Website Review please - Website Designers Dundee

barry100 · #1 15-09-2008, 06:07 PM

Hi all. I have been constantly trying to design and redesign my website to a point where it has become an obsession. I have redesigned it probably around 30 times in the past 2 years and I am now getting to a point where I am almost at the end of my tether.

Any ways here goes.

I am a website designer from Dundee and I have a first page spot on Google.co.uk for the term Website Designer.

It has taken me many years of SEO and redesigning and rewriting my text to get this position and I have recently been told in another business forum that my previous website looked like a template website and the people who where reviewing the site told me they would not hire me from the site as it was too plain and boring so i have come up with this design and I think that although it will probably kill off my search engine rankings simply because it has pretty much NO real content, that it will bring me more business than i am currently getting because in general, it is a better looking website.

Any way click the links below to see the site

NEW DESIGN

Website Designers Dundee

Previous Design

Website Designers Dundee (old Site)

I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the matter above and thanks for reading

barry100 · #2 15-09-2008, 06:26 PM

thanks for the heads up there... I dont know what to do with my website .. like I said, Ive designed and redesigned it to a point where im so frustrated that another redesign is always just around the corner...

I dont know what do do .. I cant please very one .. i cant even please my self with my design most of the time ..

its frustration to the max!!

I wish I could design my website and then just leave it for lets say a year. But the thing is I have total access to my server so i can just go in there in the morning and say a crap my new website design looks pretty crappy so i think ill go and redesign it today.

Its not as if I can just throw away the password for my website because I have a VPS so I can then just go and change the password..

Im beating my head against the wall here.

pvcprinting · #3 15-09-2008, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Trish

give it to me, I'll put it somewhere and not tell you the password :wink3:

Or give it to PVC Pete, he'll do something with it, not sure what but then he's not either.

for info this is a running battle between me and him and he thinks he can win.

NOT thinks...DOES!

barry100 · #4 15-09-2008, 07:04 PM

Ok ill give it to you all .. you can all have a go at redesigning my site ., best design gets a chocolate tea cup ... or maybe a bag of crisps .. which ever is cheaper

Lou · #5 15-09-2008, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry100

I have a first page spot on Google.co.uk for the term Website Designer.

... Position 6, in actual fact

I know diddly squat about web design, but - on a personal level - I confess to preferring the look/feel of the new design as I agree with the template criticism you've had for your current site (sorry :blush

BUT, BUT, BUT... surely you'd be CRAZY to change your site and risk losing such a good position? I guess you know best in terms of how competitive the term is, and how much traffic it brings, but I'd have thought that was a very enviable position to be in for your line of work, yes?

I do appreciate what you're saying about how many times you've played around with the design, so I guess the final question woud be - how well does your current site convert visitors into enquiries/sales? Is there any way you could tone down the 'template-ish' feel to your old site and jazz it up a little without changing the links/content?

Anyway, in your position, I really wouldn't mess around with wholescale changes and risk getting booted out of the rankings. I think you've done brilliantly to get where you are!

Oh, and welcome to the forum

admagic · #6 15-09-2008, 11:12 PM

Several issues.

(a) I much prefer old....although it can certainly be improved...

(b) Suggest you get a better header graphic designed....that alone would improve the professional feel , but , dont let that distract from the copy - it needs to be simple and elegant. By the way...your name is the very worst headline there is - so it should not be the most prominent thing on the page.

People do not care who you are unless your name is coca cola - or until you have proven what you can do for them

(c) Suggest you offer a free guide for sign ups! and make that the prime objective of your landing page

"the top 5 factors that make websites sell and the five worst mistakes you can make"

(d) Then.. the body copy of your site is far too bland. and I suspect your bounce rate is high....you need far more emotive benefits copy before you tackle the issue of price.

eg....

"Dont buy a website until you have read this!
because not all website designers are the same"

Here is why... Come to us for your website and we promise.

(...then tackle benefits and objections...)

(a) A lot of companies have got a bad name for charging hidden extras?? - NOT US!The price you pay is the price we agree! - you will never be charged an extra penny unless you have agreed it first.

(b) You will be kept informed at every stage - and you will never have to chase us at all!

(c) We will give you THREE choices of basic design - and you can choose which we use for the final site - and we will keep you involved in important decisions!

(d) All our websites always contain the essential four features needed on each page for the easiest way to get search engine ranking...and our guide on what to do next.

(d) Whats more you will get a free guide on how to market your website and how to get immediate free traffic!

etc
etc

Then close on trying to get a sign up...

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE - YOU NEED TO KNOW THERE ARE FIVE CRITICAL THINGS that make any website succeed , and five mistakes that will kill it stone dead!!

So please download this guide!

To make sure you plan your website to succeed

etc
etc

Nicksyb · #7 15-09-2008, 11:27 PM

Hi welcome to the forum

Having just looked at your website I agree with Lou the new one is better, it comes across as cleaner and does some cool things that just make it flow better.

However I'm not sure about the graphics on the top right fo the site it just seems weird to me.

I believe that your website should show off your skills and think the new one does that perfectly

Calibre Designs · #8 16-09-2008, 12:16 AM

Great review from everyone - esp Admagic.!

barry100 · #9 16-09-2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by admagic

Several issues.

(a) I much prefer old....although it can certainly be improved...

(b) Suggest you get a better header graphic designed....that alone would improve the professional feel , but , dont let that distract from the copy - it needs to be simple and elegant. By the way...your name is the very worst headline there is - so it should not be the most prominent thing on the page.

People do not care who you are unless your name is coca cola - or until you have proven what you can do for them

(c) Suggest you offer a free guide for sign ups! and make that the prime objective of your landing page

"the top 5 factors that make websites sell and the five worst mistakes you can make"

(d) Then.. the body copy of your site is far too bland. and I suspect your bounce rate is high....you need far more emotive benefits copy before you tackle the issue of price.

eg....

"Dont buy a website until you have read this!
because not all website designers are the same"

Here is why... Come to us for your website and we promise.

(...then tackle benefits and objections...)

(a) A lot of companies have got a bad name for charging hidden extras?? - NOT US!The price you pay is the price we agree! - you will never be charged an extra penny unless you have agreed it first.

(b) You will be kept informed at every stage - and you will never have to chase us at all!

(c) We will give you THREE choices of basic design - and you can choose which we use for the final site - and we will keep you involved in important decisions!

(d) All our websites always contain the essential four features needed on each page for the easiest way to get search engine ranking...and our guide on what to do next.

(d) Whats more you will get a free guide on how to market your website and how to get immediate free traffic!

etc
etc

Then close on trying to get a sign up...

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE - YOU NEED TO KNOW THERE ARE FIVE CRITICAL THINGS that make any website succeed , and five mistakes that will kill it stone dead!!

So please download this guide!

To make sure you plan your website to succeed

etc
etc

This is the kick in the arse ive been looking for for months .. if not years .. Im going to use this guide this week to rewrite my old home page and YES this will be the foundation for my website as a whole...

I used to be called Barrys Web Design and not simply Barry Mitchell, website Designer but people where telling me I sounded like a fish shop or a curry house ..

I have thought before about the free advice stuff but I just didnt know what to put in it.. suppose ill just have to pull up my socks and get on with it

thanks for the advice admagic

Im going to put this into action this week .. as soon as i get the time that is .. but as i sit here for most of my time then it will be quit soon

thanks again

admagic · #10 16-09-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry100

I have thought before about the free advice stuff but I just didnt know what to put in it..

Just put the basics website conversion - and essential on page SEO factors

Keyword research - naming pages and sites with keywords

H1 tags title tags, (description) and highlightng the key phrase in text

Grabbing attention Drawing eyeline

Benefits headline...

Proving value and credibility

A single objective for every page aiming for yes or no..

A positive call for action

An upsell on yes, and downsell on no.

The importance of split testing

And listbuilding is the most vital thing of all....

Avoiding slow load pictures

And avoiding flash all together unless it is attracting eyeline to a message contained...

In return for a permanent hyperlink in the guide...I might even write it for you. But not rightnow.