Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

My husband tells me (often) that I "start in the middle," and expect people to understand what I`m saying.  Therefore, here I am, asking for your help.

Website: http://www.innovateearth.com
Innovate Earth

Goals/Mission:  to put people`s (submitted) ideas with other`s talents, resources and tools in order to create/manufacture those submitted ideas.  The resulting products (anything from a greeting card to a small carbon footprint home) then go to market, via the website and any other means.  A portion of the profits of these products go into a venture capital fund.  Everyone involved in the process, simply by being involved, becomes a member of the "Innovate Earth Society."  As a group, we brainstorm, vote, decide on how the VC funding gets distributed.

Why?:  Because two heads are better than one.  Because businesses could do more business by collaborating with others.  Because these strange economic times should bring out new ways of creating products.  Because "ordinary people" want to be extraordinary; collaboration can help.

Website details:  designed by myself, graphics included.  I like bold graphics, pretty, artistic, yet easily understood (help!).

How do I get people to understand and excited about the concept?

Once I`ve got that down, I`ll tackle getting the word out (social networking, web pr, etc.)

Thank you all, so very much!

"How do I get people to understand and excited about the concept?"

"To put people`s (submitted) ideas with other`s talents, resources and tools in order to create/manufacture those submitted ideas.  The resulting products (anything from a greeting card to a small carbon footprint home) then go to market..."

You just basically did it in this forum .... that`s what you need on your site, along with what is already there .... start with a simple statement of what your purpose is & why it`s helpful to the viewer....

I would stick with fewer font styles .... keep things consistent and easy to read .... nothing wrong with color, but don`t use it to try to look "artsy", use it to help promote your message .... the graphics are fine, but to be honest it gets annoying and distracting having them rotate on many pages....

I see where you lead the viewer through part of the site .... this is great, but to be honest I lind of got lost along the way .... I think if you used something like a breadcrumb menu, it would help keep the user more oriented ( or maybe it`s just me, this weather is freezing my brain lately ) :) ....

All in all I think it`s a pretty neat idea .... I just got a little lost and distracted along the way .... so clarify what you are, why I would benefit, and give me a nice clear path to move along ....



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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

Thank you Mr. "Curmudgeon", I could kiss you!  Great help, I really appreciate your thoughts!  I will work on both the statement (was my mental block), and the menu.  5 `s for you!!

Neat idea.  I`d like to see the /how/ page front and center however.  I didn`t like going through 3 pages to understand what you were doing.  The how page cleared it up.

Also, are the collaborators vetted in any way?  I`ve dealt with enough innovators to know that they are often very scared of telling anyone of their idea (I think most take it to the grave for that reason).  But it`s a hurdle for you nonetheless.  I would address that right on the form page.

Also, your SEO doesn`t look terribly appealing to Google.

I really do like the general idea - and your location can`t be beat!

What Webline wrote about using a simpler statement is brilliant, couldn`t have said it better myself.
I`d work on my home page design: enlarge the  "Do you ever have an idea..." and make it more eye catching (excellent line BTW :-)
Remove the borders from your images, they would look a whole lot better without them Organize your navigational bar, use icons and replace some of the more non-user links to a bottom bar (like Site Map, links). Use words people would understand in a glance (what is Full Circle? and why is directoried /how/12bucks.html)
In the contact us page, and in the home page, you should include your email address. It would give users another instrument in which to contact you

The concept itself is great, I really like it

G`luck with it

Jmes



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My LookupPage

I will get to work.  I absolutely adore ALL your suggestions; thank you SO much Jmes and Eric!  You have helped the left, right, front or middle (I don`t know which side works!) of my brain.  By the way, I haven`t even begun working on the SEO... yet.  For now, I`m going to put your words into action... then (in an Arnold voice) "I`ll be back."

Smiling in Hawaii,
Karen (toods)

You know ..... we could all come out to Hawaii and help out .... not offering for the wonderful weather and lack of snow or anything like that ..... we`re just nice people offering to help .....

Hey, it`s worth a shot to ask ....


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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

Well, git yer butts out here!  That`s what I say.  Do you think it`s easy to "collaborate" and "innovate" just sittin` in front of my computer over here?  I`m going to have to mention now, that at the current time (8:51 am), it happens to be a beautiful day,  some "vog" from the volcano ... when it blows, as my husband says, "we`ll all be in Kansas!"  (Is is warm in Kansas?)  ~toods