Suggestion Website critique

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FTP

FTP

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
May 14, 2005
Posts
458
Loc
Red Bank NJ
Let 'er rip!!!!!!! I will say however that I really wanted a clean & simple webpage. I am still working on photographing artwork in our clients homes rather than individual pieces. Thanks for looking! :)
Megan
http://frame2please.squarespace.com/
 
That's one of the best starts I've ever seen. There are some things that you may tweak a little but no train wrecks.

I don't think I've ever said this but I could use another page or two and just a bit more information. I looked at every page and read every word in less than a minute. I think you want to give people a reason to hang out a little longer than that. Please avoid the never ending wordy pages about all the details in conservation framing and pricing and what not. Keep it fun like the rest of your site! Maybe listing some of the types of things you frame, or better yet show them!!!!!

I'm not sure if my intolerance for selective color has 'tinted' my view but I'd like to see the chopper image rotate out a bit. One trick I like to do is have a random image load everytime you load a page. I like the fun picture of you and the guy?

I wouldn't name your pages "home", "about", and "contact us". I would put some more info at the top of the page. Some say it helps the search engines. It may but I think it looks a little better.

Also you have two links, directions and galleria, that send me off your page. I would have those open in a new window. The only way you can leave my page is to hit that red "X" up in the corner. I'm not going to lead you off it on my own.

Even if the directions open in a new page, I'm not sure I like the generic google page it sends me to. I may make my own map and some generic directions from different directions. I've never done it but I've seen lots of pages that place the google search onto your webpage so I know it can be done. I doubt it's that difficult either.

Again, great start. Finally a fun, creative, and SIMPLE framing site!
 
Thanks Jay! I am so on the fence about alot of things but wanted to start out simple and add to it! And thank you for your suggestions. Well noted!
 
The posterized woman in the background is a little scary and off-putting. It loaded much faster then the colored version. There are also 2 images that aren't opening up using Chrome browser.
 
FrameMakers said:
There are also 2 images that aren't opening up using Chrome browser.
Click to expand...

Actually they don't load in any browser. The are both the same image:

"http://frame2please.squarespace.com/storage/brushes2.jpg"

The actual URL is for a cached image but neither the cached or uncached image will load. Here is the cached image URL

"http://frame2please.squarespace.com/storage/brushes2.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1289336963494"
 
I have a couple of suggestions. If you have an image make it link to a much larger image, and outside of framers, nobody has a clue as to what that machine is, or what it's supposed to mean. I like the simple concept, but the meaning of the machine image eludes me.
 
That's a good start.
I think the menu on the upper right hand is too small.
The white font on the light gray background of the font is also hard to read.
Another thing I noticed, on my firefox browser, your home page seems to be loading something that's taking a long time.

I think it is better is you show off your finished frames instead of your framing tools.

Just some tips on SEO, when you get to it.
1. Make sure you have a title meta tag on each of your pages and tey should be different for each page.
2. For SEO purposes, I dis-agree with Jay H about having content. I think the more content you have, as long as it is relevant to framing, the better it is for SEO. The images on your site are for the human browsers and the text is for the search crawlers.
3. If you can add a page for Testimonials so much the better.
4. If you have not yet done it, make sure you get your own domain name, it's only 10 buck a year.
5. Also, the white fonts on top of the "gray lady" gets a little hard to read when it gets to the lighter shades of gray.

just my 2 centavos,
Troy
 
I've viewed the site in IE and FF and I don't see any images not load or load slow?

troyveluz said:
I dis-agree with Jay H about having content. I think the more content you have, as long as it is relevant to framing, the better it is for SEO.
Click to expand...

We don't disagree. I understand the concept. Most frame sites I've seen have some version of a huge cumbersome page(s) that cover every aspect of framing. I don't think that's good for a website overall. But I believe you can rank well in searches without the endless pages of stuff nobody will ever read. Unless your shop is marketing nationally, I don't believe it should do more than rank well if the shop's name, or "framing (your city)" is searched. After that the human reader is our focus.
 
I would rather see an image of Chopper the dog than chopper the machine. People like dogs and people would have no clue about the machines.

I like the overall look but the posterized gray lady is kinda creepy to me as well. All imagaes loaded swiftly on my FF browser - no problem there.

I would want to see more of your work, both up close and in situ. And more words too.

I think you and your shop have a story to tell and you need to tell it.

Also - what is with the ratty old printed matting around the painting of the hammer gal? I kept expecting it to morph into a photo of before/after restoration. Will anyone other than other framers or old photographers or museum people know what it is (that surround)?
 
I don't like the grey lady either....she looks creepy and nothing to do with framing.
We know it's a framing website; most customers might overlook that.
The chopper photo won't mean anything to anyone.

I would use your 'about' photo as your 'home page' photo; it is funny and shows it all.

What also bothers me is the cut off photo on the left bottom corner.

Add a little more text; not too much. Get rid of the creepy lady.
 
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