| Author | Thread |
|
|
05/22/2010 09:45:56 PM · #26 |
Originally posted by littlegett:
Good morning Jason. I land on your blog which I am assuming is your default home page. First thing I notice is the last post was made on 05-06-2010, and today is 05-22-2010. For many users it is a turnoff to not have more frequent updates. It is important to update 2-4 times a week at a bare minimum. (I slack off here as well) More consistent updates will allow you to build a stronger following/fan base. I went to your facebook fanpage and I highly suggest you get the wordbooker plugin (//blogs.canalplan.org.uk/steve/wordbooker/) for your wordpress blog. This plugin will allow you to stream through tinyurl your facebook posts to your blog. In other words all of these more current and photographic posts on your facebook page will automatically be posted as ‘follow this url’ type of posts in your wordpress blog.
Clicking your gallery link and clicking on the first gallery you force the user to input their email address to view. Very bad move in my opinion. Users should only be asked to opt-in and never be forced to do so to view the gallery. To many spam bots and other monsters out there for people to drop their address like that. Those of us who have spam addresses for things like this never check them and thus you lose out on a possible valuable resource. I am actually not going to view this gallery. Now the next gallery gives me the option to continue without email, so why does the first not do the same?
The other galleries seem to all open without questioning of email at all. This inconsistent approach can create skepticism in people’s minds about your validity. One item I really dislike when viewing images is that you have a slew of print purchase options which is pushy and an eyesore. I have no idea if it works for you, but in my opinion there should be a very specific and clearly marked ‘Prints’ category for people who are looking for prints to know exactly where to find them and those who are not are not bothered by them.
I click the Awards section and I see a bunch of thumbnails. I click on one and it tells me nothing other than the obtrusive purchase print options. If you are going to be so bold in creating an ‘Awards’ section the typical user would like to see Awards. What award, Why did you get it, When did you get it and so on. Giving me thumbs does not tell me anything and decreases your trustworthiness as a professional.
Clicking on Workshops it appears you are holding one today. Your formatting went weird when I opened the link, the justification went from center to left. Clicking on the Alphabet! Link, I find something novel and cute, however it is also nonworking. Personally though if it was working I think it would be fun for the user to be able to send a ‘digital card’ or print to themselves or someone else. Sure telling them to email you to make a print can be ok.. But something like this may attract more attention if you gave them a stronger digital experience.
edit to make hot-link |
Awesome stuff Andrew! Thank you so much for doing this, it is a tremendous help to me. All of your points are excellent and I'll begin fixing those!
PS. for anyone reading the above and looking to use wordbooker, it requires PHP5..I'm hosting with Godaddy / php4 so I'll need to upgrade to use wordbooker. I'm going to investigate doing that because it would help tremendously to have fb posts auto update wordpress...Now I must go make a blog entry!
|
|
|
|
05/23/2010 01:22:47 AM · #27 |
Originally posted by littlegett:
Originally posted by ursula:
Canned website (not created by me, just adjusted to my taste):
//www.ursulasphotos.com/
I'd be interested in hearing your take on it. |
Good morning Ursula, how are you? I enjoy how you have your name though it does take up a lot of space at the top of the page. My suggestion if I can may be to bring the name down to the right side of where your links are to decrease the space from the top to the body as well as give a fuller horizontal line across the page.
The slideshow images seem to have a nice artistic feel to them that I enjoy. However their transitions appear abrupt to me and that to me is a distraction to viewing. A smoother transition will allow the users eyes to better adjust to the next image for full viewing pleasure.
In reviewing your ‘about’ section, I think it works well. Though one bit I would personally change would be from when you talk about Ron and your marriage. Nothing wrong with talking about it but mentioning his name seems redundant. I would suggest something like ‘where I met my husband of 33 years and we have 5 wonderful children together.’ Or such. It is still a bit personal but not too personal.
In clicking your ‘prints’ link I see you have where they are located listed. I like that. It is important for people to know where to purchase if it is not directly from the source. However what I also would have enjoyed is if you offered images from those various galleries so people know what you have to offer there before going there. Wasting a trip to find something they don’t want can really frustrate and turn off consumers. It is important to give them as much information they need because you never know they may see the image online and go to the gallery specifically with money in hand to purchase that image. But on the same side that means you have to be more prompt with updated the site, whenever something sells and there is not another straight away it needs to be marked ‘sold’ or removed completely so you don’t run into the issue of (but I saw it you should have one, can’t you just make me one really fast) type of situation.
Going to your portfolio I really have to say I highly enjoy that you show the individual images in thumbnail gallery of the slideshow. I wish it was more clearly marked as such, because when I first clicked it I was expecting two things, one to be taken back to the homepage to view the slideshow, or two the slideshow to open here or elsewhere to view again. I did not expect to see the individual images.
Also looking at your portfolio I wish there was a sub-row of links that showed me what categories you have without having to scroll all the way through. A simple bar would be nice that hotlinks to the lower area of the page where the gallery sub-items can be viewed. Even though scrolling may be simple and easy, a lot of people don̢۪t want to have to scroll, they want to get as much as possible with as little as possible.
One thing I find really interesting is how dynamic your work is with how plain your website is designed. The only issue I have with this is the white I do not care much for. An off-white may be more suitable or even a CCCCCC or DDDDDD grey background to allow the colours to pop more on your images. Though with a few minor adjustments I believe it can be very user friendly and eye appealing. |
Thank you kindly! This review is much appreciated, and I will be keeping your suggestions in mind! Thank you! |
|
|
|
05/23/2010 12:43:41 PM · #28 |
Hi,
I would like to here you opinion about the lay out and generall feel of my site.... when I started a had no knowledge og HTLM but I knew what I wanted, and learned as I whent....
The site is in Norwegian, but I belive I have keept the information breif and to the point ie clean and easy to read and navigate.... I also link to smugmug to show of my portfiloio as I could keep my pictures safer and make it harder for people to copy..
Look forward to your review
Regards
Robert
graycaption.com |
|
|
|
05/25/2010 01:23:04 PM · #29 |
Originally posted by graycaption:
Hi,
I would like to here you opinion about the lay out and generall feel of my site.... when I started a had no knowledge og HTLM but I knew what I wanted, and learned as I whent....
The site is in Norwegian, but I belive I have keept the information breif and to the point ie clean and easy to read and navigate.... I also link to smugmug to show of my portfiloio as I could keep my pictures safer and make it harder for people to copy..
Look forward to your review
Regards
Robert
graycaption.com |
Sorry Robert, but I will not be able to do your website. I feel it is unfair that you only made an account and posted the request here. If you would like a critique send me a private message and I will let you know my normal rates. This free critique was offered to active members here on DPChallenge.
If anyone else is willing, please post your sites here. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
05/25/2010 01:30:07 PM · #30 |
Originally posted by littlegett:
Originally posted by graycaption:
Hi,
I would like to here you opinion about the lay out and generall feel of my site.... when I started a had no knowledge og HTLM but I knew what I wanted, and learned as I whent....
The site is in Norwegian, but I belive I have keept the information breif and to the point ie clean and easy to read and navigate.... I also link to smugmug to show of my portfiloio as I could keep my pictures safer and make it harder for people to copy..
Look forward to your review
Regards
Robert
graycaption.com |
Sorry Robert, but I will not be able to do your website. I feel it is unfair that you only made an account and posted the request here. If you would like a critique send me a private message and I will let you know my normal rates. This free critique was offered to active members here on DPChallenge.
If anyone else is willing, please post your sites here. Thanks. |
I can assure you his rates are very fair for the work he does... This man will add value far beyond his cost... |
|
|
|
05/25/2010 01:36:16 PM · #31 |
Honestly, I kinda fear an honest review â€Â¦ but I know I need it.
Please give it a shot:
tatedavidson.com
|
|
|
|
09/09/2010 03:29:08 PM · #32 |
Didnt want to start a new thread, but i've just got a new website and i'd be greatful for any feedback
link
Thanks |
|
|
|
09/09/2010 03:58:40 PM · #33 |
What the heck, Ill throw mine out there if you dont mind. I've been curious on what people think since my most recent redesign. Also, once the review is posted on mine, I will also go ahead and critique a few via PM. I have had some formal education on graphic and web design, so I should be able to give a decent opinion me thinks! www.adammathiasphotography.com
Message edited by author 2010-09-09 15:59:16. |
|
|
|
09/09/2010 04:11:19 PM · #34 |
Originally posted by amathiasphoto:
What the heck, Ill throw mine out there if you dont mind. I've been curious on what people think since my most recent redesign. Also, once the review is posted on mine, I will also go ahead and critique a few via PM. I have had some formal education on graphic and web design, so I should be able to give a decent opinion me thinks! www.adammathiasphotography.com |
is it just me, or is all your text on the About page black? |
|
|
|
09/09/2010 04:23:04 PM · #35 |
Originally posted by BeefnCheez:
Originally posted by amathiasphoto:
What the heck, Ill throw mine out there if you dont mind. I've been curious on what people think since my most recent redesign. Also, once the review is posted on mine, I will also go ahead and critique a few via PM. I have had some formal education on graphic and web design, so I should be able to give a decent opinion me thinks! www.adammathiasphotography.com |
is it just me, or is all your text on the About page black? |
Not just you. I assumed the intent was to get you to swipe the cursor across the page to highlight the text to make it visible, thus encouraging visitor participation and a more interactive experience. :P |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 11:56:18 AM · #36 |
Originally posted by tate:
Honestly, I kinda fear an honest review â€Â¦ but I know I need it.
Please give it a shot:
tatedavidson.com |
Good morning Tate. I cannot believe I have been gone for so long from this website. However you did ask so I will provide. I first open your website to a quick moving slideshow of huge images. I must say that I appreciate the speed of the slideshow. I have no idea if you have music/sound because my speakers are unplugged but I really hope you DO NOT. Auto-playing sounds I dislike the most; especially when multiple-tab surfing and trying to listen to my own music.
Taking a peek I noticed there are some ‘featured galleries’ underneath the images. They may not be seen by the average user very easily because of the text links above the images. Users may not know or think to scroll the page. I will start at the top links and work my way back around. Though it is unfortunate there is not a ‘gallery’ line on the top.
Reading the Info, I can say I enjoy the design of the page, though many people find it difficult to read white/light on black. However what I find difficult is that the copy itself reads very rough. It does not flow and give me a strong sense of life. Very stiff feeling. Some of what you say I do enjoy and it is important for potential clients to know this. However the more I read the less I begin liking the design. It does not give me enough contrast to really capture the words. The bolded letters do not appear very bolded to me. Also this ‘blog’ format is a bit off putting. Newer post, home, holder post. I did not know I was reading posts? Very strange. Also only a link to go back to main page. Though now that I notice you are using a BlogSpot template so there are limitations.
Skipping past mailto and blog since I was already there with the info page, I notice the photography link is the gallery link. It is interesting to see the straight page design of the swimmer, though the daily pix the screen stretches to the side and for someone with a monitor like mine it can work. However for most users the thumbnails at the top and the image at the bottom does not really get seen. Something more vertical will be better for viewing. In the project section one thing I was hoping to find was an explanation of project. Sure the images are fun but what was the project behind the images, why did you do what you do, capture what you captured? If there was a project I was looking forward to reading more about it. However there does not seem to be any and as such the interest is lost quickly. I think the ART AGAINST HUNGER is something you should really focus in on within your company. This is a major aspect that can interest new clients and more. However it is stuck at the bottom of the page and has little mention throughout the site. You should use this as an angle for your business, in my opinion.
Clicking the graphics link the background goes from black to gray. The consistency is lost and if it was not for the horizontal gallery I would believe I was on someone else̢۪s site. There are few graphics and very little information about them and/or what you do with them. I personally would like to see more. Nice linking to facebook/twitter. Overall the images look great but for me the rest is lacking in functionality and information. The design of logo/header works, it is simple but what comes up is where the typical user can find themselves asking what to do next.
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 12:18:07 PM · #37 |
Originally posted by JamesA:
Didnt want to start a new thread, but i've just got a new website and i'd be greatful for any feedback
link
Thanks |
Morning James, I first land on your page and it is very clean and screams ‘FASHION’ High End Fashion. To tell the truth I feel as though I am about to purchase a new overcoat with the model on the front. Now, depending on the type of photography you do and the clients you hold this can be a very great thing. Yet, I see weddings so perhaps no so much.
I click on people and the horizontal scrolling gallery for me is a pain in the neck. At least the links are static and only the images scroll to the side so I do not have to scroll back. The images are good I enjoy your work but I would prefer something else, a different method to view them. One reason is due to the length of time it takes to load ALL of the images for viewing. I should be able to choose which images I want to load to view and not be forced to load them all, wasting time to view things that may not interest me. The two images of the car in the wedding area completely throw me.
What I like about the site is how clean it is, very consistent and put together. Though what I do not like is the inability to understand who your client/s are, and what you are offering. If it is only a gallery to showcase your work without trying to establish clients it is fine. Yet the about/contact section offers me nothing other than a number and mailto. Post people want, no they desire more information before contact the business.
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 01:23:00 PM · #38 |
I have a new site--it's not my design per se, but I thought they did a pretty good job, and has some really good features (like an associated blog, news/press releases, automatic posting of uploads on facebook (promotional), and most recently, discount codes (coupons). Most importantly, they have an incredible purchasing system that lets buyers configure frames, canvas, matting, etc. I'm on my first month, actually still a trial. But it's really cheap...so I'll probably downgrade my smugmug to Power User from pro and go with this for my art sales.
There are a few things I don't like, but can't control, but I won't bias you.
Here it is. Eventually I'll move one of my more personal URLs to there.
//www.fineartbynature.com
My "old" smugmug based page is here, for comparison:
//www.nrshapiro.com
If you compare the carts (what you go through to select and purchase) that might be interesting to you. That's what I personally don't like about smugmug...it's very event oriented (e.g., letting people crop photos--that doesn't fit for fine art).
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 02:12:29 PM · #39 |
| les goodman if you get the time, thanks very much. |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 02:39:04 PM · #40 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
I have a new site--it's not my design per se, but I thought they did a pretty good job, and has some really good features (like an associated blog, news/press releases, automatic posting of uploads on facebook (promotional), and most recently, discount codes (coupons). Most importantly, they have an incredible purchasing system that lets buyers configure frames, canvas, matting, etc. I'm on my first month, actually still a trial. But it's really cheap...so I'll probably downgrade my smugmug to Power User from pro and go with this for my art sales.
There are a few things I don't like, but can't control, but I won't bias you.
Here it is. Eventually I'll move one of my more personal URLs to there.
//www.fineartbynature.com
My "old" smugmug based page is here, for comparison:
//www.nrshapiro.com
If you compare the carts (what you go through to select and purchase) that might be interesting to you. That's what I personally don't like about smugmug...it's very event oriented (e.g., letting people crop photos--that doesn't fit for fine art).
Thanks! |
Your website looks great Neil. I haven't compared it to your old abode, but I do like the new one. Functionality is great and it is easy to navigate. |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 03:08:45 PM · #41 |
Andrew
If you have time , I would like your advice.
I am in the process of changing my current site. I am looking for something that is more impressive. Flashier I guess. Before I do that I would like to hear suggestions on this one and maybe I can implement when I redesign.
Thx
Leo
V IMAGERY |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 03:13:47 PM · #42 |
@littlegett, if you are still doing research/citiques, my website is: //www.davidparsonsphoto.com
Mine is a modified template that I found that I liked, but I recently found out that it doesn't work well on non-widescreen monitors.
Message edited by author 2010-11-26 15:13:59.
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 03:31:33 PM · #43 |
I would love some advice. I am new to web building and have made this one on my own (with about 3 hours of help from a friend of a friend who knows what they are doing). After several months of reading and trying to figure out what everything meant. I struggled to get things the way I want them and am not very computer savvy when it comes to html and web building. I know my site is simple but I can't afford to pay some one to make one for me and this is what I have come up with. I don't expect someone to stumble onto my site but use it when I do events so people know where to go to purchase myself and my wife's art in the future.
That being said, here's my site:
www.southeast-gifts.com
Message edited by author 2010-11-26 15:31:48.
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 04:01:43 PM · #44 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
I have a new site--it's not my design per se, but I thought they did a pretty good job, and has some really good features (like an associated blog, news/press releases, automatic posting of uploads on facebook (promotional), and most recently, discount codes (coupons). Most importantly, they have an incredible purchasing system that lets buyers configure frames, canvas, matting, etc. I'm on my first month, actually still a trial. But it's really cheap...so I'll probably downgrade my smugmug to Power User from pro and go with this for my art sales.
There are a few things I don't like, but can't control, but I won't bias you.
Here it is. Eventually I'll move one of my more personal URLs to there.
//www.fineartbynature.com
My "old" smugmug based page is here, for comparison:
//www.nrshapiro.com
If you compare the carts (what you go through to select and purchase) that might be interesting to you. That's what I personally don't like about smugmug...it's very event oriented (e.g., letting people crop photos--that doesn't fit for fine art).
Thanks! |
Afternoon Neil, I hope the day is finding you well. The first impression of the site fineartbynature.com is the difficulty to read Fine Art Nature Photography. The Dark on Dark does not balance well and may be unreadable by some users. The copy could use a small bit of editing to make it flow better, though I do enjoy the short sweetness of it. The actual site to me has a ‘profile’ type of feel instead of an actual website feel, which could be a plus and a minus. A plus because of the large acceptance of social networking/profile sites and minus because it lacks a certain professional feel.
One item that confuses me right away is the ‘artwork’ tab. Being an artist myself I think I know where you are going, though the average user may feel deceived and/or you may lose credibility for not being able to categorize what you do. Maybe ‘Artistic’ would be a better fit, or even Landscape Artistry. The galleries are a bit thin but I do enjoy the categories and believe they have great reach ability for print sells and commercial uses.
The administrator Login link I would like somewhere less obvious for the casual user. This may be one of the elements you said that cannot be changed, but even if it was after subscribe on the end it would be less likely abused.
The image pages for purchase have a couple of nice elements. The keywords used on the left side are nice for one. I also enjoy the Description and halfway like the image link. The statistics are not that important to the average user and the posted date means nearly nothing. However the capture date would be worth keeping. Lastly the ‘Dominate Colours’ is a genius element. If possible I would love to see that near the top instead of the bottom of the screen. Being able to click on it to gain the hex colour is a fantastic addition.
I do also enjoy the shopping cart. The information provided within the care is what many people want to know. The figure/size representation is a huge selling point, as well as a fantastic way to get up sales to larger prints without the work. Seeing on how this is mostly a sell site I think it works well.
The blog, I enjoy it is completely intergraded into the site though it really does not have a blog feel with only two posts. Though with time there I am sure will be more posts with quality content. The news section, hmmm I am thinking if you are going to offer special deal they could go there with a different heading. However most information about the site, news and/or other should be found easily within the blog so this appears to be an extra section taking up space.
Lastly, I see Artwork/Galleries as the same thing. One should go and the other stay. I was expecting maybe within the gallery the images were not for sale, however it appears all images are, which is fine, but having the extra section to confuse users is not. Overall I think the site works well as a sells site. With a few more tweaks, adjustments and such it can be really fantastic.
Andrew
p.s. I have never much been fond of smugmug from what I have seen. I have never used, and it seems to be quite popular, however I enjoy having more control over my site/content than they allow. |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 04:09:27 PM · #45 |
Originally posted by whiteroom:
les goodman if you get the time, thanks very much. |
Hi Les, I would really love to say more, but after reviewing your site and what it is you do... I believe you have hit the nail on the head. The flash may be a bit slow loading but I think it adds to the overall mood. I am assuming also this is only a 'portfolio' site as well. I really enjoyed the simplicity of design as well as the consistency of motion, animation, and design. Well done and Well fitting. |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 04:13:04 PM · #46 |
,... shame to waste all that Norwegian you crammed ...
//hyllernemine.blogspot.com/ |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 04:44:46 PM · #47 |
Originally posted by LVicari:
Andrew
If you have time , I would like your advice.
I am in the process of changing my current site. I am looking for something that is more impressive. Flashier I guess. Before I do that I would like to hear suggestions on this one and maybe I can implement when I redesign.
Thx
Leo
V IMAGERY |
Good afternoon Leo, there are a couple things I noticed first, and because my speakers are unplugged I did not hear the music. However I did see the auto-play toolbar and I load music on websites. The reasoning is, because if I am surfing I am typically using multiple tabs as well as listening to my own music or trying to watch a video or something else. When opening a website that automatically fills my ears with noise (not saying the music is noise, just unexpected) my first reaction is to close the tab/browser. Thus, not review the site. If you enjoy having the music, may I suggest allowing the user to play when they wish if they wish.
I enjoy what I see when I first open the page. The V Imagery is a great logo, though may be a bit dark on some monitors to view imagery. I also enjoy the animation, it fits well with the image and visualality. Looking through the images, the style of them fit well with the website style. The only other thing I can say is that with the prints section, a typical user would really enjoy seeing a ‘buy’ button, and or even a starting price with the images. Having to contact you for this information is off-putting and may be decreasing the number of possible sells with your work. Overall nice job on the site.
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 05:04:18 PM · #48 |
Thank you very much Andrew...yes, all of the things you mention unfortunately cannot be changed. That's a problem with a service like FineArtAmerica. However, for a sales site, I'm still happy (or at least trying to ignore the negatives) because it also generates its own traffic (which I wouldn't have if I hosted it), and also they do fulfillment at low cost. I still need to see the quality of the prints though..I guess I'll have to order a couple of my own. (I'd prefer my prints came from WHCC, but then I'd lose their cool order system and I'd have to manage all the orders.)
Some of the problems you mention are just because I only started the site 2 weeks ago, and I am still slowly loading data, and figuring out the features (news versus blog; I posted my black friday sale on both because I posted to blog, but then discovered news is posted to the "main" site (every site like mine has a parallel on their main site -- fineartamerica.com, which is where traffic is generated from. When I posted the news, it went up on the general site news. I'll take another look at my header...that I can control, but it has to be a weird size, and I did a better job with that on my Smugmug site.
Thanks again for your detailed look and analysis. If anyone knows a site like that one (fineartamerica.com) that lets you do more tuning, I'd love to know.
|
|
|
|
11/26/2010 08:05:27 PM · #49 |
Would lov your thoughts on my website.
Tammy Belanger Photography |
|
|
|
11/26/2010 09:18:00 PM · #50 |
Originally posted by littlegett:
Originally posted by LVicari:
Andrew
If you have time , I would like your advice.
I am in the process of changing my current site. I am looking for something that is more impressive. Flashier I guess. Before I do that I would like to hear suggestions on this one and maybe I can implement when I redesign.
Thx
Leo
V IMAGERY |
Good afternoon Leo, there are a couple things I noticed first, and because my speakers are unplugged I did not hear the music. However I did see the auto-play toolbar and I load music on websites. The reasoning is, because if I am surfing I am typically using multiple tabs as well as listening to my own music or trying to watch a video or something else. When opening a website that automatically fills my ears with noise (not saying the music is noise, just unexpected) my first reaction is to close the tab/browser. Thus, not review the site. If you enjoy having the music, may I suggest allowing the user to play when they wish if they wish.
I enjoy what I see when I first open the page. The V Imagery is a great logo, though may be a bit dark on some monitors to view imagery. I also enjoy the animation, it fits well with the image and visualality. Looking through the images, the style of them fit well with the website style. The only other thing I can say is that with the prints section, a typical user would really enjoy seeing a ‘buy’ button, and or even a starting price with the images. Having to contact you for this information is off-putting and may be decreasing the number of possible sells with your work. Overall nice job on the site. |
Thx for taking the time. I am always torn about the music issue. |
|
