Hello All,

www.markfail.com

After great advice in the past I’m back again to ask for your comments and suggestions on my newly redesigned website. Would appreciate as much good/bad criticism as possible.

Thanks in advance.

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Mark,

You have a nice website, very professional and easy to navigate.

My only concern was with the marketing of yourself in the first person. You place emphasis that the site is basically a one-man operation and for some people that might bring up warning bells and whistles for no other reason than what would happen to them if you would suddenly succumed to the Mack Truck theory?

I would have a marketing person rewrite that intro and list yourself as a very involved President or Owner, which would give the impression that there are people (employees, partners etc) behind you, which would make your company sound like a larger, more stable entity.

That's my 2 cents

snowflakegirl

http://www.papersnowflakes.com

Hello snowflakegirl and many thanks for your grate feedback.

I was hoping someone would pick up on exactly what you have mentioned,

Initially the website was a portfolio of work i have done for clients and i was offering my services as a freelance developer, as time goes on i have developed a larger portfolio and a bigger client base and have been looking for the next step in an already competitive market place.

Personally i am "umming" and "arring" as to the direction i want to take my business next as moving from a freelance developer offering my services as an honest individual with excellent customer support and advise to portraying the idea that i am a "big business" turning over hundreds of websites a month wouldn’t be something i can deem honest.

I can understand your concern that "marketing of yourself in the first person" may cause concern to certain individuals but on the other hand offering yourself as a one-man band can also create a better relationship with customers as they will not be passed from pillar to post like a lot of businesses and will always have direct contact with their developer/design/programmer.

I do agree how ever the wording is something i need to look at to create a better picture of myself as a trusting and established individual.

Thanks again for your feedback.

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Mark,

I understand your concern about not fooling your prospects. But, I think it depends on what your objective is for your website.

If you want to use it to generate business, I'd suggest:

Maybe coming up with a new web address. Mark Fail is not very descriptive of what you do.

Also, I wonder if Website Software is the best description of your expertise. I'd do some keyword research in WordTracker or something. I think website design is probably a more used keyword phrase.

I'd update the meta tags on the site to attract the searchers you are targeting.

And, yes, I'd rewrite some of the copy to position you in a unique market niche. Also, a little proofing is required. Read this paragraph verrry slowwwwly (I helped out some with the bolding):

Start marking money online today and establish a high quality web presence for your business. Outstanding customer service and lifetime support, if your not 100% satisfaction guaranteed we offer a no quibble 10 day money back guarantee!

The site itself looks great. Just a little tweaking to the marketing aspect would be good.

When you are in contact with a prospect, of course you wouldn't try to convince them you have a staff of hundreds. But, explaining the specifics of your customer service focus (you make sure it gets done because you're doing it yourself) is something you can talk to the prospect about. First, you gotta get 'em to call!

Hope this helps,

Kathleen

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Getting It Write, Inc.
The Small Business Marketing Pro
Real Estate Marketing Assistance: Real Estate Websites - Brands - Logos
http://www.buildrealestateresults.com

Nice looking site. Very clean.

webhost1
www.yourweb.info

Hello and many thanks for your valued comments,

You are completly correct with everything you have suggested and i will note and take everything on board that you have said, many thanks again for your time in looking over my website.

Kind Regards

Mark Fail

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A couple of thoughts.

1. it is a clean site.

2. I would include thumbnails on your main portfolio page. When you click "next company" or "previous company" I was expecting it to go to the next company and not take me back to the portfolio page.

3. It is obviously up to your own judgement, but I would never put a site in my portfolio that had half naked and naked women on it. (Stickmeup) This has the potential of limiting the business you can get and it could also cause a problem with your current clients. I would not want my website showcased next to a site that looks like a porn site. Believe it or not, that does discredit your current clients' reputation as well as yours. Morality and integrity go hand in hand. You don't want to do business with an immoral person b/c immorality breeds deception.

4. if your not 100% satisfaction guaranteed we offer a no quibble 10 day money back guarantee!
Please make sure that "100% Satisfied" is outlined in your proposals and/or contracts.

My 2 cents.

I hope that helps.

Keith

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www.corporateface.com
Custom Website Design
No Templates

Hello and thanks for your feeddback,

Im slightly confused as to some of the pointers you have mentioned,

Firstly on my portfolio page clicking next company and previous company does take you to the next and previous company which is how its designed.

Secondly the company (stickmeup) is a poster and arts company selling posters and art materials, im slightly confused how you can jump to the conclusion that its a "porn" related website. I would have thought the slogon printed very clearly on the logo " poster and arts company" would have be a dead give away.

And last but never least, i fail to see where the wording for your pointer 4 printed on my website,, if you could point me in the right direction i would be grateful.

Thanks in advance

Mark

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Clean and nice navigation. Images on portfolio are less than expected and you may want to include some images on the homepage to entice some more interest. Use 60 x 60 detailed thumbnails that opens a more friendly "slide show" type gallery. Also, try to replace your tables with style sheet only coding, i.e. <div class="search-engine-friendly">blah, blah</div>

Mark,

Thanks for the thanks. I'm glad you found my comments helpful. :-)

I think the comment about the next/previous page is this:

If you start the slide show with the dating site, then click next page, you are returned to the home page since that's the last site in the series.

Is there an easy way to either make the pages go in a continuous loop? or, disable the next/previous page link when at the beginning or end of the series? That would eliminate any confusion.

Thanks again,

Kathleen

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Getting It Write, Inc.
The Small Business Marketing Pro
Real Estate Marketing Assistance: Real Estate Websites - Brands - Logos
http://www.buildrealestateresults.com

Mark,

It wasn't my intention to offend or call "Stickmeup" a porn site. Some of the pics that you put in the grouping look questionable. This was just a suggestion. For example, by putting up a questionable graphic a "church" or "faith-based" group may decide not to associate with your company.

That was my 1st impression on that part of the portfolio.

The next and prev didn't work for me, but I may have done something wrong.

The 100% satisfaction ... I was cautioning to put in writing with your clients what 100% satisfaction means, otherwise someone may get you over a barrel.

Also, the statement that I made about Morality wasn't about you. It was about what people viewing your portfolio may think about your clients and therefore about you.

I hope that clears it up a little.

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www.corporateface.com
Custom Website Design
No Templates

I am looking at the site from Safari browser on a Mac. The Tabs on the right are completely obscured by the customer login box, and the "Professional Business Websites and Services" title with the graphic go halfway into the tabs.

Same coments on Portfolio pages, the images obscure the tabs.

Tried out your Web Page Analyser, saw many error messages.

David Archer

I'd agree with the "clean look" comment.

My biggest criticism is that your copy itself contains numerous grammar, spelling, and typographical errors. Before you even think about going live with this site, have someone proofread it for you.

Second, hyperlink to the sites in your portfolio when the hyperlink is clicked on and the expanded portfolio information is viewed. People are lazy and will expect that out of you.

Third, I like the green and grey idea, but perhaps you could adjust the hue of your green by 10 degrees on the colour wheel (e.g. from 120 to 130). It'd give the green a bit more of a blue tint and a bit less of a yellow "armyish" tint.

Fourth, I think you should indicate that you're an indy. Tell people upfront. Considering the risks involved in dealing with offshores, dot-bombs, large corporations who charge $125 an hour for static webpages that employ 1999 technologies (*cough*SUPERPAGES*cough), companies with employees that just don't give a damn...heck, an indy is the least of the evils. So i say be upfront about it. If people move on because of it, then hey, that's their issue, not yours.

Firth, I like that 9-square logo thing. I think the square shape in logos is overdone normally (between singles and 2x2s) but yours is the first 3x3 I've seen, so it's cool.

Anyway, hope this helps.

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Toronto Web Design | Search Engine Friendly, Standards-Compliant Layouts | Walk on my Path (my blog)

Hello and many thanks for your feedback,

May i ask, whats an "indy" ?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

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Very cool site - perhaps a tad too cool and understated. The opening page has a gap about the size of the UKWDA above the UKDWA - how much is that worth by the way? Perhaps it impresses, I don't know. Do you have to do anything to dispaly that logo?

Your portfolio pages don't link to your clients' sites, though you show the URLs. I have found that by linking to my clients' pages and having a link to my site on every page of every client's site, we help each other. My web design site has 5000+ inbound links and the site has a PR of 6, linking to a new client's site bumps up their PR and SE profile nicely.

I think an image of a business group on your opening page would give the impression that there is more than just you there.

Then your 'designs' are actaully template monster ones?

The www.stickmeup.com page you show is perhaps a little unfortunate and could be miscontrued if viewing from the Bible belt.

What's an 'Indy'?

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Paul Bilton design services ~ Sites not Sights

Hello and many thanks for your feedback,

I will take note of your suggestions and try and include them, i still dont know what an 'indy' is..anyone ?

Thanks,

Mark

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Now, guys, think outside the box.

I bet its a person who works as an individual. indy. Get It?

:-)

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Getting It Write, Inc.
The Small Business Marketing Pro
Real Estate Marketing Assistance: Real Estate Websites - Brands - Logos
http://www.buildrealestateresults.com

MktgPro is right, somewhat.

"Indy" actually stands for "independent worker". I don't know where I picked the term up from, though.

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Toronto Web Design | Search Engine Friendly, Standards-Compliant Layouts | Walk on my Path (my blog)

Hehehe, thanks i assumed it was something along those lines, not a word iv ever heard of before.. until now that is.

Thanks again

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I love your free tools offer. It provides a great marketing touch. Your color choice is pleasant making it a pleasant site to visit.

You might want to correct the word "your" on your homepage. It should be "you're". (If you are not satisfied...)

All in all its a very pleasant site and I wish you well.

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Bev from To Your Health
Ultra Refined Fish Oil / Lifes Abundance Dog Food

Thanks for your feedback,

I aim to work on those tools over the next few months to build them upto a better/ high quality standard.

- Mark

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I also like the design.

I don't like the footer links opening up in new windows though.

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Spain Forum
Yecla

Great job on the site, it looks very professional!

I would say your welcome page is your strongest page. The services and portfolio pages have too much green and become overwhelming, maybe making the table headers blue instead of green would solve this.

In your client website login table, make sure you set the focus of the page to the email textbox on page load, you can do this with javascript or with php.

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UniversityAuction.NET Webmaster
http://universityauction.net

Hello and many thanks for your feedback,

I have been playing around with some redesigns etc but am now worried that there is to much information on the front page.

Can anyone advise if they agree or disagree?

Thanks in advance

Mark

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