Twickenham chickens Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi everyone, Big favour to ask. As you may or may not know, from the questionaire topic and my signature, i have a company. I know its well off topic but i'd like some critical feedback on my website as its not getting the business i hoped, thats all i'll say for now. Most if not all the poeple using this forum use the net quite a bit so would be good judges of a website. Would be much appreciated, thanks in advanced. www.squareedge.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Steve, I've had a look at your website. Not knowing a lot about graphic design or what's expected of a website, I found yours very clean looking - unfussy and easy to navigate. I think it's very smart and professional. I don't know if that's any help - not really sure what sort of comments you're after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Steve,I don't know if this is any help but the worst web site I have been to recently was for a company called Thompson and Morgan they do garden stuff it was so user unfriendly and I couldn't find the product I was looking for which I had seen advertised in a mag with the web address. I did do a link in one of the gardening topics so I would suggest looking at it for the way not to do it. There was no easy way to search for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 21, 2005 Author Share Posted April 21, 2005 Cheers kate. I like those sort of comments, thanks. I really don't mind some critical harsh comments though, i need to get to the bottom of the lack of interest in the company etc. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Are you finding ways to spread the word, Steve? I know you've got your website in your profile but do you have plenty of other ways of advertising it to raise interest. PS - I know absolutely nothing about this sort of thing - you can tell, can't you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 21, 2005 Author Share Posted April 21, 2005 Are you finding ways to spread the word, Steve? I know you've got your website in your profile but do you have plenty of other ways of advertising it to raise interest. PS - I know absolutely nothing about this sort of thing - you can tell, can't you! Via search engines, and also word of mouth - mainly through recommendations when i've done work for someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliviaDavies Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 This is probably a completely useless idea but would a mailshot help? I am probably being completely stupid and you have probably already thought of that but my husband always does that when he has a new service to offer and it usually provides results (the only downside being is that I usually get roped into stuffing letters into envelopes when I would rather be at home with my chickens!!) Good luck and I hope things pick up soon. Olivia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalikoo Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Steve, We run our own business too. Had a look at your web site and it was easy to navigate and quite informative my son even has one of the ibotz which packaging you dsigned. I actually agree with Olivia on sending out plenty of mail shots, in our early days I wrote to anyone who I thought might be interested in our services and the main core of our business has come from those inroductions, but it has taken us 16 years to build to the sucess we have (not sure how long you have been in business). Also with you being based in London I would assume there would be a lot of competition, so my only adivice is try to be patient I'm sure you will get lots of new and repeat business it just takes time. Regards, Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Steve - I agree with the others in that your site is clean looking and easy to use but there are some points I thought of when looking at it. On a purely personal basis I find Orange a difficult colour to see, so for me it doesn't stand out. I think there could be too much info. on your front page - perhaps a case of 'less is more'? If you 'bullet pointed' your range of services in a concise way, using more colour - and made viewers enter the site for further info - they would have immediate information on the front which would make them want to explore the site more? It could just be a bit more dynamic? I don't like this - wish I hadn't started now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen1 Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Steve I agree with Lesley that you could have just an outline of services on the front page to grab people'sattention and make them enter the site to find out more info about specific things that may interest them. It was very easy to navigate using the tabs, but maybe there could be a bit less information on each page, with the facility to then dig deeper. It is good that you have links to the websites you have designed in your portfolio - they show people exactly what it is you do, but I think you could also add some examples on your Design Services page. The "further web design info" link doesn't really stand out enough. I think it would be nice if you could click on the sections on the right hand side (starter package, intermediate package, etc.) and see some examples and perhaps more detail of the service you would be providing. You could also add a lot more colour then, to really show off your designs. I don't know if this is any help, but good luck anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 21, 2005 Author Share Posted April 21, 2005 (edited) I'd just like to say a massive thanks to everyone who has posted so far, the comments are really useful and will certainly try and impliment the ideas. There's been some really positive comments and some really good critial comments too which have really helped. Karen - it's great you son has one of the product i worked on, its always good to hear that. I've been in business since december '04 so not long at all, i'm also the only one in the company so far. I might well try a mail shot, thanks Olivia - a mailshot could well work, i'm going to put together a good info letter and try that out, thanks Lesley - i too thought that the site has too much info, i'm going to refine the info i have, thanks Karen1 - good ideas, more info of work on the services page. Louise - I wouldn't say the company specialises in one thing over another, just an all round company...maybe people what a specialist rather than a company that dabbles here and there! Thanks again Edited April 21, 2005 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Steve is there anything your company excels in that others don't that it is worth focussing more attention on? I would also prefer slightly bigger text I am suffering without my glasses and it was a struggle to read some of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 21, 2005 Author Share Posted April 21, 2005 Steve is there anything your company excels in that others don't that it is worth focussing more attention on? I would also prefer slightly bigger text I am suffering without my glasses and it was a struggle to read some of it I wouldn't say the company specialises in one thing over another, just an all round company...maybe people what a specialist rather than a company that dabbles here and there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Steve Yes too much stuff on first page - and if you have won an award then I would make it a bit more obvious! Love the logo in top LH corner but why not make it bigger and more prominent. I think websites are like viewing houses - you make up your mind within a few seconds. Since it is a design product you are offering why not showcase the fact that you can design ie larger logo and get people hooked with first page. As already suggested, I suspect your problem is just getting people to log on. I think you can pay google or assoc companies to have your site come near the beginning of relevant searches. Good luck ps - site was very easy to navigate round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 23, 2005 Author Share Posted April 23, 2005 Thanks to everyone for their comments, all really useful. I'm going to draft some changes and make the changes next week. Thanks agian and happy chicken keeping.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 25, 2005 Share Posted April 25, 2005 Steve I had a though over the weekend. The people you have done work for do they have links to you on their websites?? Could you give discounts or something if they advertise your service. That way if someone logs on and likes their site they know where to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 26, 2005 Author Share Posted April 26, 2005 Hi Louise, yes the sites i've design do have links to my site, on every page too. I don't get as much business as i thought from people seeing my other work. Everyone who's helped. Firstly thanks I'm making changes to my site and should have implimented lots of your ideas by late afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 26, 2005 Share Posted April 26, 2005 I'll have a crafty peek later then . Hope you get more interest, Steve. Good luck . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 26, 2005 Share Posted April 26, 2005 Hi Steve I think that's a far less cluttered site, plenty of intersting things there. Very user-friendly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham chickens Posted April 26, 2005 Author Share Posted April 26, 2005 Hi Steve I think that's a far less cluttered site, plenty of intersting things there. Very user-friendly Yeah i think it's much beeter now. I've not changed many pages, mainly the home, portfolio, design services also the packages at-a-glance page has been added. www.squareedge.co.uk/services.htm www.squareedge.co.uk/portfolio.htm www.squareedge.co.uk/web_extra.htm thanks again for everyone's help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
