Online Braveheart

[kre8tor]

..... Lat the kirk staun i the kirk yaird,
(no, I've no idea what it means)

Having introduced myself to the forum on Friday, I'm now going to rip my highland shirt open, lay bare my corporate innards for general dissection, gasps of horror, stiffled guffawes and a general public mauling.

I would be grateful for all or even any comments on our revised website. Not too many tekkie questions that I'd be totally unable to answer or possibly understand, just your views on ease of use etc, and the 'individual' route I've taken as opposed to the standard 'corporate' route.

I would value your opinions.

As bare as the birk at Yule Een ... (and I've absolutely no idea what that means either).

Thankyou
Andy

[Rob Holmes]

Lat the kirk staun i the kirk yaird = Let everything be in its proper place :)

I found a handy Scotch translation list: http://www.scotsindependent.org/features/scots/sayings.htm

:D

Rob

[top-click]

Matrixx - you need to get out a bit more!

I give you this as a printable beer voucher !!

R ;)

[Rob Holmes]

I am always up for a beer next time you're in my neck of the woods ;)

Rob

[Ozzy]

OK, back on topic.
The website looks nice but the splash screen is not immediately unerstandable, in that you have to click on the images to go somewhere (perhaps a little too cryptic). However, it looks nice but I would say not enough information on there.

[kre8tor]

Ozzy,

Are you saying information is missing or that the information there needs to be extended?

Andy

[Ozzy]

I would say it needs to be extended, because it the moment is very brief and doesn't really explain the benefit of using your services over that of a competitors.

[barry.hynd]

I agree with Ozzy the content side is far too light. I'm not even that convinced about the design either. It left me asking far too many questions to be honest.

[kre8tor]

Hi Barry,

What questions?

[barry.hynd]

Hi Andy,

You make a very bold statement on your landing page saying "Expressive Communicators" but I dont think your website communicates that well. I dont want to comment too much on the design as i'm by no means a professional. I think content wise it's just not enough and only one of the links in your portfolio works so i'm left thinking have you actually done loads of work.

[kre8tor]

Hi Barry,

Other feedback also confirms that the content is too weak. You are, however the first to mention a problem with links. It would be a great help if you could tell me which portfolio link is working and what platform you are using.

Thanks
Andy

[SillyJokes]

It always comes back to knowing what's in it for me. The first impressions of the site leave you confused but I'm learning to expect that from any company that has the word 'communications' in their vocabulary.

After the splash page (pointless) you go straight into what looks like a contact us page instead of a page that says, "This is how we will help you,"

The about us page has the left column which you naturally read first full of meaningless waffle (to my uneducated ear) and the stuff I really need to know is on the right - what you do.

The portfolio must be one of the most important pages on your site. What would impress me is a picture of what you've done and a real testimonial from the people you did it for.

[kre8tor]

The portfolio must be one of the most important pages on your site. What would impress me is a picture of what you've done and a real testimonial from the people you did it for.

Does this mean that the pictures of what we have done are not appearing when you double click the small portfolio images on the left hand side?

[Rob Holmes]

Does this mean that the pictures of what we have done are not appearing when you double click the small portfolio images on the left hand side?

They appear for me - but I have to squint to look at them - the pics are too small and the window they open up has too smaller images of the products.

It simply does not show people close up what you can do.

Someone is on your site, takes the time to see what you can do then you need to give them clearer examples - so they can see your talents.

A couple of snap shots of some brochures in the distance doesn't grab me so may not grab them.

Rob

[SillyJokes]

I can see most of them - the top right hand one doesn't work.

But all you get are these tiny little popups which don't give any impression of whether the clients were pleased with what you did, whether you delivered on time and in budget or communicated well.

I think your site is like a lot from your industry - very pre occupied with the look of the thing but with the content which is useful in the decision making process missing.

Also they usually stink when it comes to search engine optimisation which means even if someone knows who you are, what you do and where your offices are they'll never find the website. This happened to me recently when I was searching for a print company in Milton Keynes and was very annoying.

You also need to leave one space after a comma on your first page.

[SillyJokes]

I forgot to say that at my age (nearly 40) the name Kre8tors is very cringe-making.

Good luck with it tho' m8

[kre8tor]

I forgot to say that at my age (nearly 40) the name Kre8tors is very cringe-making

.... at 50 I guess I must be still retaining my youthful vitality Lol :)

Thanks to all for the feedback and after I have dried my eyes and blown my nose I will make some revisions.

Andy

[Cornish Steve]

Andy,

Don't spend too long drying your eyes and blowing your nose. Your kre8tivity comes through in the main elements of your website. I quite enjoyed the opening page - it's a refreshing difference from most sites.

Others have commented on the lack of content. To be specific, I expected many of the line items to be links to other pages, but they are not. I'm sure, however, that you'll be expanding your site over time.

Now, be aware that I am a paranoid stickler when it comes to grammar...so take my next comment in that light. On the 'About us' page, you have created what amounts to a list: a lead-in statement (We specialise) with two list items. If you add the lead-in statement to each item, the second does not make sense: "We specialise We offer...". Personally, I would make these two independent statements, not a list.

Now comes a bigger issue. The first of the two list items contains a long stream of adjectives (and, by the way, is missing a space after the comma): "high quality,rapid turn-around creative design". The underlying problem here is that you're trying to say too much in a single sentence. That in turn tells me that you are not clear about how you differentiate yourself from your competitors. Is your point of differentiation high quality, or rapid turn-around, or creativity, or all three? If it's all three, then make three separate points. Better still, focus on the one thing that you do better than anyone else.

OK - I'm probably getting too detailed in my comments, and I don't want to sound negative. You've made an excellent start with your website, and I wish you well.

Steve
www.goldctr.com