Website Comments Wanted.

ExposeTheMoment

Ok, I have a new website, its hosted outside of SM. When you click the GALLERIES, it brings you to SM, I'm not concerned about comments on the SM side, well you can if you want, but not my main issue. I want to know what you guys/girls think of the website design, you know your over all impression of the site. I have been talking with my album designer who made me the site for free (shes a nice lady:D ) again we have been taking about the possiblity of re-doing the site. I do like it, but I really need some guidence. :dunno

Here is the site http://www.exposethemoment.com

ian408

It looks too much like Shay's site. Including the typeface.

When I open the link, I get a big white space in the middle. Makes me think
something is broken.

You might consider making the thumb nails active so that mousing over
them gives you a link to a particular gallery.

Under "services and pricing", there's neither the service you offer nor a
cost. Sure you do several different types of photography but what service
do you offer and how much will it cost?

I would take the "payment" and move it into the services and pricing section
and maybe the booking too.

The "about" section talks only about weddings and past experience. You might
want to mention your other services.

As a general comment, your wording for various sections could use an edit
to make it flow better.

I'd probably start over and give the site a look and feel that was more
representative to your style and type of photography.

Ian

ExposeTheMoment

ian408 wrote:

It looks too much like Shay's site. Including the typeface. Who's Shay?

When I open the link, I get a big white space in the middle. Makes me think
something is broken. You must have a problem, cause your the only person who have reported this, I have had over a dozen others look at the site with no issues.

You might consider making the thumb nails active so that mousing over
them gives you a link to a particular gallery. Good Idea.

Under "services and pricing", there's neither the service you offer nor a
cost. Sure you do several different types of photography but what service
do you offer and how much will it cost? I have all my serives listed, with prices. Wedding
Bridal Portrait

Family
Seniors
Modeling
Corporate

Special Events
News
Legal

I would take the "payment" and move it into the services and pricing section and maybe the booking too.

The "about" section talks only about weddings and past experience. You might want to mention your other services. On the bottom I list other services I offer.

As a general comment, your wording for various sections could use an edit
to make it flow better. Yes, I know the text does need some work.

I'd probably start over and give the site a look and feel that was more
representative to your style and type of photography.

Ian

Thanks for the comments.

marlof

The opening page is too busy in my opinion. Nothing a bit of text, a bit of space between components, and a less intrusive (read: large) preview slidehow couldn't fix. Next to that, the images shown have visible compression artefacts. Even your logo (which indeed looks a bit like Shay's) has compression artefacts. I also don't like that for instance your bio photo is almost the same size, but not exactly so, as your logo, is very near to that logo (again: some space would help) and not in line with the text accompanying it. It's small things like this that make a design work or not, in my opinion. And so far, I find the general look of the site crowded and unattractive. I bet with some changes it could turn for the better though.

ian408

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

You must have a problem, cause your the only person who have reported this, I have had over a dozen others look at the site with no issues.

You asked for feedback and I gave it to you and that's somehow my
problem?

Regarding the services, I should have been more specific. Your opening
paragraph(s) should give folks an idea of your rates. You are relying on
people to navigate through the site to find stuff. If they have to keep
searching for services and pricing after having hit that link, you'll probably
lose them. Your site should strive to give your customers the information
they want and need in as few clicks as possible.

ExposeTheMoment

ian408 wrote:

You asked for feedback and I gave it to you and that's somehow my
problem? theres nothing broken on my site is the point I was trying to make, yes I asked for comments, but I certienly cannot help if your browser is not displaying my site that has been viewed and online for days with over a dozen people viewing the same thing and not having any issues.

Regarding the services, I should have been more specific. Your opening
paragraph(s) should give folks an idea of your rates. You are relying on
people to navigate through the site to find stuff. If they have to keep
searching for services and pricing after having hit that link, you'll probably
lose them. Your site should strive to give your customers the information
they want and need in as few clicks as possible.

Well thats easy enough. Once our on my site, you click Services and Pricing. After that you click the serivce you want and right away you see prices. Thats 2 clicks is that not easy.

Don't take that personal, I just cannot believe that two clicks for any service I offer to show prices is hard to find.

ian408

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

Well thats easy enough. Once our on my site, you click Services and Pricing. After that you click the serivce you want and right away you see prices. Thats 2 clicks is that not easy.

Don't take that personal, I just cannot believe that two clicks for any service I offer to show prices is hard to find.

It's pretty clear you aren't open to suggestions. So I'll stop.

ExposeTheMoment

ian408 wrote:

It's pretty clear you aren't open to suggestions. So I'll stop.

your telling me as few click as possible, how do you recommend I do that, with all services I offer?

Andy

1. the boxes in the footer just confuse me, they don't seem to be adding anything

2. why does a visitor need to see all those keywords? Bleh.

3. your galleries could be 4-across and be much nicer.

4. the first thumbnail can't be read, so why have text there? Fix it, or use a photo instead.

5. your bio links are not pretty. A little HTML to clean those up

6. The E M in your logo is jaggy, should be re-worked

7. The average Bridezilla isn't likely to join a yahoo! group to hear about updates IMO - use something more professional

ExposeTheMoment

Andy wrote:

1. the boxes in the footer just confuse me, they don't seem to be adding anything

2. why does a visitor need to see all those keywords? Bleh.

3. your galleries could be 4-across and be much nicer.

4. the first thumbnail can't be read, so why have text there? Fix it, or use a photo instead.

5. your bio links are not pretty. A little HTML to clean those up

6. The E M in your logo is jaggy, should be re-worked

7. The average Bridezilla isn't likely to join a yahoo! group to hear about updates IMO - use something more professional

Andy,

I need help. You said the galleries could be 4 accross, I see that they are indeed 4 accross, Is there a code problem, and how do I make them nicer.

You also said the first thumb nail where?

Any help I would thankful.

BTW the yahoo group is for wedding guests to be notified of the upload of the wedding that they attended.

ExposeTheMoment

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

Andy,

I need help. You said the galleries could be 4 accross, I see that they are indeed 4 accross, Is there a code problem, and how do I make them nicer.

You also said the first thumb nail where?

Any help I would thankful.

BTW the yahoo group is for wedding guests to be notified of the upload of the wedding that they attended.

This thumbnail from my Storybook album galleries
http://photos.exposethemoment.com/photos/68493784-M.jpg

Andy

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

This thumbnail from my Storybook album galleries
http://photos.exposethemoment.com/photos/68493784-M.jpg

Right. Make it so it's readable, or nuke it and use something else.

Andy

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

BTW the yahoo group is for wedding guests to be notified of the upload of the wedding that they attended.

There still must be a hundred other ways to do this, in a more professional manner. Yahoo? Bleh.

ExposeTheMoment

Andy wrote:

Right. Make it so it's readable, or nuke it and use something else.

Andy, its not sopoosed to be readable small, they are coffetable album pages. I cannot delete it or change it cause its part of there wedding album

Andy

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

Andy, its not sopoosed to be readable small, they are coffetable album pages. I cannot delete it or change it cause its part of there wedding album

You can make any thumbnail you like - I'm suggesting to you that the one that's there now is NOT readable, adds no value (actually it detracts IMO). Use PS and make a new one - you're a pro

ExposeTheMoment

Andy wrote:

You can make any thumbnail you like - I'm suggesting to you that the one that's there now is NOT readable, adds no value (actually it detracts IMO). Use PS and make a new one - you're a pro

Andy,

My album designer just used fire fox to look at my galleries and she saw 3 albums accross, but using ie you see 4 accross. How can we fix this?

ExposeTheMoment

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

Andy,

My album designer just used fire fox to look at my galleries and she saw 3 albums accross, but using ie you see 4 accross. How can we fix this?

Any comments on this complete re design http://www.jsgrey.com/expose/exposethemoment3.html

Andy

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

How can we fix this?

Firefox Web Dev tool, and change the widths of the minibox...

JBurt

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

Any comments on this complete re design http://www.jsgrey.com/expose/exposethemoment3.html

Your new page:
The header is much improved over the original. However, I have to scroll side to side and I'm set at 1024x768. There may be nothing there to miss but it immediately puts people in the wrong mood. A big No-No IMO.

Yeah,I know, all I have is a splash page so far. However, when I go online, I want it to be reasonably well done.

Andy

The icons (cart icons) from The Graduate don't really belong with your customization, IMO.

You have green titles, probably want to change that.

Mike Lane

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

Andy,

My album designer just used fire fox to look at my galleries and she saw 3 albums accross, but using ie you see 4 accross. How can we fix this?

Tell your webdesigner to design in and for firefox only. After that is done then start working on hacking IE. If you do it the other way around you'll never find a good solution (which means you'll end up paying him lots and lots of money). That complete redesign page is totally broken in firefox so I'd say don't use that.

In your current design if you go to http://photos.exposethemoment.com/ you see that the header is much wider than the rest of the page. Either shrink the header or enlarge the rest of the page.

Overall it's a vast improvement over your last incarnation IMHO.

ivar

On your calender/date availability check thingie, the text is white on a white background, pretty tough to read... Rest of the site is looking alot better than the old one i think.