Just built website..looking for opinions.

[Todd@RUPES]

Looks good Billy, give me a call sometime soon!

T-dizzle

 

[presidential_detail]

So you're saying you did it yourself? Was it fairly easy or do you have some programmer in your blood?

I'm wanting to do the same thing for my "LusterShine Detailing" business.

Luster, yes I did it all myself. I will admit I have had a bit of training, but if you have figured out how to post pictures, etc. on this board then you should be smart enough to build your site. I would recommend wix.com, I wish I would have done this much sooner!!

Billy,

First, you have a really great start on a website. I've worked with professional design agencies who couldn't do this much work in a month let alone in a day. Well done.

I agree with the comments above about not listing your products, but I think you should make a strong statement about using only the finest professional products available on the market. That gives you more flexibility to change products to suit your needs without running contrary to your website claims.

You might simplify your services page by having the main "services" page have a block for each of the packages: Concours, Premium, Gold, Economy. Have a jump page take the viewer to each of the package detail pages. Also, a smaller point but you might consider renaming your packages along the same theme: Concours doesn't go with premium, gold, or economy. Even if you don't rename the packages I wouldn't use the word "economy."

On your main page - I love your logo. Consider removing the wheel and the mirror type. They are so light they detract from recognizing your logo. Also, try to give yourself a little more space between the logo and your jump links (home, services, etc.)

Regarding your fonts I would try to make your body text at least one maybe two points larger. I would also change the body copy to a serif font (like Times New Roman). Serif fonts are easier to read in body copy than the sans serif you used.

Sans serif fonts are great for headlines and so I wouldn't change what you have there. However, you should be consistent with the treatment. Some are all caps, some upper/lower, and some have all caps with an odd lower cap in the middle of the word. Simple upper/lower case san serif is a good readable combination. Also have your headline blocks all the same: most are yellow box, but one is red.

Again, great start on your first web page! :thumbup:

Thank you for the constructive criticism, I have changed quite a few things since you posted this and I will keep updating it!

Nice job, Billy!

I agree with the previous suggestions:

- Check the grammar (bear with us; clients' vehicles, etc.)
- Increase the font size. (I'm an old dude.)
- The reflection behind your logo is distracting and doesn't seem to fit the design.
- Rewrite the process descriptions to speak to premium car owners, rather than to us forum members.

But, mostly, congratulations on pulling down those prices in Tampa! Looks like you've got a very successful business going. Best of luck!

Thanks! Like mentioned above I have changed quite a bit, take another look!

Looks good Billy, give me a call sometime soon!

T-dizzle

Thanks! Ill give you a shout tomorrow sometime!

 

[presidential_detail]

From another site.

Looks very good to me so far for a free builder. The only thing I'd change is the order of your packages. Least $$$ to most $$$. Even I went like... WOW! 30+ hours for the first package!!!

Thanks! The order of the packages has been changed from least $$$ to most $$$.

Its ok. The page is curtailed at the bottom-anyway to expand that? I understand you're using a site builder and i doubt they'll let you remove their logo?

I think the text is over bearing on the services page. It's just an ongoing waterfall of words and indents. Looks really cumbersome. I would back off the indepth descriptions and strip it down to what the customer needs to know (aka, remove the process aspect, b/c I dont' care how you clean my car, i just want it clean!) LOL

I started this as a free builder, I ended up paying $5/month to be able to use my domain name with it. I believe you can get all the wix ads and logos removed for a certain $$/month. I moved the prices to the top of the page and kept the detailed process info incase the customer wants to read through. Otherwise, they can just look at the price and move on or decide thats what they want.

It's a good start for a free site, but I think you have way to much going on with the "Flash". I'm just not keen on that, I don't want to see things moving around the page and also people with slower computers will just click off your site because it will take forever to upload; also, Googles robots don't like flash to much, so I don't think it's good for SEO. I'm rebuilding my site now and I've learned that content and keyword rich pages are a big key. Your homepage seems to have grammar errors and should be worded differently. Hope this helps and feel free to PM me. I found a designer on a Webmaster Forum(I won't tell you how cheap I'm having my site built for, but this girl is awesome) and I'll give you her contact info.

thank you! I backed off some of the flash, just figured out I could do so. Hopefully this will take a little of that over the top bling factor off, I agree with you on this one. Im hoping it will also make it load and navigate a bit quicker by doing so. Grammars have been fixed as far as I can tell, let me know if you find anything!

Looks great!

Don't Like: The site builder stuff, the services section is too cumbersome.
I cant remove the site builder stuff for a certain $$ amount. Check out the new services format!

Like: The testimonial section is awesome. I love your setup of customer, package, picture...the whole thing.

Thank you! I take pride in this section! I am really impressed with the outcome as well! Now I need to bug my old customers to give me a testimonial!! haha!

I think it'll come together but it looks good. Your testimonials alone would sell me.

Anyway to tweak the site to get rid of the sitebuilder stuff and alter the favicon?
Not sure if you can change the favicon, but it may be possiblwe when you upgrade your account.

I have some thoughts on this site which I will post later on tonight.

Looking forward to what you have to say!

it doesn't load well on dial up which could be an issue.

I wont worry about the low percentage of people using dial up. but I am working on making it load quicker either way.

You used the word "bare" in the wrong context.

It should be "bear wiht us"

FIXED!


Thanks to all the constructive critcism, you guys have helped me make a dramatic difference in the construction of the site already! :getdown

 

[Chubby Davis]

One thing is never use the word ECOMONY... specially if somebody paying 3 bills for washy waxey.
Obama would be proud!
Good luck and good detailing!

 

[MB Fan]

Billy,

The changes look good! Well done!

I especially like how you cleaned up the services page using jump pages. A couple of small things:

1) You need a space after the "Presidential Gold" and "Package." Same on Platinum and Concorso.

2) Now that you are using a jump page in your services section is there anyway to highlight the links so that the viewer can see which link is active? For example if you are on the Platinum page can you have the Presidential Platinum link change shape/color? It would just be a visual cue to click on the other links to see the details of the other services. ancing Dot:

 

[presidential_detail]

Billy,

The changes look good! Well done!

I especially like how you cleaned up the services page using jump pages. A couple of small things:

1) You need a space after the "Presidential Gold" and "Package." Same on Platinum and Concorso.

2) Now that you are using a jump page in your services section is there anyway to highlight the links so that the viewer can see which link is active? For example if you are on the Platinum page can you have the Presidential Platinum link change shape/color? It would just be a visual cue to click on the other links to see the details of the other services. ancing Dot:

Fixed the spacing, unfortunately it will not let me have it change color or anything while I am on that page, but I did atleast make them change with a roll over as well as an audible "click" when you click them.

 

[MB Fan]

I like the rollover on the packages - that helps set them off and gives the viewer the visual cue to explore.

On the services page the space I was referring to was a space needed after the close quote. On the clip below see how you have "Moto (space)close quote Package:

Presidential ?Moto "Package Approx. 5-8 hours)

It should be "Moto" (space) Package...

Also you have interior detailing steps copied into the moto section...

 

[presidential_detail]

I like the rollover on the packages - that helps set them off and gives the viewer the visual cue to explore.

On the services page the space I was referring to was a space needed after the close quote. On the clip below see how you have "Moto (space)close quote Package:

Presidential ?Moto "Package Approx. 5-8 hours)

It should be "Moto" (space) Package...

Also you have interior detailing steps copied into the moto section...

Thanks! I checked all the spacing your referring to, its all normal. The quoted text is italicized so it may be throwing you off a bit.

 

[MB Fan]

Billy,

Its really taking shape. I am amazed you got this much design work done so quickly.

I like the thumbnail pic you have on the home page. Will your web design package allow you to make this picture change every few seconds? If it will, you might consider having a repeating slideshow of some of your work using a variety of cars/types.

The spacing on the services page titles looks much better! You must have put in an extra space after the italics. I also think adding your phone numbers and a "call me" is a great call to action. Well done!

 

[imported_RaskyR1]

Looking much better Billy! :clap:

 

[hopsgt500]

The site looks good, easy to navigate and not cluttered. :clap:

 

[John Henry]

Wow! Great work, man!

 

[presidential_detail]

Billy,

Its really taking shape. I am amazed you got this much design work done so quickly.

I like the thumbnail pic you have on the home page. Will your web design package allow you to make this picture change every few seconds? If it will, you might consider having a repeating slideshow of some of your work using a variety of cars/types.

The spacing on the services page titles looks much better! You must have put in an extra space after the italics. I also think adding your phone numbers and a "call me" is a great call to action. Well done!

Thanks for the help! Ill see if I can get the front picture to rotate. Thanks for all the help! As always, let me know if you find anything out of the norm!

Looking much better Billy! :clap:

thanks Rasky!

The site looks good, easy to navigate and not cluttered. :clap:

Wow! Great work, man!

Thanks guys!

 

[imported_gewb]

Well, after a year in business I have been slacking on having a REAL website built. When I started my business, one of the first things I bought was a domain name, so Ive always had that forwarded to a local forum where I post all my work to temporarily direct people to my work that way. I just recently had the brilliant idea(dont ask why not sooner) to just go ahead and build my own using a free site builder.

I put the site together over a period of about a day, and I am still adding more content. Remember, its a FREE builder and I dont build sites for a living, so dont be too harsh! haha!

Let me know what you guys think?!? :wavey

www.presidentialdetailing.net

I really like the work you do on cars but please hire a professional to do your Website...this is a FREE builder and you get what you pay for.

Regards,
GEWB

 

[presidential_detail]

I really like the work you do on cars but please hire a professional to do your Website...this is a FREE builder and you get what you pay for.

Regards,
GEWB

Well, its not totally free. But thats the point, its FREE, it looks pretty good, sure its not the fanciest and doesnt have some of the features I would like, but it gets the job done for now until I can afford to pay for a real site.