applewoodgalleryNC.com is LIVE!

[AWG]

OK gang, the new website is finally done. Please, we're looking for comments, suggestions and criticisms both positive and negative. Our designer was a big help with ideas and layout and we're very pleased.


Please check out applewoodgalleryNC (http://applewoodgalleryNC.com)
PS The green wizard photo will go away soon

Tony & Kassandra

[WizSteve]

Not bad.. the site seems pretty well laid out and presents the information very well. However, I did notice a couple things..

First, I would get a better javascript for transitioning through images on your home page - to me it's distracting at best. And while performance on it is bearable with IE, with the Firefox browser it's hideous (chug chug chug)..

Second, also on the home page, there's a big gap beneath the "Featured Artist" column - and again, its worse with Firefox (about 40 pixels gap, looks like something is not sized correctly)..

And thirdly, and this is just my personal opinion, I'd lose the green background and stick with plain white.. to me it's a little harder to read and the art just looks better when there's not a color like that competing with everything else..

And what's wrong with the trippy green Wizard? smile.gif

[Mike Labbe @ GTP]

I think it looks great and has a fresh look and feel.

In addition to what Steve said, I suggest converting the CONTACT US link from an email address to a form. By putting an email address on the website, it will be harvested by spammers.

Having the form between the website and your email address will protect you from this nuisance.

[D_Derbonne]

I'm on dial up and the opening page took forever to load.
So long in fact that I got tired of waiting and gave up.

[Baer Charlton]

27 second load up for the home page on 256DSL

the Scrapbook hung so often that it took over 6 minutes and I'm not sure I really saw it all.

Steve, you just don't like green. :D

[Ron Eggers]

The green wizard photo will go away soon
It never arrived on my browser.

I waited about five minutes for Java to finish loading and, like Deb, gave up.

I'll check it out at work with DSL, but I can't believe that Deb and I are the only ones in the world with dial-up. (I personally know of at least three others.)

Come to think of it, I doubt that Java is going to be installed on the work computers.

[AWG]

graemlins/shrug.gif We use NetZero dial up - The guts of the main page took about 12-15 secs, the java applet maybe another 15.

We've looked at it on dial up and cable and it loaded fairly quickly.

Can any of you tech guys 'splain the differences in performance? I do know that our designer has been tweaking things while the site is "live" - can that make a difference? Maybe it was the overwhelming crush of traffic :D What gives?

Yeah, the scrapbook is a bit slow, and I'll get her to work on that.

Thanks!

Tony

[ 05-15-2005, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: AWG ]

[Jay H]

It has to be the version of Java they are running. The home page was functional in 50 seconds and totally loaded in 1:10. The scrapbook took about the same to load and worked fine. Right now I'm connected at 49333bps so I'm not blazing the Internet down right now.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Java isn't a popular web tool. Because of security many people turn it off completely. I think most people SHOULD be able to view your page with no problems but I would consider straight up flash images rather than java scrips.

Now lets talk about search engine ratings......

I think over all it lookes awesome!

[Baer Charlton]

You're right Jay, and I was remiss to mention that I do like the look and feel of the site...

Just a little faster, as Jay mentioned, Flash?

But then what do I know, I'm still trying to resize my background....

There has to be a better way than Dreamweaver... graemlins/fire.gif

[Jay H]

Better, no. Easier, by far.

[Baer Charlton]

I got $200 for the kid down the street.

THAT is easier. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[Jerry Ervin]

I use LocalNet for dial up and it loaded quickly.

Maybe it is because I am geographically close to the server.

It all looks good.

When did you paint the Wizard green? Last time I was there it looked just like mine.

[Framar]

I LOVE your website - and the Scrapbook is awesome!!! Congrats!

[RozR]

Bravo!!!

What a neat, beautifully executed and designed as well as informative site!! I am dully impressed.

I have dsl and had no problems loading, all went very quickly...

I put you in my "favorite website examples" file!

Roz

[Emibub]

I first looked at it on the home computer which is a dinosaur. It took a few minutes but it did eventually load. I love the set up it looks great. I don't mind the green background at all. Your scrapbook is a cool idea but I have to say it moved really slow. Too bad it isn't set up for the reader to turn the pages instead.

Very nice job!

P.S. For whatever reason it won't completely load here in the store and I have a faster computer here.

[wpfay]

Didn't have trouble with it loading. Nice set-up. Gives me lots to think about plagarizing when I do my web site...might even steal some of the shots of your interior.

Only one comment. The changing image on the home page is too fast. On my computer, the image barely forms before it is transforming again.

Always a work in progress, but I think you've got a great start.

[JPete]

I'm not going to read all of the above. It is attractive but, the purple background is probably slowing it down as well as the green. I'm on a rather fast dial up and was still a bit slow. While I was waiting I tried to enlarge the print with the Ctrl and scroll but didn't let me do it. I was able to enlarge part of another page.

I do like the in and out fade aways or whatever they are called. Those could be slower.

[David N Waldmann]

The scrapbook idea is a good one. There are two things I don't like about it - it takes a long time to load, and the pictures are small. If you used thumbnails on the page that linked to a page with a larger view along with a brief description of the important points of the piece I think it would be more valuable and quicker. Just not as cool smile.gif

[framah]

I was able to load the scrapbook in 9 seconds. The home page loaded in about 15 seconds with high speed DSL and Safari browser. Here's a suggestion... when you photograph work for the scrapbook or any other finished piece, set the piece into the frame without the glass. No reflections that way. A perfect example is the one on your homepage. I can see whoever it was shooting the piece in the reflection. It's a work in progress but is a good start. Way better than the one I haven't even begun to create. I agree, the scrapbook needs to be bigger and held a little longer. A neutral warm gray would be better than the green.

[AWG]

Thanks for all the comments, everybody. I'd like to give thanks to John Ranes, who gave us the idea for a top notch website when we took his class at Decor last year.

Aside from the too fast/too slow thing we're REALLY pleased.

As for the green - I like it and think it's a bit jazzier than a plain pallette - remember, we're supposed to be creative people in this bizness.

I wasn't too sure about the scrapbook until I saw it, and wish it loaded faster. We're going to work on that in version 2.0. We'll add some other tweaks, too.

As for the pictures, we've been accumulating them over the last 3 yrs - some with glass, some without, some at customer's homes. We shoot them when we have time and access to the camera. We can easily change these as new projects are completed.

The goal was for this site is to be informative, classy and a give good a good idea into all we can do for potential customers, and I think it will work for just that purpose. Just yesterday, a BRAND NEW customer came in with about 8 pcs. As Kassandra worked the design, she asked how he heard about us - yellow pages that directed him to the website - and THAT'S what brought him in. So it really works!

Tony

[Art On Canvas]

I'd give it 5 stars. It loaded quickly at home with a cable connection.

If I saw your site as a customer, I'd bring my framing to your shop!

[Grumbling Mike]

1min 40 to load on dialup, I would change the distracting bars transition to simple fade in out
navigation is easy, I like the slideshow idea showoff shop gallery molding events etc it really sets a mood.
you have given me things to think about
thanks

[CharlesL]

I'm on Earthlink DSL, and the whole site loaded, completely in 10 seconds or so. I think it's a GREAT site!!!

I guess it's supposed to do this, and it's kinda neat, but on the home page, I can stop individual images by moving the mouse over the window at just the right time.

I'm not a computer guy, but I liked it. A lot!