hi, I'm not a big contributer to the board, but I would love feed back and questions about our new web site,
thanks.... Dave


http://kingmanmastiffs.com

Pedigrees doesn't need an apostrophe.

I would move the training and raw food bit below the 'about us/why we breed mastiffs' section. It's interesting information but it's not top-billing material.

Can you post a copy of the original Breed Standard for that page? It's actually what I would expect there and not a reason for why you like what you're breeding. Not that it shouldn't be there but the breed standards or links to the current vs. older would illustrate your point to your customer base. I'd also rephrase the paragraphs you have there. I think I know what you're saying but it's a bit ambiguous. Also 'look' doesn't need to be in quotes, 'should' is the word to put in quotes if you're going for the disbelieving sense. The will dogs have a look regardless, it's who decides that's questionable.

I would put Planned Breedings and Available Puppies should be next to one another in the header rather than having them broken apart.

I'd fix the formatting on the bottom too so the phone number and 'call for appointment' are on the same line and the address is on another. It just looks better. I will admit that's a nitpicky one.

Really it's not a bad job at all. A little bit of tweaking and it will be perfect. I like the photos quite a bit. Your dogs look lovely.

thanks Charlotte, I was getting bug eyed near the end .I'm just taking a break between dogs right now and will get working on it when I get back in,

The photos on your website are lovely! I especially enjoyed reading the captions and text on your page "Pulling". Very interesting and well documented. I had not heard the term used like that before so it has peaked my interest. Interesting too that you use a tire, the same as we do on horses in harness to get them started!

As far as designing a new website....you are definitely on the right track. Check your google analytics page and you will get loads of information about which pages on your website are drawing traffic, retention time and so on. You may know all of this but just in case; the most important feature is good content so keep uploading new content on a regular basis...make sure that when you add photos they all have alt tags. To increase traffic add FB, Youtube etc.

Best wishes, Happy New Year!

I loved the section on Pulling which is what I've trained my lab/shepherd, Hobbes, to do. Another thing that could be used as a drag for being dogs are bicyle tires and old burlap sacks. I liked the site overall.

 Quote: Charlotte Hince

Can you post a copy of the original Breed Standard for that page? It's actually what I would expect there and not a reason for why you like what you're breeding. Not that it shouldn't be there but the breed standards or links to the current vs. older would illustrate your point to your customer base. I'd also rephrase the paragraphs you have there. I think I know what you're saying but it's a bit ambiguous

thanks again for the feed back, it was great. I'm waiting for permision on a link, ya the rest of that... I,m struggling

 Quote: Lisabet Measures

Check your google analytics page and you will get loads of information about which pages on your website are drawing traffic, retention time and so on. You may know all of this but just in case; the most important feature is good content so keep uploading new content on a regular basis...make sure that when you add photos they all have alt tags. To increase traffic add FB, Youtube etc.

oh-boy, most of that I'm just muddling through, I really am not a computer person, I type by hunt and peck

I just googled alt tags, I had no Idea.... thanks for the tips

 Quote: Dawna Provancial

I loved the section on Pulling which is what I've trained my lab/shepherd, Hobbes, to do. Another thing that could be used as a drag for being dogs are bicyle tires and old burlap sacks. I liked the site overall.

Ya, watching a dog that likes it is great, I'm guessing your boy has pretty good endurance..

Before I got my Leerburg reality check I had dreams of having a team of fawn boys and a team of brindle boys, but who knows, it would be cool to tour dog shows and rodeos turning heads with a 1000lbs of dog
pulling 10 people or so (world mastiff pull was over 7000lbs)

I like the sack Idea, but am for sure gonna steal the bike tire idea

Thanks again and I appreciate the compliments and welcome critisim (maybe mean stuff can be pm'd..lol)

when I was scouring the web for breeders whilst looking for the Boerboels, the first thing I checked out was the health stats and the temperaments, longevity, inherited diseases etc, the other really important thing for me was the 'whole life' commitment from the breeder, i.e. with the Pointers both the breeders had a clause about the dog being returned to them in the event the new owner couldn't continue to care for them for whatever reason; this was something I was looking for with the BB's.

It shows to the prospective owner the breeder really does have the best interest of the dog at heart, crucial too, is the promise from the breeder that they will always be at the end of the phone to offer support and guidance; establishing a relationship based on trust and honesty with the owner reassures them you have always got the welfare of the pup at the front of your mind.

The desensitizing cd's were a huge boon too, the every day noises like sirens, traffic, squealing kids, other dogs barking, jet planes, and the sound of fireworks, gunshot, thunder and lightening, were played to them from an early age, and the result is they don't react at all to unexpected sounds at all now.

All and any information pertinent to the breed is what the serious owner is looking for, and in turn, what YOU are looking for in the new owner; you will probably be inundated with people who saw a picture of a cute mastiff pup and want that bundle of fluff, my breeder insisted any interested people met the dogs BEFORE pups were in the pipeline, and most especially Yogi, the 14 stone male and the sire; he was the litmus test, if they freaked at his size, boisterous behaviour and the gallons of drool he produced, they never even made the 'possible' list.

I had all my BB's fixed because I know I couldn't hack the responsibilty of placing the pups, so I admire your decision to breed, be prepared for some sleepless nights, Jan slept on a camp bed next to the whelping pen for 3 weeks, the pen had the sort of crush bars you see in a piggery, and was the size of a tiger cage!

The above is just what I was looking for in a breeder first and foremost, and over and above the other considerations of food and training, those questions came later, and talking of questions, I bugged the bejesus out of her with daily questions on the development of the pups from birth to maturity and beyond, any prospective owner that doesn't ask questions and assures you they know it all would wave a flag at me, particularly people new to the breed.

At the end of it all, you will invest a ton of time into your pups, and you are entitled to be hugely involved in their future homes once they leave the safety of yours.

Look forward to hearing how things develop, love the mastiffs

Ditto on Tracey's comments about what she was looking for in a breeder! We took our search for a breeder very seriously and were prepared to wait months for the right pup.

We had a long agreement we signed, it laid down all the requirements on both sides and included the issue of re-homing should it ever arise, (ha, no chance with us!)

The breeder had long waiting lists for her pups, the litters were mostly "sold" before they were born! All prospective owners were vetted carefully with a detailed questionnaire when they first inquired about having a pup. The breeder's primary reason for breeding was to develop the breed and her bloodline so there was usually only one litter a year.

Glad you found the website tips helpful:when I made my own first website several
years ago I started out knowing nothing at all...you learn as you go! The best advice I got though was to understand that a website has to be dynamic ie it has to have good engaging content and fresh content...so photos with captions are a very easy way to do that and yours are lovely!

When you have got most of the work done on your website submit it to search engines...this process can take up to six weeks or so. If you do not do this your material will not be available online when people do a "search" for the breed, etc.

Good luck!

This will come accross as pretty critical Dave. Nothing personal, just how I look at websites from breeders which, for me is a really minor piece of anything I consider if I'm looking for a dog.

1. We only breed when we want a puppy. Great. What do you know about Mastiffs that makes me want to take your word and trust you as the breeder of my next dog?

2. World Class Breedings? By what standard or who's opinion beside yours? Why are these outstanding boys outstanding and why are they a good match for your girls?

3.Pedigree. Some of the best line's in the world. If your going to sell them based on this, are the names in the pedigree dogs that Mastiff folks instantly recognise? People know what these dogs have produced and are producing?

4. Training. Back to you as the breeder who's knowledge I'm considering paying for. Have you done anything in the venues listed? Other then awesome companion and some weight pulling on your property?

I don't mean any of this as a personal attack, like I said Dave, even though it may read that way. I think about what I'm paying for with a purebred dog and what it really comes down to is my trust in the breeder. I don't see anything on your website that would earn my trust and my money.

I do like the line, " We would rather give a puppy to a great home than sell one to the wrong home" but I would change your website's basic message to more general info on your dogs and how enjoyable they are and less on the breeding side of it, unless some of the things I picked apart on you were just left out as you put it together.

Just picking up on what Steve said about the piece where you said you would rather give a dog to a good home than sell to a bad...

When I first started communications with Jan via email, and long before we drove to meet her and the dogs, which as I have said was way before the bitch was in pup, I had asked about the price and she said the same thing, she was more concerned with the RIGHT home, and that she would be mindful of that consideration if the right person came along but not neccesarily able to come up with the full fee, I liked that quality in her, and thanks to a tax rebate, we were able to pay the full amount, and fwiw, I thought Sugar was worth all the time, expense and quality veterinary care the pups recieved from her prior to them going home at 9 weeks.