IT Support Survey

[SSXMedia]

Hi All,

Can I please get some views on my survey, I realise its quite frank, but I would like to be tactful and thought this was best way

slipstreemx co uk/survey.html

Can't post links yet so add the dots in the correct place please

 

[BigAl127]

Only had a look at page 1 of the survey and there's at least 2 mistakes on it.

1 "e" missing from the word survey
2 You're instead of your

Hope that helps

 

[SSXMedia]

That'd be down to my dyslexia then, thanks I shall correct that

 

[HarveyIT]

SSXMedia,

I've just taken a look at your survey, and I think I can spot at least four mistakes, both spelling and grammar.
Maybe I'm being unfair, unreasonable etc, and I appreciate the fact that you've got dyslexia, but to put something up like this, with mistakes, looks to me like a little on the unprofessional side? Which means that you're unlikely to be taken seriously?
Another thing, how come you've got mistakes on the page, yet your initial post on here appears to be absolutely fine? Don't quite get that one, I'm afraid? Couldn't you have spell checked the page first??

Sorry for the criticism.

 

[SSXMedia]

Because that page was constructed using Google, and not sure it has spell/gramer check built into the form builder, I agree it might look unprofessional.. hence why I have said I shall correct it and look for further mistakes.

I am autistic and dyslexic so this does not help when doing grammer and spelling, so yes your post could of been a bit softer in its coming accross but I shall forgive you

 

[HarveyIT]

Without seeming to be rude, you need to understand that until now, I knew absolutely nothing about you, and that includes the fact that you have autism as well as dyslexia. I don't think I've ever yet met or spoken to anyone with those conditions, so have no first hand experience. My response was purely based on the professional side of things, in other words, how you would come across to other people. That's why I commented on it being unprofessional looking. I would have said exactly the same thing to anyone else.
Just a future idea, if it might help, before you post something 'online', how about putting it into say Word and spell checking it before putting it live? (it might sound obvious, but again, just an idea)
With regards to the survey, I haven't looked at your profile or anything, but I take it you work in IT? Would I be right in saying that you are going to 'alter' your IT support service, based on the outcome of the survey?

 

[fisicx]

That's an awful survey. You are asking some very confidential questions that nobody is going to answer without knowing what you are going to do with the information. Try offering check boxes and radio buttons instead of making me fill in the text boxes. You don't even begin with the right question: Do you use a IT support service?

PS: Took a look at your site. It's a bit 1980s.

 

[Nuno]

If you do have medical conditions which make presentation difficult get someone to help you if your software can't.
You are trying to enter a very competitive area and your competitors will ask questions which are spelled correctly, are relevant to what is needed, and allow anonymity in the answers.
As it is I think you should dump the survey, try and redesign with regards to points made here, (esp. by Fisicx), and in a couple of weeks after a good redesign and a checked form ask again with a much more professional look.
Good luck.

 

[HarveyIT]

As an add-on to what fisicx has said, I've just taken a look at your site too. I don't know how long it's been like that, but I would definitely suggest you change it. It does look rather 'old'. On top of that, it has a fair few spelling/grammar errors in it as well (but I now know why). Considering that you do website design, you need to be setting a much better example. As Nuno has suggested, you should really get someone to help you with your design and writing.

 

[SSXMedia]

As an add-on to what fisicx has said, I've just taken a look at your site too. I don't know how long it's been like that, but I would definitely suggest you change it. It does look rather 'old'. On top of that, it has a fair few spelling/grammar errors in it as well (but I now know why). Considering that you do website design, you need to be setting a much better example. As Nuno has suggested, you should really get someone to help you with your design and writing.

And this site is better, this being you're site. It's flat and would certainly make me leave in a hurry
harveyitservices.co.uk/

That's an awful survey. You are asking some very confidential questions that nobody is going to answer without knowing what you are going to do with the information. Try offering check boxes and radio buttons instead of making me fill in the text boxes. You don't even begin with the right question: Do you use a IT support service?

PS: Took a look at your site. It's a bit 1980s.

aerin.co.uk/ this is even worse at least mine fits on ONE page, bar the design & Services which I shall re-work to be one page.. Don't critise my design when both of yours are clearly clear quite awful

 

[Nuno]

Don't get in a pissing competition with people who are giving good advice for free. Everyone who has commented has been diplomatic about your site, probably because you are a new member and we are reasonably kind to new members.

Many many years ago I put up a site which I was very proud of. It was slaughtered without mercy by lots of people. I took it down and started again with the benefit of a lot of good, free advice.

Your site, your presentation to detail and your attention to detail will mean you get no business. Adapt and survive. Your choice.

 

[SSXMedia]

Nah, I was just saying if their going to discredit my site, they should at least have something worth shouting about, personally I think my site has a nice clean feel and layout

 

[HarveyIT]

SSXMedia,

I admit that my site doesn't exactly look brilliant, but (and I realise opinions can and do differ), I definitely feel that it looks more professional than yours does. (I am actually in the process of having mine 'modernized' somewhat).
With regards to fisicxs' site, I'm sorry but I think that it's also better than yours, in that it just looks far more professional. But that's just my opinion. The only thing I would say at the moment, is that with fisicx site, maybe things are a little 'squashed' a bit? More spacing perhaps? Sorry, fisicx!
Whether a site 'fits on one page' or not, is really irrelevant in my view. There are numerous commercial sites out there, where that is a common 'feature'.
I'm sorry to have to say this, but in a business/commercial sense, I cannot really see how you can criticize either of our sites, when your own site not only looks extremely dated, but has quite a few noticeable spelling and grammatical errors. I understand that the latter is due to your medical problems, but that, to me, would be akin to sending your CV that is full of mistakes, to a potential employer......you would be unlikely to get the job.
It might be worth noting that you, in particular, should be setting a good example, because YOU DO website design.
On a final note, you asked US for our feedback, WE responded.
I cannot speak for others that have responded, but I am certainly only trying to help, and not been critical for the sake of it.

 

[fisicx]

Nah, I was just saying if their going to discredit my site, they should at least have something worth shouting about, personally I think my site has a nice clean feel and layout

It's not about what you think, it's about what your visitors think. You may not like my site but it's been through umpteen design changes and hundreds of tests and now ranks well for a huge range of keywords, has a bounce rate under 20% and converts very well. It does that because I built it for my target client not for what you or I think is neat.

A survey like yours needs the same analysis and reworking until it is optimised for your target visitor.

PS: your site doesn't fit on one page - it depends on your browser and the device you are using.

The only thing I would say at the moment, is that with fisicx site, maybe things are a little 'squashed' a bit? More spacing perhaps? Sorry, fisicx!

No apologies needed - agree it could do with a little more padding.

 

[Mad Frog]

Web Design is a very competitive area and you have to do something to stand out from the crowd, yes, it's not all about looks of course as Fisicx makes a case for, it depends on your target audience, however most people do judge with their eyes initially. Your company page is your shop window, especially when it comes to design.

As for the survey, I've had a look as well, personally I turn off when presented with text boxes and much prefer surveys with radials, they require less thought to fill in and take less time.

P.S an old one but one of the basics - Red and Green should never be seen.

 

[CentralBeltITServices]

SSXMedia,

Have read all the replies above and would advise bringing the survey offline until it is altered and checked over. I am happy to assist in helping you build a survey on the basis I could use it too for my own IT business.

As suggested above I would remove text boxes and replace with radio buttons as many wont coplete the survey. as an example cost could be in ballparks rather than specifics which are likely to be confidential information anyway.

And definitely look at making your website crisp.

 

[SSXMedia]

SSXMedia,

Have read all the replies above and would advise bringing the survey offline until it is altered and checked over. I am happy to assist in helping you build a survey on the basis I could use it too for my own IT business.

As suggested above I would remove text boxes and replace with radio buttons as many wont coplete the survey. as an example cost could be in ballparks rather than specifics which are likely to be confidential information anyway.

And definitely look at making your website crisp.

Working on a joint survey actually sounds pretty good, and I am indeed going to change the website, it was just a temp site, to get the info up anyway, just annoying to have it picked apart, how would you like to discuss the survey further?

 

[CentralBeltITServices]

But SSXMedia you did ask for members views on the survey.... and that is what you got. I think you should see good in what people have written and learn from it.

The first thing we need to work out is what you are aiming to achieve from the survey. What is your goal? Then we fit the questions around that.

 

[SSXMedia]

Well the goal is to be used for research, and to identify any gaps, or areas where their might be a need as such and then to work out if I can plug that need

 

[fisicx]

In which case keep the survey focused on those goals. Don't ask about money or current providers. Use checkboxes, radio and dropdowns and keep the text inputs to an minimum.

And if you really want to show your design/IT credentials, build your own form and don't use google.

 

[HarveyIT]

And to add to what cbits has put:

"and I am indeed going to change the website, it was just a temp site, to get the info up anyway"

Perhaps if you had stated this at the start, then maybe we wouldn't have been so critical. However, at the same time, someone who works in the website design arena, should really know about good and bad design to start off with.

I don't want you to feel that I'm 'picking on you' again, because that is NOT the intention, but with regards to (I think), your feedback form, I saw that it also contains spelling errors. (but I know why now).

I was actually thinking of offering to 'assist' you myself in some way, but cbits has beaten me to it. However, trying not to be too rude, but your attitude didn't seem the best, so I wasn't sure.

 

[HarveyIT]

Also, fisicx has made a very good point there, and one that I hadn't thought of. You are doing website design, so yes, don't use Google forms, design it yourself. As he points out, it's all about your DESIGN skills.
To further suggest, I would definitely get someone who can either rewrite your survey and site, or at the very least run it through a spell/grammar checker. Not getting personal, but due to the issues you have, I think this would be a very good idea.

 

[businessfunding]

To the OP -I mostly avoid these 'tearing apart' threads as they can feel like bullying but I feel that you should take on board the content - if not the tone - of the criticism you have been given.

I have reasonable experience of dyslexia (none of autism) and respect anyone who rises and gets on inspite of it BUT in the world of business it cannot be used to justify poor output/content

Your are offering web design,including copywriting, yet your site is little better than I could knock upon Wordpress and is riddled with typos - you must appreciate why this mix doesn't work?

Take it on the chin,think about the relevant parts and move onwards and upwards!

 

[avecSys]

Personally I would ditch the site survey in favour of a "Free site evaluation" because lets face it.... Nothing annoys us IT support staff more than vague detail and nothing annoys customers more than 1000 questions

 

[CentralBeltITServices]

So basically your goal is to gain customers from the survey? If this is the case the questions you are asking are not going to get you that as they are confidential and we haven't gained their trust.... yet.

HarveyIT the more who assist the better. Having my own IT company I work with other IT companies outwith my catchment area and we help each other build documents such as SLA's, Contracts etc. so having you on board would be good.

I was actually thinking of a survey for my existing clients to better understand what they think of the service I offer and if they would recommend us to others.

 

[HarveyIT]

cbits - I am more than happy to open up the lines of communication between ourselves (if we can work out an appropriate and mutually agreeable way of assisting each other, then that's great).
As far as the OP is concerned, I would be more than happy to assist, but only on the condition, and I think this has already been pointed to, that any feedback I give is to be considered as constructive criticism, and not any form of bullying or picking on them. I greatly respect the OP (considering their personal issues), in what they are trying to do.
What I had at first thought of actually, before an offer was made, was perhaps helping with the writing/grammar/spell checking side of things, although I am of course, not restricted to that. What does the OP think?

 

[SSXMedia]

I think the more the merrier.

The reason I picked up on the criticism more, is down to being on the Specturm, and when on the specturm, we take everything literally even if it is not intended that way, so their will be times, where I myself come accross brash or overly truth, because for us, its easier than long winded way of saying things

I am currently sat here Dreamweaver and Notepad++ open and thinking cap on with regards to redesign of website, only reason for the green is cause of the grean hexagon in my logo, but I might yet change that to an orange, which would blend nice with a brightish website, thats not over the top, but yet not lacking in professionalism

 

[fisicx]

Don't bother with DW anymore. Install wordpress and a new world world of possibilities will open up. A CMS gives you so much more flexibility that you won't ever bother to hand code a site again

 

[SSXMedia]

I prefer to hand code, I have always been an avid WP user in the past, but it has gotten to clunky over the years, to the point I was running a members site with a few addons and it used to take an age to load, so I feel out of love with WP

 

[fisicx]

In which case you haven't configured WP properly. A well coded theme is just as fast as any other site.

The problem with hand coding is the amount of work you need to do to build a fully and user editable functional site. Try building a news blog from scratch that a user can upload images to, tag, categorize and allow comments along with SM sharing and so on. With WP I can have that built in under an hour with the money in the bank soon after.

 

[SSXMedia]

true it does take a while, but once you have a stable custom build, it's just as easy to work with, if not easier as you'd be more familar with your own code.

 

[Nuno]

Which looks pants.

 

[SSXMedia]

Which looks pants.

Not sure what you mean here?

 

[CentralBeltITServices]

I used to use DW back in the days and then onto Joomla. however they both require a good bit of knowhow with coding which is ok for us but not our end client. WP is great for giving a level of access to the client enabling them to make changes knowing they cant destroy the whole site.

 

[Nuno]

You are obviously happier on the code side which is great.
I see you are giving WordPress a go doing the design with Artisteer. I think this is a good way of getting on top of the design side of WordPress, so well done for taking the plunge, for taking the criticism and good luck.
If you need any help just ask: there are lots of expert people here who are very generous with their knowledge and time.

 

[HarveyIT]

SSXmedia - sounds like you're like me in the hand coding side of things. I've always preferred that to using modern packages. I personally find it a lot more fun that way. As probably many people did, I started out using the likes of Notepad (many moons ago), when I was messing about with website creation. I also agree with the bit about being more familiar with your own code.

 

[SSXMedia]

Yes I think I'm gonna scrap the WP idea as it seems to take an age to load again now, so Will hand code something properly over the weekend, and it WILL look awesome, or if it doesn't well... lets just say IT WILL

 

[HarveyIT]

bit dangerous making a 'guarantee' like that isn't it?
Of course, I'm guessing you'll be, err...... asking/expecting feedback on it, won't you?

 

[Nuno]

Yes, I'm sure that WP being slow is something to do with WP rather than, just for instance, using free hosting with 10,619 websites sharing the same server in Germany...

 

[SSXMedia]

Load balanacing wouldn't make that an issue Nuno, as before wp was installed in loaded alot faster, unless the DB is on a different server and theirs issues between the two, and yes it won't be free hosting for long, I just don't currently have any funds till the new year to sort out hosting

And yes HarveyIT, I shall being asking a few people