Looking for advice on design

[mariojino]

We are about 50% done on our website www.diby.biz but have serious concerns over;

Is it clear and easy to understand what we are selling?

Is the yellow text with black ground hard to read?

Is the site to cluttered with text and images?

Is the flash intro too long?

Some pages have the blend effect, but we noticed it took a long time to load, which type should we use?

The login, search, agent search applications do not work, as well as some links, under construction.

All comments and feedbacks are appreciated. Thank you.

[Vasili]

Redesigning A Site With a Flash Intro

Honestly? I would have stuck to the "impressed format" of the intro and followed up with it to project onto the site....to maintain better continuity and integrated look. It would have been *****er, simpler, and much more professional overall. As it is now, the intro is slick, but there is a definitive "let down" when the site emerges.
> Would have kept the white bordered "grid" structure, and thus been able to capitalize on the clean 'stackable" aspect of using images with text laid over as "buttons" or navigable options.

The use of yellow and purple is incongruent with all but the black background itself.....throughout the intro, the use of light and color as visually "organized" by white borders (even the gray opaquing is a variant of the white cell borders) helps to convey the "clean, snappy" desire of the many choices of houses, interiors, etc. Not only the radiused corner shapes but the purple/yellow themed page design casts a foreboding pall on anything presented (although that is a technique to focus visitors attention to text, that tactic is not suitable for this type of site - IMO). The intro pretty much has conditioned visitors to being prepared to make "choice" the operative concept for the site (making a choice/easy choice, more selection, etc.), so they will easily migrate to using the same clues to making site choices (navigation, category, info, etc.). That is what I mean by maintaining continuity for the visitor, which, if done right, is not only "actionable" (conversions) but 'directable' (you can predict desired interaction = real site fulfillment/functionality, the core "purpose" of "visitor conversion", yes?).

Watch the intro a few dozen times, and see for yourself how it would be optimally followed by a similarly themed site page rather than as is presently. Imagine how the natural "flow" would look instead....

PS: Changing things from what they are now is not really that much of a strain -- simply change properties on your shapes and possibly substitute a few "colored" backgrounds with images themselves....see how visuals add 'punch' to any text, linked or not!

NOW..for the "tech" mentions:
1. Logo in the intro is not the same as on site (never customized the intro, huh?)
2. All images on the site are heavily pixellated, indicating you "stretched" them rather than "re-sized" them properly
3. The simple alignments of objects and fields on the site are sloppy, and throw a real "beginner" aspect to the site.
4. Navigation theme is not consistent or "clean" enough to appear associated with the intro itself.
5. Your site should be the exact page size (as wide as) the intro, thus providing a transition that is proper.
6. You should have used a "page" background, like the same gray as the opaque in the intro....you would see the benefit of doing so.

and there are more....but others will follow....

[mariojino]

Re: Looking for advice on design

Wow! that was a lot to digest, good ideas though, thank you. I will try to redo the index page to reflect more of the intro theme like you described. I should have mentioned we are having the intro changed to reflect our logo and the "select an interior" section changed to "select a coach" with pictures of agents to select. I will take your advice and try to make the recommended changes. I guess it really shows I'm a beginner, but learning quickly! thanks again

[Vasili]

Re: Looking for advice on design

No, don't apologize at all! I was hoping you didn't think I was hammering you, but sometimes there is no way to describe the major concepts without getting so myopically focused and "contrasting".....

Just remember how important "continuity" and "flow" are to websites .... just like a movie (all visual) and as full of information as a book (precisely why we call it publishing, and index pages, right?). And when you are required to throw in a fair amount of psychology to make sure it has the natural rythm, then you have the basic idea of how to build a User-Friendly website.

Subtle changes and nudges have great impact when using such ineterpersonal "buttons" like visual and auditory stimulation....

[Vasili]

Re: Looking for advice on design

PS: You did know that since you "own" the intro, you can pull out the individual images depicted to use on your site as well, right? This might provide the backdrops/backgrounds that could prove useful, and add to the definitive continuity you seek....


(they are in the Images Folder, of course!)

[mariojino]

Re: Looking for advice on design

I rushed a page up at www.diby.biz/hometest.php hoping you would have a chance to view it and see if I understood what you meant by keeping the flow of flash intro design. Now, if this is close to being correct, how far (many) do we take this concept throughout the site? It would be hard to put our text info and search results pages in that format (search results page being created, view sample at www.diby.biz/doug.php ).

Everyone here agreed with your comments and did not take it as "hammering". We all appreciate your time and input. thanks again.

[Vasili]

Re: Looking for advice on design

OK...I made a very rough mock up using some of the pix to fairly represent actual size (?), but hopefully it is something to give you a visual clue on how to emulate a conditioned visual formatting.....Mock-Up Page


1. Search Function – first interaction invitation.
You will note I eliminated the "Country" and "State" fields from your Search Box (listing City and Zip take care of that). Additionally, unless you are internationally affiliated, you need to restrict to the US and not offer "Country" (unless you meant "County" and then Zip still takes care of that).

2. First “Page” Content Area – emphasized site purpose.
You need developed Content on your pages, no matter how lean. If on the leaner side, limit yourself to bulleted lists to ‘punch’ import to options, specialties, or items that may spur interest that may be “inside” but not necessarily in the Menu.
You need to use H-Meta tags in this content, since you will be using it on interior pages and it must first be use-defaulted on your index page (Keep in mind that using abbreviated style optimization on the index page or in tight sports allows you to incorporate more Key Words and phrases into this development of H-Meta, and this is especially strategic when combining them dual use as ‘Headings’ for lists and “H-Meta Tags’ for page value. This H-Meta example was not shown on this mock-up).


3. Interior Pages Layout – text or "listings" heavy
Simply push right with the white text area, since you really do not need the icon nav's at that point, and again, you can stretch as far down as you need to -- just maintain the left nav sidebar, as it comes in handy. Like this.
Also...if you not the size of the little gray "ads"....they can be all set in the nav sidebar rather than along the bottom of interior pages, if they need to be so placed to fulfill advertising promises for placement on minimum pages, for instance. You would then have the white page area all the way to the margined page bottom (along with the footer under page bottom). Not only does this solve an odd blank are space issue, but it also helps keep the page that much shorter.

4. If you notice, I set up the index page so all the important elements were "above the fold" (the bottom of the normally viewable area, like in "newspaper fold"), and it is always better to add more pages than to have long ones......(psychologically it also seems to appear that you have more than meets the eye too). Also note that the tops of the bottom row of “icons” are also above the fold, and should be similarly labeled to draw visitor focus evenly across the page, thus satisfying the subliminal “balance act” that naturally occurs, and still offers a wider offering altogether.

Hopefully this gives some visual aid in seeing a perspective other than a simple post of words…..remember, this was only a very rough mock, and for suggestions only. You can do whatever you wish, and size it however best suits your unique needs or requirements.
The principles, however, are sound, and worthy to be considered.

IMO

[CarbonTerry]

Re: Looking for advice on design

When I am wanting information or trying to spend money the last thing that I want is to sit through a flash intro. Just having to click to enter is an annoyance for me.
Call me old fashioned......??
The colors and placement of elements makes this page totally unreadable for me. Too many different colors with boxes in a seemingly random placement. I cannot focus on any one area.
Not to be harsh, just giving my honest opinion.

[CarbonTerry]

Re: Looking for advice on design

Hello Vasili,
Your mock up pages would work for me. It's well organized and has a flow that makes it easy to read.
woohoo

[mariojino]

Re: Looking for advice on design

We are working on implementing some of your great ideas. Thank you for putting up examples for us to view, I really appreciate the time.

We had another suggestion to open the page up 1000 wide, is that a good idea? We did notice our big competitors have done so.

[Vasili]

More Expert Web Design Pointers From Vasili

How important is it for you to create and "brand" your own look?

Overall, do they also have an intro and a seamles site transition as well that contributes to their conversion?
Are you modelling your business on your vision, or the methodologies that you can 'deduce' from your "competitors"?
Are you more inclined to be viewable/accessible to the general online population by defaulting to 800 wide, or are you aiming for a more "professional" market share whom you assume all have widescreen laptops?

There are seemingly countless details that are essential to understanding the importance of the minutia of web design, and it takes a lot of planning and "studying" to come to a balanced (workable) perspective that makes sense to implement.

Following trends, whims, or current gimmickery simply is not only unsustainable, but becomes a liability to credibility in most instances whilst becoming the obvious "reach" that incongruent with your business ethics ...... do you own thing, and do it well!


And, if necessary to get the technology to do what you want it to despite present personal abilities, get with someone that can -- within all of your parameters!

[mariojino]

Re: Looking for advice on design

In reply to your questions;
At this point branding or creating our own look is important to us.
None of the competition has an intro.
The reasoning behind going to 1000 wide was because we notice even on desktops without widescreen monitors the entire page was shown without having to scroll over, just a little smaller. I assumed it was dependent upon their monitor settings. I take it this is not true.
The theory behind copying the competition is based upon the idea that if these companies are making millions of dollars a month, why recreate the wheel, just do what they do a little bit better. They have already spent the money to research colors, website schemes, etc.
I appreciate your replies and suggestions, we are still working on the changes.
thanks again