Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

I'd suggest first focusing on your copy. Make your home page simpler to understand exactly who you're targeting and how you help them at a first glance.

Next, your layout/navigation. Make it obvious where you want their eye to scan. An ongoing Flash animation is quite distracting. Ditto the music that automatically starts.

My browser alerted me that Windows was trying to run some program to see your site, and I never go for that. Others probably won't, either.

I'm not sure who suggested the animation or why. I would not have been in favor of this route. Same for the music.

I know how hard it is to develop a really great, professional looking Web site for cheap or on your own, so I applaud the fact that you're trying to do this yourself.

I am not sure that you've helped yourself with the change from one version to the other. It still looks...amateurish.

But you know what? That can be ok, depending on your business. I think the advice about starting with the copy first is spot on. I read your site a couple of times, and I'm still not sure what you do, who the site is for, or what your goal for the site is.

Start with content, then focus on making it pretty.

I don't think this flash has done anything to improve the site. It's probably added more reason for the viewer to move on.

There are too many undefined objects on the front page and I don't see a clear connection between the objects. Any click on a link from the front page is more or less a guess at where I am going to be taken next. I wouldn't be as concerned about the "amatuerish" concept as I would in the poor usuability direction. Do some reseach on usuability and keep trying.

I don't think this flash has done anything to improve the site. It's probably added more reason for the viewer to move on.

There are too many undefined objects on the front page and I don't see a clear connection between the objects. Any click on a link from the front page is more or less a guess at where I am going to be taken next. I wouldn't be as concerned about the "amatuerish" concept as I would in the poor usuability direction. Do some reseach on usuability and keep trying.

I would definitely lose the music. Unless you're iTunes or your site is used to promote music, don't bother. If visitors want to listen to music, they have music players on their computuers. Music files slow down the process of opening the page and is irritating to people.

I'm still not seeing the main focus of the home page, and thus the site. It's still very scattered.

Again, the "what-was-cool-in-1996" clip art has to go--PRONTO!!!

I think you have a good concept. As someone born near the tail-end of the baby boomer generation, we're a coveted demographic and the demand for products, services and associations is definitely there.

I think "state of the art clip art" might be one of them "oxymorons" I keep hearin' about.

Clip art as a whole is, at least for Web site purposes, "so last century."

You might check out a few of these sites for design inspiration or even consider using and modifying one of the templates.

www.free-css.com/
www.freecsstemplates.org/
www.styleshout.com/
www.osskins.com/main/

Also, what is the purpose of this portion of your site? Could the blog as a stand alone site fulfill your needs?

I'm not familiar with Typepad, but I know Wordpress allows you to make pages which you could use for the About, Bakery, Club Gig, etc sections of your site.

You can also use Typepad to sell goods which you're doing
with the static version of your site.

https://support.typepad.com/cgi-bin/typepad.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_f...

*Clarification* Typepad is the software that currently runs your blog.

www.typepad.com

The flash doesn't address any of the original problems with the site, and adds an element that seems to have no real purpose other than to provide animation. Animation needs to have a reason for being there - for example, to help set a mood, provide information, enhance your message, provide details. This flash does none of that.

I don't know who suggested flash, or why, but it's a mistake. Step away from trying to add something "flashy" to the site. You can't "dress up" a bad design.

You need to have a professional looking template with photos with graphics that look as if they were created this decade. If you can't create such yourself, there are lots of good templates available all over the web. Sites like https://templatemonster.com or https://www.designload.net/ are two good places to start, or just do a search for "web templates."

Many web designers and web developers are also able to create a great looking template that you can use as the structure of your site, without charging you to create the entire site.

The design isn't the only problem. You need to work on the content of your site. The copy really needs to sound like you're having a conversation with your visitors.

Please, for your sake and that of your customers, DO NOT put up a Flash Intro to your site. Unless your site is geared more around entertainment (yours isn't) or needs a "cool factor" (yours doesn't) it's a waste of your time and your customers time.

Ever notice most Flash intro screens have a "Skip Intro" link? It's there because most people skip them. So many people in fact that Google now provides search results that land people past the Flash page:

https://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-06-10-n16.html

I'm not anti-flash. I'm pro-Use-Flash-Appropriately. I just don't think your site needs an intro page.

Okay so back to your site. I would suggest you go back to the basics. One of the dangers of website design is that it's so easy for someone to get carried away with the graphics and design. Design is really the last step in the process. On a site like yours content is the key.

Start off by telling people what your site is about. It took me a while to figure it out, and on the web, that is too long.

This is your opening sentence: "A Suite of Viosks offering the best of Boomer reFIREES's original art, books, music, nostalgia, as well as education and support."

Firstly, what's a Viosk? Secondly all that sentence tells me is what you are, not why your there, and most importantly it doesn't tell me why I should care.

Group your content into categories so your customers will be able to find it. You have no navigation on your page. Where am I supposed to click, and what will I find when I click there? Help your users find the information.

Finally, don't be afraid to admit you aren't a web/graphic designer. If graphics, HTML and information architecture aren't your thing, that's okay. Hire someone (make sure they're good though). Web design is trickier than most people think. In the end you will save yourself, and your customers, a lot of frustration.

Best of luck!

Oh boy, the truth hurts, so I'm not going to pull any punches.

This whole site is unprofessional and doing your brand harm.

Sure, the Flash loads and runs. Well done. But what does it add? I found it extremely irritating and pointless.

Do yourself a favour - start over, using a professional designer.

A better design will increase sales ten-to-one-hundred-fold, with the right products.

Hope that helps.

ChrisB