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10-29-2009, 06:42 PM #1
Built my company website, what do you think
So the boss man told me was finely ready to get a website but was worried about cost. I went on webstarts and built one myself
www.walkermarinetahoe.com
any input would be helpfullSnow Flake Killer
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10-29-2009, 06:43 PM #2
It's pretty awful. Can we see some competitor websites?
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10-29-2009, 07:13 PM #3
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10-29-2009, 07:21 PM #4
You get what you pay for.
Not too bad for a starter.
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10-29-2009, 07:37 PM #5
Fixing the page title (not sure what else to call it, but it's the name in the internet tab) from "Blank page" would be a good start.
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10-29-2009, 07:40 PM #6
Fair warning; You might get some quite critical feedback from the more artistic webmaster types here. You'll have to let some of that roll off your back... their idea of the "goal" of a website might not match yours or your bosses. For a smaller bricks and mortar business having some presence online is almost always better than none IMHO... but like most things in life if you can get it "prettier" over time nothing wrong with that.
If you aren't looking to have an online store, I'd think you'd want to make the focus PROVIDING INFO that could help a potential customer. Thinking for about a second I'd guess that would fall into two general categories for a business like that;
a) Info on your firms products, parts, services, etc and
b) Info that boaters of all types in your areas would find helpful, even if it doesn't directly help your sales.
There may be others... think back to every time the phone rings or a customer walks in the door... what do they want? And also, what type of customers do you WANT walking in the door?
Then for a) above... maybe think of several parts again;
1) having pages with text info on each of the products, parts, services you offer matched with the localities you sell to... then submit those to the main search engines hoping a person searching for your products in your area will get a match.
2) having all the basic info you find yourself regularly giving out over the phone... hours, directions, etc. Today many people (read me) google this first before calling the local stores.
3) maybe a small coupon of some sort so you can get some sense of who is looking online and give those who do find you there a reason to come into the store.
For b) above... think of the specific "inside" knowledge you and your firm knows that others would like to know. I'm a boating JONG but I'd guess people would want to know things like;
1) any and all local navigable water way info and stats (and maybe even charts or ???)
2) where all the local boat launches are - provide a list and map of them online.
3) fishing info specific to your area - links to state(s) fishing license requirements and purchase info, state fishing "season" info, types of local fishing/fish and what areas and types of bait/lures seem to work
4) water skiing fan info... (I'd insert some areas/knowledge here if I had any)
5) sailing fan info... times of all the local regattas or ???
6) power boater info...
The idea is that by providing the info above, along with a smaller set of links to your other pages with store info, products, services, etc... you'll get both cross over sales from people looking for the free info you provide that also need a product/service you offer, and some general good will for the next time they might need to spend some boating dollars.
Good Luck!!! Hope my spew helps even a little...pmiP triD remroF
-dna-
!!!timoV cimotA erutuF
-ottom-
"!!!emit a ta anigav eno dlroW eht gnirolpxE"
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10-29-2009, 07:47 PM #7gunit130 Guest
It's bad.
Start over from scratch and build another one.
Use a template (a google search will find you many free website templates).
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10-29-2009, 07:50 PM #8I call bullshit
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- Bay area, cali
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ya, more info. And anywhere you have the email address, make sure its a link to open email. It loaded funky first time i clicked in IE. I refreshed and the top menu's were better. overall, ill give it 2/10. The good news about websites is all you do is change and update them. Keep at it!!
The main thing i liked is right off the first page, i knew how to get ahold of you.
Take the criticism, you'll only get better at it and listen to the advice. Ignore the "you suck" guys. They arent really adding anything valuable to the discussion.
As stated there are some good tools out there that all you do is customize frontend. Phpnuke, xoops, etc. PHP is pretty much html, easy to figure out whats going on and put your own shit in there.
I know jack shit about being a webmaster but i created 333rd.org back in the day for a game i use to play. Gives you an idea of how easy it is. I dont admin it anymore, but you'll see the basic layout etc if you register and poke around. its based off xoops.org.
things like your map page, you can link directly to google maps so peeps can click and type own directions, etc. all that shit is already coded, you just add the module. very intuitive..Hit me up with a pm and if you want to go that route. I'd be happy to show you the ropes.
Good luck.Last edited by cramer; 10-29-2009 at 08:04 PM.
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10-29-2009, 07:54 PM #9King of Scots
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10-29-2009, 08:06 PM #10Registered User
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- Oct 2009
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- 23
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10-29-2009, 08:10 PM #11
Not terrible, for a start. But it can be much better. I'm no expert, but:
1. CLARITY. Most important thing - make is SIMPLE, so the site visitor doesn't have to go through too much clutter to get what they want.
2. APPEARANCE. Make it simple, yet attractive. The bright blue is annoying, and the white font for the title is too. It looks very 'boxy' - like cut-n-paste art. The different sections (header, body, pictures, etc.) don't flow together well. The buttons (Home, Services, Parts, etc.) are overshadowed by the larger brand images.
3. MESSAGE. What's the point of the site - getting new customers? Giving added value to existing customers? Providing info online so you can minimize phone calls from clients? Figure out the overall strategy, then design to that strategy.
Too many sites try to be too many things - stick to the basics. Find a site you like, right click to find the source code, then copy formatting, etc. that you like.
Here are a couple of marine shops that got it right:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...atalogId=10001
http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/eemb/fac.../shop/shop.php
And here's a crappy one that got it all wrong:
http://raysmarineshop.com/
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10-29-2009, 08:12 PM #12
Grey text on a blue background = no good on the eyes.
If that shade of blue is the bosses favorite, change the text to pure black to stop the pain.
Suggested reading after fixong that: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/
You will learn much in an incredibly short amount of time there.Good runs when you get them.
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10-29-2009, 08:33 PM #13
Holy crap, green font on a blue background? I just had a seizure.
Put some empty space at the bottom of your page.
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10-29-2009, 08:33 PM #14
I wasn't going to mention specifics... like the blue background. But what the hell, after that prior long post who would expect less?
I am assuming that the "blue" background is either because of the general idea that water is blue, could be company colors, or perhaps the classic Tahoe blue waters? The problem is going to be that in order to have the blue in the Tahoe pics pop, the background has to be something coordinated but different.
Imagine you had a kick ass yellow silk tie you were going to rock at a more formal event... if you show up with yellow pants, yellow shirt, yellow blazer, yellow socks and yellow shoes... the yellow tie loses it's "impact" that way, no?pmiP triD remroF
-dna-
!!!timoV cimotA erutuF
-ottom-
"!!!emit a ta anigav eno dlroW eht gnirolpxE"
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10-29-2009, 08:34 PM #15
When I hit the bottom, I had no idea I was at the bottom of the page.
Give you space DEFINITION.
....And the greatest ice must crumble when it's flower's time to grow.
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10-29-2009, 08:38 PM #16
Thanks for the info & advice. I was wondering about the color & will be changing it tommorow. Basically the purpose of the site was just to get a webpage up for people who are searching for boat repairs while they are here in Tahoe. We have an extremely solid local clientele, but with the popularity of web cabable cell phones, nobody really uses the phonebook anymore. I won't be doing any online sales, or appointments so it can stay pretty basic.
Again thank you all for the constructive criticism.
For the nay sayers
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BITE MESnow Flake Killer
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10-29-2009, 08:59 PM #17
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10-29-2009, 09:21 PM #18King of Scots
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- Milpitas, CA
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- 2,807
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10-29-2009, 11:04 PM #19
Pizza pies and french fries.
Everyone's gotta start somewhere.
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10-29-2009, 11:05 PM #20
don't indent your paragraphs.
put a footer at the bottom.
make the logos all the same size.
put borders on your photos.
use only one font color.
put titles on your pages.Big skis from small companies at Backcountry Freeskier
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10-30-2009, 12:22 AM #21
It's a good start...there's only 40,900 pages in front of you when you search for "lake tahoe boat repair".
Thoughts:
Page title (already said)
I didn't see a location mentioned anywhere on that page...how should people find the page?[This Space For Rent]
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10-30-2009, 12:57 AM #22
thats funny. my first web site was right next door to you. from when i was a manager at the ketch.
http://www.thefreshketch.com/www/index.html
they don't know know those pages are still up there behind their current web site. but google still does and i still get some adsense income from the recipe pages.
echo what everyone said about the page title and the space at the bottom.
also
1. the picture on the home page of what looks like the Knotty Boys is being resized by the browser, which is why it looks a bit jagged. Always make sure your images are the saved in photoshop (or whatever) at the size you are going to use them online.
2. Your 'under construction' page at the end of the about us link is not being served by your domain (sort of). So when you click on any of the other links from the error page you still stay on http://s2.webstarts.com/walkermarinetahoe/index.html.
3. Those Mercury, Volvo Penta, Interstate, etc images should go at the bottom of the page in part to create that separation you need. Try and make them the same size or at least the same height.
4. tell your boss not to be such a cheap bastard. i can use the work.
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10-30-2009, 06:26 AM #23
Maybe put the phone/fax/email at the bottom as well as the top to help make some space oh maybe you could also put the physical address there. The logos need to move or get smaller or something to make your links or buttons standout more. But its not the bad for a start.
People should learn endurance; they should learn to endure the discomforts of heat and cold, hunger and thirst; they should learn to be patient when receiving abuse and scorn; for it is the practice of endurance that quenches the fire of worldly passions which is burning up their bodies.
--Buddha
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www.skiclinics.com
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10-30-2009, 06:46 AM #24
Check out http://opensourcecms.com/
Look in the 'Lite' section for low requirement sites (no PHP, mysql, etc) No need to start from scratch these days.
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10-30-2009, 02:55 PM #25Registered User
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- May 2009
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Holy 1996 Batman! To be fair though, it looked much better once I busted out my old monochrome CRT. You should have put in one of them new fangled animated gifs...
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