Rip it to shreds!

[MorethanWords]

Hiya,

I've been working on my website for a while and although it's still VERY basic I'd appreciate some feedback on it.

I've had a few teething problems with it that i'm still trying to sort, but other than that - what do people think? Am I on the right lines? When I've got a little more spare cash I'll invest in a designer but for the time being I need to keep it in house.

Honesty please!!


www.morethanwordsmedia.com


Cheers people.

[MinuWeb]

the text is very difficult to read against the background colour. I will go back for another look when that is changed and I don't have to suffer eye strain :D

[MorethanWords]

lol my partner said that and I thought he was just making a fuss! Is it that bad?

[Rob Holmes]

Poor choice of colours, lack of graphics.

too much to say

Rob

[MorethanWords]

The colour is changing - I just couldn't reproduce the colour I originally wanted. Anyway, i'll stop being defensive. I asked for criticism!!

[Rob Holmes]

lol - dangerous request around here ;)

Rob

[Jayne]

Hi,

I could only just read it, needs white or pail background. Also looks very dull, needs a bit of life and colour. You site is not just to tell people about what you do, it's an extension of you, like advertising what you can do for your customer. If you market yourself well, the customers can see that and will want the same.

jayne

[c2webdesign]

It really is too bland. There's no colour, no visuals - nothing to excite or attract a future client.

It really does need brightening up with a selection of colour plus some images to give some visual appeal.

Also if you scroll up and down on your page I lose the header (becomes completely covered in grey).

Sorry if this is a little harsh, particuarly if this is your first website (which you have managed the basics - and I bet you have learnt a lot) but for many small business who are looking for PR, Marketing and Design services - they are looking for professionalism and someone who can help further their business.

I'm not sure you present this message with the website you have.

Good luck though,
Dean
C2 Web Design
http://www.c2webdesign.co.uk

Web Design | Online Marketing | Search Engine Optimisation

[coxadmin]

Is it your intention that the menu across the top changes as you move through the site?

[multilingual]

The site's look and feel is not particularly attractive to me, but I wanted to address the wider issue.

In your own words you are a 'wordy' company specializing in providing written presentations for clients, eg Marketing, PR, etc. Plus you also offer a design service. You are putting yourselves forward as experts in linguistics, marketing and design right? So look at the site again. Hardly any words, not very enticing copy and a grey site that is hard to read.

As a potential client, I am thinking "These people can't even help themselves so how are they going to help me?"

Sorry if it's a bit harsh, just being honest.

JB

[Russ]

Hi

I guess the comments that you have received already give you enough information about whats wrong with the design on your site. :cry:

Once you have that sorted out though, the word content and navigation buttons make it simple to navigate and easy to understand what you do. :wink:

Do you charge per hour or per project?

Good luck with sorting out the frames and colours!

Russ

[SillyJokes]

There is a horizontal scroll bar which is undesirable.

Ditto comments on text and back ground colour.

Top menu keeps changing for every page you visit - try to keep it the same all the time otherwise it's confusing.

[Fusionhost Group]

bad choice of font imho...

[csadmin]

I like the simplicity of the sight but it needs to be brighter. I used to do some web design myself so I might be able to help. In these situations I realise that budget is a major consideration but to be honest I think you can get something that looks really good knocked up for a maximum price of £200.

I have site that allows you to get estimates from service providers FREE of charge. You can even allow them to specify how much they will do it for. It's called www.contractsandservices.com let me know what you think?

[clairemackaness]

Hi Lu,

As before the pictures are not showing. Just annoying littel red x's.

Like what you did on about us though it's much better than before.

I PM'd you with a suggestion

[EclipceCreate]

Hi there,

I'm afraid I would have agree with all of the above criticisms of the site. :S If I were to recommend you try to fix it yourself, I'd make the following recommendations.

1 - Vastly increase the contrast, both of tone and of colour. Same tone + low contrast = low readibility + low interest factor

2 - Make the navigation links consistent. Links that hop around when navigating from page to page are very unsettling!

3 - Introduce more images into the site - your title's been done using text, which is admirable from an accessibility perspective, but does not allow you to really sell yourself.

4 - Address the code behind the site. Comparing the code to what it produces, there's a LOT of code to not a lot of content.

Hopefully I'm not coming across as too critical here, but you did ask for it! ;)

Russ :)

[MorethanWords]

Right ok - criticism taken on board. I know it's not very creative or descriptive yet - just wanted something v.simple up there for now until i'd crafted something a little more appealing. By the sounds of it i'd be better off having an 'under construction' page and starting again!

Thanks though - glad to know it wasn't the other half making a fuss about the reading of the copy! I'll be up til midnight making changes.

Thanks all.

(Excuse me while I just go and sob in the corner lol)

[MorethanWords]

I have appreciated all the advice. I will have a look later.

Russ, when it comes to code - i've not a clue! I've just made a layout in Quark. I don't know anything about coding! Well, maybe a tiny bit from uni but that's about it.

I definitely think I'm going to invest in someone to do it for me. Then I can concentrate on what I CAN do. Instead of trying to do it all and doing it half heartedly.

Cheers for making me wake up!!

[EclipceCreate]

Just noticed your from Essex, that's my fiance's neck of the woods. :)

Don't be too disheartened - it's a steep learning curve these things, and putting good websites together does take time. (Hence us designers charging so much for 'em!) Keep at it though, and I'm sure you'll have come on leaps and bounds before long.

Russ

[MorethanWords]

Lol I'm not really - well maybe a little but tomorrow I'll have woken up and I won't be as bothered! And things like this give me the drive to think 'screw you, I CAN do it!!'.

Whereabouts is your other half from then? I'm near Billericay...

[EclipceCreate]

She's from the scenic little village of Southminster, near Burnham-on-Crouch. Only a six hour journey on the train. :roll: But it is a lovely part of the country down there on the coast.

(BTW - If you do decide to get someone else in to do the work, please do keep us in mind! ;) )

Russ

[MorethanWords]

Lol I will do. I've had another go - just tried to neaten it a little. Don't know how to get rid of images that aren't even there though?!! I have put no pics on, and i get the little red crosses.


I know Southminster - it is nice out there. Often go that way for a run out (and even actually ventured to Burnham a few weeks ago just to try out the comedy cinema!).

Don't suppose you go to see the in-laws to be often if it takes six hours lol!

[directmarketingadvice]

As someone with the most low rent website on the web (with an incurable lurch towards the left hand margin), I should probably not say anything....

I'd agree with the comments about the colours.

I also think you need something on the first page that gives a unique selling point. If I had ended up at your site because I was looking to hire a writer, I wouldn't feel I had been given reasons to choose you.

There must be reasons why your clients came to you, stick them up there for the world to see.

Hope this helps

Steve

PS I don't see any keywords in your source.

[MorethanWords]

Ok cool thanks. By the way i've changed the colours. Are they still awful?!!

I don't know how to put keywords into my source!!! AAAAaagh. I am soooo getting someone else to do this for me.

[Stephen]

Hi there! Sorry to add to your woes, but the links at the top (when they haven't been visited at least once) appear as black on red. As I coloured blind guy, that's not a great combination! Whilst I can read them, they're not clear and it's certainly hard work.

Oh, and the use of the Agency FB font isn't going to work for all - it's not a common font.

Hope this helps. You'll get there! :)