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website that builds websites

ikonzikonz subscriber Posts: 1
edited February 2009 in Website Critique

Please critique the Site Builder


I am working on the site builder (test drive now) Please note that in test drive mode you will not be able to upload any of your own images, video or audio. Certainly after purchasing the service one would have full access to upload any files needed to fully customize their site. Keep in mind that this is intended to be used by someone with very little graphic design experience, so ease of use is something I am concerned with. Let me know what you think.   Thanks!Kevin     

ikonz2/3/2009 3:45 PM

Comments

  • VideographyVideography subscriber Posts: 401 Silver Level Member
    Lighten up on the flash motion please.  I got a headache watching it on EVERY page and pop-up.
    The sample pages are huge and scroll off the screen in both directions.  Almost everything I wanted to do in the "try it now" was blocked - something like: "You can`t demo this in the demo mode".Videography2/3/2009 8:50 PM
  • NuevolutionNuevolution subscriber Posts: 30 Bronze Level Member
    IKONZ,
    Not to blow your bubble [before you take a second lick of that icecream cone you have on your hand].
    Lets explore the non-create web site templates that you are offering to sell on your web site.
    The templates on your web site, look very 1997 the year is 2009 [some 12 years later] I can`t believe you are trying to sell some ugly looking templates. I wouldn`t use your services even with a month of free-subscription. Using a non-creative template [that 500 other people probably have] is not going to give me a professional online presense, instead I`m going to ruin my business`s reputation.
    Let me ask you a few questions and perhaps, you can go back to the drawing board and figure things out.
    1. Is the template code standardized following W3C.org
    2. Is it cross-browser compatible? For example: Mozilla, Safari, Opera, Google Chrome?
    3. What if the customer decides to leave your services?
    4. Do your templates only work on your server? I`m assuming the templates need some kind of Plugin to work on the server right?
    5. How limited are you to using the templates?
    Sometimes, it pays to have a professional develop something elaborate....
  • WeblineWebline subscriber Posts: 13 Bronze Level Member
    Nuevolution makes some great points, although people using this service may never ask any of these questions, as they are probably new to this.
    The small white text on the bright red/orange background is near impossible ( for me anyway ) to read.
    Your sample sites are in flash/swf/something format; is that what a customers site will be done in? If so, how SEO friendly will their site be?
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    I looked at the "sample" Education site.... the video and sound are not in sync.
    I viewed in with IE7 and a DSL connection.
     
    I didn`t check any other sample.
    ~Roland
  • ikonzikonz subscriber Posts: 1
    IKONZ,
    Not to blow your bubble [before you take a second lick of that icecream cone you have on your hand].
    Lets explore the non-create web site templates that you are offering to sell on your web site.
    The templates on your web site, look very 1997 the year is 2009 [some 12 years later] I can`t believe you are trying to sell some ugly looking templates. I wouldn`t use your services even with a month of free-subscription. Using a non-creative template [that 500 other people probably have] is not going to give me a professional online presense, instead I`m going to ruin my business`s reputation.
    Let me ask you a few questions and perhaps, you can go back to the drawing board and figure things out.
    1. Is the template code standardized following W3C.org
    2. Is it cross-browser compatible? For example: Mozilla, Safari, Opera, Google Chrome?
    3. What if the customer decides to leave your services?
    4. Do your templates only work on your server? I`m assuming the templates need some kind of Plugin to work on the server right?
    5. How limited are you to using the templates?
    Sometimes, it pays to have a professional develop something elaborate....



    Wow, thanks for the feedback??? At first I was wondering why you were so rude in your comment, but after following your signature link I understand. I would be mad if I was you too. So let’s answer some questions.


    1. Is the template code standardized following W3C.org


    A: Yes



    2. Is it cross-browser compatible? For example: Mozilla, Safari, Opera, Google Chrome?


    A: Yes



    3. What if the customer decides to leave your services?


    A: They can keep their domain for the duration of it registration or transfer it.



     

    4. Do your templates only work on your server? I`m assuming the templates need some kind of Plugin to work on the server right?


    A: Wrong! This is an all in one service aimed at less than savvy users that most likely will not have a server to load the template to. It is a solution for small business owners who don’t want to pay someone like you $5,000.00 for a flower shop website. They don’t need anything except $9.75 a month.  



    5. How limited are you to using the templates?


    A: I remove the template or change it significantly after it is used.



     



    A good question would have been…


    Does it make you money???  …and I would have replied… Yes it has generated over $11,000.00 for me over the last 4 months. I would go on to say; I am looking for some design help, and am willing to share in the profits with the right person.  But I like to do business with happy people, a good attitude goes so much farther than you think.



     



    Thanks for your review. Now back to my icecream. 

    ikonz2/4/2009 4:31 PM
  • ikonzikonz subscriber Posts: 1
    Nuevolution makes some great points, although people using this service may never ask any of these questions, as they are probably new to this.
    The small white text on the bright red/orange background is near impossible ( for me anyway ) to read.
    Your sample sites are in flash/swf/something format; is that what a customers site will be done in? If so, how SEO friendly will their site be?



    All of the textual content is in html form and all the promotional and attractive stuff are flash.



     



    Google I believe currently can index a swf file, and per my tests only to a certain extent and the weight value granted to what is indexed in a swf file is nowhere near the importance of a standard html document. However in Flash 8 there is a whole API built that search engines will be building compatibility for. And I quote from Flash 8’s feature list:



     



    SWF Metadata


    A new metadata property for the SWF file format improves searchability of SWF files by Internet search engines. Now Flash authors can add a title and description to a SWF file, allowing search engines to more accurately reflect the content represented by the SWF file.



     





    3 letters CSS!



     



    You’re so right on the white text on the bright red/orange background, I think I was just banging through them and didn’t give enough effort to making good samples. Based on your reaction I will revamp the samples.



     



    Thanks for the input.   


     
     
  • ikonzikonz subscriber Posts: 1

    I looked at the "sample" Education site.... the video and sound are not in sync.I viewed in with IE7 and a DSL connection. I didn`t check any other sample.~Roland
     Thanks I found a few like that, it`s not your connection it`s my flv. file.
  • NuevolutionNuevolution subscriber Posts: 30 Bronze Level Member
    Ikonz,
    First of all I want to apologize if you thought I was rude.... But in this day in age, customers are aware [Unless they`ve been hiding under a rock for the last 12 years] of what a good web site should look. Let me take the Flower Shop example that you gave.
    Most people when they land on a flowershop web site expect it to be something like 1-800 flowers or FTD, Now if they are a custom flower shop people are going to be expecting something that looks like an expensive flowershop, not a ringy-ding web site that looks like a 5 year old put together.
    You just told us that all your coding was wec.org compliant.... Just out of curiosity I validated your code and this is what I got.....on this specific template I can image the rest. http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1 ... index.html
    This is not clean code, everyone knows [at least a good developer] that if youre going to add flash you need to use the flash satay method in oder for w3c.org to pass compliance....
  • VideographyVideography subscriber Posts: 401 Silver Level Member
    Ikonz, generally when someone here asks a question, it`s meant to be rhetorical.  If we raise a question, then that`s an indication of  something that is not well explained on your web site.
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