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My new company website!

dejoh

dejoh

New Member
Greetings everyone!

An associate of mine created my sign business' website. This concept is very new to me and is still a work in progress. I would appreciate comments, ideas and insight on this layout before I forward it to potential customers. I would also like to view sites of other sign companies for more inspiration.

In advance, thanks for taking the time to look at this and your comments.
D.Johnston
johnston Signs
http://www.johnstonsigns.blogspot.com/
 
CoCut USA

CoCut USA

New Member
Nice photos! Definitely a business card on steroids. Well done.

But the URL is not something that fits too easily on the back or your vehicle. Getting your own is cheap and you can use WordPress and Themes to create something pretty easily. I did when creating our site (www.cocutusa.com) and when creating my girlfriend's brag-site, which is in progress and has about two hours worth of effort (www.harukoslist.com)

Tools used for both:

Hostmonster.com for hosting
Wordpress.org for backbone
Elegantthemes.com for an instant facelift

My $0.02,

Jim
CoCut USA
 
Jackpine

Jackpine

New Member
Nice work. I started in the business with a shop on 22nd East End Ave then in Peatone/Monee area before moving north many years ago. The southside has a great sign history. My first Letterhead meeting was in Homewood in the 70's.
 
HaroldDesign

HaroldDesign

New Member
It doesn't "fit to window", align center or allow to scroll left/right (which isn't good in itself). Otherwise I think it will work just fine!
 
bigben

bigben

Not a newbie
CoCut USA said:
Nice photos! Definitely a business card on steroids. Well done.

But the URL is not something that fits too easily on the back or your vehicle. Getting your own is cheap and you can use WordPress and Themes to create something pretty easily. I did when creating our site (www.cocutusa.com) and when creating my girlfriend's brag-site, which is in progress and has about two hours worth of effort (www.harukoslist.com)

Tools used for both:

Hostmonster.com for hosting
Wordpress.org for backbone
Elegantthemes.com for an instant facelift

My $0.02,

Jim
CoCut USA
Click to expand...

I'm with Jim on this one. No offence, but to me it look like a web site built by a kid.

Buy your own domain name is between 10-20$/year and you can have a hosting for less then 5$/month. After that use wordpress to built your site. There is a ton of tutorial on the net to teach you how to do it. Then you'll have a professional web site.

It's my opinion, you can take it or not.

Ben
 
RebeckaR

RebeckaR

New Member
You can buy a domain and use it on your blogger site to shorten your URL and look more legit.
Remove the sliding bar at the top - you can Google for how to remove the Blogger task bar.
I think there's too much going on. You have a photo in the background with a transparent box on top of that with a whole bunch of photos and multiple slideshows that are distracting.
The "our mission" text is way too small and way too long. If you want info about what you do and why, create another page for that.
If you're gonna have a hit counter at the bottom, make it invisible (not bright red, yikes!).
You have a good start, but it needs some refinement.
 
Circleville Signs

Circleville Signs

New Member
A few thoughts:

That background makes the site feel CRAZY busy. The fact that almost all of your content is in the form of images rather than text (I imagine because whoever designed this doesn't know CSS very well) is going to cause you all kinds of SEO problems.

I hate stacking images on top of images. Hence, the background image (which either wasn't a professionally taken photo, or has been blown up enough to cause pixelization) with the other images stacked on it just feels cramped.

Repeat after me - "Navigation is a good thing - Navigation is a good thing - Navigation is a good thing". Now, go slap whoever designed this site without it.

This is strange because the site has solid elements - but it is put together very poorly. No one is going to want to, or even KNOW to, scroll all the way down your page multiple times in order to see the whole site.

My personal recommendation is this - scrap using Blogspot, get real hosting and install Wordpress, and then learn the basics of CSS in order to put together a cleaner site.
 
Speedsterbeast

Speedsterbeast

New Member
I agree with Gary.
The background picture of the road combined with the tiny horizontal stripes has a busy and distracting look to it.

But your portfolio pictures are very well done. Much better quality than mine.
-My winter project
 
S

signswi

New Member
If I saw a blogspot host for a business address I'd run the other direction. It's like getting an email from someone claiming to be a professional in their field and it's @yahoo.com. Get your own domain.

I won't comment on the design other than to say this wasn't designed, it was assembled.
 
dejoh

dejoh

New Member
First off. I want to thank all who responded.
I have much to learn and am open to all ideas. This is very new to me and wonder if its more trouble than its worth.
I have looked at many other sign companies sites recently with mixed opinions.
I guess I'm still old school.

To Jackpine. The Letterhead convention at the Harvey Holiday Inn was truly
a great experience. Signpainters and designers from all over the world.
I still keep in contact with a few. Little did we know, that around the corner, the sign trade would be flooded with keyboard cowboys and sign maker wannabes,
the sign trade was forever changed.

To The Sign Guys. Your site looks fantastic and your shop van is sharp.
Your site comes to the point and is easy to grasp.

Again, thanks for the comments everyone.
I'm still up for ideas.
Denny
 
dejoh

dejoh

New Member
Very sharp. Thanks for sharing. I really like the before and after shots of your
projects.

Thats a brilliant idea.
P.S. Many years ago, I worked out of Ocala for Peterson Outdoor, and Harry Moody Outdoor. Yes. all brush work on pictorials and lettering.
Denny
 
Last edited:
Hero Signs

Hero Signs

If they let me make it, they will come
Internet marketing is how I currently make my living.
1, Your site is very busy and needs the Navigation tabs up top or to the left. Just like this forum, let the users drive.
2, All of you text in in an image, the search engine spiders can not read your message or your phone number or address to show you as local to the geographic modified search. example "sign shop Waco, Tx"
3, You are taking the customer away from your website with the picasa photo linking. no,no,no
4, Buy the domain name, not blogspot. I would run this blogspot site in addition to my website to post relevant news and information regarding permits and laws.
5, Websites that make you scroll & scroll & scroll have high abandonment rates.
6, Your color, logos and pictures. Good Ish. I like them, they pop.
 
dejoh

dejoh

New Member
Thanks for the comments. Since I startd this thread, I have seen some fantastic sites with some very sharp graphics and presentations. Again, my site is a work in progress and very temporary. I have contacted a web designer and have been greeted with new ideas and layouts.
I am still open for advice and ideas plus I would like to see the sites of people who have been so kind with their 2 cents worth of comments to see their fine creations.
Thanks to the members who have shown theirs.
Denny
 
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