Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Unfortunately, the menu items are still 2/3 covered by the grape leaves. My recommendation would be to start working with another developer, hiring your own, or doing something other than with this "SiteCube" situation. If you`re that limited by THEIR demands, they`re not worth it. There are many good Web developers, at affordable prices. There are whole other ways to get canned Web sites, none of which lock you into Flash like this. It`s a problem, but with this site up you could likely work out a different site, then simply change it over. If not, there are ways to solve that problem too.

For now, I can`t comment on the site since I have no way to navigate around it. Even with the change to white text.

Ok, sorry Craig, the grape leaves you are speaking of is just a Thanksgiving greeting. You can get rid of that by simply clicking the X on the top of it and it should go away. Then, you should be able to see the regular site. Thanks.


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Morph Coaching a breeding ground for change 239-438-8494 info@morphcoaching.com http://www.morphcoaching.com

Here`s the thing: There isn`t any text to tell me that, so I, like I`m supposing many others, wouldn`t know it. Secondly, I have a big soap box about this sort of thing---having the user do the work! :-)

I`m working with a client who`s built an application that doesn`t work with anything before XP and XP2003 (Office). I`ve suggested they`re going to have compatibility problems, and their proposed solution is to put a "warning" or disclaimer on the site that they "don`t support" anything prior to what THEY believe is the coolest, latest, greatest software. I think they`re going to be sadly disappointed, but that`s my own opinion.

Suppose I walk into your office, and you`re a life coach. I ask you if you can help, and you tell me that before we can talk, I need to get a haircut. I suggest that my style of living is a bit of a problem, but I don`t suppose my hair-length is that big an issue.

Then further suppose you tell me, "Look, I don`t support anyone who`s hair isn`t the way I want it to be. If you want to discuss whether or not I can help you, you`ll have to do it my way...or that`s the end of the discussion."

Do you think I`m going to be pleasantly disposed to continue our relationship? So too, if you make it a problem for me to even read your menu, then tell me it`s not your problem, I should just click on the "X" at the top of the screen, that has nothing by way of telling me it`s a "feature," not a "bug," how credible to you think you`re going to appear when it comes to telling me other suggestions about how to change my life? :-)

Ok, I went ahead and just got rid of the greeting. However, while I do understand your point; I think it is a little stretched since I did not say "it`s not my problem". You simply said you could not see the menu buttons. I simply apologized and gave you the solution. I do not think that means I lack credibility. Thanks.

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Morph Coaching a breeding ground for change 239-438-8494 info@morphcoaching.com http://www.morphcoaching.com

No, don`t misunderstand. I DID take your point to click the "X," then said it resonated with a big soapbox of my own.

My tendency in looking at things, particularly thought constructs, is to follow them through to their logical conclusion. The link, or resonance, is that idea that I should a) somehow know the "X" takes off the greeting, and b) that it`s there in the first place.

It speaks to the issue of how much work should a customer be asked to do when visiting a store of some kind. For awhile, in big retailers like JC Penney, Marshall Fields, Sears, etc., the idea was to instead of letting mall customers walk through the anchors and out to the mall, they rebuilt the floors. They made it a maze, preventing the customers from leaving, forcing them to look at the items. Or so the thinking went.

What happened was people got so pissed off at not being able to find the exit, they went the long way around, found the main mall entrances, and traffic dropped off throughout the anchors. Customers aren`t interested in having to work at anything. I worked retail, and I saw it everyday. They`re not interested at all, except if something catches their eye, the price is attractive, or it does something new.

So my bias is that a Web site should be as simple as possible. Not "simplistic," but easy to follow. My benchmark is Amazon. If someone wants a critique, then what I end up writing is based on my perception of Amazon, and how the new site compares. Fair? Right? I don`t know. I`m just a pretend customer, viewing it from my perspective. :-)

Okay, I had a chance to really look at the site. I think we`re agreed that the Flash does little to help the situation. I went through the various menus. Here`s an idea, on the "What is Coaching?" tab. Currently, you have this:

What I`d like to see is this:
Each should be a link, taking me to a page that talks about these three pivotal concepts. The content should be expanded, as I think it currently is a bit too condensed. I found it hard to keep my mind from wandering, and I believe it`s because of the phrasing.

While we`re on the subject of pages, you have some links that explain other resources, like "Assumptions about Coaching." Those then open up a PDF file. Why not have the essay as content right on the site? If it`s a borrowed essay from some professional source, then extract the concepts and rewrite it in your own words. Keep people on your site, don`t open up new apps, and it`s more "direct," coming from you to the prospective client.

By the way, on the landing page, you need a period after "Sport coaches help athletes improve." Then the next sentence. (From the Nit-Pick Dept.) :-) Also from that department, get rid of the squeaks.

The other issue I have is that it just seems to me a bit "jargon" laden. It`s not, when I examine the content explicitly, but there`s a sort of "feel" to it, that it`s a bit leaning that direction. I`d like to see something a little more personal, friendly, or something like that.

For example, you say "Coaching helps people expand their visions, build their confidence, unlock their potential, increase their skills, and take practical steps toward their goals."

Okay...HOW does that happen? Yes, I know there`s some info on the process of listening closely, but I think the content could be expanded. After all, you`re trying to get someone to agree that they don`t have the wherewithal to manage their own life in an optimal condition. You`re going to have to overcome insecurity, anxiety, nervousness, and so on. I believe more content might accomplish that, would you agree?

Excellent points and advice. Thank you. Originally, my thought was to purposely keep the content short and to the point. A lot of times when I go to a website and see just a whole bunch of words to a never ending site; I just leave the site, because it is a turn off to me. However, I believe that you can have little content and then go overboard on content, so I must find that happy medium. Thus, that was the reason for utilizing the pdf files. I figured if the individual wanted to read more; they can click those links to get more information. Again, good feedback and I will take all that you have said into account. Thanks!


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Morph Coaching a breeding ground for change 239-438-8494 info@morphcoaching.com http://www.morphcoaching.com

I too have a problem with "too many words," to borrow from the movie "Amadeus." I`m working to put up a reference-philosophy site, and that`s a huge problem, because I too get glazed when I read all that content.

Here`s where I`m thinking, though. White space, line spacing, and paragraph spacing really help. I see it a lot in PowerPoint, where there`s a lot of content, and it`ll transfer.

I`m setting a sort of "rule," that I won`t have more than 10-12 words per line, and try to have no more than 5 lines. It may vary, but I believe that by constraining the length of the lines, it`ll appear a whole lot more "open," and easier to read. I`m playing with it in PowerPoint, just to see, but it speaks to the idea of the "eye path," people`s eyes follow.

You could do something like that? Also, if you can hold your content to between 400-600 words per page, that`ll be pretty easy to read as well. And it`s a bugaboo of mine, but not a small font! I`m thinking for mine, probably Arial 10-point, although I may go with Verdana. I`d prefer larger than smaller, and will see how 11-point works.

The main thing is that the SEO content in a PDF file won`t appear to a search engine, so you`ll have relevancy opportunities that don`t take place.