Wow, I really like what you did with the colors! Since we have a
current topic about color schemes, your site should be an example of
not only good colors, but matching the flag of Mexico. Excellent!
There is the thought, though, that if you`re promoting Mexico you may
need to modify the use of the word "Spanish?" On the other hand, the
subliminal color message is really superb.
The site looks good, I like that I can choose either language for
viewing. For my own personal taste, there`s just a little bit too much
white space. It really could go either way, and I`ve certainly seen
some very nice-looking marketials materials with lots of white space.
What mostly bothers me is the use of politically-correct jargon. For example, on your main page:
"CALA Academy is a Spanish and English
language school, with an emphasis on cultural awareness. We are
committed to being the #1 solution for organizations and individuals
with language needs in the Las Vegas area."
If I interpret your above post rightly, what you want to say is that
sometimes literal translations aren`t enough. There`s a contextual
shift in language and expressions based on the underlying culture
itself. That would open up colloquialisms, where in America we might say
"We`re on the same page," or "You`ll never get to first base."
The expression rests on cultural premises and expressions, and means
nothing when translated directly into another language. Is that what
you`re trying to say?
If so, then the "jargonization" of your content ends up muddying the
waters. One option to use up some of that white space would be to
actually say, "for example," and write out a couple of good examples.
You have a nice style going on the Home page, with the headings and
green underline. However, I come to the "Services" page, that style
loses its elegance. We already know we`re on the "Services" page, from
the tab. You could also use the page title to define your pages (better
for SEO). Then use the heading style you`re using for Services on each
of the actual offerings.
Having black italic underline just looks shoddy. The content font isn`t
right either, so I`m guessing you don`t have a unified CSS set of
styles for the overall site? The contact page seems to verify this,
since the fonts return to sans serif.
"About Us" has the same problem as Services. And again, your different
pages should have title tags that show which page. Another reason is
for FireFox users like myself, where the page title is used in the tabs
for tabbed browsing. Titles should be 5-6 word descriptions, making
them stronger search targets.
I`d like to see you blend or join your Services to your Pricing list.
You could use links, expansions, or some other classy way to put it all
on a single resource page.
The FAQ page has the same font/style problem. Additionally, I really
dislike sites that use fake questions. I`d prefer to see the answers to
these questions on the "About Us" page, and have the FAQ for process
questions (not concept questions).
Get rid of the Blog tab if you don`t have one. "Coming soon" looks
unprofessional. Also get rid of the empty tab space if you`re not using
it. The viewer may think they`ve got a problem with the site or their
browser, and it just looks bad.
All in all it`s a nice site. The service you offer is necessary, so it
won`t matter as much if your site is all that professional right this
instant. You should much more strongly focus on what you`re
specifically offering:
- Bi-lingual education in as short a time as 5 weeks
- Training specific to your business
- True language education, not simply literal translations.
- On-site training
- (One other really cool offering the customer Must Have!)
Scanning the site I didn`t come away with a memorable image. I got the
idea, but don`t have much to hang it on to in my mind. Your home page
is very good, and sets the tone for the rest of the site, which at this
time is disappointing. Bring the other pages up to the same level of
excellence, and that`ll be a good thing. :-)
CraigL2008-8-19 20:44:25
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