Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello, I`m new to the forum. I just muster the courage to build my business website. Please review my copy I would like to know if the message is clear.

I`m a designer not a copywriter.
Thank you.

www.hgraphicmedia.com

Your secondary fonts are really small ... and I have really good eyes.

I`m not a fan for clicking on each portfolio item and then having to close each window.

The design is really clean.

I think the copy is good. I agree the font is a bit small for my eyes. The block alignment on the Services page makes the word spacing hard to read.

Nice design work!

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The Virtual Company Blog ●●●●● 2002 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year ●●●●● 2004 Inc. 500 ●●●●● Spare Bedroom to NASDAQ in Five Years ●●●●●

I didn`t understand the purpose of the site when I hit the first page---the landing page. It was like a splash page. So I looked at the buttons on the menu. None of them told me about products, and the home page had no content about your product. I would`ve left at that point, excepting this is a critique and review.

On the `Profile` page, I saw two bold "Graphic Design" phrases, so I assumed this is a site about graphic design. Like everyone else above, I couldn`t read any of it, so I just went to the next tab. "Services" was some kind of gobblety-gook, and I didn`t bother to enlarge it.

"Portfolio" looked good, but I agree with Kathy that the popups don`t do much. They`re pretty much the same size as the original. What I`d do is triple the size, and add some explanatory text as to why this picture is on this Web site. It`s in a portfolio, so at least explain why...is it a client? Is it a logo, brochure, flyer, business card?

I hate FAQs, unless they`re on a site I use constantly, like tech support. If you want to "pretend" that you have so many customers that they`re constantly calling with the same questions, that`s fine. But you`re not fooling anyone. Get rid of the FAQ and use a larger font and a page to explain these potential questions to the customers.

If you`re going to use your site to link to a totally separate product line, like Cafe Press, then make it a graphic icon on the actual page of the home area, not a menu item. If it`s a menu item, people will assume they`re going to buy your graphic design services. To be thrown off the site into something totally different is a bit annoying.

You might have a GIF with several of your best-selling tee shirts, and make the whole area clickable. Above it, you might say something like, "In addition to our graphic design services, we offer specialized T-shirts at another location." People can click the GIF and go there.

The contact form is a good idea, and usually works pretty well.

All in all, the site is fairly well organized, just very difficult to read. Everyone`s saying the same thing, so you can consider it a consensus, or you can do some research on what normal people`s eyes tend to expect. I think it needs more personal content, but not rambling thoughts of inspiration. Just some clear explanation of what it is you`re trying to accomplish.

Suppose you were in the airport on your way to the loading gate. You`ve got an hour to kill before your flight, and you pass by a boutique with your logo on the front wall. You glance into the shallow store, and what do you see? Right now, you see only some microscopic business cards lined up against the far wall.

Would that entice you to stop and detour into the boutique? If not, what could you do with all that white space that would offer such an inducement? :-)

Henry, I`m an artist and designer myself. One of the keys to my success
as a solo entrepreneur is the personal touch I can offer. Trust me, this is
one of your greatest strengths! Like Craig said, stop trying to fool
everyone. You are not a design firm. Stop acting like one. There`s
nothing wrong with branding yourself as "h graphic media" but don`t call
yourself Chief Design Officer as if you manage a crew of junior designers.
Don`t refer to yourself or company as "we". As suggested, loose the FAQ.
And put more Henry in the site! Give it some personality!

When people hire YOU, they get what YOU can bring to the table over
anyone else. Infuse that into your site. As it stands, it is very bland.
Hell, you`re a designer! Show off your stuff!

And don`t just think your text and portfolio are too small, everything is
too small! Fill up my browser!

CampSteve, your website with the `talking` deer head cracks me up.

I LOVE Steve`s web site. Very nearly flawless execution.