Question

Topic: Website Critique

Tell Me Which Site Is Better

Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 9:11 PM ET 1200 Points
Hi, friends!

Help me settle an argument, pretty please. There are two websites, one old and one new. I'm not telling you which is which, to keep the judging "neutral."

This is for a niche business that is hoping to (a) represent itself effectively when marketing to local consumers and (b) have success with search engine optimization.

You tell me: Which site do you think will accomplish those goals best?

Site One: [inactive link removed]
Site Two: [inactive link removed]

Thanks, everyone!

Shelley ;]

[Moderator: Inactive link removed from post. 2/14/2011]
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 9:43 PM Author
    Thanks for the quick response, peanut!

    Site one does show where the product is being sold, but if you didn't notice that, maybe it's not prominent enough.

    Not sure what "script" you're referring to on site two.
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 9:53 PM Author
    Dan, thanks for making the extra effort to look under the covers on the sites.

    I won't comment otherwise, because (again) I'm trying to remain neutral for now.
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 10:04 PM Author
    Everyone, I assigned 1200 points to this question hoping that you'll explore a little bit beyond the home pages of each site before you cast your vote. Thanks!
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 10:28 PM Author
    I love KHE and I love you guys. This is the only place on the planet where I know I can get useful feedback from smart marketers... and my oh my, how fast!!
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/12/2006 at 11:23 PM Author
    Gotcha, Kathy!

    And punny people like you are immediate friends. ;]
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/13/2006 at 1:35 AM Author
    Excellent observations, Matt! No arguments here. ;]
  • Posted on 10/13/2006 at 2:50 AM Accepted

    From a web surfer's point of view I think site #1 is very easy to view. It looks neat and clean and to the point. The graphics and colors are not too overwhelming or distracting, and I love that most of the font is the same. However, I almost didn't realize that I needed to scroll down. Maybe if the writing was before the picture you would read it at first glance and even if only half of the picture is showing it would make you want to scroll down and see what it was. I don't like the set-up of "4 ways.." Once again it requires me to scroll down to read the info then scroll back up to click another reason, then scroll back down to read it. The picture is too big and repetitive. The small points on the left should be large on the right screen for the reader to get a quick general idea of the info described. If the font wasn't so large in those areas all of the info could fit on one screen.

    Site #2 looks tacky to me compared to the way site 1 looks professional. I hate the numerous fonts and the multiple colored boxes are distracting. It reminds me of a school newsletter. The name of the company is not clear. It should be centered and clearly defined as the company name. I get lost watching the changing graphics instead of reading the info, but there's nothing pleasant to see. The simple bubble bath on site 1 makes you feel relaxed and draws you in.

    Site # 1 Wins!!!
    Hope I've been of some help.
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/13/2006 at 5:36 AM Accepted
    Hi Shelley, well I haven't put it through my whole 65 usability checks, but https://72.18.130.176/~htowzwx ticks most of the high level and basic boxes (but I think you knew that already),

    The more important ones are:
    3 second rule
    Tested with 256 colours and web colours
    Navigation
    Clear Access Points
    Form confirmation
    Trusted Site
    Good Clear Content

    Well done, if you would like a more formal usability audit then please get in touch :-)

    Hope this helps
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/13/2006 at 5:48 AM Member
    Haven't had time for huge analysis on this either, but the SEO looks really good too on this site :-)
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/13/2006 at 8:42 AM Member
    I hope Shelley put the first one together! :-)
  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 10/13/2006 at 9:56 AM Accepted
    https://216.147.36.40/ is my favorite
    it is more alive and more professional looking

    The picture of the tub on the first one is a thing of beauty and i would fine tune the wording on a couple of points but other than that I would list this site as a solid 8and half out of 10
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/13/2006 at 11:30 AM Author
    Wow, what a wonderful surprise this morning!

    Brooke, Andrew, Jason, John, Paul, Frank... I'm so grateful that you took the time to check out the sites.

    I'll leave this question open a while longer today to see if anybody else wants to add feedback or vote. You've all made some excellent points so far.

    Shelley

    p.s. I'll also divulge the inside info when I close this. ;]
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/13/2006 at 5:44 PM Author
    Okay, so far 11 of 12 of you prefer site one. (But reading Frank's comments, I'm not sure he pasted the correct URL in his response -- maybe he really meant site one?)

    I like the fact that a couple of people expressed interest in a tankless water heater after viewing site one! More than anything, that tells me that it's doing its job. :)

    Now, to satisfy your curiosity: Site two was the original website, built by a search optimization consultant. The owner replaced it with site one, which I built. I'm delighted that I'm not the only one who believes that it is, um, let's say an improvement. (Time will tell how it performs with Google, though.)

    Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts! I'll be implementing many of your suggestions soon.

    Shelley
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/13/2006 at 6:03 PM Author
    Dmitriy, thanks! I'm sorry I had already closed this question before you posted your response.
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 10/13/2006 at 7:23 PM Author
    Kathy, your first answer was accepted! When people post multiple responses, I award points to only one of the answers. Thanks!
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