Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello, I have just completed my first website design (using Microsoft Small Business) for my business, www.wisconsinlawnsprinkler.com .  I hope to submit this website as soon as my partners have reviewed.  We are small business (5 people), we install and maintain underground lawn sprinklers – since 1962 (about time a got a website?).  I plan to use this site as a means to generate targeted, potential clients, and thereafter; I will contact them personally to qualify them. 

I did research as my website progressed and I have approximately 40 hours (including everything) from start to this point invested so far.  (I don’t know if this is good or bad; I will need to submit something to the business to get payment, however.)

Thank you, in advance, for any input and time.

Patrice Pontillo

Wisconsin Lawn Sprinkler Corporation

Hi Patrice,

I think you need some graphics (i.e. pictures of your systems in use) smack on the front page.

You should call some of your customers and get some testimonials to put on your testimonial page.

Also, send me a PM, a buddy of mine owns a company that would be a good compliment to your business, you should talk.

I agree with Eric...the site needs a bit of "pizzazz!" :-) That being said, I think it`s critical for any small business to have a Web presence, regardless of whether the site is a full-fledged ecommerce site.

The first, key step is to use what you have as soon as you can to get listed in online directories. The simplest would be to pay to have your Web site listed in your Yellow Pages listing. When you do that, the site almost automatically gets picked up by anyone who taps into the phone directories.

Google likely will pick you up through the Yellow Pages, thereby putting your info and site URL into the blurb on Google Maps.

Another thing is to make your local service area more prominent. Make it stand out. If people need a sprinkler system, hear about your company, then visit your site, they want to make sure it`s the right one.

Instead of having only contact information under the Contact Us tab, perhaps you could work out a way to submit and online form to make it easier for customers to get started. You could ask certain questions, they fill in the answers, and then you can email them with some preliminary information already in the hands of your sales people.

To me, all of the blue is almost overwhelming ... it`s a great color combination, but there is just too much, and it doesn`t put me in mind of lawns at all .... the blue text needs to be darkened .... I would suggest green and earth tones, with some images as was already noted.

The content of the main page has organization, but it isn`t obvious .... kind of like looking at a satellite map, seeing landscape, but having no idea where I am, where to focus, what path to follow .... so some obvious structure might be beneficial ....

Focus more on what you are offering the potential customer, and don`t just put content into it for the sake of having content ... for example, there are 3 places in the main page with your email address and a note about contacting you, and 2 links to your privacy policy .... as a visitor, I don`t need to see these so many times right away, I need to see what you`re going to do for me first ....

Your contact page, for example, has 3 links to your own site ... again, overkill .... too many of your pages seem like they are link pages to the rest of your site .... remember, that`s what your menu and sitemap are for ....



-------------------------

M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

Keep in mind that someones opinion on color is just that ... an opinion, everyone will have a different one, and one opinion shouldn`t influence you to make changes .... I mentioned it simply because I don`t really see how it fits in with your business ....


-------------------------

M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

Green comes to mind for some reason..... (vbg)




-------------------------

Steve Mann
Internet Videographer
MannMade Digital Video
My Email