Show us your website!

[D Skelton]

if you don't mind I'm asking which web building software you using for your web?

thanks

No software mate. It's HTML based with CSS. I wrote the look, the layout, the content and the function of the site by hand. There's a tiny bit of Javascript and a weeny bit of PHP thrown in for good measure

 

[overskilled]

Skelton: I showed my Mrs (artist / designer) your website.
Her comments (restricted to the index page):
"not a bad site" however she raised the following points
- Free web index box, "BIN IT" - it clashes with the rest of the site and doesn't fit in with the professional style of the rest of the site and lowers the tone of the site, "makes me wonder if any higher rated electricians work locally and that your not sure of your competence...as though your trying too hard to prove it"
- Phone number should be the same font as the logo, would look more consistent and ergo more professional, suggests bringing it over to the left or centreing the logo and putting the phone number below
- Bring the 24 hour emergency graphic to the left side of the text referring to the 24 hour emergency stuff and either move the photo thats currently there or get rid of the photo
- related links - too prominent, drowns out more business critical stuff, perhaps titled "useful links" instead, though she would have it binned
- Too much text, looks cluttered and "busy". She suggests you look at the wording and see if you can cull some of it / condense it...at risk of being TLR (Too Long : Didn't Read) and losing the attention of your site "audience"
- Would bin the slideshow graphic as its "distracting" and "adds to the clutter" and "obvious stock images"
- Style looks professional but needs some tweaking to bring it into sync - i.e. more consistent font use / font sizes

Hope that helps and gives you some food for thought...

 

[D Skelton]

Thanks for the info mate, I shall pass this on to a few people and see what there thoughts are. You have to realise that layout opinions are subjective.

Anyone else on here concur with overskilled's mrs?

 

[overskilled]

Thanks for the info mate, I shall pass this on to a few people and see what there thoughts are. You have to realise that layout opinions are subjective.

Anyone else on here concur with overskilled's mrs?

I do realise...

As mentioned...thats her opinion as a designer.....and a customer...

*shrugs*

 

[Silly Sausage]

Anyone else on here concur with overskilled's mrs?

The few Scottish women I know, well, disagreeing isn't usually an option!

 

[overskilled]

She's Canadian...which tbh is worse....

 

[sparks1234]

Going on from not being VAT registered.
Does anyone else avoid being registered, I can see its a little bit of agro but any decent book keeper sorts it out as they go, I personally don't see the point in not registering

 

[D Skelton]

Going on from not being VAT registered.
Does anyone else avoid being registered, I can see its a little bit of agro but any decent book keeper sorts it out as they go, I personally don't see the point in not registering

My accountant advises me when is best to register and what type of registration to choose, when is best to deregister, when to operate as ltd and when to operate as sole trader.

 

[HandySparks]

Anyone else on here concur with overskilled's mrs?

Actually, yes. When it's pointed out, I can see that what she says makes sense. But then I subscribe to the 'keep it simple' philosophy for websites.

I'd appreciate overskilled's mrs' views on mine. I'm guessing that she'll find it a bit amateur looking.

 

[overskilled]

Handy - I'll ask her when she's got a sec....lol perhaps she could make a career out of it...might pay better than drawing stuff has thus far....

 

[overskilled]

Handy -
1) Bin the Green/Red Text - Pick a colour and stick with it, unless its a clickable link
2) Make your name bigger
3) Banner at the top needs looked at....reminds her of the 90s...too many colours essentially - pick variations on the same colour...too much colour diversity
4) Or you can e-mail me at

<< email looks blurry and out of focus
5) Put your "Neish Electrical Services" graphic on the top left banner as it looks better
6) she says she would go over it with a fine tooth comb if she had more free time.

 

[HandySparks]

Thanks. I'll mull this lot over and see if I can come up with something that looks better co-ordinated.

 

[overskilled]

Its not a bad site, its just too many colours going on... maybe swap the red for a slightly different shade of yellow / orange and change the green to a blue?

 

[D Skelton]

The way I see it, there will always be improvements to make. I reckon I will be tweaking my site until the day I pack it in! As electricians we tend to be perfectionists, and as such we will rarely be happy with what we've got!

 

[overskilled]

indeed we are...better we get...the more we see that needs improved...

 

[dan86]

rarely go on this site on the pc, and as a result, haven't looked at many of the sites on here. Have just had a quick look at yours though Mr Skelton. Very nice indeed, but I did notice a spelling mistake on your data & networking page. quote: We use data transmition to integrate even the smallest of systems spot the mistake...
apart from that, all good.

 

[D Skelton]

Sorted that one! Thank you

 

[HandySparks]

Its not a bad site, its just too many colours going on... maybe swap the red for a slightly different shade of yellow / orange and change the green to a blue?

Cheers. Just had a dabble with the orange and blue theme, which I recon looks cleaner, although maybe a bit hard on the eyes. Might try de-saturating the blocks of colour.

It's interesting how the same colour appears different, depending on the area of colour involved. We found this with computer keyboards, that you don't really notice the exact colour of the keytop lettering, although the colour of the keytop itself is very noticeable.

 

[overskilled]

Its much better already, especially without the grey.unk:
I'd consider sticking your name below the neish graphic in slightly bigger text, electrician and handyman below that in the same size its currently in
About the same level but centered...your phone number in much bigger letters...
Or
phone number in big letters below the neish graphic
and your name and trades on the right below the elecsa graphic
Getting there mate...just keep fiddling around with it...

 

[overskilled]

I see what you mean about the orange and blue, its slightly "trippy"...maybe white text instead of orange?