Design appraisal needed

[Matt N]

Hi all, we've been tweaking our website and would like feedback on the design. We're a start-up business & can learn a lot. Critique away guys and gals!

The site can be found on http://www.contacts4life.com

[Paul B]

Design-wise it's very competent.

By using images for text without alt text you are limiting your SEO. This is how google will see your opening page:

Spidered Text :
Online Contact Data Management Software - Contacts4life Home Forgotten Password Home Products & Services FAQs Tour Register About Us Contact Contacts4Life (free) Contacts4Life Plus Times Online feature Contacts4life! The Official website of the Times and Sunday Times newspaper interview the people behind Contacts4life... Get rewarded when you refer a friend - so spread the word! Download Contacts4life software to backup and sync Outlook or Outlook Express with your Contacts4life online address book. Some 18% of all mobile users have to replace their phone due to loss, theft, or breakage With Contacts4life your data is secure at all times and will not be revealed without your explicit consent. Privacy Policy Powered by C&S solutions

Images aside, my problem is that I don't know what the site is about! I thought it was a dating service at first. "Online Contact Data Management Software" doesn't make me much wiser - and uless you are after geeks only. Your 'tour' page is a popup in Flash - that will cut down the number of people able to access it.

Your secure page gives a warning - this will likely be due to the images not going through the secure site.

I would really like to know on the first page is:

1) What the service is you offer - in simple plain English.
2) What area(s) you cover.
3) What it costs.

[Matt N]

Thanks for the feedback Paul.
I'll look to action your points.

Can you elaborate on your comments on the service explanation as I feel this is really important. Did you not feel that the rotating explanation (in the centre of the homepage) explains the service well or did you not read this?

Its the section that says:

(1) UPDATE YOUR CONTACTS
use contacts4life to request updated contact information from your contacts and insert the changes directly into your address book.

(2) MAINTAIN ADDRESS BOOKS
Get automatic updates to your address book from anyone that uses Contacts4life etc...

(3) SYNC ADDRESS BOOKS
Sync with Outlook & mobile phones etc...

This aside, did the tour help explain what we offer? It should explain that we offer a service to help keep contact information up-to-date & in sync with a users PC & mobile phone. & that we help users safeguard their address book so they'll never lose contact details.

I look forward to your response,

[Paul B]

Hi Matt

The rotation is a bit too quick for me to let the details sink in - but I can see that if it is slower, visitors might not think there is more than the one.

I thought that the rotating info was an aside from the main theme of the site, not the main theme itself!

The tour is much clearer - and the statement "It's easy to lose touch with people that matter" or something very similar is the main theme of the site. This is what I feel should be on the top of the front page - like:
"Address book updater: Never lose touch with people that matter" would be much more informative than the rather woolly quote you have now.

These are only my thoughts on the matter - others may differ. But I do know it's often hard to imagine arriving cold at a website you have been very close to for months.

[Matt N]

Hey Paul,

Thanks for this mate. As I said will definately look into the points you've raised.

Matt

[lilith]

98% of the users have a flash player ,

flash is not bad if used well

[janeth]

Nice website. The only problem I had was the text moved a little faster then I could read but other then that it is a great looking site.

[magicfitzpatrick]

Look's nice and clear. Some of the type is over lapping each other. I cant read all of what is written.