Question

Topic: Website Critique

International Capabilities Not Performing

Posted by Anonymous on 4/30/2007 at 10:13 AM ET 125 Points
Before I delve into my question, I would like to start with an overview of the company so that you may come to an appropriate conclusion and possibly some attractive solutions. Clark & Reid Company, Inc. performs executive level moving services worldwide. Our 'white-glove' treatment has allowed us to engage with a number of Fortune 500 companies who demand this guaranteed level of personalized service. Last week I received our Q1 site analysis and was disappointed to see that our international information was accessed over 50% less than other areas on the site. While we continue to be 'tattooed' as a local provider in the New England area, I have made several efforts to promote our company globally. I would appreciate insight as to how to draw attention to our international capabilities through our website and perhaps through other channels. The site address is www.clarkreid.com
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by antonio.alexandre on 4/30/2007 at 10:37 AM Accepted
    Hi.

    I have accessed your site.
    I believe you have to separate the issues:
    - One is the Business you are generating. Do you have a way to know where it comes from? Do people buy from you based on your site? How does the visitor flow relate to the real business flow?
    - Second is the way your site is designed and the services you offer. Seemed to me that everything I needed to know was at "Executive Relocation" and that a visit to "International Relocation"was no longer needed.
    In fact, unless you clearly state any relevant difference towards your other areas, I feel you International Area is somehow irrelevant. While reading "Executive Relocation" I assumed you did that Internationally as well.

    Ways to state that in a clear way:
    - Countries you operate(d) at with statements (such as the ones you have on your "Recognitions" area) from key clients - you could put a world map on your site and, for instance, draw the routes you already made;
    - If you want to promote your company globally, loose the "country" references. Microsoft doesn't refer to itself as the country's biggest company.
    - Finally, analyze the data you have on other countries and do some actions in the ones you have most businesses with.

    Just some thoughts.
    Best Regards
    Antonio
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 4/30/2007 at 4:15 PM Accepted
    Antonio's comments made me think and look closely at your site. Should the categories be "Executive Relocation" and International Relocation"? What if I am an executive who wants to relocate internationally? Maybe it would be better to have "Executive Relocation - Domestic" and Executive Relocation - International".

    Also, you use the picture of the truck with your name on it almost as a logo. This is probably good for domestic, but not for international (where more often the shipping would be by boat). This doesn't instill confidence in me that you do international shipments. Maybe it would be better to show a container with your logo on it.

    From my experience living abroad as an expat (Korea about 5 years ago), I found the entire process of moving abroad to be too confusing for me to figure out myself while trying to still do my job (moving, taxes, housing, visas, etc.). So I relied heavily on the consultants we used for expats. If others have the same experience, you may want to work on getting closer to these consultants so they refer business, rather than trying to go directly after the end user.
  • Posted by NatashaChernavska on 5/3/2007 at 1:04 AM Member
    Hello, cpappas

    Poor, poor, poor your website, what have it done to you so you just make it unsearchable, unlikable, unloadable and all kinds of stuff you can only do with a website.

    I am sorry for such an emotional introduction, but I really believe in good image, and look, your truck looks stunning! I believe you have spent a lot of money to make it look so attractive. Why didn't you treat your website the same way?

    I believe since you have already spend bunch of money to have a great looking transport, you would need to use that cool style for your website too. In the end, website is the same advertising brochure, but online.

    Let me give you a brief critique.

    The way you utilize a space is not bad, however, you didn't use all the advantages of correct graphic processing to make your website work as it was professionally made. Your first page has net weight of 500 kb!!! This is TOO much! I understand that it's all fast these days, but you should not go that far anyway. Your major mistake is that you didn't use proper file types the way you should have. PNG is not really a web appropriate graphics format. If you want to use shading, go with gif or jpg. You really shouldn't use jop for parts of your image which has one or two colors. Your truck image is 250 kb, the whole area could be just about 30-40 kb if properly cut.

    Your people images don't really go along with the whole idea of your first page, they look like poor cousinы on the bottom of your page, and do not represent neither sections of your menu, nor your company directly, besides, they make the footer too crowded. You have to focus on ONE the most important image, which is your truck here. Stay there, don't drag visitor's attention anywhere else.

    You have used at least 4 different fonts, very different by nature. You need to limit the design by two fonts. "A tradition of moving excellence" is absolutely unreadable. Besides, did you see that after appearing from nowhere every prhase stop and then move a pixel to the left. (I suggest that here you fire your designer.) "Rated #1" part is done with a very bad graphics. You physically feel a desire to clean those letters up. As well as you physically want to move "Executive relocation" line to the left along with logo. Logo itself sits on top of the name of your company, like a incisor trying to kill your poor &. When a drop down menu unfolds, it covers up part of a company name. This is absolutely inappropriate. Also when you unfold a drop down menu, you still can see like an empty link on the menu button, it doesn't lead anywhere, very confusing.

    Nice design tells us to align all texts to the left (or to the right depending of the layout). Please, don't stretch your text, it makes it worse readable.

    There is a line of a blue sky under the truck, and it really doesn't make sense.

    You have to warn visitors if you make them launch another application (Adobe Acrobat), so they would have a choice. Believe me, you will loose a chunk of your visitors right there, after they click this link to your PDF.

    You've really made my day when I found a link to the careers section made as graphics and a little explanation "click" next to it. There should not be those kinds of explanations! A person should know without any explanation if he will find anything behind a word or not. There are different ways to show a visitor that there is a link there. You already used one above ("details"). Not a very elegant way, but it's a way. Or you could put a little arrows-triangles showing that there is something else there. But not "click"!!!

    Navigation is a big issue on your page! Why did different menu buttons lead to the same places? Why there are two menus? Why didn't you make it convenient to log in at every page of your project?

    No signs of SEO were fond at your website, I guess, you just want your project to remain unsearchable. If you don't, then, you need to add keywords and description and a good title to every single page of the website.

    I was impressed that the company is so old and looks like it's very reputable. I am really sorry, but your website completely washes this impression away.

    I really hope that you will give the design work to professionals and wish you

    Good Luck!

    Natasha Chernyavskaya.
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