Took on board advice - another review please

[Onthebrightside]

Hi,

So I took on-board all the advice offered and changed the website to include:

• Posts instead of revolving photos and with more information about the works.
• Call to action areas on the front page.
• More information about us and the way we work.
• More mobile friendly
• Easier and more available options to contact us.

Could I now ask for another review of the site and, once again, be as brutal as you like, I take it as a kindness and thank you for the help. The website is www.zincroofinguk.com.

 

[UKSBD]

Some of your links are wrong on your posts

have a look under the mean heading of every post
example - https://zincroofinguk.com/zinc-roofing-technical-information/

ps. just noticed the same hedgehog on the Mac support forum ;-)

 

[UKSBD]

Looks like you have somehow included /Zinc%20Roofing/ in front of your categories

 

[UKSBD]

Are you using Categories for the main pages?

This can be OK but it can also be quite constrictive, you have far more control over a page that a category.

Also the content on those pages doesn't match what you appear to be trying to do

The titles and descriptions appear to be set up for one thing, the page copy for another

Using this as an example - https://zincroofinguk.com/stainless-steel/
The title and the description of the page appears to make it look like you are targeting being A specialist contactor.

The content on the page doesn't mention this but appears to be an information page on stainless steel

There is a subtle difference between the 2, but an important difference

There isn't enough information about you, your history and the actual services you provide

It's a nice information site, but do you want people looking for information or people looking for specialist contactors?

At the moment it looks like an SEO has done the titles/descriptions, you've added the content.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Some of your links are wrong on your posts

have a look under the mean heading of every post
example - https://zincroofinguk.com/zinc-roofing-technical-information/

Got it, thank you for that, I will check them all. That one is pointing tot he the technical information page that used to be there.

Much appreciated.

ps. just noticed the same hedgehog on the Mac support forum ;-)

and at a time when we should be hibernation.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Are you using Categories for the main pages?

This can be OK but it can also be quite constrictive, you have far more control over a page that a category.

Sorry, not sure I understand this, so it would be better if I created categories for the pages?

 

[Onthebrightside]

Also the content on those pages doesn't match what you appear to be trying to do

The titles and descriptions appear to be set up for one thing, the page copy for another

Understood entirely. I have made them information pages when I should be selling the company. Most of that gumpf should be under the technical information bit (and probably already is) I need to find a better intro about us for each of the pages.

Thank you

 

[Onthebrightside]

Looks like you have somehow included /Zinc%20Roofing/ in front of your categories

I can't see that on the posts - is it showing on page or in the browser? Sorry to ask for further clarification but I clicked thorough and can't see it.

Thank you

 

[UKSBD]

Sorry, not sure I understand this, so it would be better if I created categories for the pages?

It's hard to explain and others will probably disagree anyway but think of it this way

Your home page is a primary page

Services pages are main pages

Your info/projects/jobs pages (Wordpress posts) are secondary pages to complement your services pages.

Your info/projects/jobs pages (Wordpress posts) are categorised in Wordpress categories

You appear to be using these categories as your main pages.

This can be OK, but you are restricted as to what you can do with categories, they tend to display an intro of every post in them and can sometimes compete against the posts, it can be common practise for a lot of people to actually block Google from indexing categories.

In my opinion (Like I say though others will disagree) the top 5 links in your menu should be your main services pages and should be Wordpress pages rather than categories (they may already be, but they look more like Categories to me)

By making them pages you have far more control on what you do with them, your actual Wordpress categories then go lower down in the hierarchy of the navigation system

 

[UKSBD]

I can't see that on the posts - is it showing on page or in the browser? Sorry to ask for further clarification but I clicked thorough and can't see it.

Thank you

Look at every article - for example https://zincroofinguk.com/zinc-roofing-rear-extension-with-skylights/

look at the 3 links under the main heading

The 2nd link has a /Zinc Roofing/ that shouldn't be there.

It is the same on all articles/posts

Edit to add: if you click the link it redirects you back to the homepage

 

[Awinner2]

Moving forward where is your Privacy page, GDPR notice, Terms and Conditions. etc. Interesting article here: https://www.hallaminternet.com/inte...-legal-issues-affecting-you-and-your-website/

 

[Alan]

Ok For me I'd never contact you via that website for the following reasons:-

I. You don't state what area you service ( even if that is Nationwide )
2. There is no contact information and no physical address, I look for these to see if abusiness is real or just some one that will sell on leads
3. Related to 2 & Awinner2's point, no privacy terms so again I don'tknow as soons as I put my details in I'm going to get 100 contacts with my details sold on
4. Contact form making telephone mandatory, again I'd expect spam calls from this site - in any case I would put a fake phone number in to avoid unwanted calls
5. Contact number is a mobile: interestingly I'd be OK with that if your website said I'm a bloke that does zinc roofs in the Colchester area ( or something ) but as it doesn't it just looks like a cheap lead gen site
6. Exactly the same as point 5 but relating to the gmail account
7. Happy Customers,I'd be happier if they had there town next to their names
8. Powered by Zinc Roofing UK at the bottom just looks cheap
9. When I lookup Zinc Roofing UK on company check or similar it doesn't exist
10. For a business that claims 'Clarence House, Kensington Palace, The Tower of London, Claridges, Brentwood Cathedral, St. Georges Church in Holdborn and the Duchess of Kent Morsoleum in Frogmore House Grounds, Windsor' - that isn't a legal company - or not complying with companies act by providing their company registration details - just looks dodgy
11. Lots of images of roofs - but not a single one showing a work man or a van that I could see easily

Now having just written all that - only by revisiting the site did I realise you are consultants not contractors - I wont delete the above comments as they are relevant.

But you failed in my first visit to make it very very clear what you actually are offering.

So I may be stupid - but what I saw was FREE QUOTE - which to me says a quote for a job, not a quote for advice.

But now I'm reading the rest of the copy - and it seems you will quote to carry out the work - but I have lost all trust, are you advisors or are you project managers or are you contractors ... I don't know.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Moving forward where is your Privacy page, GDPR notice, Terms and Conditions. etc. Interesting article here: https://www.hallaminternet.com/inte...-legal-issues-affecting-you-and-your-website/

Many thanks for that and I will utilise all of that and put on the appropriate pages once the website is good to go, at the moment I am still trying to work out what the layout should be and how it all works, what it needs to keep it interesting etc.

 

[Onthebrightside]

This can be OK, but you are restricted as to what you can do with categories, they tend to display an intro of every post in them and can sometimes compete against the posts, it can be common practise for a lot of people to actually block Google from indexing categories.

In my opinion (Like I say though others will disagree) the top 5 links in your menu should be your main services pages and should be Wordpress pages rather than categories (they may already be, but they look more like Categories to me)

Thank you for this, I understand it a little better now.

The top five links are actual pages, but you are right that the information about each of the jobs are posts and are in categories. I did this so that I could display them on each of the pages using a plugin called The Post Grid.

 

[Onthebrightside]

I. You don't state what area you service ( even if that is Nationwide )
2. There is no contact information and no physical address, I look for these to see if abusiness is real or just some one that will sell on leads
3. Related to 2 & Awinner2's point, no privacy terms so again I don'tknow as soons as I put my details in I'm going to get 100 contacts with my details sold on
4. Contact form making telephone mandatory, again I'd expect spam calls from this site - in any case I would put a fake phone number in to avoid unwanted calls
5. Contact number is a mobile: interestingly I'd be OK with that if your website said I'm a bloke that does zinc roofs in the Colchester area ( or something ) but as it doesn't it just looks like a cheap lead gen site
6. Exactly the same as point 5 but relating to the gmail account
7. Happy Customers,I'd be happier if they had there town next to their names
8. Powered by Zinc Roofing UK at the bottom just looks cheap

Thank you for points 1 to 8 - I revamped the site and have clearly not seen that I don't now have our address on it. I think I will try to jazz up the footer by putting in the address etc.

Because we are called ZincroofingUK I didn't like to put down specific areas on the site because it seems a bit of a nonsense, but you are right - we won't travel the Scotland to put a roof on a seaside chalet, so it would make sense I guess.

We used to use the email you get free with the website but we found when we used 123-reg that it went down so often it was better to stick to the gmail, at least your customers can get through to you That being said I have not investigated HostingUK email, so I will look into that too, thank you.

I will put the areas down for the customer - again not a thing that had occurred to me but a very valid point - thank you for that.

 

[alan1302]

We used to use the email you get free with the website but we found when we used 123-reg that it went down so often it was better to stick to the gmail, at least your customers can get through to you That being said I have not investigated HostingUK email, so I will look into that too, thank you.

Could just pay for Gsuite and use your own domain name with Gmail

 

[Onthebrightside]

9. When I lookup Zinc Roofing UK on company check or similar it doesn't exist
10. For a business that claims 'Clarence House, Kensington Palace, The Tower of London, Claridges, Brentwood Cathedral, St. Georges Church in Holdborn and the Duchess of Kent Morsoleum in Frogmore House Grounds, Windsor' - that isn't a legal company - or not complying with companies act by providing their company registration details - just looks dodgy
11. Lots of images of roofs - but not a single one showing a work man or a van that I could see easily

So my husband operates as a sole trader under his own name and most of the metal roofers will do that. There are no photos of him working on the site as he is taking the photo in most cases (there is one of the church which has one of his mates who worked with him on that job). We don't put the company name on the van because it is then a prime target for metal theft, I can't tell you how many tools we have lost over the years and it is far better to be in a bland 4x4. Most of the metals get delivered directly to site as they are heavy.

My husband is a master craftsman and well known in the trade in properties such as churches, Kensington Palace, Tower of London, Kew Gardens etc. so most of that work is word of mouth - such as Kew Gardens and the Castles etc. and then again large companies that quote for works on such projects find that their workmen simply don't have the ability to create a metal dome - at that point they call him to quote for the difficult work and carry it out.

In addition, he is kind, caring, thoughtful, funny chap, but he's no model - I am not sure having him on the website is exactly a win - does have a nice bum - but I don't think we can put that on the website... unless anyone thinks it is a selling point then we can pop him in his best jeans (he could be like the guy in the coca cola add - but Zinc man)

 

[Alan]

My husband is a master craftsman and well known in the trade in properties such as churches, Kensington Palace, Tower of London, Kew Gardens etc. so most of that work is word of mouth - such as Kew Gardens and the Castles etc. and then again large companies that quote for works on such projects find that their workmen simply don't have the ability to create a metal dome - at that point they call him to quote for the difficult work and carry it out.

In addition, he is kind, caring, thoughtful, funny chap, but he's no model - I am not sure having him on the website is exactly a win - does have a nice bum - but I don't think we can put that on the website... unless anyone thinks it is a selling point then we can pop him in his best jeans (he could be like the guy in the coca cola add - but Zinc man)

Now, in my opinions, this is 'personality' that is missing from the website that makes it real.

 

[Alan]

This is what I would do ... I would add a section under happy customers which is a bit of an 'about us'

'Zinc Roofing UK is owned and operated by hubby. A master-craftsman with 200 years experinece. Hubby believes happiness starts with a water tight roof ( really don't use my copy) ' etc etc

And maybe a distance photo of him leaning on a ladder or unloading a truck ... My son has a little image on his website ( and he does know a thing or two more than me about this stuff ) the machine was deliberately placed and he is pretending to be doing something...

 

[Onthebrightside]

Now, in my opinions, this is 'personality' that is missing from the website that makes it real.

Your right, I need to work on that. The website doesn't echo this guy that met Prince Charles on the Roof of Kensington Palace or waved back to the Queen at Frogmore House, crafted and designed a replacement for the cupola on Kew Gardens Campanile that had been there for 170 years, his will likely last longer than that.

 

[Onthebrightside]

This is what I would do ... I would add a section under happy customers which is a bit of an 'about us'

'Zinc Roofing UK is owned and operated by hubby. A master-craftsman with 200 years experinece. Hubby believes happiness starts with a water tight roof ( really don't use my copy) ' etc etc

And maybe a distance photo of him leaning on a ladder or unloading a truck ... My son has a little image on his website ( and he does know a thing or two more than me about this stuff ) the machine was deliberately placed and he is pretending to be doing something...

I'll dig his best Jeans out.

Actually, there are times when he prefabricates some of the parts of a roof at home and gets out the profiling machine, I will wait for that opportunity and get a photo then.

 

[Birmingham]

haven't read anyone else's comments, just giving my first impression - from desktop view there is good form positioning on the right to maximise enquiries, but things are a bit colourless/underdesigned with the text and main menu. a bit of black text shadow will improve contrast on the text in the above-the-fold main section, but this is just a slight improvement from a technie - it really needs expert graphical design input. picture at bottom of homepage is not sharp enough, looks like it was stretched from a smaller picture, or compressed too much. clicking the pictures i really wanted them to zoom to fill the screen, rather than have the page load up into the picture's own page - i just wanted to see the picture up close and stay on the page i was on - some people get around this by having icons around to make it clear how to zoom the picture and how to open the relevant link. more pictures and clearer pictures would be good on the homepage too, it looks a bit incomplete which isnt a good look for any kind of builder - potential customers will be paranoid about whether or not you will complete your roofing job properly, so a well polished website is an important impression. there's a lot of slick landing page designs out there, i would use one of them. flows well when resizing window down to mobile screen width, but also looks a little bit spammy with the amount of plain text and buttons, and lack of premium design input.

 

[intheTRADE]

One of my contacts on LinkedIn is looking for a company to supply and fit a zinc roof on a church in Ashton-Under-Lyne. I've tagged your website on his post as recommendation so you may be getting a new lead very soon