It is in the very rough stages but I wanted to get it published to get some feedback. I also tried to put the rate calculator on it but was having problems so I am going to continue to play with that.

Any and all feedback is appreciated.
-Amanda

www.virtualsolutionsmadesimple.com

Hi Amanda,
I think you've got a great basic foundation started here - great job so far!
It's a lot of work getting a site up and running and it's really always a work in progress...

With that in mind, I might suggest trying to add a bit more 'energy' to your pages - either by experimenting with color, font styles, graphics, or all three...
The more your web pages draw the visitor in the more likely they are to continue clicking from page to page - give them a reason to keep clicking, to want to learn more!

Great start

And if you want to post to the Calculator Support section of the forums with whatever trouble it is you're having we can try to help you get it installed on the site

__________________
Stuck in startup? Stop dreaming. Start DOING!
Get the Become a Virtual Assistant eBook for just $29

Thanks for the suggestions Tess.

It is definitely a continuous work in progress.

Nice start...

Here are some suggestions on copy...

"your day to day administration"
I think this should be "your day-to-day administration"

In this (below) section, I just see some inconsistencies.
* In some of the numbered items you use complete sentences, and in others you start with a phrase, followed by a dash and a sentence. I would choose one format or the other.
* In the 2 numbered items where you use a phrase followed by a dash, one of them is upper case, lower case, lower case, but the next one is upper case, upper case. Again, I would choose one format or the other.
1) We allow you to work on your business and not in your business by shifting the busy work to someone else.
2) One stop shopping - We perform multiple tasks from word processing to maintaining bills to marketing projects such as flyers, postcards, brochures, business cards etc.
3) Easy Access- We are accessible through phone, email, fax, and instant messaging.
4) We will work with you to set up a contract that is tailored to your individual needs.
5) And finally we can save you money. Though you may pay more per hour for a virtual assistant, you do not have to worry about benefits, insurance, vacation and sick pay, overhead expenses and/or state unemployment and SS taxes.

On your rates page, this bit of code is hanging out there:
<iframe src="http://www.virtualassistantforums.com/widgets/calculator/calculator.php?a=C8ssKilNzFEIz s8pLcnMzytW8E1MSVUIzswtyEkFAA= =&b=S8xNzEtJdCjLLCopTcwpzs8pLc nMzyvOTUxJLc7MLchJ1UvOzwUA&c=M zIBAA==&d=&e=&f=&g=&h=" width="645" height="495" frameborder="0" vspace="0" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Here's another part of your rates section which brings up an interesting topic. Should we refer to ourself or ourselves? We want our companies to sound like companies so we often say "we", but then we often use "I" because it's the natural thing to do because we are only one person doing the work? I always find it tough to choose which wording to use? But here you've combined the wording. In the first sentence you say "we" but you close with a sentence using "I". If it were me, I would choose one to use throughout the entire page, or atleast that paragraph. I'm curious to know how others address this issue?

Hourly Rate

Our services are billed at an hourly rate of $24 an hour. Hours are billed in 15 minutes increments with a one hour minimum. You are billed only for the time I spend on your tasks.

__________________
Sarah Bernstein
Jackson Administrative Outsourcing
www.jacksonao.com

Thanks so much Sarah. I will look into making some of the changes. Also I am aware of the bit code hanging out there on the rate page but can't figure out how to get it right. I have posted in another section looking for help on that.

Again thank you for taking the time to look at it and help me out!

Hi Amanda,

I agree that your site looks great so far. If you don't mind me saying so, I'd like to see an About page where you can give a little bit of info about yourself.

__________________
Shari Sultana
Online Business Manager (marketing for retail ecommerce)

I agree with the others, it's a great first start.

My comments - take or leave, as you like. (I get anal , please don't be offended)

FRONT PAGE:

1 - I'm not sure about the graphic at the top...are you targeting engineering/architectural firms?
2 - the block logo next to the "why hire us" looks a bit out of place. Maybe use that up top instead of the building? Also, at the very least, you need to make the background transparent so there's not a white square around it.
3 - You might consider bolding some of the key words to make them pop a bit.
4 - What do you mean by "work in your business" in point 1? Maybe change it to "We allow you to focus on the important tasks while shifting..."
5 - Point 2 seems run-on to me. Maybe change it to "2) We perform multiple types of tasks including word processing, maintaining bills, and marketing projects such as flyers, postcards, brochures, business cards etc."
6 - For point 4 maybe something like "We offer customized solutions to fit your individual needs"
7 - I think you should take out the "and finally" in point 5. You don't want it to seem like the list has been dragging on. I'd change it to "And most importantly," Also, if you're going to add the calculator somewhere, I'd take off the explanation of why you're saving them money. Or do it on a separate page with maybe a "see how" link after the first sentence.

RATES PAGE

1 - You're using multiple font sizes on one page.
2 - Under Hourly Rates you have 2 hard returns between your paragraphs.
3 - In the Retainer paragraph, you have 2 spaces between the words full and before in the 3rd line (told you I was anal!)
4 - The bottom part "Fees not included" those aren't really fees, they're materials. And really, some of them should be included unless they're for a specific project. For example, you aren't going to charge them for a stamp and envelope to send them your bill or $.10 in ink to print a fax (or at least you shouldn't those are operational costs and should be built into your hourly fees) but you would for a mailing. IMO, it makes you look a bit nit-picky. So maybe change it to something like "The above quoted rates are exclusive of special material costs required for projects, which will be quoted before project commences" or something that sounds better...

I think it's a great "Starter" site!

one thing that I noticed:
Get rid of that "and finally" text on the front page - it's really not necessary!

You should also try and get "Why Should You Hire.." text (on front page) the same font/size as the business name. It looks out of place for me.

Otherwise, a great site I would also like to see a little bit more info about the company

__________________
Julia Neal ...because we ♥ admin!
http://julianeal.wordpress.com