Bill, I started out just writing HTML pages. My thinking was exactly like yours. If you have any version of Windows you have a browser on your computer. The more I worked on this the more I realized that I was not taking advantage of the computer. Basically I was just presenting nice looking color pages. Not that much different than a professionally designed color brochure.
The whole motivation of this was to do something that would catch potential clients eyes and hopeful make an impression on them. Maybe when they decided to try another Appraiser or needed a Home Inspector they would remember the presentation and call me.
I then decided to do a Flash Presentation and just include the Flash program on the CD. An animated presentation would be much more effective and impressive than just plain HTML pages. I thought I could set up the HTML so that it would load the Flash Plug-in off CD. However that didn’t work the way I thought it would. People without Internet access would not be able to download Flash and see the presentation if they didn’t have the plug-in.
I did some homework and discovered the free Power Point viewer. That’s when I decided to make a Power Point presentation. I could do animation and include photos in it. A good friend of mine is a DJ and has a great voice and I have access to a good sound system. We tied the laptop into the sound system so we could record digital quality and recorded sound tracks to narrate the presentation.
Then I redesigned the HTML pages as sort of a backup and included a lot of additional information about my buisness. Like coverage areas, more on Home Inspections etc. I am also including PDF copies of my Licenses, sample appraisals etc. That is why I need the Adobe Acrobat.
The project started out pretty simple but like most of my projects it grew and grew. If you have ever remodeled an older home you are familiar with the “Might as well’s”. While we are at it we might as well __________. This grew from a simple HTML page to a animated presentation with a HTML pages and PDF package for the lenders to get me approved.
I figured while I am at it “I might as well” do it right.