Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Just browsing through the first link, I like the look of the pages; clean and uncluttered. I`m not sure how effective the swf files are, as they aren`t very active in relating a message that I could see. I think you really need to add more textual content to your pages; content is what sells your service, your product, and yourself.

You need some SEO factors implemented. You have too much code for the amount of content; a lot of it could be imported from external files, like a separate stylesheet. Basics like meta descriptions, image alt tags, link titles,  H tags, etc., wouldn`t hurt.

I would leave the "clear" out of the titles; it makes me think that you aren`t sure who you are. Your domain name and a couple of keywords or a very brief description would be better.

PM me if I can be of assistance.


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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

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Scott Farriss
sfarriss@sourcellc.net
http://www.sourcellc.net

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Web Design | Best Beef Jerky | ecommerce articles | Follow vwebworld on Twitter

I guess my main comment is that I didn`t easily understand the point of either site.

From the SEO perspective, if you`re playing on `clear sky` and Google is correcting the "Klear" then don`t fret it...go with the word "clear" in your SEO areas and content. In other words, let Google find you as "clear sky," but put those words in things like image alt-text, small text areas, or perhaps in description tags for secondary pages. Google isn`t trying to bring an infringement lawsuit against you, just to find the site.

But the more important problem is that I arrived at both main sites and was turned into a watcher, basically. There wasn`t any sort of "interest pathway" to get me to click things, move around, or do anything but look at the page, scratch my head, go, "Okay," and leave.

When you go to the zoo, you arrive someplace and park your car. You look around, see some big entrance type of thing, and walk over there. Now suppose you see a huge billboard that tells you you`ve arrrived at The Zoo. It says there are animals inside, and plenty to do.

But you can`t see a door to walk through.

I`m not at all a fan of splash pages, but at *least* they offer a "click here to enter" activity. And that`s the point---to engage site visitors in some sort of activity. To do that, you have to point to something and tell them, "push this!"

I guess I didn`t understand what either site does. But contrary to people who figure it`s their problem if they don`t understand the site, I subscribe to the principle of communication that it`s always the burden of the speaker to be understood. Not the burden of the audience to understand.

I was a professional musician for my first life, so I`m not unfamiliar with artist management and so forth. I opened up both KlearSky and KS Limelight to check them out.

On both sites the landing page content is so jargon-ized for the corporate approach to artist management, I figured this is for the A&R departments at some international record label or a large agency, maybe like William Morris. From my perspective as an artist, I didn`t see the point of the site. In other words, it seems directed to bean-counters, agents, and management, none of whom I`m interested in.

But, because it`s a SuN site, with an interest in more than a passing comment, I spent some time on the two sites. Not a lot of time...but moved around.

I clicked on "Clients" and saw the testimonials. Great...it`s a good product, for them. Then I clicked on "Case Studies," and ended up back at the testimonials. I clicked on "Products" and saw what appears to be a database or contact management system.

Keep in mind the original request was basically, `how come people aren`t clicking on our screen shots?`

My view of the screen shots was fine. I saw the thumbnail next to each heading, naturally assumed I could click them and they`d get larger, and they did. So I looked at them. They looked like screen shots.

So to summarize: As an artist I didn`t feel this site has much at all do with me. As someone who understands the business side of entertainment, I don`t see why I couldn`t just use a plain contact management system.

I didn`t see any sales pitch, or "argument" as to why I should use this software. Nor did I really see much relating to features and benefits. I`m used to software sites because I also was in IT for my second career. There`s a sort of "look and feel" to any site selling application software of some kind, and it isn`t there for these sites.

To that end, I guess I`m saying I don`t see a problem as far as clicking on screen shots, but I don`t see any reason why I should click them when I do. That generated my original comment that, for the moment and as it stands, the site is too "passive." It doesn`t involve the visitor and provide a "customer journey," so to speak.

They`re certainly nicely done sites, and work very well as to getting around. On the KS Limelight home page, I wasn`t much excited about the (Flash?) implementation, but even if it stays, it doesn`t say very much. I clicked for a functionality breakdown (couldn`t it be "Features?") and again saw that it`s for someone in the IT department of a large, corporate entertainment conglomerate.

I hope that clarifies my impressions? Again, they`re only my own impressions, which I write out whenever someone asks for an opinion of their site. It`s my opinion. :-)