Please review our website?

[gaia127]

Hi,

I joined the forum yesterday, and so far it looks like a great place to be.

We are looking to revamp our website very soon, so would be interesting to have an external opinion of what viewers would like to see.

Therefore, I wondered if you would be kind enough to give us a short review of our website?

We are aware of some issues of compatibility with AOL, and we're working on a little SEO at the moment, but any other comments would be invaluable.

http://www.gaiafilms.co.uk.

Thanking you in advance!

Shelley

[Desmond Brambley]

I like it.

If you're ever in need of any post production facilities, please get in touch.

[epiphany]

I get bounced between two different web pages before I get to your actual web page, This has got to be killing your search engine ranking.

[DuaneJackson]

I agree with epithany, the javascript/meta tag refreshes are going to get you penalised in google atleast. If you are doing SEO work then you're waving a red flag for them to see what you're up to. Change it ASAP!

[blackcatz]

Nice colour scheme and the layout is very clean, also, the navigation is very well placed.

Overall I am impressed as all the design elements are there for a reason, the site is quick to load and very easy to browse.

The only issue is that you need to scrap the re-direction, is this just a temporary set-up or is there a reason for this?

[Cornish Steve]

Shelley,

I like the appearance of your site. The gentle colors and ample use of white space create a relaxed atmosphere which complements the theme of your site.
I do have some suggestions:

1) Many of your sentences are unduly long. For sure, short and punchy statements would not fit with the overall style of your website; nonetheless, a sentence should focus on a single idea.

As an example of what I mean, take the following sentence from your site:

"From Aromatherapy to Massage to Zen, Complementary Therapies, sometimes called Alternative Approaches, are a kaleidoscopic A to Z of hundreds of different ways believed to benefit our bodies, enhance our quality of life, give greater insights into our minds, our inner selves, perhaps even our souls."

In this one sentence, you make many points:

i) Complementary Therapies include Aromotherapy, Massage, and Zen
ii) Complementary Therapies are also known as Alternative Approaches
iii) Complementary Therapies offer several benefits:
iiia) Benefit our bodies
iiib) Enhance our quality of life
iiic) Give greater insight into the following:
iiici) Our minds
iiicii) Our inner selves
iiiciii) Perhaps even our souls

(Sorry for the numbering scheme; I can't figure out how to create embedded lists using this editor!?)

You have built superlatives on top of superlatives. For example, each of the following points emphasize the breadth of options:

- From Aromatherapy to Massage to Zen
- Kaleidoscopic
- A to Z
- Hundreds
- Different ways

The sheer number of words is quite overwhelming to the reader.

2) Other sentences focus on you and your company and not on your customers and their needs. The following excerpt illustrates my point:

"We at Gaia are small, new and dynamic. We develop and produce videos on a range of Complementary Therapies and related fields. In addition, we have agreed to market a selected range of videos made by other people."

Let me play devil's advocate for a moment:

- You are small, so maybe you'll go out of business soon
- You are small, so maybe you won't have time for me
- You are new, so maybe you are inexperienced or naive
- You say you are dynamic, but I found your site relaxing
- Your partners are too obscure to market their own videos
- Your videos are made by people, not professional companies

I'm not saying that these comments are fair, but I am saying that you are inviting them by your choice of words. You need to think the way your potential customers think and present the benefits of your company and its products:

- You are small, so you can pay attention to detail.
- You are new, so you offer fresh and innovative ideas.
- You work with partners to offer a wider array of products.

Focus on the perspective of your audience, and lead them gently to the conclusion that you offer just what they need.

3) A practical matter, but do your videos come in different formats? If I'm from the US, will your tapes play on my VCR? Can I order a DVD version? Today's customer is more likely to want a DVD; video tapes are becoming outdated.

If I click on the image of your product and add it to my shopping basket, I am told that the video is PAL-VHS. I persisted with the process, but other visitors may not get that far. You need to present the information sooner. (Also, I found it cumbersome to accept terms and conditions before proceeding to checkout.)

You have a wonderful site, and I hope you don't mind my constructive criticism.

Steve
www.goldctr.com

"Excellence in communication!"

[gaia127]

Thank you all for your invaluable comments. It is always so useful to have someone with a fresh eye look at the site.

We are looking into the problem with the first few pages now, thanks for addressing that.

Thank you Steve for your suggestions for use of language, I'm very grateful for your detailed response.

Shelley.

[hevs]

Hi I have created web site and would appriciate any comments
www.conveyor-systems.co.uk (http://www.conveyor-systems.co.uk)