Making up an email page

[Dominic J. Maricic]

Hi Russel,

I've been using a script you can get here: http://www.simonstenhouse.net/index.php?area=projects for the last year on our site. When a user downloads one of our sample reports they can't even SEE the real directory name, and as a benefit all downloads are logged with the date and time so you can see the ip of the person who donwload the report and when they downloaded it at (or if they ever did). It's a pretty easy script to install. I customized the version I have to put the date into a nicer form. Basically you end up giving out something like this to your client:
http://www.mysite.com/download.php?file=russell.pdf and that's it. You've already told the script where the actualy file is. If you want to create subfolders like you have right now you can make it look like this http://www.mysite.com/download.php?c...le=russell.pdf . That would get the file named russell.pdf in the 2007 folder.

If anyone is interested in how to use it let me know and I'll lend a hand. The logging is probably the nicest feature as what you already have Russel suits you fine I'm sure!

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by dmaricic

Hi Russel,

I've been using a script you can get here: http://www.simonstenhouse.net/index.php?area=projects for the last year on our site. When a user downloads one of our sample reports they can't even SEE the real directory name, and as a benefit all downloads are logged with the date and time so you can see the ip of the person who donwload the report and when they downloaded it at (or if they ever did). It's a pretty easy script to install. I customized the version I have to put the date into a nicer form. Basically you end up giving out something like this to your client:
http://www.mysite.com/download.php?file=russell.pdf and that's it. You've already told the script where the actualy file is. If you want to create subfolders like you have right now you can make it look like this http://www.mysite.com/download.php?c...le=russell.pdf . That would get the file named russell.pdf in the 2007 folder.

If anyone is interested in how to use it let me know and I'll lend a hand. The logging is probably the nicest feature as what you already have Russel suits you fine I'm sure!

That's pretty cool, Dominic. Very cool. And that's why I continue to stick around here at NACHI, to help other people and even get some help myself. As my wise old grandmother said, "Get some help!" She probably had other things in mind when she said that, though. LOL

The one thing I do like about my file naming convention is that if a Client calls a year from now, as soon as they start giving me the file number I know where to go: 2007, October, etc.

[W. Michael Chris]

Russel,

I have now converted to e-mails to clients with a link to their report - thanks!

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by wchris1

Russel,

I have now converted to e-mails to clients with a link to their report - thanks!

Now check your web site ranking at some place like alexa.com. Then check it each month on the same day. I think you'll see a difference.

[Russel Ray]

Also, previously my email was all property assessment report business. Effectively shortly, I will include links to my monthly newsletter, my Referral Rewards Program, my price list, etc. Every email should also be an opportunity to market oneself and one's services.

[W. Michael Chris]

Originally Posted by rray

Now check your web site ranking at some place like alexa.com. Then check it each month on the same day. I think you'll see a difference.

My website as of 11 October 2007 has a traffic rating of: No Data . . . looking to see a difference each month . . . I'm also implementing e-mails with a link back to my website for inspection agreements and invoice for each inspection, working on Referral Rewards Program, etc.

Originally Posted by rray

Also, previously my email was all property assessment report business. Effectively shortly, I will include links to my monthly newsletter, my Referral Rewards Program, my price list, etc. Every email should also be an opportunity to market oneself and one's services.

Good idea! Beginning to implement. Question . . . when I send the e-mail for inspection agreement and invoice, should the invoice follow in a separate e-mail or should both be included in just one e-mail to the client?
Would this work for example to include in one e-mail:
[website]/inspection/071011-JohnQPublic-Inspection-Agreement.pdf (and)
[website]/invoice/071011-JohnQPublicInvoice.pdf
Hope I'm making sense . . . (or) first e-mail for the Inspection Agreement alone, and second e-mail follows with the invoice link . . .

[Russel Ray]

I think the fewer emails the better when you're conveying reports, invoices, and agreements, but it depends on your time frame. I have no invoice, so that one is a non-issue for me. I do convey the agreement within 8 hours of booking the inspection, and the sooner the better. The report gets conveyed within 24 hours of the inspection, no exceptions, including holy days, holidays, and major sporting events.

Since I get paid before I start the inspection, the agreement serves as an agreement, an invoice, and a receipt since everything that typically is needed for those three items is included in the agreement.

[W. Michael Chris]

One e-mail it is - thank you.