Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

Hi Linda,

Some thoughts for your to consider:
-The links are too hard to read, consider using the underline or bold to denote linking
-Include case studies or testimonials to highlight your success in growing your customers funds, especially at the moment when most supers have decreased in value
- Make it easier for potential customers to contact you, with your phone number on every page eg. at the top
- In Australia we understand the word super I would highlight the no commissions etc on the front page
-Your home page needs to succinctly highlight the benefits for potential customers so they are encouraged to read further or contact you.

Regarding podcasts, this may be of interest to some and perhaps I would ask your customers if this is of interest. As this is all abut someone's money which is personal I am not sure online registration sends out the right message.

Linda,

I agree with the previous poster that the color palette is pleasant.

I struggle with the menus as well. The drop downs are hard to read. I think they need to have a larger font. Your target audience in general will have a difficulty reading small fonts on a monitor. I also had a hard time reading the yellow/orange links on the white page . You will definitely want more contrast here. Again older eyes will thank you.

I agree that the Quick links seem somewhat out of place with the icons. I would make them similar to the other links above as well, losing the icons.

I think that the site could benefit from some more images, even if they are just some stock images, istockphoto.com is great for this, as are other stock photo sites.

The headings seem too disproportionate to the body text. I would make them a little smaller but increase the line spacing so that they stand alone a little more.

The home page needs to start with a nice description of who Quadrant is and what you do. It is not obvious from the front page.

The rollovers on the side menu are once again hard to read with the orange/yellow text and the yellow/orange background. You need more contrast between the text and background.

Since you are setting your eyes on the public market, I would sugggest some testimonials from current members. You need to reassure people with the validation by others.

I did not see anywhere to join your newsletter. This would be a great way to collect contact information. I imagine you have newsletters that you send to members. Allowing non-members to see this might make them more comfortable in committing to your service. If people receive a newsletter it will remind them that they were investigating your service.

You need to make a contact form that allows people to request more information and perhaps even initiate a consultation. This needs to be some way for a visitor to easily begin the process.

I think there needs to be a very clear call to action. What would you like people to do upon visiting your site? Rquest more info? Call you? Start investing? Whatever it is make it very clear.

I hope this info is helpful.

Mike

Given your demographic, choose larger font sizes and a higher contrast color (yellow on white isn't good).

Your tagline ("We'll Get You There") underneath your logo is extremely hard to read.

I'd combine your various sets of menus into a single horizontal menu bar

Since you can now target the general public, talk about that on your home page ("Due to popular demand, we're no longer just serving the XYZ industry..."). Different demographics have different needs. Talk to the prospective members specifically: Are you close to retirement? Are you planning for retirement yet?

The images are fine on the banner -- however I would create images on the pages that carry on a branded theme.

The tagline beneath the logo is too tiny to read.

I prefer a menu system more in line with this site:

https://www.anz.com.au/

This is non-website related but look into capatalizing on other retirement markets around the world. Considering, the Australian dollar is relatively strong compared to currency around the world - look into expanding to other markets.

Rick already gave a good answer, but you can also read this blog article that has 7 Website Redesign Tips

The site does not reflect credibility. You have a lot of competition in your business, you need your website to stand above the crowd.

With your target market being 50 - 64, you may want to consider adding a Click for larger font button. See https://www.wrightabshire.com as an example.

Your navigation is hard to read and does not stand out. The first thing that people will read in your navigation is Super. What is super? Most people will probably skip this entire section. Your navigation jumps all over the place and does not flow. I might suggest breaking up the navigation into your niche markets: Employers, Employees, Retirement. You could do groups and individuals also. You need to make it simple for people to get the information that they are looking for.

Who is Quadrant? You need to take your paragraph of Who is Quadrant and move it to your home page.

I would not recommend yellow on white. It's quite difficult to read.

Never use coming soon on a website. The first thing that goes through someone's mind is under construction or incomplete. If you are going to have a lot of seminars, why not have an easy to read calendar section.

The Quick Links area needs to be redone. You have everything from the site map which most people will not use to a screen saver and calculators. If you want an area like this call it Resources. Put your calculators, publications, forms, etc under Resources. Dump the screen saver. Move the site map to the bottom of the page navigation. Good for search engines but again most people will not use it.

Credibility is important factor in people doing business with financial planners. Your site lacks credibility. Instead of the 3 generic photos. Collage different photos of your target market on different pages. Next to the collage of photos, put a testimonial. Pick testimonials that relate to the page they are on. On your no fee page have a testimonial about how someone used to pay high fees and they are now paying no entry fees with Quadrant.

Contact should be on the main navigation area not as one of your quick links.

Your site is not that big, you might do away with the search feature. I typed in the word fees and the first area that came up said insert text here.

One question you need to ask yourself is What action do want the visitor to take before leaving your site? Right now you have a brochure site that asks for no action. Would a simple electronic form that someone could fill out. Call today and a phone number. Download a brochure.

Good luck with your redesign. Keep the new site clean, easy to navigate and easy to understand what you do.