To All

Thank you for stopping by. Soho360 Networks, Inc is a New York based media design company. Please review our website and let me know if it's easy to use, understandable and more. Since it was created with you in mind, what you think is very important. So browse around, click around and if you feel so moved.

The link is http://www.soho360.com/

Nice site, easy to navigate. Not so sure about the multi-colored fonts. I would like to be able to see some samples of your work other that what is on the site, especially logo design.

Ditto on all that.
The white on light gray is a bit difficult to read. On some monitors that will appear almost white on white.

You definitely have to have a portfolio your site. If I am looking for web design the first thing that I want to see is what you've done for others. My clients page is the most visited page on my website. Visitors come to the site.

"HMMM, sounds interesting. Who have they done work for." , and then ... "Dang, their good!" :o)


You start out by saying "Sure there are other media companies ... I wouldn't call that the best openning line. Instead you need to say immediately WHY you are different. Assume that I've already shopped other companies. Why should I use you? ...

I hope this is constructive.

__________________
www.corporateface.com
Custom Website Design
No Templates

Honestly, I dont like the template.
It is not the prettiest I have seen.
You need to lose that "text graphic" on your index page, and replace it with some straight text as you have in the rest of the site. That is going to kill you when youa re trying to get SE listings.

IMO, I dont think the green top flows with the red, which is predominant in the site. That is what is rubbing me the wrong way.

Good luck with it.
Tim

__________________
Florida SEO | NFL Team Blankets | Free Directory Submission, No recip!

Soho,

I thought it, but I didn't mention it. But since Tim mentioned it I will too. IMO templates are bad news for a website design company.

I talk about templates on my site www.corporateface.com.

Your site may or may not be a template base, but it does look like it. Templates tell people that your company doesn't have the talent in house or the budget to outsource your development.

I doubt that is the case, but that is the message that it sends. You can understand why this would be a bad marketing tool for a "Design" company.

You can't do justice to your customers with templates. Most businesses don't fit into a "template" box.

Again, this is meant to be constructive.

__________________
www.corporateface.com
Custom Website Design
No Templates

Well...

1. The site is not a template. Please understand that a template must be designed by a designer and therefore a site can look like a template and not be a template. We stand against templates and therefore would not use templates ourselves. But hey, if you think it's a template, then that, in its on way, is a good thing.

2. I will look into the color of the text ( gray over white ). I may just turn it into straight black.

3. Since we are a new company, I didn't want to put a portfolio that wasn't done by Soho360, but I will put a portfolio on the site.

Thanks

I wouldn't actually say it is a good thing. If the appearance is like a template it shows you think in your designs like creating/filling a template. Just contrary to what your words say.

At the very minimum! You might become a bit more creative. The whole color scheme (gray with accent) looks not very unique and like the fad of yesterday. I can do this with my pages, but as a designer you should not. If you like your front colored accents, make it your overall scheme. It would not be my personal favorite, but at least it makes a statement. Also don't overburden it Either alternate the colors or make it bold/a little bigger, but never both.

Stay with what you have got. Put up a portfolio of work you actually have done (in your spare time, while waiting for client projects to roll in). You can even show off designs that customers did never buy (change the names). But never show other peoples' work.

By the way eliminate your comments with unused code. And who is "iSegue"? It appears in your descriptions.

Good luck

K<o>
-- Someone described to me "A marketing statement is a product flaw discovered by the marketing department". I believe this holds true, more often than not. --

__________________
Technical Support for non-technical users of OpenOffice.org,
Conficio, Blogging about Plan-B for OpenOffice.org

Soho,
I meant no disrespect.
The site looks ok, but my stress point is your text images.
[B] LOSE THEM LOSE THEM LOSE THEM <B/>
Remove the images you have used as text, and replace them as text.
This will help you

__________________
Florida SEO | NFL Team Blankets | Free Directory Submission, No recip!

i like the site by soho much better than the ones by the ones who are trying to trash it. it's easier to use, makes clear sense, looks better to my eyes and i don't see what the problem is that you guy s are harping on.

but hey that's just me.

Yo Soho! your site is awesome and i like the blog too. check my blog out sometime reginesfashions.blogspot.com. i have to fix the images but that will happen soon. tell mw what you think.,

daBizLife,
my intentions are not to trash anyone's site, but to help them see the facts. It is not about personal taste for me. I try to give some helpful feedback.

The site design does look like a template to me with its static design. It has clear usability flaws and one must wonder how someone tells me his work is the best the greatest and totally different from other people's work, when a) it is not reflected in the design of the very site he claims this on b) he does not have to show more of his work. I think his prospects will ask the same questions and the earlier he finds that out, the faster he can do something about it.

And last but not least, I feel someone pulls my leg, if I find out the almost identical design has been submitted for review under a different name about 18 month ago. And the author was not even careful enough to eliminate all references to the old/original name.

18 month ago + no progress + no original portfolio = draw your own conclusions

I learn from honest feedback all the time and find it most helpful. Please correct me if I'm to harsh with you or this gentleman.

K<o>

__________________
Technical Support for non-technical users of OpenOffice.org,
Conficio, Blogging about Plan-B for OpenOffice.org

[quote="daBizLife"]i like the site by soho much better than the ones by the ones who are trying to trash it.

daBizLife, this site was submitted to the place on this forum where users are invited to give constructive criticism and compliments. I haven't read all of the posts in this forum, but what I did read and my own post as well were obviously intended as constructive for Soho. I trust that Soho has taken it as that and not as "trashing". "Trashing" is not professional. I've seen trashing in these forums and it is obvious. In fact, my following comment is not intended to trash you, but to give you unsolicited advice. :o)

If you take constructive criticism as "trashing" then you are in the wrong industry. As designers, it is our job, by definition, to design. It is also our job to serve our clients. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and every customer will have different tastes. You WILL receive constructive criticism from your clients.



Thanks,
Keith

__________________
www.corporateface.com
Custom Website Design
No Templates

Soho,

I took another look at your site, and on the praise side of things I can say the following...

1. I really like you logo.
2. I also just noticed the changing headers at the top. Nice touch.
3. Your question popups are nicely done.
4. The site is clean
5. Very consistent
6. I don't like the multicolored text on the homepage, but if it works, then hey ... :o)


Curiousity... What does Soho stand for?

More suggestions...
1. "Our Free Gifts To All Our Valued Customers!"
at the bottom of your prices. I would make this a solid color cell like a table header to indicate that it is referring to the information below it. I didn't get that at first.

2. I assume that your payment is done on an SSL.

3. Make your phone number visible.

4. Consider changing the guy on the home page to a small simple flash. If you are not familiar with flash go to www.swishzone.com. This is a great program for creating some simple flash elements for your page.

5. As far as a portfolio. If you don't have one then ... no big deal. One way to get some clients fast is to find a few non-profit (501c3) organization and "Sponsor" their site and hosting.
You will benefit 3 ways from this.
a. You will appear philanthropic to other prospects. Nobody can argue with "helping others".
b. You can get a tax deductible receipt for your services. (Check with a CPA)
c. You get some websites to add to your portfolio.


I hope this helps.
Keith

__________________
www.corporateface.com
Custom Website Design
No Templates

To daBizLife. thank you for the compliments. I took a look at your blog and as you know the pictures are not coming up as they should. You have have used either a free image hosting company or an unreliable image hosting company. I would recommend that you fix that yesterday, buy a domain name and host your website with someone like PowWeb since you can pay just $100 for the whole year.

To Conficio. thank you what you call "facts." Yes, the site used to be called iSegue and we found that the only problem that clients had with the site is that the copy wasn't working. We fixed the copy and relaunched. Once again the site is not a template but in fact great work through and in Adobe Illustrator. I am not going to get into a back and forth with you and therefore I am done.

To corporateface. Thank you for your criticisms. They are welcomed and I didn't take them to mean that you were trashing the site. Design is about criticism and adjusting to criticism. Also thank you for the compliments and I will look into your suggestions. Soho is a new york and small business term that means Small Office/Home Office.

To everyone else, thank you again.