How Web Sites Are Like Rental Suites

In the Fall of 2007 I was looking for a rental suite. My husband and I were separating, our townhouse was being renovated to get it ready for sale and my home office was in the middle of a construction zone. The smell of paint, the noise, the disruption and the emotional upheaval were taking their toll on me and I could see that my business would soon start to suffer.

I was going to have to move when the house was sold, but I decided to make the move sooner rather than later. So I started hunting for an apartment or suite that I could afford to rent while still carrying my share of the townhouse expenses. The apartment also had to be cat-friendly and hopefully allow them access to the outdoors.

The first place I saw was in the same apartment complex my son and my mother live in. So I did have some incentive to live there. However, the only apartment that was coming available was totally forgettable. The rooms were dingy, dull and drab. The apartment was on the second floor and overlooked the parking lot. Cats were only allowed by the manager turning a blind eye, but at that point I didn't care if they took cats or not.

The second place I saw was a basement suite (I use the word suite loosely!). If the first place was forgettable, the second one was memorable in its unpleasantness. It was ugly, dark and filthy. The kitchen had no counter space and was just horrible. The place was cat-friendly; they would even have easy access to the outdoors. But I didn't care if they took wild boar at that point, I just wanted out of there.

The third place I saw was a garden suite in a new home. I wanted to rent it the moment I stepped in the door. It was clean, bright, nicely decorated and the door opened onto a big yard for the cats. However, the landlady wasn't keen on having one cat, let alone two. Well, I offered an extra damage deposit and promised that I would pay for any damage when I moved out. She relented and I moved in a few weeks later.

That's where I am as I write this. I have one cat on my lap and one is snoozing under my desk lamp.

Remember, it was the look of this suite that caused me to stop and negotiate for the cats. For the other two apartments, I didn't care if they took cats, rats or wild boar, I just wanted out of there.

I think the look of your Web site is very important. It will stop visitors long enough for them to see if you have what they want. That's all you need. Your content can take over from there.

- Andrea Wilson