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I need some constructive criticism on my website
- Thread starter RandyS
- Start date
tcorn1965
New Member
Hey Randy, Personally I would re-do the look of the links on left, they look very amateurish (not intended as a dig).
Some of the pics from the links are of poor quality. I would re-take most of them. The pictures in the slide show look good though.
I would try making some of that white space go away, maybe center and incorporate some kind of steady theme/look throughout. Not really a font guy, although I feel there are better choices for the black text on home page. I would also make all those linkable to some of your work as well. I like the header. Good start just need some tweaking!
Good Luck!
Terry
Some of the pics from the links are of poor quality. I would re-take most of them. The pictures in the slide show look good though.
I would try making some of that white space go away, maybe center and incorporate some kind of steady theme/look throughout. Not really a font guy, although I feel there are better choices for the black text on home page. I would also make all those linkable to some of your work as well. I like the header. Good start just need some tweaking!
Good Luck!
Terry
Fred Weiss
Merchant Member
You need to look at your picture setup.
- The arrow to advance on pic doesn't work.
- The arrows to advance to the first and last pic, only advance one pic.
- Clicking on any pic takes you to the Adobe website.
SignManiac
New Member
How thick is your skin?
speedmedia
New Member
Randy,
I have to agree with the others it is very amateurish. I would think about maybe having someone build you a site. Websites are a very important sales tool that will affect the first impression of your business. It reflects on the way your look and the value of your work. Even if your sign work is outstanding if people see a poorly designed and built website they might not even go that far.
Not meaning this to be mean at all just want to help you go into the right direction.
You might want to check out someone like Dan Antonelli at http://graphicd-signs.com/ his team are great web developers. He also has a firm background in the sign industry so he knows what it takes to create a desirable piece, just look at their work.
Thanks,
Kurt
I have to agree with the others it is very amateurish. I would think about maybe having someone build you a site. Websites are a very important sales tool that will affect the first impression of your business. It reflects on the way your look and the value of your work. Even if your sign work is outstanding if people see a poorly designed and built website they might not even go that far.
Not meaning this to be mean at all just want to help you go into the right direction.
You might want to check out someone like Dan Antonelli at http://graphicd-signs.com/ his team are great web developers. He also has a firm background in the sign industry so he knows what it takes to create a desirable piece, just look at their work.
Thanks,
Kurt
omgsideburns
New Member
if you're going to tile a background... make it seamless.
Thanks Kurt,
I appreciate the honesty, of course it looks amiturish, I am an amiture, Getting constructive criticism to improve my own Ideas, The Site is far from done, just playin around right now learining, Noone can hurt my feelings, I am on here for criticism, when I say be honest, I mean be brutally honest.
I appreciate the honesty, of course it looks amiturish, I am an amiture, Getting constructive criticism to improve my own Ideas, The Site is far from done, just playin around right now learining, Noone can hurt my feelings, I am on here for criticism, when I say be honest, I mean be brutally honest.
HaroldDesign
New Member
I understand you probably aren't going to pay to have a website made - that's fine. However, it shows it is not professionally done. It doesn't need to be fancy. I would suggest taking away the elements you've added to create a colorful feel (such as the banner with the kokopelli and the duplicated background picture) and go with a solid color and layout approach with a nice font - THEN start messing with "nice touches" when basic elements and functionality are achieved.
SignManiac
New Member
Okay then. First nice to meet you Randy. You admit to being an amateur so you realize you have a lot to learn. First off, your website isn't the most important problem. Looking at your sign work, you have a "lot" to learn from a design standpoint. You can hire a professional to build you a beautiful website or even learn to do it yourself, but.....the work you have in your portfolio will undermine the greatest looking website you can attain.
I don't know how long you've been in the business or who you trained under but you really need to focus on "superior" designs in your portfolio...pun intended on the name. Use the search function at the top of this page and read every single thing about design that you can find. Study design and learn it like your life depends on it. It will be the one key to your success in this business.
Invest in the books and one in particular by Mike Stevens. Make that your first search. Once you start to turn out professionally designed signs, you will start making more money than you will by just having a website. A website is a valuable tool but you need to show your finest work on it.
Take a look at my site as an example but more importantly look at the portfolio and learn how to design and create the good stuff. Even your basic bread and butter work needs to be designed well, I'm talking about parking signs, pool rules, all the everyday stuff.
Don't get impatient either, it doesn't come easy or overnight but rather it takes years of dedication and practice along with a huge amount of blood, sweat and tears.... Good luck and feel free to ask any questions.
Hope this isn't too brutal.
I don't know how long you've been in the business or who you trained under but you really need to focus on "superior" designs in your portfolio...pun intended on the name. Use the search function at the top of this page and read every single thing about design that you can find. Study design and learn it like your life depends on it. It will be the one key to your success in this business.
Invest in the books and one in particular by Mike Stevens. Make that your first search. Once you start to turn out professionally designed signs, you will start making more money than you will by just having a website. A website is a valuable tool but you need to show your finest work on it.
Take a look at my site as an example but more importantly look at the portfolio and learn how to design and create the good stuff. Even your basic bread and butter work needs to be designed well, I'm talking about parking signs, pool rules, all the everyday stuff.
Don't get impatient either, it doesn't come easy or overnight but rather it takes years of dedication and practice along with a huge amount of blood, sweat and tears.... Good luck and feel free to ask any questions.
Hope this isn't too brutal.
I agree with previous comments about the look (i.e. distracting header/background and slideshow takes too long to load) but those don't annoy me the most. As a person who has worked a lot with audio (live sound & recording), your audio greeting is bad. It explains to me the site is under construction but it doesn't make me want to come back. If you are going to record an audio greeting, make it inviting and professional (even while your website isn't). A "voice over" shouldn't include plosive pops/distortion (the sound of air coming out of your mouth when you say a "P", as in "SuPerior"). You can also hear you breathing heavily after you say "Randy."
I feel if you are including audio, it should be a help and not a hinderance. If you want to portray a professional persona of your company, a poor quality voice-over does not help. Just my thoughts.
Allen
I feel if you are including audio, it should be a help and not a hinderance. If you want to portray a professional persona of your company, a poor quality voice-over does not help. Just my thoughts.
Allen
I am on the same boat with what has been said above. It has amateur written all over it.
I put myself in the shoes of a potential customer of yours while looking through your site and I would have been turned off very quickly. This may very well be the first impression that a client gets of your business, and while I would also recommend having it done by a pro, if you are going to be doing it yourself it needs a lot of work.
Firstly, I would suggest thinking of your favourite websites and having a good look at them to see what works. You need to achieve a consistent and professional look that will 'wow' the potential client.
In my opinion those slide shows dont add any value. Especially the ones where you have only a few pics. Lay them out on your pages so that people can see them all, and then perhaps enlarge them if need be. Take a look at lightbox - http://www.huddletogether.com/projects/lightbox2/ for some good ways of doing this.
For your website to be an effective marketing tool it has to reflect your business well and the only feeling I get from your website is amateur which will let your business down if you know what I mean....
Just my 2c
Rob
I put myself in the shoes of a potential customer of yours while looking through your site and I would have been turned off very quickly. This may very well be the first impression that a client gets of your business, and while I would also recommend having it done by a pro, if you are going to be doing it yourself it needs a lot of work.
Firstly, I would suggest thinking of your favourite websites and having a good look at them to see what works. You need to achieve a consistent and professional look that will 'wow' the potential client.
In my opinion those slide shows dont add any value. Especially the ones where you have only a few pics. Lay them out on your pages so that people can see them all, and then perhaps enlarge them if need be. Take a look at lightbox - http://www.huddletogether.com/projects/lightbox2/ for some good ways of doing this.
For your website to be an effective marketing tool it has to reflect your business well and the only feeling I get from your website is amateur which will let your business down if you know what I mean....
Just my 2c
Rob
Last edited:
SignManiac
New Member
That is for you to learn how the search feature works on this site
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Vinylman
New Member
Randy:
I stopped by your "website" yesterday. I could not bring myself to reply to your request for advise at that time. The reason should be obvious with some of the comments already posted. No need to rehash the obvious need for you to rethink putting that web site up for potential clients to see.
You need to take it down, calmly look at the MANY changes you need to make and stay out of the "street" until you learn the rules.
You advertise on the web site you do "Web Sites"? REALLY?
If they would look like yours, most people would never buy from them.
Start with a "NEW" logo. Honestly, that thing screams "Amature".
The work you display in your photo gallery really needs improvement. Most of them look like they where created in a word processing program, as apposed to someone who has and knows how to use the professional tools of a sign painter / designer.
Sorry for the harsh comments, but it is these types of examples that create the sloppy approach that many small businesses take to their sign making decisions.
It undercuts the entire sign industry, because the uninformed sign buyer thinks what you have offered is all they need to pay for is sticky letters on a sign, and they are in business.
Your posted examples prove my point.
With a little more time invested on your part, {LEARNING} about layout, color design and eye appeal, you can become a decent sign person.
Until you invest the time, effort, and money it takes to make yourself a sign "professional" PLEASE refrain from calling yourself one.
It looks like you have some basic hand lettering skills, and I applaud your taking the time to start out the time honored way. Keep honing your hand lettering skills, and the rest will come in time.
You do a disservice to your clients, your future reputation and the sign industry as a whole by putting out substandard work.
I stopped by your "website" yesterday. I could not bring myself to reply to your request for advise at that time. The reason should be obvious with some of the comments already posted. No need to rehash the obvious need for you to rethink putting that web site up for potential clients to see.
You need to take it down, calmly look at the MANY changes you need to make and stay out of the "street" until you learn the rules.
You advertise on the web site you do "Web Sites"? REALLY?
If they would look like yours, most people would never buy from them.
Start with a "NEW" logo. Honestly, that thing screams "Amature".
The work you display in your photo gallery really needs improvement. Most of them look like they where created in a word processing program, as apposed to someone who has and knows how to use the professional tools of a sign painter / designer.
Sorry for the harsh comments, but it is these types of examples that create the sloppy approach that many small businesses take to their sign making decisions.
It undercuts the entire sign industry, because the uninformed sign buyer thinks what you have offered is all they need to pay for is sticky letters on a sign, and they are in business.
Your posted examples prove my point.
With a little more time invested on your part, {LEARNING} about layout, color design and eye appeal, you can become a decent sign person.
Until you invest the time, effort, and money it takes to make yourself a sign "professional" PLEASE refrain from calling yourself one.
It looks like you have some basic hand lettering skills, and I applaud your taking the time to start out the time honored way. Keep honing your hand lettering skills, and the rest will come in time.
You do a disservice to your clients, your future reputation and the sign industry as a whole by putting out substandard work.