My New Website - Feedback

[Kersten]

So, I finally broke down and got a website. Honestly, I have been avoiding it for some time, and finally decided to give it a go. It is still very much a work in progress, but I would appreciate any and all constructive feedback My fiancé , bless 'em, isn't much help...he just says everything always "looks great", lol!



Thanks!!

 

[Buttsmom]

Only had a minute to take a peek since I'm walking out the door to work, but I like it!!!

 

[Skatergirl46]

I have to agree with your fiance', I think it's great too. It's easy to read and navigate, and I love how you can click on a picture and get a nice big view of the soaps. :clap:

 

[squeakycleanuk]

Looks good, eye-catching, user friendly with professional looking pics. Products look amazing too

 

[Kersten]

Thanks for the feedback y'all! I really appreciate it. This is my fist site, and I really have no clue what I'm doing, lol! My main goal was just a clean, simple site that was easy to use, so I'm stoked that that came across just curious, was anyone put-off by the use of black throughout the site?

 

[Buttsmom]

I liked the black.

 

[Sapwn]

Very nice Kersten. It really "looks great!"

 

[DeeAnna]

Okay, I am not a super expert on websites, but I've put a few together. I offer my comments purely as constructive feedback. If they really don't fit for you, please disregard. I mean to help and do not intend to cause any offense. That said, I know it's hard for me to hear constructive criticism at times, and I am sure it is tough at times for others too. So, okay, with all that out of the way, here goes...

The upper part of the home page (the "above the fold" section that I first see) has at least 6 different fonts -- the banner, the slogan below the banner, the logo in the box, the navigation links, the subheads, and the body text. This variety is a bit much -- I might pare that down to 2 or 3 fonts.

The overall feel of your website has a modern, fun feel to it. The horizontal rules (the fancy, swirly designs) that separate sections are elegant and traditional. Might there be other designs available for the rules that would add to the fun, modern feel?

I'd redesign your logo in the box to be less rectangular and replace your current banner "Gypsy Armadillo Soapworks" with the redesigned logo. I think that would punch up the design and add to the fun.

Evaluate every element on your home page -- does it lure visitors to linger and shop? As an example, does the "Current Lead Time" statement help with that goal? If it does, by all means leave it on the home page. If it doesn't, consider moving it to the main page of the store section. If you do want it on the home page, does it need to be as big and bold? Does it need to be in the critical "above the fold" section of your home page?

The use of a black background can be dramatic and bold, but it is not always the most readable choice, especially in a low-contrast color scheme, such as your pale grey body text over a black background. Low contrast designs appear fresh and sophisticated at first, but are tiring to read for many folks over 50 and for those of any age with less-than-perfect eyesight.

The "fine print" at the bottom of your home page is nearly unreadable on my monitor. I suspect it might not be the best idea to put text on top of the swirly border pattern.

There is a lot of empty black space below the main content on your home page. Extra carriage returns or something? I know this is a work in progress, so I realize this may be something that will eventually be tidied up.

What I really like -- You are working to ensure consistency from page to page -- big kudos to you! Your logo is seriously cool -- I love the armadillo holding the soap. Simple, easy to use navigation system. Love the pics of your soaps -- clear and crisp, well lit, and detailed. Overall the website shows excellent attention to detail and evidence of hours of hard work and thought.

It's clear you want this website to be a big success, and I think you are on the right track!

Like I said, YMMV. Hope this is useful to you.

 

[Koshka]

when I click on the individual pictures, they open up as very large files. Maybe you should consider fixing it
You have tons of info on the front page, I would add more links and pictures, when a person comes to visit your page, you should capture their attention right away.
Also, first thing I've looked at was the background pattern. It's too busy, imho, and takes away from the content.

Good luck!

 

[Kersten]

DeeAnna, Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such awesome, detailed feedback!! You are amazing A fresh and critical pair of eyes is truly priceless. You gave me tons of great points to think on, and I am sincerely grateful.

Koshka: Good point! I had pulled the pictures up on my ipad and saw they were big and didn't completely fit my screen, but i thought that was unique to the ipad format. I'll have to see about reducing them.

I am using "Webs" as a host, and although I'm happy enough with the platform, i will say it is not as dynamic as I had hoped it to be. It can be pretty difficult to mess with the fonts and other design elements, and the selection of individual page themes and overall templates is also limited. It also restricts some elements such as font of the titles and other such components based on the theme chosen, so that is a bit annoying. If you are looking for a host and are considering webs, I would say they are good if you are satisfied with creating a simple, basic site, but if you are wanting to get super creative with your site, I would say go for a more dynamic platform that provides more overall control over content

Thanks again for all the feedback! Y'all ROCK

 

[Bann51]

Loved how your pictures seemed to come to life when you click on them. I liked DeeAnna's suggestions. I am one of those, over 50, people she mentioned. For me, a brighter background makes things easier to read. I think for someone who did this own their own for the first time, it's awesome!

 

[Kersten]

Thank you for the feedback, Bann51. I'm going to have to figure our a solution to t the readability issue, for sure. I think I can brighten the background without changing the entire theme (hopefully). Would changing the font to white / off white help readability, or is that hard on the eyes, too?

 

[Relle]

I'm not a fan of the black background I found the black with white hard to read and the bright pink on top a bit glary (probably because of the black), I don't think, changing to off white would make any difference. Your photos are all different sizes, I would make them all the same to make it a bit more uniform. I agree with Koshka that the background is a bit busy and takes away from the content of the page.

When you click on Why Handmade Soap ? and there is a photo there, I'm wondering is that your photo that you took or is that a commercial photo from a shop, because if it is the latter you should get permission or they could sue you. If you did take it yourself and its their product you would also need permission to add it to your site. The photo on the soap of the month club - is that yours also or someone else's shop ?

 

[Kersten]

When you click on Why Handmade Soap ? and there is a photo there, I'm wondering is that your photo that you took or is that a commercial photo from a shop, because if it is the latter you should get permission or they could sue you. If you did take it yourself and its their product you would also need permission to add it to your site. The photo on the soap of the month club - is that yours also or someone else's shop ?

Thanks for the feedback.

The picture is part of the "Creative Commons", and actually this one came as a "Stock Photo" with the software used by my site host, so there are no infringements . If you are not familiar with the "Creative Commons", check it out. It's a great way to get what I call "place holder photos" . Each photo will have different terms of use, and as long as those are followed you are free to use them within those terms.

Edited to add: The two photos you are speaking of are the same, just formatted differently. All other photos, save the ones on my blog, which are also part of the "Creative Commons" are mine.

 

[Relle]

Thank you for that, I'll go and have a look, never know when you need something.

 

[Bann51]

Sorry to take so long to reply. The best way to tell how you should do your backgound and lettering is to look at other websites. Go to websites you know that are successful. They're your best teacher. You don't have to imitate them, but you can get your best ideas and examples from them. Readability is the key to keeping people's eyes on your site and inticing them to go through your web pages. Do the best you can. You'll find that many of us have suggetions and you can't use them all and don't get intimidated by them all. Take what speaks to you and what you can realistically do. Good luck.