Website opinions

Rat

Rat

Club Sponsor
Alright guys...I need your input and opinions......

I am starting to get alot of competition on the web and think I should make some changes to my website.

What kind of changes should I do.........?

Do you think the flash intro is annoying...colors... do the pics suck......ect? Maybe I should have a professional build me a site instead of (me) a home builder trying to build it... :icon_psyc . Maybe the website is not bad and its just the economy that sucks?? Come on, pick it apart so I can work on whatever needs improvements. I want to generate alot more business for the up coming year.....and I need your help!!! Thanks!! :thumbsup:

www.timberlinebuilding.com
 
I hate flash intros.. if you have anything but the latest hardware/software and fast internet connection, it slows you down. It's like getting a "Click OK to Continue" box on the screen, except you sometimes have to wait for it to fully load before your click will take and you get past it.
 
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x3 on hating Flash intros. I have Flash and scripts disabled so most of the time I get a blank screen.

How about some pictures of interior finish work?
 
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  • Basic Intro
  • Display the information in a clear simple manner
  • Easy Navigation
  • Try to stay along the lines of one Color Scheme
  • Pictures,Pictures,Pictures
  • Optimize the site for fairly fast load times (if your site takes more then 30 seconds to load, I'm clicking the back button)
  • Visible, easy to read text
  • Nice logo that should be displayed at the top of the page
  • A E-mail address on the bottom of the page :thumbup:
  • Try to freshen the site every month or so with some new pictures of your work
  • A Nice photo gallery would be a nice feature!
 
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This is what I am looking for.....keep it coming! Also...any web designers want to PM me....feel free to make me some offers on what you can do.

Thanks
 
Flash Intros are usually a no-no. (and in your case it's really, un-needed.) needs better pictures and formatting, cleaner navigation, and a nicer photo gallery of your work (that matches the rest of the site, and a really easy way for potential customers to contact you. Sending a PM.
 
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I agree with most, that flash intro only detracts from your sites appeal. And that's even before anyone ever sees it. Remove it. Pictures of before and afters really make builder sites work. Specially when your speaking of remodel. I can go one step further and suggest doing small 2-3 minute video segments that outline and detail specific details that your company does that no one else bothers to address. focus on things that save money over 2-5 years and starts making returns on cost. Hot water heaters, windows, seals, heating and air. Simple stuff. Sometimes it's the simplest of features and things that makes people happy. I mean look at the pet rock. Look into a website that hast long term video capabilities like hulu or maybe a google video beta. Something that allows you to embed directly to your site with minimal if any borders or requirements.
 
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Thanks guys....I have started trying to change things around. If this doesnt work I will hire a pro!


Check out the changes....Im still updating pics

Give me some input on how this looks compared to the old layout :thumbsup:

www.timberlinebuilding.com
 
black background - bad.
flash intro - didnt see one (please keep it gone).
menu looks horrid.
logo is way too small & doesn't look good.
orange text looks nasty.
page view counter - bad.
small images.
information is spewed across the page, no orginization - misc ads, contact info, phone numbers, etc.
 
The logo and navigation need a lot of work. Blackbirdws6zzz is a graphics designer. I am sure if you threw some images at him and a description of what you want, he could help you out.

Ditch the all black background and come up with a template design where sections are divided properly and organized. Check http://www.templatemonster.com/ for some examples on what you could go for.

Also, try a better color scheme, something brighter then black and orange. Reminds people of Halloween.

For your images, try better quality. And maybe make them thumbnails to larger images (if they have to be small and you want people to view them in better quality). You can use this code to make a decent viewer for that.
http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex4/thumbnail.htm
If you want to make a slideshow for pictures or videos that is very customizable, you could try Slideshowpro or thumbgrid. But they cost money and you have to know how to edit XML files if you don't have Adobe Flash MX or higher on your machine. Which isn't tough to learn. They have a wiki site. http://slideshowpro.net

I would try Milonic for your menu. I have always had good luck with them. Although there are many others out there. Check out the list of different kinds of menus milonic offers Here. But like I said, there are others out there. It is fairly easy to customize and change.

Lose the counter. If you have to know how many people are hitting your site. Use Google Analytics. Best free site stat software you can get.

I also notice you're not using a site master file and a global style sheet. I would look into creating these. Makes editing your pages and styles for the site a lot easier and keeps your site safer.

Also, create a footer with just your business address, copyright info, contact info, and maybe an RSS if you decide to do that. All on one line, separate from the rest of the content, preferably in a different color bar. This would go in your site master file.

If you need help with anything, just shoot me a PM.
 
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