Website construction advice.

[salesrep]

I am currently in the middle of completely redesigning my website.

Questions for y'all.
What makes a website easy to read?
attractive?
easy to navigate?
What ****es you off with certain sites?
what do you like about certain sites?
what have you found unique recently that you like?
Does it bother you to give up your phone number?
address?
email?

etc?
etc?

Any feedback that may help me in this creation is appreciated.

Mark
Specialized Lubricants

 

[will_gurt]

email doesn't bother me but address and/or phone,unless i am purchasing something really does.

 

[nobull1]

I had a real issue with email,name, phone and address for a long time. Finally I decided it added credibility to your site if it was there. If you look at my site you will see there is not much personal info left out. Your email can be web site specific which would cause no grief. As far as what works, that is a good question. If you get a web designer to do it you get a opinion from a person who does them for a business. Other than that it is trial and error. Even with a designer it is still trial and error though. Myself I don't like the white background as it seems too common. But that is only my opinion and might go against what everyone else thinks. Some people don't run java so you might not want to add a lot of it to your site :beatsme. If you wanted you could post early stages of your site to get opinions. But in the end it is still just a personal choice.

 

[Jeff D.]

Salesrep,I like websites that offer information that can be educational,whether someone buys a product from the site,or not.

An example might be: Your site doing a comparison on petro base versus synthetic in different applications,ie gearboxs/engines/hydraulics.Or para synthetic versus fully synthetic.The more hard data,the better.Pros and cons in both camps.

I read a magazine called Overdrive.It mostly serves to try and recruite truck drivers,but one thing it gives in return is interesting articles about things that affect drivers,like maintanance,new products,etc. Without the articles I'd never pick it up,but the educational value is enough to get me to read it.

The more free educational material your site could provide on lubrication,the more people are going to look at it,and hopefully the more people would buy your product.

One thing I don't care for is when a company strictly compares it's product to the competitions,in a "ours is the only one that's any good !" type of comparison.To point out ones good points,without running everyone else down,is something I admire.(something politicians could learn)

Lastly (and I hope I won't get banned for this) I wouldn't use the brown and yellow format for the site.As great as this site is,I personally don't care for the color arrangement.I'm use to it now,but at first I thought"whew-wee,just add some corduroy and it would scream the seventies!"
(Steves leaning back in his chair,bell bottoms,half buttoned polyester shirt,and all,saying "Wut chew talking bout Willis??)

 

[Stonehenge]

What I like to see in a website:

Nice, clean navigation
No audio files/music
No motion (flashing things, wiggling things, etc), unless it's very subtle
Faces sell - include some pictures
A fast loading page
No flash (bad for search engines)
No javascript (see above)
CSS is a good thing
Content is king

There are a few other things specific to your site, too. PM me for that.

 

[salesrep]

Great feedback. Thanks, I am working with a designer and am in the process of tweeking.

One thing I am doing is having 6 minute downloadable " click on" videos
Trucking. On the truckers page
Machining " "
Heavy equip
ind. oils

Will a new visitor click on these promo videos?
Think I shoud put them at the top of the page or the bottom?

 

[digger242j]

Lastly (and I hope I won't get banned for this) I wouldn't use the brown and yellow format for the site.As great as this site is,I personally don't care for the color arrangement.

Jeff, it's BROWN DIRT and YELLOW IRON! What other color scheme could possibly be as appropriate??

Lucky for you good taste isn't a requirement for membership here. Otherwise it'd be :ban for you...

:bouncegri

Salesrep, the comments I was going to make have already been posted by others. I'm sure if you could give the gang a glimpse of your site as a "work in progress" before it goes online, that further constructive criticism would be forthcoming.

 

[Jeff D.]

Well then......I guess you told me!!! But I noticed you didn't say anything about Steve NOT wearing bell bottoms,and loose fitting open front shirts??
If anything,I thought that would get the "How DARE you??!!" not my opinion on the colors. :bouncegri

Seriously though,when I was having business cards made up,I wanted to put background colors on them,so they would stand out more.Against others recommendations I had them made "My way".Then after I got them made up I realized they were right.They were hard to read quickly,and what should've stood out didn't because the eye would pick up the overdominating background.
I then had them made up on plain old white cards(like WAS recommended)and they came out much better.

I'll must follow that with a "So there!!"(insert a little head with the tongue stuck out here)

 

[BRL]

Jeff,
I just assumed you had met Steve, so you would know there was nothing we would have to change in your description & no reason for you to be in trouble

Salesrep,
Ditto Stonehenge's comments.

 

[Jeff D.]

Hee-Hee!! :bouncegri

Who'd a thunk?Oh well,somewhere there's probly a few photo's of me coolin' out wiff da same style threads next to a AMC Gremlin.Until I've destroyed them I'd better bite my tongue!!

 

[digger242j]

:thumbsup

Nothing says "Heavy Equipment Forums class" quite like BRL's polyester doubleknit leisure suit though. (Shirt is brown. Suit is yellow.)