feedback on a website

[rebel heart]

Hey everyone. I'm looking for some (brutaly?) honest feedback on a website I built for the canvas guys in my marina. Great guys, and I was happy to help get them into the information age.

Murphy's Canvas - Home

- Do you like it?
- If you're going to get some canvas work done, what are you looking for?
- Any other feedback?

It's not exactly done yet; I just started on it a couple of days ago. But I figured you guys might have some feedback.

Edit:
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And when I'm asking "what are you looking for", what I mean is when you go online looking for marine stuff in general, but specifically canvas, what are you looking to find on the website? Length of time in operation, phone numbers, hours, photos, etc?

[Soft Air]

Looking good, I notice the contact info needs a font that can be seen easier, the actual pale color made me turn my screen in order to be able to read it.

I used to own a software/web design company with over 180 clients around the globe and I would reditribute the main menu to make it easier to browse. If the guys are on line at their office do publish an skype/msn status icon that allows people to get in touch at once, more business.

Looking good

[rebel heart]

Oh good idea on the instant messenger!

I've been writing software for 10 years, and do some web applications, but never really build "customer web sites" like this one.

[Soft Air]

If you want to give them the ability to fully edit their website you can put that template you created into "Joomla" (free software) I did it here for a friend of mine:

English and French Bulldog Puppies - Home Page

Those guys will be happy once their sales increase thanks to your help

[knottybuoyz]

Agree with SoftAir. Definitely darken the font on the "contact us" info.

Under the "Murphy's" banner but above the "Murphy's Canvas. We've Got You Covered" tag line put in a caption "San Diego, CA". The Internet's a big place and it's always nice to know where a company is located at a glance. Just a pet peeve after almost 20 yrs of web design & development.

On the "Team" page there's a photo of 3 guys. You only tell us who two of them are. Who's the other guy?

The "Diagrams" page could use some better illustrations. Kinda looks like a fax page! More photos would be better than those illustrations if you've got enough examples of the different kind of boats they've worked on.

I kinda expected a tour of the shop floor or some good info on the "how We Build" page not links to their material supplier sites. You could probably rename that the "Murphy's Product Endorcements" page or something like that or just plain old "Links" would work. It would be nice to see how they work in the shop or on the boats (from a purely educational point of view). Stuff like that keeps people coming back to the site even if they're not ever likely to be a customer.

Other than that, pretty good. Hope I wasn't too hard on ya RH!

[MikeZ]

Testimonials -- "real life" stories from happy customers that address EACH of the BENEFITS of doing business here (like amazing work, friendly service, great price, above-and-beyond stuff, how people USE their stuff and how it's made life better, how they deal with any problems, etc.) This is THE most convincing information you can offer, so play it up.

More of "What's in it for ME?" that the prospect sees immediately. (For example, the name of the company should NOT be the first words in the copy. Make it about "you" -- the person READING the copy. And remember always that only ONE person at a time is reading/viewing, so write copy that is like a conversation with an individual instead of as if the writer were making a speech to a crowd.

Downplay the "Meet the team." No one cares about that much. They just want to know what you can do for them. Do include it, but make it user-friendly. Instead of head shots have candid photos of the guys doing something for customers or the like. Tell who they are but not in resume style. STORIES are more engaging.

[SV Someday Came]

Maybe a repeat, but I did not read other's words before my own reactions.

1. Contact font is annoyingly faint
2. Meet the team is prominent. Which is not ok since other more important information is either lacking or hard to find.
3. I want a Bimini. Which is true. It is hard for me to tell HOW I would get one here. Do I come in with a design? Then do I order the canvas which only covers the frame I had built elsewhere and designed elsewhere? If that is the case, I am not interested as I have no clue how to design and build a bimini.
4. I am going to want a boom sail cover -- but I cannot tell if these guys do that or not.
5. What I do look for are products. So instead of "photos" make it a products page. Cause that to me means a complete product -- I would know then that you make this entire "thing". See, you say "Dodgers, biminis, and other sailing yacht canvas." I understand the first two, but maybe say what the other stuff you can do as well. But I still do not know just how much of the dodger you guys make.
6. Ok.... I see the How We Build page. I assume now that other folks make the frame. But what is the relationship between us all? Who is going to be in charge of making my Bimini? (and responsible for it).
7. Installation? Do I get the product then drill my own holes?
8. All those photos. They are neat. But what precisely did the canvas team do on each of the photos?
9. What exactly is warranted? The material? Installation? Construction of the product?
10. Again on the homepage..... what products do you make? How is me going to you better than going elsewehere?
11. Something about How We Build does not work for me. The page is more like a "Where We Shop to Build Your Stuff" page. I don't need a list of your vendors. I don't care. I would like to know HOW you build what you are going to build for me. What kind of shop do you have? A backyard hobbyist with a webpage? Real employees and real tools? Pictures of work being done communicates tons of information about quality -- quality of workshop means (usually) quality of product. This site is thin, thin, as to where and how the work is done.
12. Who is the dude on the right in the photo? Clearly, with no name, he is NOT a team player (LOL!). But he does have a jacket with a logo. Day laborer? Kidding....
13. Ok, I park my boat there and check out the place. How long can it be there on a large project? What is the most complicated job you tackled?
14. That contact font is annoyingly faint!
15. Murphy's Canvas font ought to match the style of the font on the building where Meet the Team is. So either they get with your style and get some green letters or you consider matching what they have there.

My two cents.


Michael

[SV Someday Came]

Ok, I ought to add after reading other's words, that it is a good web site. It is better than a lot of stuff I have seen. And that is true.

[rebel heart]

Excellent feedback guys; thanks for the input. You can't be too harsh with me; I'm all about the constructive criticism. Only way to make things better! I got a bunch of emails from them on some things they want to change, so I'll be doing those and some of your ideas over the weekend.

Thanks again guys. Any anyone else with ideas let me know!

[Celestialsailor]

I know I'm nit-picking but photo gallery and photo album should be one or the other...and Dude...no where near enough sailboats...

[Soundbounder]

The green is too bright in my opinion.