interested if they are looking in thoes areas.  If you want to generate calls, you have enough to make people call if they want more information but you may be able to lessen the number of calls you get from non-qualified people by providing any requirements you have concerning deposits, pets, children and other restictions or requirements.
   
   
3. Do you get the feeling that if you were looking for a rental home you would be inclined to call or e-mail?  It would depend on how immediate my need for housing was.
   
   -What should it have that would entice you to do that? 
   Encouragement to call.
   

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If you need help, ask me. If I don`t know, I can find out.

Helping you to see your dreams and meet your needs!!!!

J. Smalls
New Castle, DE

In Firefox it displays "OK", but I opened it in IE7 and it was all over the place. Not sure if its me or if anyone else notices it also.

Your main page doesn`t really tell us how you are helping or solving a problem for us.  Tell us how often you update the listings, price ranges, neighborhoods, maybe show the newest listings on the main page for past/recent users to see what is new. The top border graphic doesn`t really help the site, in my opinion. I would rework the layout somewhat, make it more appealing.

View the page source of your pages; there is so much excessive code that it is not effective for SEO. Your main page is 228 kb, and it isn`t due to oversize graphics, it is from junk/excessive coding.

Your contact page would look more professional with a form, rather than just an email address; also, spam programs may crawl your site and pick it up and start sending you all kinds of wonderful junk.

The listings could have more information .... gas/electric, furnishings included, nearby shopping areas, deposit information., etc.

The more information you can give your visitors, the more you are actually benefitting them.




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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

1. On a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate the appearance of the site? 2
   
   - What turns you on - off about it?
   I agree with Webline all the top images are very weird and 1980`s ish. I feel like I`m looking at a video game from the past. The side menu doesnt need to repeat "townhouse for rent" and "apartment for rent" every time. Make them into sections, its hard to read right now. Also, you have a list of places with rentals but no houses for any of them.
   - How would you improve it?
   I would seriously look into getting a free template website. There are 1000`s out there and I`m sure you can find one that fits your site well.
   
   I think you need to step back and rethink this. Learn how to integrate your site with craigslist. Pull in the newly posted rental house and apt ads from there. It may take a lot of programming and learning but would be worth it in the end.
   
   Good luck
   
   
   
   

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Guitar Repair - RepairMyGuitar.com - The Guitar Repair Directory

Jayrome, Webline and Cubemonkey,  those are good comments all, Thank you.

This is good, Anybody else?

I viewed the site in both FireFox 1.x, and IE 6.x, and had no trouble in either. However, I`ve noticed that IE is giving me some very strange results lately, sporadic and impossible to figure out. It could`ve just been a momentary glitch for Michael...dunno.

As for the site, it looks okay. I get the idea immediately that this is a "for rent" site, but it took me a moment or two to realize that it`s exclusive to Northern Virginia. Yes, I know it`s blatantly stated, right there, but that`s something I`m also starting to notice---what`s really "seen" rather than "visible" when browsing the Web.

I believe that, like with TV, people get into a semi-hypnotic trance when they sit in front of a computer monitor for a long time. To that end, although things on the screen aren`t a blur, exactly, the do tend to homogenize. What I think might help would be changes in typeface---size, color, and weight. I`d make the Northern Virginia stand out from the surrounding paragraph.

The immediate problem I had with the site, pretending I live in the target area, is that I expected to click the County locations and be taken to those areas on the site. They should be live links.

That would obviate the need for the same info in the menu bar to the left. Instead, the menu items should be site-related, not product-related. Right? I see the "Contact Us," but I`d like to see "Browse" and then have that page do so by categories. I`d like to see "About" or whatever else that has to do with how to get around the site. Not how to see the product itself. Those should be the live links I just mentioned.

Based on a terrific article by another member---sorry, I just forget whom---your picture at the top of the man and woman should have the two of them facing toward your headline, not away from it. That pulls the eye off the page to the right, where they should be looking in the direction of the main content.

The picture below is of a house, but all the content seems to be pointing toward apartments and townhouses for rent. Why would a standalone house be there?

Under "Friendly Management," and "Easy Qualifying" you should have two paragraphs of content. They`re headlines, don`t say anything on their own, and disappear into the list of Counties above. They also should be a different color, again to prevent their disappearance.

I clicked the "Contact Us" but instead of having my email pop up (mailto:) I was taken to another page, where I had to click a link that`s the same as on the main page. Totally redundant, and the contact page should include live phone, address, or whatever else. Otherwise it`s a waste. That, or remove the email link on the home page.

I clicked an item, the townhouse in Orange County. That`s all there was on that page....1 house. :-) If there only is 1 property for rent in each of these counties, I`d MUCH rather see a list in a grid, with a thumbnail of each, where I could click the thumbnail to expand and see details. I don`t want to have to click page after page, seeing only 1 property per page.

I`d like to see more pictures, like the inside rooms if possible. Is this site for a realtor, or just someone who`s posting info on local rentals? If it`s a realtor, then they need inside images...or at least more than 1 stock photo of the place.

The descriptions of the units are very minimalistic, and definitely could use a sales pitch. But that`s going to depend on how the site-owner makes money.

The "Invest in your Future" menu option meant nothing to me. I don`t know why it`s there, but I think it`s because I don`t really know why this site exists. Who`s making money from it, how, and what`s their interest in these properties?

All in all, it`s clean, but visually not all that interesting. It could be improved with layout adjustments (typeface, headings, visual pathway), and perhaps with some better photographs...or maybe just some more photographs.

Maybe I`m being a bit harsh, but I`m at the moment doing some work in a real estate office, so I`m seeing lots of properties. I`m comparing this, in a limited fashion, to the MLS (multiple-listing service), and to the many other tools and devices realtors are having to dream up to keep abreast of the difficult housing market right now.

This site doesn`t compete. It mostly needs the sales "pitch." Definitely needs some better branding.

Sorry for the delay in posting, Thanx for the comments Craig, all good. We are looking at them.

Cheers,