Question

Topic: Website Critique

Can You Believe I Want Another Review? Lol!

Posted by Anonymous on 10/12/2006 at 8:51 AM ET 60 Points
I am back (for the third time) to ask opinion on my ever changing site.

It is not perfect (what is), but I am finally starting to like it. It has been doing well with every change I have made ( I make so many I don't know what is actually working :)

Everyone on here liked it before, I probably messed it up good now. lol!

If it is well liked, I will stop messing with it (for a while ;)


Paul- www.apaneintheglass.biz

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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 10/12/2006 at 9:38 AM Member
    I like it....
    The newspaper look is very cool...

    Nice JOb
  • Posted by kannanveeraiah on 10/12/2006 at 9:55 AM Member
    Dear,

    I feel your site is verbose. In todays fast world many things are understood. Many things are just suggestive. If you could say in few words don't waste many on that. Otherwise, it wouldn't be catchy.


    Why should you say "Look to see if we can be of help to you: Services" when you could just say "Can we Help You ? :

    Under Services you are repeating on every line "You will receive" Neither it is needed at all nor to be repeated.

    Someone has to work on the entire wordings. Also arrange the features logically and don't repeat the features which you have under menu itself. For e.g. "Services".

    See that your efforts don't go waste as otherwise the site is worked out aesthetically reasonable.

    Best Wishes,

    kannan




  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 10/12/2006 at 1:34 PM Member
    Fix the cell spacing on the Table so the type does not run up on the edge. That looks unprofessional. I would also fix the cut off newspaper.

    Other than that it look good.
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 11:35 PM Member
    Sign up for your newsletter? No way. Not unless you tell me MORE about what I'm going to get, how often, etc.

    Doing the newsletter link to build a mailing list is a nice idea, but it won't work well unless you provide enough info (or incentive) to get people to sign up.

    I really love the name of your site and company, by the way. ;]
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/13/2006 at 8:56 AM Member
    Missing image on Homepage .. bad start!

    Remove the image of the mag on homepage ... it does nothing.

    Not sure about the "I" and "Paul" references, would it not be better to look like a bigger business by talking about "We" and "Us" (You do have a "Contact Us" link already!). If you go for the "We" and "Us" approach them still keep the "Our Purpose" bit personalised by you ... I like that.

    Remove the ambulance from the "Purpose" page, I know it goes with the copy, but doesn't add to confidence levels.

    I like the copy, it reads well if not a little disjointed in places, for example under "Services", you talk about Residential then Commercial Services then back to a Residential service again!

    I filled in your "Quote" form and was surprised that it took me to the homepage after completion, consider a "We Will Contact You Shortly" confirmation page for added confidence that the details were sent.

    FAQ - Don't start with an answer that they may need to replace their windows ... its too negative.

    Finally, brilliant, well done. I love online media, and pleased that a window cleaning service not only welcomes it, but actually wants to generate a really professional site.

    If you need any offline advice on copy, promotions or more usability, then feel free to get in touch.

    I hope that this helps

    Andrew
    black and white marketing
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/13/2006 at 8:56 AM Member
    Missing image on Homepage .. bad start!

    Remove the image of the mag on homepage ... it does nothing.

    Not sure about the "I" and "Paul" references, would it not be better to look like a bigger business by talking about "We" and "Us" (You do have a "Contact Us" link already!). If you go for the "We" and "Us" approach them still keep the "Our Purpose" bit personalised by you ... I like that.

    Remove the ambulance from the "Purpose" page, I know it goes with the copy, but doesn't add to confidence levels.

    I like the copy, it reads well if not a little disjointed in places, for example under "Services", you talk about Residential then Commercial Services then back to a Residential service again!

    I filled in your "Quote" form and was surprised that it took me to the homepage after completion, consider a "We Will Contact You Shortly" confirmation page for added confidence that the details were sent.

    FAQ - Don't start with an answer that they may need to replace their windows ... its too negative.

    Finally, brilliant, well done. I love online media, and pleased that a window cleaning service not only welcomes it, but actually wants to generate a really professional site.

    If you need any offline advice on copy, promotions or more usability, then feel free to get in touch.

    I hope that this helps

    Andrew
    black and white marketing
  • Posted by jpoyer on 10/13/2006 at 11:55 PM Accepted
    Hey Paul,
    Well, let me say that I appreciate the changes you are trying to make, and I think your choice of background is a good one ... however ... (here goes!)

    I actually just posted a note about another site - discussing the updating of a professionally designed site by a non-web guru ... and I'm afraid you are headed in that direction. Taking a site that a professional designed and changing it too much can lead you down a path to web never-never land, where Captain Hook and Schmee await the unsuspecting site visitor, and your site won't be what you want/expect in the end. (of course, not immediately; it will happen over time, but you can take measures so it won't!)

    IMHO, you have dipped in credibility from the previous version. I think the things that contribute to this are:

    1) Multiple font characteristics to create emphasis (bold, underline and CAPS? You've created more than 8 different font attributes on the home page alone (when you really want three - MAX).

    2) The "Get Your Newsletter save me money" thing really just looks like I'm going to sign up and get spammed. Nothing about that says trust to me. And the use of "your" and then "me" is confusing.

    3) The sidebars on the left should have a horizontal limit that you don't go over. You have 147 pixels to work with on your left sidebar; this is the width of your menu graphic. Make sure that whatever you put in there is no wider than that.

    4) Ask about gutter cleaning on your services page sidebar looks like a mistake. The font attribute thing will help here. If you have a note to add on your left sidebar (like the "we are not a franchise" statement or the gutter cleaning thing), make a style in your style sheet and use the same thing every time. Use
    tags to wrap the text appropriately so it doesn't hang out over the right edge. My suggestion is to use that green/sage color as your sidebar text, and a little larger than your body copy text.

    5) I agree about ditching the magazine cover (or at least with making it a lot smaller). As it does not link to anything, and it doesn’t mention your company, it doesn’t really make sense.

    6) You added a target audience - Agents or Home Sellers - you tacked it onto the bottom of the front page. Consider making it a category in your buttons, so you can put that info there. I just think with the newspaper mock-up it's a bit much.

    7) Check your newspaper text for punctuation errors ... there are incomplete sentences with periods where there should be commas, etc. You don't usually see those types of egregious errors in newspaper text ... not more than one in an article, anyway!

    8) The newspaper is creative, but doesn't fit with your site design. I think what makes it seem worse is all the font issues, and then the stuff under it as well. It's an overall kind of "snake-oil salesman" feel to the front page that just wasn't there before. ...

    Don't get me wrong, your site still looks nice, and I think the newspaper thing is really creative. But I am recommending that you stick with your site style guide, and stay as close to those guidelines as you can to protect your brand, and your online credibility.

    Some food for thought for you ...

    Best Regards,

    Jennifer
    XPRT Creative
  • Posted by jpoyer on 10/16/2006 at 12:35 PM Member
    Hi Paul,
    I just had to jump in here on this ... If you look at it in the way that your website is just a means to an end (which technically it is), I really think you're selling yourself short. Any marketing publication (and your website is just as much a publication as any other publication you create) is a means to an end, but it's all part of your package, who YOU are, what your business is and stands for.

    I would wager there are a lot of other logo police out there who totally agree with this: The moment you start shrugging off the importance of credibility for any of your marketing pieces is the moment you begin down that slippery slope of putting big holes in your branding efforts.

    Sure, your website is just one little part of the big picture, but every part of your publicity and marketing plays an important role for your business. You may not notice if one or two are missing, but if you adopt that mindset, sometime in the future you will look around you and wonder what the heck happened.

    Of course, I'm coming from the "Logo Police" point of view, but I tell you the little things DO make a difference, and it is worth taking the time to do it right.

    As I said in my post on one of your other critique questions, I do think that you have a great site, and I'm so glad that you let your sense of humor come through. And, like I said above, even with the things that need to be adjusted, you still have a great site.

    I guess all I'm trying to say is LOGO POLICE RULE! (just kidding) ... I'm just trying to get across that every piece matters, don't ever discount any of it.

    Good Luck, you seem like a great guy with a great service, and you're thinking creatively to make things better, which is always a good thing.

    Best of luck to you, and thanks for listening to my rant!

    Jennifer
    XPRT Creative
  • Posted on 10/16/2006 at 7:39 PM Member
    Ill tell you one thing pretty good for NON professional!
    Fix the left hand side menu, so that the green, of the menu continues with the green of the header. Do not separate the header and the menu.

    The picture of the rainy window on the about page, kinda sucks, hehe...it is kinda just floating there. Either use it as a graphic with words on or around it or waste it.

    I love graphics on the home page, maybe do an add on the home page, with a graphic, then when people click it takes them to your sale, or whatever.

    The only thing I dont like is the normal thing with smaller companies; you have very little content therefore the site looks empty.

    I also do not like the little round thing at the header, right hand side. Very old design looking.

    I would focus on filling up some of the white areas with graphics or adds.

    Use the "Clean Windows Every Time." as a graphic near the top, maybe incorporate it in the header, so people will now what your about right off the bat.
    Good luck

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