New Website comments suggestions

[bob carnie]

Hi There

We just launched our new web site ... with all the glitches and such. We would be interested in comments / suggestions on this site re ease of navigating and content.
thanks
Bob Carnie

[bob carnie]

Sorry , www.elevatordigital.ca

Hi There

We just launched our new web site ... with all the glitches and such. We would be interested in comments / suggestions on this site re ease of navigating and content.
thanks
Bob Carnie

[matthew blais]

So far I saw just the main page, then click to photographic services and nothing else to click on from there except pdf downloads (which I dislike vs. having a specific page for services, pricing, etc).

[cyrus]

There isn't much to criticize since there isn't much! But I'd have to say that this is a case of design overtaking content.

Downloading PDFs sort of defeats the purpose or having a site when you can present the same info quite well as html.

Also, as a general usability matter, it is good when links are clearly indicated as such. As it is, on your launch page you have two links - and the only real way to tell where they are is by moving the cursor around until quite accidentally you run over them - in which case the only real indicator that you've found a link is that the cursor changes shape (in IE) and a faint underline appears. That's not really user friendly. Do you really want your users to have to hunt around to find a link like that?

Also, upon arriving on your homepage, I still don't quite know what services you offer, and I'm not sure where the two links take me. What the heck is "Design, Decor & Hospitality" or "decor services"? What is it that you do, specifically?

[snuck]

I would cut the first intro page. Intro pages have been a relic of the 90's. Giving people upfront and fast information is key. You can combine the information of both aspects onto one page. Fonts could use a bit of reworking to reference a time period or unified theme, perhaps trying to link it to your building somehow. I like the right-margin arrangement of the piece. Add more pics of the space you have, yourself, previous pieces that have been made or displayed. etc. etc.
Good start. I should really come to visit because I'm in Toronto. Oh and want some consultation?

[Frank Petronio]

It looks nice and professional but it would really be better with a little more thought about how the customer uses the website instead of just making an attractive website. I can talk you ear off about CSS and web standards and all that but you have to back up and look at the marketing strategy first. The rest is just implementation.

[Mike Boden]

UGH! I REALLY liked the old version better...IMHO. It's nothing more than a list of links to PDF files. What happened to the images? Where did the style go?

[Scott Knowles]

I can't say I disagree with the comments so far, and I'll add to just go to the next page than open a new window/tab. Overall I agree, lots of information available, but it's all PDF, not really viewable except to download. I agree to get some customers to work with the design team or make the design team customers for awhile. Always design backwards, from the customer and their perspective, and design around them, then build from there to what you have. Make PDF's optional for detailed information. An example is Pro Lab.

[bob carnie]

Hi Mike
this is the reaction that I like,
I absolutely hated the old design with the abundance of images floating all over the site.
From our perspective, our clients are the ones that should have beautifully illustrated images on their site. We are printers for clients that like our abilitys of the services we are good at.
So far I have asked for constructive critisism on three forums and everyone, I mean everyone hates the pdfs. But from my perspective with clients requests and quoting the pdfs are invaluable tool and is a daily function of our lab to send these files to clients to look up our pricing on specific needs for projects. Therefore the pdfs go onto our site for clients to download.
I do appreciate all the comments and we will make adjustments based on comments here and other forums.
Regarding the style , well I like drinking domestic beer and fishing for bass, so a little bit of ugly design kind of fits my character.

UGH! I REALLY liked the old version better...IMHO. It's nothing more than a list of links to PDF files. What happened to the images? Where did the style go?

[cyrus]

You can always include present the same info as a PDF and HTML