NACHI zip code marketing for members still not working

[Bruce A. King]

This has been an ongoing problem since the search bar on the new web site was put up.

Posting this here in public view as an attempt to get this corrected as soon as possible for the membership.

This should be very near number one priority for nachi members.

what is the problem?

We enter 20 zip codes and the results do not show us as inspectors in those entered unless we live near there.

This seems to be only related to the search bar near the top left.
The www.findaninspector.us works better but could use some new logic too.
It also could be more visible instead of being almost the same color as the background.

NACHI is the best association but these types of engineered problems will likely not keep it there for the long term.

Sorry Chris (webmaster), I know you only work here and may not be making all of the decisions related to this.

[Nick Gromicko]

You can ask Chris but I believe www.FindanInspector.us searches on market desired (20 zips) so add your zips here http://www.nachi.org/tipsforzips.htm , and make sure you read http://www.nachi.org/aboutfindinsp.htm , www.InspectorSEEK.com searches on closest proximity (primary zip), Featured Inspectors http://www.nachi.org/memberlist.htm searches alphabetically so check your contact info at www.nachi.org/profileintro.htm , and www.InspectorLocator.com searches on ancillary services offered so add your other services at www.nachi.org/ancillary.htm .

All 4 are different searches and work differently. This goes back a couple years when on this message board members had a lengthy argument about how our searches should be performed... there were 4 different camps... so we made a separate site and search for each. Furthermore, Chris has it rigged so that searches appear differently on different computers and shuffle somewhat randomly with some bias toward parity (least traffic member sites bubble to the top).

[Bruce A. King]

The one with the problem is at the top left of home page and has a search bar that is very visible to potential clients, it has this in it: Postal Code or City, State

This is the one that has a 20 mile limit, home inspectors typically serve 50 mile limits and some even more, please change to 50 miles so that the other half of my zipcodes work.
thanks

[Nick Gromicko]

Good point. Tell Chris.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

How do we contact Chris? Does he read this BBS? It's been an issue for months.

[Nick Gromicko]

http://www.nachi.org/contact.htm No, he rarely reads this board.

[Bruce A. King]

emailed, still no response, and still set to 20 miles

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Email sent Feb. 17th.

[Nick Gromicko]

As per your request we have expanded the search from 20 miles to 50 miles.

Please don't tell Chuck Mccann... he hates to see any member driven ideas enacted. And for God's sake, don't let him know that Chris Morrell doesn't peform home inspections ... he likes to think that NACHI should be run solely by those who currently perform home inspections for some weirdo reason.

[wforsyth]

Nick,

You've got mail!

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Thanks a lot Nick.

But Part 2 of the complaint is that the www.findaninspector.us link at the very top left of the page is camouflaged. It is practically useless because of its color. It is the better of the two search engines because it relies on our service area--not where we live (which is totally irrelevant). Would like to see www.findaninspector.us have the same prominence on the page as inspectorseek (why not a blank line there too for folks to enter a zip code???).

I still do not like the programming logic of inspectorseek. It makes no sense to encourage a customer to select an inspector based on where the inspector lives!

Please consider making findaninspector.us at least as prominent on the page.

[Nick Gromicko]

Joe, your argument about InspectorSEEK was one I share with you, fought for on a lengthy thread on the old message board a year or so ago, and lost.

Many members complained "I live right down the street and yet he comes up before me!"

and the other side of the argument went something like:

"What does it matter where you sleep at night?"

Both arguments were strong which is why we ended up with so many different search algorithms.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Nick, can we at least remove the camouflage on the www.findaninspector.us link???

[Nick Gromicko]

How about I add it to the home page instead, after March 1, where the Ford Truck announcement is? Yes?

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by gromicko

How about I add it to the home page instead, after March 1, where the Ford Truck announcement is? Yes?

I'm not sure where you mean exactly. www.findaninspecor.us is at the top left of every page and is not as prominent as inspectorseek. It is camouflaged. See photo below. Can't we just put a field for zip code entry similar to inspectorseek? Then they'd have an equal presentation on the page. You can put inspectorseek first if you want to favor those inspectors who live in metropolotin areas. However you do it, it should be more prominent--color changed so that the link doesn't blend into the background.

I was viewing the new website several times a day and never even noticed the link because of its color before Bruce King alerted us to the situation.