Hello again peeps.
I Have just put up my revised landform website. Please can you review it. It is still a "beta" - I know there are some spelling mistakes and a couple of the photo's are missing but I'm still working on it and it's gone midnight on a Friday night and....well I can't be bothered to do any more right now.

The website is based upon a template that I've modded - I liked the clean look.
I've tried to take heed of the comments I've already received and appreciate them but because I have only limited time I've not been able to do everything but I'll try.
My aim is for my site to look as professional as possible because it's the window the world looks in so please feel free to be hyper-critical - the more feedback I get the better I can make it.
Regards.
C64

I wish you had continued the previous "conversation" instead of starting a new one.
It helps to show the longer, slower road to nirvana.

__________________
Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac

The stock check mark and plus sign on the right are just horrible. They don't fit your elegant look at all.

OK. Let me makes this very clear. ONE MENU at the top. Have you not heard of pull down menus? See JavaScript DHTML Website Popup Menu - Free for Non-Profits
I clicked on Portfolio in the right and all of a sudden the top menu is different.
Now, I hate the entire right-hand menu. It adds nothing. One menu with pull-downs.
More photos. You do beautiful work. Showcase it.

Where is the physical, postal, email, telephone, fax contact info? Are you ashamed of where your are physically located? Don't be. The Scots won't be coming south en masse anytime soon.

__________________
Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac

Thanks for the speedy reply dave. The single menu is that much of an issue? I guess I'm going to have to learn how to do the Java stuff. I don't like the look of the menu anyway - it looks stuck on. lol.
Photos, I have quite a few but mostly there poor quality film photos. If it ever stops raining (it rarely does here I'll get out with my D50 and get some decent ones) - do you think I need a bigger portfolio or more images on one page?

The physical addresses are on the contacts page at the bottom but I suppose thats not obvious unless you deliberately scroll down to the bottom of the page.

The plus sign and tick are horrible?? Ok I'll think about loosing them.

If I get rid of the side menu the pages take on a whole different look - any suggestions on this? It's the look of the site I have the bigggest problems with.
Thanks again.
C64

Oh just an aside. Any reccomendations on a statistic monitoring tool that will help me see who visits that site? The one I have is ok but I, would really like to know if people in my catchement area are visiting.

"I guess I'm going to have to learn how to do the Java stuff."
No.No. No Java. Javascript is OK, but not Java. Use the Milonic Menu. It is trivial to use.

"do you think I need a bigger portfolio or more images on one page?"
Both.
More examples and 3-4 photos for each.

I just missed the contact info. It is OK. Don't change it.

"Any recommendations on a statistic monitoring tool that will help me see who visits that site? The one I have is ok but I, would really like to know if people in my catchement area are visiting."
Add Google Analytics to every page.
But, it won't show if locals are visiting. Nothing really will.

__________________
Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac

Cheers Dave,
I will start the modifications as soon as Machester United finish Chelsea off......

"Michael Ballack's penalty blew the title race open as Chelsea moved level on points with leaders Manchester United with only two matches left."

Did I miss something?

__________________
Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac

Your first design was more memorable and unique. This one looks like your settled on being just one in a crowd of millions(websites) rather than stand out and set the trends in your industry.

It is clean & simple but on the downside it is quite unremarkable.

The photographs look good but composition is too much from YOUR perspective. You should include the other elements of the big picture. Lanscaping is not an element of it's own it is there to enhance and compliment the architecture of its surroundings. This is where I think Dave's "more photos" suggestion was going.

You may also want to add some personality to the site by adding some photographs with a human element(you).

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Employment & Education - Docemus.org
Hype Energy, Red Bull, Monster at Enerealm - "Declare your energy independence"

Thanks for the review. It's interesting that you liked the first site more. I have to say I am quite pleased with the new look. I think it's closer to what people would expect and lots of people didn't like the first because of the black background. I would like to set trends but this is more of a "spit and sawdust" type of area! I will try to give it a personal look as I go along even if it means my ugly mug on it somewhere.

The "architecture" on most of the jobs I get is...well....It's a wee bit Iffy. You all must understand that most of my jobs aren't even whole gardens -much of my work is simple elements such as fences and driveways or patios. It would be nice to create a huge garden with a hundred thousand pound budget but up here that is unlikely to happen.

The images that I use come from shots I've taken over the last few years but I only recently aquired a digital camera. Now I have a website I will sart documenting my projects more thouroughly so that I can create a visible record of the whole build but thats a "to-do".

Have any of you tried looking at my competitors? Most don't have websites and those that do have "poor" ones. If you Google Landscapers Carlisle or Landscaping Cumbria you'll see what I mean.
To be honest I'm not even sure that many people round here use the internet to seek out landscapers - I suppose only time will tell as far as my site goes- traditional advertising and reputation seems to account for the VAST majority of enquiries so I'm not holding my breath. Gasp. One thing is for certain. The internet is slowly taking over. Our local yellow pages has shrunk to about half the thickness it was five years ago

I have even considered relocating to a larger city or even London since the market for this type of work is very limited where I live but thats not a website related subject!
On the many rainy days I have even considered going back to Mechanical engineering since thats where I got my degree but again thats nowt to do with websites. Chuckle.

Set yourself a goal of taking at least 100 snaps for every job. Before, during and after. Photos cost nothing but a few minutes of your time.
For high-end projects, hire a professional photographer.

Testimonials! I totally forgot about them. You need them. Can't have too many.

__________________
Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac

Will try implement your suggestions soon Dave. Thanks for the Manchester United comment. I'm glad they lost - makes it more fun.........no it does...honest...

Hi, I agree with the navigation issue. The top menu should really be consistent throughout the site and you could do a javascript pop up or dropdown menu on mouseover at "Portfolio".

Also, I find your logo really hard to read. I thought it was land FARM at first. I had to search the page and URL to see what your company is called.

Nice landscaping!

Landfarm! Lol. Thanks for the input.
The type isn't my logo - but my current logo is very weak so it's not on the site. I need to get it designed by a Pro. Any suggestions?

Good news is that I have had 2 enquiries for work from the site in two days - thats quite pleasing when you consider that I've only spent £15 on hosting.
It would be great If I got 2 enquiries a week - If they returned jobs 50% of the time I'd probably be running flat out.

I have noticed a significant increase in the amount of traffic over the last two days from some very unusual places - I guess that much of that is down to having my site on here for review. I wait with baited breath for google statistics to reveal the search terms people are clicking - they delay the results the swines.
I am quite chuffed with the way things are going though.

And Dave - have you Googled the ManU Barcelona result yet??????
Now I better get to work on the site navigation, optimisation and cleaning up the code.
Regards.
C64

No. Because I really don't care about sports at all.
I find the entire spectacle of professional sports quite silly.

__________________
Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac