http://www.real-estate-optimization....ger/index2.php

After we did the layout etc on V2 we decided to try a more western feel to the site. Thanks to Billy Bussey for creative art and flash contributions. Pretty much ready to go live, what do you guys think?

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Webmasters who spend their energies upholding the spirit of the basic principles [Of Google] will provide a much better user experience and subsequently enjoy better ranking than those who spend their time looking for loopholes they can exploit. Google.com

It definately has a western feel, I love the look. Your team really does some beautiful work. The flash images did take quite a bit of time to change on my dialup connection. (yeah yeah I know, I need to get with the times and get a broadband connection)

I love it! The pictures were awesome, I just wanted to sit there & look at all of them. Makes me wish my area offered something special that I could capture like that for the whole feel of my site. And believe me, I've tried to figure something out but I work in too many different suburbs and don't want to highlight any in particular for my main site. And although I do work in Chicago, I mostly work in the 'burbs so I don't want to alienate them by focusing on Chicago or the Loop. I've got to move!

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Southwest Chicago Suburbs Real Estate is an affordable area with close access to downtown Chicago. Money Magazine says that Orland Park real estate is one of the best places to live in the U.S.

yeah they are really nice images. Jim found a local photographer that had some wicked collections and bought the rights to use them, it can be pricey but you can certainly appreciate the professionalism it lends to the site.

That is one thing people miss I think, they are always looking for pics to buy online, but really you need to go no further than the yellow pages and look up local photographers. They can scan them into high rez for you and then its up to your designers to work their magic.

Mind you I see your point about your area, if it is "the burbs" Im sure its harder to find good pics etc. Does your area have a specific look or feel to the houses though? You might go for a portrayal of that instead of nature.

We are going to be doing a chicago site starting tomorrow (Dont worry oak lawn is not on the list But because its a site that represents "chicago" more than anything else we can get some cool pics of the city and the water (They are mostly on the lakeview side I think)

Are you targeting any of these areas just out of curiosity?
Lakeview
Lincoln Park
Gold Coast
Wrigleyville
Streeterville
Chicago
Bucktown
Uptown
Hyde Park
Edgewater
Lincoln Square
Rogers Park
Logan Square
Wicker Park
Humboldt Park
Ukranian Village
Roscoe Village
Old Town

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Webmasters who spend their energies upholding the spirit of the basic principles [Of Google] will provide a much better user experience and subsequently enjoy better ranking than those who spend their time looking for loopholes they can exploit. Google.com

Home run brother !!!!! Looks Great !!!

Nope (wish I were)! I work in Chicago (mostly southwest portion) and many (40+) southwest suburbs and there is every kind of home style imaginable from historic to new construction. A few suburbs have forest preserves and lakes but most don't. So there's just a lot of eveything, a mishmash, and nothing to really create an "identity" like I could if I were working mainly in Chicago. When working such a large area into one website I don't want to feature some towns and not others.

My favorite sites are those where you can create a "feel" for the area like Jackson Hole or a woman who I think is part of this forum (I think she's in Florida & her site looks like a treasure map).

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Southwest Chicago Suburbs Real Estate is an affordable area with close access to downtown Chicago. Money Magazine says that Orland Park real estate is one of the best places to live in the U.S.

Judy,

You say that you can't find anything to take pictures of...

It's easy. Take pictures of the downtown skyline at night, take pictures of any and all area attractions. Is there anything people come to see in the Chicago area? If so, get a picture of it.

Get pictures of people playing. Examples: Golf, fishing, boating, skiing, etc. Use your imagination. Don't forget winter photos! Kids playing in the snow, ice fishing, parks after a snow storm, etc.

If your still lost find a tourist and ask them what they are taking pictures of.

If you are still lost after this, I'll do it for you. The fee might be a little rough (similar to passing a kidney stone) but you'll have great photos. LOL

P.S. Get a photo of the people walking downtown bent over at a 15 degree angle in one of your famous wind storms. I've done that one!

I think you are losing focus of who your audience is. People searching on the internet for homes in your area will want to see pictures of the metropolitan area.

Remember, without the "Downtown" the suburbs wouldn't have a reason to exist.

Seriously, You should do as Morgan suggested, call a couple local photographers and tell them you are trying to create a slideshow that will cause people to become emotionally attached to the area. I think you will find they can deliver. A good photographer can even make the desert seem appealing. (inside joke for our desert dwellers)

As I said, if my main business was downtown Chicago I'd have a ball getting photos. But I'm in the 'burbs and even though I've been really keeping my eyes open to photo ops my point is that there is nothing to link all of the areas I work in together as a package to give me the option of putting together a site like Jackson Hole.

If I focused on shots of Chicago my suburban dwellers would think I was targeting the wrong audience. We don't really have boating or skiing around here. I'm dealing with what I have & just love other's sites that are in areas where they can capture a real feeling for that area.

IOW, I guess I'm dreaming about retiring in AZ...

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Southwest Chicago Suburbs Real Estate is an affordable area with close access to downtown Chicago. Money Magazine says that Orland Park real estate is one of the best places to live in the U.S.

I think there are simply some areas that do get more out-of-town "referral" clients than others. The area I've worked in for many years simply does not. I've never met a tourist in my town. I'm sure the big Chicago sites would capture anyone interested in relocating to the big city, but that isn't my niche market.

Most people on my site that do searches are from the area and know it and just want to see what's currently available in the market. I'm working with templates anyway & was just going through "website envy" with the latest sites that have come up here with the great header photos.

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Southwest Chicago Suburbs Real Estate is an affordable area with close access to downtown Chicago. Money Magazine says that Orland Park real estate is one of the best places to live in the U.S.