website review, very important

[raganok]

hi every one here i am once again asking for a review on this my new website i published please be cruel tell me the good and bad of it thanks very much for your comments....this is the site------------------>>>>>
www.4startransportationinc.com

[Marincky]

Re: website review, very important

I like it!.. But then I would, being an ex truck and bus driver

[HalaalPages]

Re: website review, very important

I like what you have going...the colors flow nicely and it has a nice feel to it.

However

- I would change the nav bar's image to something else...the current one is not working in this design

- I would center the pages in the browser...it takes the design up a notch. Move all your contents on the page to the very left, (0,0) go to View, Page Properties, check "Center in Browser" check box.

[Karen Mac]

Re: website review, very important

im getting the server page.. dunno why.. but i am

Karen

[Vasili]

Re: website review, very important

Frankly, I question the duplication of a "button" style Menu altogether, especially with so little Content (obviously, there could be more added in many categories, to really support the self-promotion aspect of a website).

Since your buttons are in the sidebar as normal, I would resolve the "missing" optimizaton values by creating a text-based "footer navigation" scheme to pick up a notch to better comply with SE and visitor standards to replace the theme across the top.

And, yes, the simple things that mean so much: center in browser, perfect alignment of elements, revising the font/layout/color of Content to best reflect the 'theme' and flow development, replacing images that show distortion from poor formatting, reformatting the background(s) to something less rudimentary, etc., etc.

Really think about the navigation aspects I mentioned, and give some thought to developing more Content (and optimal SE metric value = overall www relevancy), either as narrower focused "categories" or simply adding categories and composing for them! Testamonials? Client List? Specialty services? More technical capabilities? The key is to publish not only more descriptive Content to 'convert' visitors according to interest, but to relate to other websites/providers/brands that may increase your site's impact and standing.

[bysandra]

Re: website review, very important

Hi Raganok,
I love your colour choices. I think you have made the new site easy to read and easy on the eyes. Now some tweaking.

Navigation. I like the buttons fine but I agree that you only need them once. Choose top or side. IMO the side works better. Also in my opinion I would leave a wider space between each button. This would help balance with the content. I would move the navigation buttons in from the left. You have a large amount blank space on the right. You will not need that much on the left but at the moment the design looks un-balanced. I would also make the navigation buttons narrower (horizontal)
At the moment the home page looks like you don't know what to do with it. The print is very big and dark, that is OK, but the writing style is not consistent nor does it tell any one anything about why they might choose this transport firm. What do you want the visitors to know? Who do you want the visitors to be? Will the visitors know what LTL means?

I like the idea of your latest news box but it is too wide for the site. I would bring the right side in at least as far as the centre of the grill of the truck. I would also try moving it to the right side of your page to see if it helps the balance.

Remember these are only IMO design and colour are very individual. (I love the gradient green background)

One more point, If Joe was here he would tell you that you need to work on the page titles.

Good Luck with the tweaking,

[Collectors-info]

Re: website review, very important

Hi, nice looking layout & colours. Not sure on the double menu?
Had to laugh at the diesel prices, its around $7.55 per US gallon over here.

Good luck.

[jcaywood]

Re: website review, very important

On your contact us page, I would suggest using a form instead of putting the live email addresses (it opens your email program to send an email when you click on it). This will help to keep bots from harvesting the email addresses. Or at least separate the email address from the names and publish them as a .jpg.

And you should revise your titles of each page to include pertinent information instead of reading "Home", "Contact", etc. (right click - Page Properties - Title)

[jcaywood]

Re: website review, very important

BTW: Good luck on the business. I retired from the Transportation field (as a shipper and a carrier) and loved the industry.
Is your site geared towards business or drivers? If business, you might put more info about P/U, Delivery, transit times, etc and include a simple way for a shipper to contact you for a quote.
If for drivers, more info about service areas, long-haul?, policies, stuff to grab their attention and make them want to contact you.

The site could be used for both.

Also, the map is great, but you might put another map showing your location in regards to the city (like from a higher elevation). For someone not familiar with El Paso, they might not know if you are on the west side or east side, or downtown...

[raganok]

Re: website review, very important

thanks everyone for youre comments i will fix those issues
thank you for taking the time to review it....

[KeithN]

Re: website review, very important

Hi Raganok. Not sure I like the picture on the "Truck driver's Prayer" page. The lady looks as if she is burning, on my screen. Gave me quite a nasty shock.
Otherwise, it looks good, although the text is a bit solid for my taste. It looks as if its all in bold. Try making a copy of the whole thing with a different font for the body text. Only takes a bit of time. All the hard work is done already.

[Vasili]

Re: website review, very important

OK, so you have a totally new look.

There is a real problem with how a destination like this is supposed to be satisfied with a website that is so lacking, in my professional opinion (as a webbie and a travel professional). For instance, the amenities of the hotel are ignored completely, if it weren't for a picture of the single tennis court and barely a picture of the beach itself. You have a lot of things listed on the main page, but no supporting description or pictures whatsoever. It amounts to "stuffing" the page with enticing Key Words, but offers potential consumers anything to evaluate cognizantly at all.

> For instance, in the one picture that highlights "trees" (who in their right mind gives a poop about trees when planning a vacation?) the obvious real draw for clients would be the plunge pools/tubs outside the slding doors for select rooms only (obviously bottom floor rooms).

Another good example is the total disconnect regarding your "rooms descriptions": looks like you got started, or maybe did not understand what the client supplied you with: there is an obvious difference between tywo types of rooms, just as you can see in the only 2 room pictures on the site. Are there fold outs for kids? Any restrictions of persons per room? Age limitations? etc.

What are the eating/dining options? Is it European Plan, All-Inclusive, etc.?? Is there a dining facilty on premises? Room Service? Nearby? How much, and what are the options "in town"? Things like this are crucial to anyone with the money to travel and consider staying somewhere.....

What about transportation to/from the airport? Is there a shuttle available, or are guests supposed to figure that out on their own, only to finally get a taxi and arrive all bent out of shape?

MUCH more detail needs to be attended to in developing a destination site such as this, and it really depends on the fine attention to details about the facility itself (maybe you need to ask 1000 questions after all?) and intelligent organization/layout of the website itself. Like the "calendar" .... which is useless .... you would have been better off installing the Web Calendar via Fantastico on a page and presenting it via an iFrame so it could be annotated easily by the Mgmt but not clients. example

Putting up a simple website (just as your prominent label implies) with barely any supposrting Content, without an obvious or thoughtful navigation scheme, or with so many incongruent sections that are not even accurate is a complete waste of time and the client's money, let alone helpful to your "professional reputation": you want the website to perform, at least to minimal expectations, and the only way that is possible is if the Search Engines find and evaluate the minimum of expected elements to assign a rank! Without good development of Content, tight page relevancy that leads to overall site relevancy, and the details that are the foundation of visitor conversion, the site is doomed.

You should surf a number of sites belonging to the competition .... take good not of the 'basic' web design standards, and note the types of details and elements each proprietor includes as core promotions and how they cleverly work in the unique offerings they are proud to present. Find your inspiration anywhere you can, and trhen translate it into a real worthy plan for your client! They deserve that much, you think (at any price)??


You asked for brutal honesty, so I hope I haven't crushed you after all!
IMO

[Collectors-info]

Re: website review, very important

Hi Vasili, have you got the right site or did i miss something.??????????????

[davidundalicia]

Re: website review, very important

You havnt missed anything Chris

hi every one here i am once again asking for a review on this my new website i published please be cruel tell me the good and bad of it thanks very much for your comments....this is the site------------------>>>>>

www.4startransportationinc.com

[Vasili]

Re: website review, very important

Hi Vasili, have you got the right site or did i miss something.??????????????

Ya know, Chris, it was very late (2-3am) and I had all his sites up, and frankly I wondered about things too, but went on some tangent about the VILLA DE FLORENCIA site, recalling some refrence in another Showcase thread about all his sites .... so it does tend to make me look somewhat foolish or like I had a wild hair up my butt, but, it's probably better if I cash in one of those "Oh! Well, never mind" cards I found in the hallway a month ago ........

The transportation site is coming along nicely, more conforming and as expected (background, images) but I still do not see anything done with the nav or Content development......

LOL