I'm Too Sexy For My Website

Last Saturday, after working on my business website for two months I made the final edit, held my breath, and hit "publish". Even so, I'm not quite ready to start advertising to the public yet. Before taking that step, I wanted some of my close friends and relatives to have the chance to look the website over and give me honest feedback on it. Once it's adequately honed, I will send out "warm letters" and emails, hang out the proverbial shingle, and officially start accepting clients.

Soon after my request went out, the feedback started pouring in. Up until this morning I'd heard from all but four of the people I asked for input.

I know that two of my friends don't have regular access to the internet, or at least not a lot of time to sit down and do any lengthy critiques. The third almost never gets online, and the fourth was my youngest daughter, Emily, who has her hands particularly full at the present time.

Emily called this morning, so I casually mentioned the website and asked if she'd had a chance to look it over. She said, "Yes" as a matter of fact she had, and she only found one thing she thought I might need to change.

I listened, wondering if it was going to be that the header can be difficult to read if one's laptop screen isn't angled just right. That had been the most common suggestion I'd received thus far. If not that, then maybe I needed to add my fee schedule to one of the pages, or put in a little more personal information ...

It was none of the above. Instead, Emily pointed out the possibility that the picture I've chosen for my "bio" page makes me look too "hot". She suggested I pick a photo that (in her words) " wouldn't be so likely to make potential clients feel intimidated".

Oh, really?

Wow.

(Need I mention that Emily happens to be my "favorite" offspring right now?)

The truth is, I planned to change my picture on that particular page anyway, not because I think I look so stinkin' sizzling in it, but because it has more of a snapshot appearance than I'd like. I'm not making an appointment with a professional photographer or anything like that. I just thought I'd try to get a different picture taken in front of a blank wall vs the decorated walls of our cruise ship cabin that grace the background of the current shot.

In the meantime, I must admit, Emily has given a whole new meaning to the phrase "constructive criticism". Not that all the other suggestions I received weren't important or helpful. To the contrary, they helped make my website look darn near perfect.

Or at least it will be, once I get that pesky "hot mama" picture off of there.

Thanks again, Emily! My ego grew three sizes today, all because of you.