My feeling is that its one of those "complimentary" items that can demonstrate to a potential client your credibility. Its basically an expansion on the testimonial section I also have. The guest book, by design, isn't compliments I've specifically picked out and potentially edited, however. People leave a posting directly about their experience.

Can you have a great site without it? Sure, but I think you'd be missing another opportunity to tilt the scales in your favor in a clients mind.

Finally, I know of at least 2 jobs I got because of the guestbook. In one instance a client saw a peer's name with a comment and felt if that person was so pleased, that was all she needed to know to decide to hire me. The other was a long term care facility who called me out of the blue because of the number of great compliments of similar type places.

IMO, a guestbook isn't one of the primary componants to a website, but an important secondary one that can have some nice payoffs. My degree in marketing (Robert Morris College/Pittsburgh '85) also tells me its unwise to pass up on a (usually) free method of getting feedback from your clients...For four years, my Mkt. & Sales Profs were beating it into our heads to never pass up an opportunity to communicate...in either direction...with current or potential clients...



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Bill in Dayton