Opinions on newish website please

[ctk]

www-oldenglishantiques-co-uk, sorry won't link as I don't have 30 posts yet.

The sites been up for a couple of months now, still making tweaks, interested in your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[UKSBD]

Wow! that's the 1st time I've ever seen a site score 0 for page speed.

I'll get some popcorn and wait for fisicx

 

[ctk]

Really? It does fluctuate, usually its ok, only crap occasionally. I put it down as external ie server.

 

[AllUpHere]

As I've said to you, don't start making changes to the website until you understand why there is so much wrong with it as it is. It's mainly a strategy problem, not a web design one.

 

[ctk]

As I've said to you, don't start making changes to the website until you understand why there is so much wrong with it as it is. It's mainly a strategy problem, not a web design one.

Thanks, that sounded a tiny bit complimentary.

 

[Mr D]

https://www.oldenglishantiques.co.uk/

Ok, a few seconds to load on a broadband. Many people browse on tablets or phone.
Initial image of some sort of horned skull, not impressive.

Going into conservation section of the site - the way its set out suggests similar to the longer loading BBC presentation pages on their website. Does it take time to load for everyone else too?
How I can help you - OK, reads fine. Then a split to some side running pictures.
Then split again to 'They say'.
Bad move - try 'Customer comments' or some such. At least give the impression its your customers.

About section.
Text on image is harder to read.
Perhaps expand the information a little (name of old employer perhaps, expand on your first day in a workshop - the example you give means sod all to me) and do multiple pictures of you in the workshop. You are selling you and your work - make it more obvious, make it more than one image.
Its a nice image you are using except the words block much of what you are doing.

Stock - I'd leave that option off until you do have something to put there. Its merely a disappointment at this stage.

Contact - perhaps set limits on areas covered for collection and delivery.

 

[ctk]

Thanks Mr D appreciate it. I know the conservation page needs work, struggling a little for design ideas there. I have to build the testimonials more, only just started putting them on. 'Customer comments' sounds so much better than 'They Say'

I did the about page with text overlay just to give the page a different look, I knew it would make the text a little harder to read but thought it was worth it from a design aspect.

Im trying to entice London customers as you can see from the home page, does it do enough?

I'll look into Website speed seems to be an issue.

Thanks again, great points.

 

[Mr D]

To be honest I missed the section where you gave details about where you cover. Make it more up front.
Need a decent landing page for people. Need to repeat area covered multiple times - and you'll likely still get someone in Glasgow wanting you to collect.

I'm not into antiques, however some of your pictures look intriguing.

 

[ctk]

The landing page for the google ads is the home page, I thought that was fairly good, its clear about what I do and where with the necessary call to actions.

Intriguing pictures? That sort of sounds positive I think. Its all pretty good stuff, I was very lucky to have been apprenticed to one of the best companies in the industry and spent a decade there.

 

[Mr D]

The landing page for the google ads is the home page, I thought that was fairly good, its clear about what I do and where with the necessary call to actions.

Intriguing pictures? That sort of sounds positive I think. Its all pretty good stuff, I was very lucky to have been apprenticed to one of the best companies in the industry and spent a decade there.

Then crow about being apprenticed there and how long you were there for. You are selling your experience, your knowledge, your skill. May not mean anything if you name the company for many visitors, may mean something to those who know of companies in the trade.

 

[ctk]

Then crow about being apprenticed there and how long you were there for. You are selling your experience, your knowledge, your skill. May not mean anything if you name the company for many visitors, may mean something to those who know of companies in the trade.

The site is written to appeal to private customers rather than trade, as you say Joe Blogs won’t have a clue who DHR Ltd was.

With regards the trade the images will do most of the leg work. The furniture is ‘fine’ and that is what distinguishes me from most (not all) other restorers in terms of websites out there. Dealers will know I’ve come through a well known workshop because of the furniture I’ve handled.

Thank you again.

 

[fisicx]

Where to begin....

Homepage

This is not an adwords landing page. An adwords landing page needs to contain all the necessary information required for the visitor to make an assessment. All you have are some random images. It doesn't even say you do restorations!

The homepage is an introduction to the business. It needs to detail the services you offer and to whom. It should talk about collection and delivery and possible timescales.

There should be links from each of the services you offer to individual pages that contain further details about that service.

Gallery

A complete waste of time. You need to tell people waht they are looking at. This means separate pages for each project with before and after images, details of the work you did, maybe some history of the furniture and (most importantly) a testimonial. And make sure you include the location, all this is good SEO material. You can then categorise and organise both for visitors and the search engines.

Conservation

This is a good start but why the slider - this should be in one of the project pages. There are two services on offer. French polishing, veneers, inlays and leatherwork all need their own pages. See comment on the homepage

Customer Comments

Random words - what did you do for these customers? These need to go on the project pages.

About

Put this on the homepage. I'm entrusting you with my antique desk so want to be sure you are the right man for the job. Don't do the overlay thing. and put your picture on the page - and the on the footer and the contact page. Show picture of you working and the workshop. Mention DHR - I may nor know who they are but it all helps to build trust.

Social Media

Why even have these on the site? Two of them don't work and unless you have a pinterest account you can't even see the images. Any why do I need to see pictures of your dog?

Bin the lot and keep your visitors on the site.

Speed

This need fixing. You are on a crap server in Germany with 1600 other websites. Move to a UK host.

Domain Name

I've got a 1960s Spanish table so no point in calling you and you only do old English stuff. If you were called chriskeogh.co.uk your name would stand out on searches - especially if you market yourself not the business.

This is just scratching the surface. There is so much more needs sorting on the site. And your marketing. Your adwords for example needs the whole campaign rethinking.

 

[ctk]

The landing page for the adwords is the homepage with all the necessary info, not the site landing page.

Fair point on the Instagram with the dog, but I think the Instagram is important as a way of keeping interest by posting recent projects and encouraging people to follow. Its also not overly prominent which limits distracting viewers while on the site.

If I start putting separate pages for all the different areas of work I do it will end up like a phone book and will really grind to a halt. I take your point on board, just wanted the site to be ‘light’.

I’m with heart internet, I thought they were uk? If there not could you recommend a uk one?

You mention the 1960 Spanish table, yes I don’t want it as I specialise in antique English furniture. I chose the name old english antiques as I want to get into dealing as a side line and needed a name that could carry over.

Great feedback, thank you, lots to think about.

 

[fisicx]

The landing page for the adwords is the homepage with all the necessary info, not the site landing page.

Then it's all wrong. Your adwords landing page should not be the your homepage.

...but I think the Instagram is important as a way of keeping interest by posting recent projects and encouraging people to follow.

No, your site is where you should be posting recent projects.

If I start putting separate pages for all the different areas of work I do it will end up like a phone book and will really grind to a halt. I take your point on board, just wanted the site to be ‘light’.

Why will it grind to a halt? Google likes content, the more content the better. You might want the site to be light but Google and your visitors want to browse your work. The gallery just doesn't cut it. I'm looking at the pictures and have no idea what I'm even looking at.

I’m with heart internet, I thought they were uk?

They might be but the server is in Germany. And slooooow.... No idea who you should move to.

If you want more business from London you need to make lots of changes. Every project needs it's own page and every page needs as many images as you have. And location and descriptions and testimonials. It's going to be a lot of work but the end result will make all that effort worthwhile.

If you only want to work on English furniture then you need to say this on the site. In the tagline - which will be on every page. And the page titles and the meta description and the footer. That way Google will know how to rank the site.

 

[ctk]

Thanks again, lots to digest.

Just searched ‘are heart internet based in Germany’ turns out they were taken over by a German firm on the quiet! That’s disappointing.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Love the work!

But I can't see what you've done

Your photo's don't show your skills - the site doesn't represent what you do on the whole... with all due respect, you could be farming the work out to other restorers and taking credit for it...

before and after pages are seriously needed to showcase YOU

I know jack about Websites... which is why I don't have one but once I've got the funds I'll probably be giving @fisicx a bell TBH (I've already spoken to him a couple of years back now about something else... he's very helpful)

Oh... and if you've got any scrap's available give me a PM! LOL!

 

[ctk]

Love the work!

But I can't see what you've done

Your photo's don't show your skills - the site doesn't represent what you do on the whole... with all due respect, you could be farming the work out to other restorers and taking credit for it...

before and after pages are seriously needed to showcase YOU

I know jack about Websites... which is why I don't have one but once I've got the funds I'll probably be giving @fisicx a bell TBH (I've already spoken to him a couple of years back now about something else... he's very helpful)

Oh... and if you've got any scrap's available give me a PM! LOL!

Thanks for taking a look.

The photos are there to show elements of the type of work I’ve done. You don’t get hold of pieces like that if you don’t know what your doing, I take your point on before and after pictures though just as I’ve been told several times already.

The shame of it is a lot of those photos are were taken towards the end of my employment with my old firm, boss has long since retired so no big deal. The amount of stuff I’ve done and not photographed is tragic looking back now.

Your boss is the face of the company, but you and the guys on the shop floor are the ones actually doing the work, when you finally emerge from behind the door nobody knows your the one that actually did the physical work.

If only smart phones had come along 10 years earlier!

100% agree with you on fisicx, certainly given me a tonne of ideas.

 

[ctk]

I'd just like to thank everyone for the input, I've got lots to do. Its going to take a bit of time to gather the necessary images to add to the site but i'll get there.

I've got the site off the 'Gerry' server and onto a uk one and have noticed a significant increase in speed, i'd like to thank fisicx for that one.

Thanks again everyone.