bad dog testing waters

[JoaoPereira]

Evening all reading this,

Before I jump in to ask you to review my website, I want to tell the context.

The website is hosted and managed by custom made software. I know it may be a bit slow due to the fact some optimisations are required to handling images and scripts (especially scripts from third parties).

I had once run an iteration to make the platform to deliver faster websites and did a minor optimisation, as you can see here: https://yuletechnologies.co.uk/arti...mproved-performance-of-site-deliver-180810215

The numbers I achieved in that iteration was for websites having images optimised and fewer features (fewer scripts)

I want to do also some optimisations for delivering images by using tinypng APIs.

SEO? What a joke No, really, a Joke. Have basic stuff. Not much SEO optimisation is done yet.

Anyway, just to let you know that the platform where I run the website is a beta version and it's not the purpose of my request for help. If you want to know, this is the mascot of that beta version

Now humbly, what I want to ask you is if you could review the general message sent by my company website.

To give you some more context about my business, let me tell what I'm doing and why.

I've been working in London as a software engineer for almost five years. Last two years, I've been contracting for Java Software consultant jobs.

For personal reasons, I need to move back to Portugal or at least spent more time over there. I do have enough experience to run my own shop of software developers and the motivation to do it.

I'm seeking companies that need software development services (especially with java software development). I want to pitch them to do business with me through my limited company here in the UK.

My company will hire developers in Portugal and/or other parts of the world, as per project needs, and we'll manage and develop the staff.

Me (and a team depending on the project), will work remotely and independently to deliver software to the client.

I have two messages I want to use on the website:

Hassle-free software development - https://yuletechnologies.co.uk/hassle-free-software-development
Uncomplicated Software development - https://yuletechnologies.co.uk

The message targets mainly software development managers and executives with some knowledge of the software development business.

What do you think? If you are an executive that's looking to outsource some software development, would you keep reading?

The copy on both pages is the same, and I will start to provide the services myself. Do you think the text on those pages makes sense to you?

If it's not asking too much...

I have written some articles to share free content that can be used in software development training programs. It's 500+ slides of content that can be customised and used for internal training.

I have a series of four blog posts to promote that 500+ slides of content : (Don't just click, is essential you read what's after the links )

• https://yuletechnologies.co.uk/arti...t-oriented-programming-is-good-for-your-agile
• https://yuletechnologies.co.uk/arti...with-a-pilot-that-know-little-to-nothing-abou
• https://yuletechnologies.co.uk/arti...ur-developers-to-be-the-army-of-dead-projects
  
• https://yuletechnologies.co.uk/arti...rs-do-it-some-software-engineers-also-what-is

If you visit the articles and click on any of the links to download the training material, you should see a popup appearing in an attempt to capture your email in exchange for all the editable content. (if not, then it's a bug )

At the bottom of each post, there's an email capture box for the same purpose. I tested both methods and worked fine. I receive an email with the links for a shared google drive or a downloadable zip file.

If you still here and have a spam email address, would you mind to check if everything's working for you? Just scroll down in one of the blog pages to enter and email and name to receive the material.

Sorry for asking too much on the same post...

Now, thank for reading through this and thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[Alan]

Just for context,I started as a professional programmer in 1978 my the mid 80's I was a a software project manager, by late 90's I was managing 120 developers and setting up outsourced operations and outsourcing work, by early 2000's I was CIO setting strategy and executive director on many software projects .....

So at some point in my career I have been your target.

Now for the critique.

Home page:

Your website copy is rather like your OP, unfocussed, patronising and unstructured.

I don't need to outsource 'Uncomplicated Software Development', I have juniors for the uncomplicated stuff - you set teh wrong tone instantly.

"Do you think software development is complicated?" - come on you are selling to people that know exactly what software development is, they don't like being patronised.

Are you a one man band or a company - you mix 'I' with 'my company'

Your English is very poor ( mine isn't great and I was born here ), either hire a copywriter of explain that you are non English ( so you may be forgiven )

The whole rambling style makes me think 'are you the sort of clear thinker I need?'

Overall - I'm hoping that you are a much better software engineer than web designer / copywriter / marketeer

I would suggest you recognise your strength and weaknesses and outsource the bits that you find hard.

 

[finleydesign]

What a mess!! Sorry but there's far too much wrong!

As above, you need to get a copywriter as the English is awful

What is that Google Adds looking thing going across the home page?

 

[NickGrogan]

Wow, I wasn't expecting much, but still.

That's certainly the worst website I've seen in a while.

You're a developer/project manager, who has shown me that you can't develop a simple text website.

You've created an overly complex solution, to a non-existant problem. What's wrong with Wordpress, any other major CMS, or even frameworks like Lavarel?

I've worked in recruitment, placing developers/artists at most games companies, java/oracle contractors in banks and more, so I have some idea about this, and what people are looking for.

No one is looking to outsource Java development to Portugal.

They either want developers inhouse, so they can see them

or

Eastern European, fast, cheap, reliable

or

India/Far East, slow, unreliable, very very cheap.

This is your competition...

https://andersenlab.com/ - random one from Google.

Who would you hire?

 

[fisicx]

There is nothing on the site of value to anyone looking for a software engineer/developer.

It's a rambling, disjointed, muddle with not one example of anything you have done.

I wasn't asked for my email. You actually have the presentations live on the page. And they are just awful. Slide after slide of boring and uninteresting content.

I'm sure you are very good at software development but you don't know how to build a website and market yourself.

If I need software I will employ someone to do it for me.

If you need a website, employ someone to do it for you.

Anyone who knows anything about websites would look at your code and shake their heads in disbelief. It's not good.

 

[Graham Tyers]

If you'd like me to poke it with my home-made stress testing tool, let me know.

Will. Crash. Websites. For. Food.

 

[JoaoPereira]

Thanks all for the good feedback. My ego got a bit hurt, but screw it, was a good one.
Will work based on your feedback.

 

[fisicx]

Or get someone to do it for you.

You do Java, C# and other geeky stuff. Website development isn't your thing.

 

[Graham Tyers]

You can do some very funky custom stuff with java and tomcat - there is a place for it.

 

[JoaoPereira]

Or get someone to do it for you.

You do Java, C# and other geeky stuff. Website development isn't your thing.

Yeah, I've been on the backend forever. The frontends I do are apps used by clients, such as backoffices for example, nothing public-facing.

You can do some very funky custom stuff with java and tomcat - there is a place for it.

tomcat is kind of losing ground, but yeah, there's a lot of cool stuff with java and JVM especially.

 

[JoaoPereira]

If you'd like me to poke it with my home-made stress testing tool, let me know.

Will. Crash. Websites. For. Food.

Don't do it, please

I use https://gatling.io/ for that

 

[fisicx]

Yeah, I've been on the backend forever. The frontends I do are apps used by clients, such as backoffices for example, nothing public-facing.

So get help with this. Website design and development looks easy but is difficult to get right.

For example, what is your marketing strategy? Have you got a marketing plan mapped out and a budget to implement the plan? With this all ready to put into action you can tailor the website content to work with the leads your marketing will generate.

 

[JoaoPereira]

Just for context,I started as a professional programmer in 1978 my the mid 80's I was a a software project manager, by late 90's I was managing 120 developers and setting up outsourced operations and outsourcing work, by early 2000's I was CIO setting strategy and executive director on many software projects .....

So at some point in my career I have been your target.

Now for the critique.

Home page:

Your website copy is rather like your OP, unfocussed, patronising and unstructured.

I don't need to outsource 'Uncomplicated Software Development', I have juniors for the uncomplicated stuff - you set teh wrong tone instantly.

"Do you think software development is complicated?" - come on you are selling to people that know exactly what software development is, they don't like being patronised.

Are you a one man band or a company - you mix 'I' with 'my company'

Your English is very poor ( mine isn't great and I was born here ), either hire a copywriter of explain that you are non English ( so you may be forgiven )

The whole rambling style makes me think 'are you the sort of clear thinker I need?'

Overall - I'm hoping that you are a much better software engineer than web designer / copywriter / marketeer

I would suggest you recognise your strength and weaknesses and outsource the bits that you find hard.

Hi Alan, sorry about my English, but you don't want to see my Portuguese

I appreciate the time you took to give me your feedback and suggestions.

 

[JoaoPereira]

What a mess!! Sorry but there's far too much wrong!

As above, you need to get a copywriter as the English is awful

What is that Google Adds looking thing going across the home page?

I write tech docs and a lot of code. I communicate with geeks that aren't from this country It's hard to learn the language as a native. Will ask a refund for grammarly

Ah, those goggle ads looking thing, was 15 minutes wasted of my life

Appreciate your feedback and input. Thanks

 

[AllUpHere]

I don't think the English is bad. It's better than the English of a lot of native English speakers. As copy though, it's crap, but that's down to a lack of understanding of marketing, not poor English.

 

[JoaoPereira]

Wow, I wasn't expecting much, but still.
That's certainly the worst website I've seen in a while.

Thanks for the kind words

You've created an overly complex solution, to a non-existant problem. What's wrong with Wordpress, any other major CMS, or even frameworks like Lavarel?

Yes, I know there are always crazy people wanting to think different.

I've worked in recruitment, placing developers/artists at most games companies, java/oracle contractors in banks and more, so I have some idea about this, and what people are looking for.

Oh? Recruiters, it's what's my linked in is full of, kind of annoying sometimes

No one is looking to outsource Java development to Portugal.

Why not? It's a very nice warm country. It's also cheaper. We got a lot of people from there doing a good job around here.

They either want developers inhouse, so they can see them

This is what's wrong with the status quo in my profession, unfortunately.

or

Eastern European, fast, cheap, reliable

or

India/Far East, slow, unreliable, very very cheap.

This is your competition...

https://andersenlab.com/ - random one from Google.

Who would you hire?

I could have some interviews with the devs that would work on my project, why not?

I really appreciate the time you spent with your valuable feedback.

 

[JoaoPereira]

There is nothing on the site of value to anyone looking for a software engineer/developer.

Was just marketing myself, my experience is the value. You think I could give some advice on how to hire sw developers, for example? Niche more on my skills (java, microservices, etc,), instead of generic sw developer?

It's a rambling, disjointed, muddle with not one example of anything you have done.

I know, I can ramble a lot You think would be a good idea to have my cv - or similar - on my front page?

I wasn't asked for my email. You actually have the presentations live on the page. And they are just awful. Slide after slide of boring and uninteresting content.

Yes, you can download them, but after it start to download or open a new page, it opens also a popup. Is the reverse of what's around. By entering the email in the popup, I would send you an email with all contet.

I'm sure you are very good at software development but you don't know how to build a website and market yourself.

Sorry, I'm not really skilled in doing websites, I leave that alone. I'm skilled in sw dev on the backend side of the thing...

If I need software I will employ someone to do it for me.

If you need a website, employ someone to do it for you.

Anyone who knows anything about websites would look at your code and shake their heads in disbelief. It's not good.

What code? The generated html? Css? JS? What code did you refer to?

Thanks for putting time on this. Was really helpful.

 

[fisicx]

Was just marketing myself, my experience is the value. You think I could give some advice on how to hire sw developers, for example? Niche more on my skills (java, microservices, etc,), instead of generic sw developer?

You need to provide examples of the work you have done. You ;list cmpanies you have worked for but don't tell anyone what you did.

I know, I can ramble a lot You think would be a good idea to have my cv - or similar - on my front page?

No. See comment above

Yes, you can download them, but after it start to download or open a new page, it opens also a popup. Is the reverse of what's around. By entering the email in the popup, I would send you an email with all contet.

Bin the whole lot. It's adds no value to the website.

Sorry, I'm not really skilled in doing websites, I leave that alone. I'm skilled in sw dev on the backend side of the thing...

So pay someone to build you a website.

As I posted above:

For example, what is your marketing strategy? Have you got a marketing plan mapped out and a budget to implement the plan? With this all ready to put into action you can tailor the website content to work with the leads your marketing will generate.

If marketing isn't your strong point, get someone to help you with this.

Point to note: nobody really cares about all the coding languages you know. Potential employers want to see what you can do not how you did it.

 

[JoaoPereira]

You need to provide examples of the work you have done. You ;list cmpanies you have worked for but don't tell anyone what you did.

No. See comment above

Bin the whole lot. It's adds no value to the website.

So pay someone to build you a website.

As I posted above:

For example, what is your marketing strategy? Have you got a marketing plan mapped out and a budget to implement the plan? With this all ready to put into action you can tailor the website content to work with the leads your marketing will generate.

If marketing isn't your strong point, get someone to help you with this.

Point to note: nobody really cares about all the coding languages you know. Potential employers want to see what you can do not how you did it.

Thanks.

About the marketing plan. It's just about reaching people in companies I know that are hiring. Use linkedin and ask them for a meeting. They're always hiring guys like me, right? I guess that's the marketing strategy. What else you suggest?

 

[fisicx]

About the marketing plan. It's just about reaching people in companies I know that are hiring. Use linkedin and ask them for a meeting. They're always hiring guys like me, right? I guess that's the marketing strategy. What else you suggest?

Does this work? If you get work from this approach why do you need a website?

 

[JoaoPereira]

Does this work? If you get work from this approach why do you need a website?

I hypothesise that this will work. Is from where I'm being approached anyway. So, instead of being approached by the "gatekeepers", I will approach the boss directly. I will test it.

I guess I really don't need any fancy website. I got the blog there also, where I can write some geek stuff, that's the main purpose. Guess that's what I will use the website for.

Sorry fisicx, I still need to ask you a bit more of your time

About your quote about the code:

Anyone who knows anything about websites would look at your code and shake their heads in disbelief. It's not good.

Would you mind to help me improve the system and point me to which code you're talking about? I would like to improve it if needed.

And for the following, I also need your help:

And they are just awful. Slide after slide of boring and uninteresting content.

The slides are used for in-person training sessions. The subject is very technical and is intended for software developers that develop enterprise software with Java, an Object-Oriented language.

I understand the slides look boring, although I tried to put some funny images there, I agree they are not perfect but the content is the right content. I know that because I used them for my former training business.

I want to improve the slides, though. Would you mind to point me some improvements that I could do with the slides, make them less boring? How? Any incorrect piece of knowledge in the slides?

Thanks

 

[fisicx]

You many not need a fancy website but it still needs to have a purpose. Once you know the purpose you can write the content. You say you will be reaching out in Linkedin but the people you contact will still want to see what you have done. The website is the ideal platform for this: show a prospective employer the work you have done.

The code begins with 158 lines of mostly non-essential content. You can get rid of just about all those meta. Your logo is hosted on amazon aws instead of just being in your images folder. You have the styles on the site instead of a simple external stylesheet. BUt you call for the external lightbox css when you don't even need lightbox. Run the site through the W3C validator and you will see a whole load of errors and warnings. Is this how you write you product code?

As you them go down the code you have a whole load of sharing content that isn't needed (pinterest for a tech blog?) In fact the blog post shouldn't even be on the homepage.

Now to the slides. You may have used then in a former training role but are they right for your potential visitors? Would a recruiting manager be interested? Why do you even need his email address, what are you going to do with it?

If you want to improve the tutorials don't present them as a slide set. Put the tutorials online, paginate and provide something useful for Google to index.

Put ALL your focus on the needs of your potential visitor. Build the website for a potential employer so they can see the work you have done.

Note: your home and blog pages are the same. What has gone awry?

And is Yule Technologies just you? If so then say so. No need to even mention the Ltd company - nobody cares.

I could write a whole load more but everything now depends on your marketing plan. This will be the driver for the whole site.

PS: get your own hosting. You don't need cloudfront or aws for such a tiny site.

 

[JoaoPereira]

You many not need a fancy website but it still needs to have a purpose. Once you know the purpose you can write the content. You say you will be reaching out in Linkedin but the people you contact will still want to see what you have done. The website is the ideal platform for this: show a prospective employer the work you have done.

The code begins with 158 lines of mostly non-essential content. You can get rid of just about all those meta. Your logo is hosted on amazon aws instead of just being in your images folder. You have the styles on the site instead of a simple external stylesheet. BUt you call for the external lightbox css when you don't even need lightbox. Run the site through the W3C validator and you will see a whole load of errors and warnings. Is this how you write you product code?

As you them go down the code you have a whole load of sharing content that isn't needed (pinterest for a tech blog?) In fact the blog post shouldn't even be on the homepage.

Now to the slides. You may have used then in a former training role but are they right for your potential visitors? Would a recruiting manager be interested? Why do you even need his email address, what are you going to do with it?

If you want to improve the tutorials don't present them as a slide set. Put the tutorials online, paginate and provide something useful for Google to index.

Put ALL your focus on the needs of your potential visitor. Build the website for a potential employer so they can see the work you have done.

Note: your home and blog pages are the same. What has gone awry?

And is Yule Technologies just you? If so then say so. No need to even mention the Ltd company - nobody cares.

I could write a whole load more but everything now depends on your marketing plan. This will be the driver for the whole site.

PS: get your own hosting. You don't need cloudfront or aws for such a tiny site.

That was fantastic fisicx, really appreciate it.

I would love to explain the reason for everything you mentioned about the technical part but would be a big ramble. For example, the platform hosting the website is used for way lot more stuff, it's currently hosting and managing 10 websites in an integrated environment, that's why you see different CDNs being used. As you may understand, these one-site-fit-all 'ish platforms will always have challenges to solve.... Anyway, no more rambling. Yes, I agree with you, looking at the end result, the tech could be improved.

That pinterst thing, yeah, kind of annoying in a tech blog.

The links for home and blog pages, well, it's kind of a black swan, I did not know everything when I did it, and now it's just wok for my side to fix it

I guess I know in my heart the purpose, but I have no means yet to express it, I guess I go along and see how it goes. The final destination is to be delivering software that's far better than the average and do it in my own terms... From there I guess I have to work backwards and figure out what I need to do to get there.

Again, really appreciate the time and effort you put here, fisicx

Thanks again for your feedback, I'm really impressed how you helped so much.