Please critique this website

[IanMelia]

Please take a look athttps://www.columnsystems.com/and share any thoughts.

That would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Solve My Problem]

Hate to be "that guy" but it's really bad.

I would start again and work on less is more to be brutal.

Sorry
Darren

 

[fisicx]

Landing on the site I’m lost as to what it is you do. But scrolling down it appears you have a huge number of national clients so not sure you need a review. All those testimonials suggest you are a successful business.

If this isn’t the case and that’s just wishful thinking then the site is pretty bad. The portfolio for example is just a bunch of stock images and marketing BS descriptions.

 

[IanMelia]

Hi , I am a new member ( 17th Sep 2021 ) to UKBF and thought I would take advantage of this website review option, just out of interest. Yes, we are a successful business but have noticed a drop in business during the Covid 19 period. I must admit, that have been surprised by the two reviews so far and it makes me wonder if this is a good forum to be part of.

 

[fisicx]

It’s a very good forum. But the answers you get may not be the answers you want.

It is very difficult to work out what it is you do. You have an impressive client list but there is nothing in the portfolio to suggest you have created anything since 2018. The content is confusing and often bears no relationship to the page topic. The actual testimonials look fake and don’t connect to your portfolio.

The actual portfolio doesn’t have anything useful. The UX link for example just leads to a one line post written in 2017.

Read the web-development page. As a potential client would any of that make any sense? Why do I need to know I can use the internet anywhere? Where are the links to websites you have built?

Also worth noting that Google only scores your site 6/100. Which counters your claim to build to the latest standards.

 

[fisicx]

@IanMelia , what’s you current marketing plan? How are you getting people onto the site? When they do land on the site, what are you expecting them to do?

 

[IanMelia]

Our two main software applications ( Services ) are CasinoRiskManager.Net ( Casino Risk Manager ) and HtBolts32.Net ( High Temperature Bolts Database Management ) you will see links to current and previous releases which will disprove your statement that we haven't created anything since 2018, which I personally find offensive.

 

[IanMelia]

If you click on Headway logo it will link to website we created (for free as it is a charity we support)

 

[IanMelia]

If you click on Chartered Certified Accountant logo it will link to website we created

 

[intheTRADE]

Extremely strange looking business from the outset.

Team member pictures look fake, services page starts with 2 portfolio pieces for websites - neither of them work and the homepage looks awful on mobile (haven't looked on desktop)

Was curious so clicked the LinkedIn button and it just takes you to your personal LinkedIn profile. Checking your company LinkedIn doesn't list any employees other than you.

I may be wrong but I am dubious the list of clients such as Boots and SSE are actually clients of yours.

 

[IanMelia]

The Energy links are Power Stations that use HtBolts32.Net ( High Temperature Bolts Database Management )

 

[IanMelia]

I can assure you that all the logos displayed are current or previous clients

 

[AllUpHere]

If you mainly seek corporate clients for 10s or 100s of thousands of pounds it's impossible for anyone to comment without a lot more info. The site isn't good, but we can't tell you how to change it without knowing an awful lot more. Equally, if those are the type of clients you work with, your suspicion is correct, you are on the wrong forum.

 

[fisicx]

If you click on Chartered Certified Accountant logo it will link to website we created

Maybe it does, but out of all the logos how am I expected to know this?

Why isn’t this in your portfolio? Where is the project page where you tell the story? Where is the customer testimonial?

As an aside - that's a pretty awful website - looks very dated, is poorly responsive and doesn't have any of the normal calls to action and trustmarks I'd expect.

 

[intheTRADE]

I can assure you that all the logos displayed are current or previous clients

So why aren't you telling those stories as people have heard of those companies

So what about the fake employee stock pictures that you use to say are you company employees?

It's not me trying to be awkward, it's just the things that any potential customer will be wondering when arriving on your site

 

[IanMelia]

Due to the disrespectful and offensive comments that I have received, I have made the decision to cancel my membership forthwith. I would appreciate it if you don't respond to this or on the website and hope you will respect my decision

 

[fisicx]

The Energy links are Power Stations that use HtBolts32.Net ( High Temperature Bolts Database Management )

How are we supposed to know this?

 

[AllUpHere]

Due to the disrespectful and offensive comments that I have received, I have made the decision to cancel my membership forthwith. I would appreciate it if you don't respond to this or on the website and hope you will respect my decision

Curious to know exactly what you expected when you put the site up for review. If you want to be flattered, ask a friend who knows nothing about marketing what they think of the site.

If you offer web design as a service, you must know your site is bad.

 

[Mr D]

Hi , I am a new member ( 17th Sep 2021 ) to UKBF and thought I would take advantage of this website review option, just out of interest. Yes, we are a successful business but have noticed a drop in business during the Covid 19 period. I must admit, that have been surprised by the two reviews so far and it makes me wonder if this is a good forum to be part of.

The forum members will be honest. Mostly not in the website profession but we do know what works or does not work for us.

Sometimes we praise parts of a website - sometimes we point out what doesn't work for us or what takes time to load.
A great company with a bad website can still do well - it could do better with a better website.

I'll have a look later and see what stands out.

 

[fisicx]

Due to the disrespectful and offensive comments that I have received, I have made the decision to cancel my membership forthwith. I would appreciate it if you don't respond to this or on the website and hope you will respect my decision

That’s your decision of course but when you ask for a website review you will get responses that express people’s opinion of the site. They aren’t disrespectful or offensive, they are just opinions. You might not like those opinions but that’s what happens when you ask for a review.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Curious to know why your site is very similar to this one based in Macedonia, and who also have the delectable Natalie Barnes as their leading Webmaster?

https://intecsystem.com/team-view/natalie-barnes/

 

[fisicx]

Curious to know why your site is very similar to this one based in Macedonia, and who also have the delectable Natalie Barnes as their leading Webmaster?

It's because they both use the same wordpress theme: https://www.cherryframework.com

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

It's because they both use the same wordpress theme: https://www.cherryframework.com

But not the same employee name surely?

 

[fisicx]

But not the same employee name surely?

She doesn't exist:

https://tineye.com/search/f87b96f38a999e7e6a83f3d9bd8cd8188bb3e9f0?sort=score&order=desc&page=1

 

[WaveJumper]

I always reach out to companies house first and that says it all

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

She doesn't exist:

https://tineye.com/search/f87b96f38a999e7e6a83f3d9bd8cd8188bb3e9f0?sort=score&order=desc&page=1

I know the image isn't real, but does the template theme choose your webmasters name as well or is it just a coincidence that both are called Natalie?

 

[fisicx]

When you buy the theme/framework it comes with a load of dummy content. Natalie is part of the dummy content. She doesn’t exist.

 

[NickGrogan]

Well, that was weird.

 

[Ozzy]

I know I don't really need to say this, but I actually thought the comments and advice everyone gave were fair and constructive.

If you want to be flattered, ask a friend who knows nothing about marketing what they think of the site.

This pretty much sums it up.

 

[Fagin2021]

I know I don't really need to say this, but I actually thought the comments and advice everyone gave were fair and constructive.
This pretty much sums it up.

Of course, but people always get iffy when they pretend to be something they're not and get found out.

 

[AllUpHere]

Of course, but people always get iffy when they pretend to be something they're not and get found out.

I don't think the site is full of factual untruths, but it certainly looks a little disingenuous.
It looks like a lot of the big name clients may have had work done by the OP either as an employee or temporary contractor, rather than the actual business doing the work.

I see this all the time with digital marketers. They spend the first half of their career as employees, and the second half owning a small agency that constantly bangs on about the work they did in the past. In my mind, the work they did as an employee was not theirs, and actually is not relevant. Anyone can be successful as a cog in a successful machine, it's what they've done since that matters.

 

[Mark T Jones]

From a non-technical perspective, you are trying to sell too many services to too many customers.

It gives the distinct impression that you don't really specialise in anything. If I want a website done, I want to know that you understand small business, nd hopefully have some insight to my sector. I'm quote sure that Boots will have very different criteria - and frankly it's of no use to me knowing that you have big customers.

 

[fisicx]

Look at his linkedin profile, it tells a whole different story. CH data is interesting as well - look at the micro accounts.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-melia-09408a51/

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02957908

 

[InsuranceBroker]

Um??

 

[yyovvo]

Please take a look and share any thoughts.

That would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I think it really helps to give the UKBF reader a brief of what your website is all about and what its trying to achieve in order for one to critique more objectively. Remember, the most important part of your website is for it to be able to do what it is supposed to effectively; i.e., functionality. The design, looks and cosmetic aspects can be easily changed anytime. Look at what the 1st version of FB or youtube looked like, nothing to write home about. Hope this helps and best of luck.

 

[Fagin2021]

Look at his linkedin profile, it tells a whole different story. CH data is interesting as well - look at the micro accounts.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-melia-09408a51/

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02957908

Then use Google Maps Street View to take a peek at Company HQ. Oh dear.

 

[MBE2017]

I don’t think this thread has gone the way the OP had hoped.

He is not the first to try to project a different image than that in real life over the web, and he certainly will not be the last.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Curious to know why your site is very similar to this one based in Macedonia, and who also have the delectable Natalie Barnes as their leading Webmaster?

https://intecsystem.com/team-view/natalie-barnes/

https://www.webteam2000.it/team-view/natalie-barnes/

 

[fisicx]

https://www.webteam2000.it/team-view/natalie-barnes/

Yup. Same framework and same dummy content. Just goes to show how lazy (or stupid) people are when it comes to their own websites.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Yup. Same framework and same dummy content. Just goes to show how lazy (or stupid) people are when it comes to their own websites.

Like me you mean? (I know, I know... )

I just don't get it, I tried the wordpress - spent £200+ and couldn't get it to work... gave up... and found the cheapo malarky I'm on now... When I say cheapo, I mean freebie lol... easy to change stuff around for me... - it's not brilliant, it's not perfect - but I don't have enough time to do what I need to do at the best of times... been thinking of just dropping it and sticking to FB