Hi,

The last round of feedback yielded some good ideas, thanks. Some changes have been made.

To keep it simple, please only comment on the homepage, especially the copy. Do you understand what the service is and how an average guy would benefit from it? What about the amount of text and its layout?

http://www.mensimageconsultant.com/

Please reply. This is important.

I think the picture works well it there as soon as the page opens and the first thing that comes into my mind when i see it is " i wish i looked like that" so thats a good thing for your site :)

The menu buttons could do with some background they look a bit out of place, try making them into proper buttons instead of just text. (if that makes sense??)

The blue text next to the main picture ( on the pic ) is a bit to thin, the blue is a bit to close to the background colour but you will get away with it if you make it bold.

Also beef up the over headings, they get a bit lost in the text and on the front page you really need these to jump out at you, most people don't read all the spill on the front page just the bits that jump at you.

Hope this is helpfull,
mark.

__________________
Log Cabins - Sheds - More Cabins

Hi, thanks for responding.

You're right about the menu items and the text next to the picture.

However, that's not the priority. Making sure customers quickly realize the essence of the service and how it could help them is. Does the copy convey that adequately?

Here we go:

Banners
I don't like big wide banners - with another banner on top of it. Viewing in 1024 X 768 resolution, (on a 19" monitor), I have to use the scroll bar to start reading the text on the page. (It must look bad in 800 X 600 resolution). Condense the two banners into one - put the horizontal navigation into vertical navigation to the left of the image with the guy on it, and have your main logo running across the top of that image.

Mainpage
Lose the image of the geeky guy with the red stop sign over him. This page looked so professional - until I scrolled down and saw that.
Include some navigation at the foot of the page - it looks a bit bare.

Navigation
So - where are u based? I've got no idea? What continent are you in? I guess you're American because you price things in dollars? Where is your "About Us" page? As far as the number of clicks are concerned, it's too long and contrived to get to the information a person needs to know. From your "Services" page, the links to "How does it work? And what does it cost?" are tiny and distracting from the page - and yet they are the two most important questions.

Pages
The "How Does it Work" page is too complicated - there's text links dotted about, some huge screenshot of a form - and you start the page with "After you complete your purchase..." - with a link to the purchase page - and I don't even know what I'm purchasing yet?! You've got lots of "hidden" pages without navigation to them/from them - and with only the basic nav bar at the top of the page - or just a text link from a previous page. "Resources"? - it's a list of links to clothes stores etc - that's not a list of resources.

Basically, as a guy wanting to know about "image consultancy" - I would lose faith in the website the minute I scroll down the homepage and see the red stop sign - and then get confused/lost in the navigation and page content/explanations.

__________________
Laser Eye Surgery Facts| Helen Flanagan

At least you didn't seem to have a problem with the homepage text.

All the criticisms about the other things are valid, unfortunately.

Since the site was recently designed by a company that was no fun to work with and apparently no longer exists, correction of most of the flaws won't be soon.

The "Stop" sign is actually a "No" sign. (Like "No Smoking," it's "No looking bad.") People in the UK and other countries might not recognize that?

The company is in the USA, as you keenly deduced. The issue that no one has helped resolve is, How much contact info would have to be shared - would city & state be enough? Also, would the location discourage interest among foreigners?

One big change that could be made now is getting rid of the "What does it cost?" link and putting the price on the first Services page. Nobody thinks that's a bad idea, correct?

Also, I think, (not wishing to put a downer on the whole concept and website!), you may be up against a media block here.

Extreme Makeovers, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, and other makeover type TV programmes, all show the way in which image consultants can radically change the way a person looks, behaves - and can even alter their lives. But this is all done with the personal, hands-on, eye-to-eye-contact, touchy-feely approach.

With your website you say "...done entirely online for a low fee..." Somehow I just don't see how the personal touch comes into all of this? Have you researched whether or not online personal services work?

Take a look here: Lori Johnson - Image Consultant and here: Contnents to Book of "How To Become An Image Consultant", and finally here: Study Guide To Obtain A Qualification To Be A "Certified Image Professional (CIP). Everything seems to indicate, very much, that the image consultant is very much a hands-on people person.

I doubt, therefore, that this business venture would be such a rip roaring success - unless, of course, you know otherwise.

__________________
Laser Eye Surgery Facts| Helen Flanagan

As a rule, men won't go to consultants in person, partly because of the kinds of shows you mentioned.

However, they will eagerly discuss clothing and appearance online. In fact, there are a number of forums devoted to that. So help can be effective over the Internet, especially if you throw in recent, high-quality pictures. Of course, change isn't as sudden, but most men don't want sudden change.

Probably the text on the homepage needs to address the issue.

Thanks very much for the offer of a free consultancy.

However, I must be in the minority of men who would rather meet the image consultant face-to-face in order to discuss my image.

I hope it all goes well for you.

__________________
Laser Eye Surgery Facts| Helen Flanagan

The image of the perfect man draws you in and makes you aspire to something better which is a strong message. Tell the punter if it worked for you, what do you look like?

I also reckon the logo could do with being sharper, the picture of the fella is strong but your logo lacks clarity, purely a first impression.

Otherwise site looks clean, the "Don't let this happen to you" image is also unclear, I guess to counter the strong image but may make the visitor think that this is you, or a friend, as it looks homeshot rather than stock photo quality. Maybe I'm reading into it too much.

Good luck.

__________________
www.researchbank.co.uk
Fortune Global 500 company profiles and databank

I feel it would be better without the geek photo in the middle. Be postive.

My first reaction was not great. To me, and I appear to be in the minority, the top photo appears like a stock clip art photo.

The text is quite good I thought. However, I am not convinced to buy. I think you need some strong testomonials and that MIGHT push me over the edge.

Also some true life photo examples would be helpful.