Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Moderator David@stives on May 27, 2012, 11:10:59 am

Title: Website redisign
Post by: Moderator David@stives on May 27, 2012, 11:10:59 am
Hi Guys with the fall of Microsoft websites, it left me in the lurch without a website, so instructed a web guy, the site is live prematurely and is in working progress.

What do you think of it so far ?

www.davidmorriswindowcleaning.co.uk
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Lee Burbidge on May 27, 2012, 11:18:46 am
Hey looks good, very modern looking and clean like Dave's. Do you think the writing is a tad small?

Great website  ;D
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Dean Taberner on May 27, 2012, 11:26:59 am
What do your domestic customers think of you charging them VAT Dave?
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on May 27, 2012, 11:41:53 am
Too much there Dave ... you need some colour to break it up into sections but any good web designer would know that already

Contact tab is in the wrong place (under window cleaning tab on my screen)

Your contact us in the slideshow doesnt have a clickable link

who are we on the home page should be the about us page

why is there an Adobe sign next to the contact us on home page

Picture quality is poor in some pictures

Window Cleaning in Cornwall, Window Cleaners in Cornwall, Window Cleaner Cornwall, Window cleaner Truro, Window Cleaner in Truro, window Cleaners in Truro, Window Window Cleaner Redruth, Window Cleaning Redruth. Window Cleaner Plymouth, Window Cleaners in Plymouth, Window Cleaning Plymouth

That will initially get you good in google, but when they figure out in a month or two you will be in the sin bin

You have too much going on there dave
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Lee GLS on May 27, 2012, 12:24:22 pm


Window Cleaning in Cornwall, Window Cleaners in Cornwall, Window Cleaner Cornwall, Window cleaner Truro, Window Cleaner in Truro, window Cleaners in Truro, Window Window Cleaner Redruth, Window Cleaning Redruth. Window Cleaner Plymouth, Window Cleaners in Plymouth, Window Cleaning Plymouth

That will initially get you good in google, but when they figure out in a month or two you will be in the sin bin

You have too much going on there dave


I have a similar thing on the bottom of my site and it's been there over a year, and it's never had a negative effect on the site.
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on May 27, 2012, 01:40:11 pm
New changes coming in Lee ... google change SEO every so often (thats why it cost alot)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Moderator David@stives on May 27, 2012, 03:13:36 pm
The site is working progress, we were forced to go live before it was ready.

I am having quality photos taken soon.

Dean customers get charged vat every day, so window cleaning shouldn't be any different
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Steve CM on May 27, 2012, 04:58:21 pm
I must admit there is far too much info there for my liking. It seems to bitty and my eye is jumping all over the screen. I clicked on the 2nd page and didn't want to look any further

I would simplify it myself
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Window Washers on May 28, 2012, 09:08:48 am
I think the latest news tab layout, would be suited on the front page to declutter it. easy to fix with the wordpress template being used.

I can't believe that you let your site go down without a back up plan ready in place dave and have you done redirects from your old pages ?
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on May 28, 2012, 04:46:26 pm
I think the latest news tab layout, would be suited on the front page to declutter it. easy to fix with the wordpress template being used.

I can't believe that you let your site go down without a back up plan ready in place dave and have you done redirects from your old pages ?

And despite the rumours, the self transfer of OLSB websites to Office365 was a doddle!
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: AuRavelling79 on May 28, 2012, 10:08:03 pm
I like the testimonials Dave.
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Window Washers on May 28, 2012, 10:36:34 pm
I think the latest news tab layout, would be suited on the front page to declutter it. easy to fix with the wordpress template being used.

I can't believe that you let your site go down without a back up plan ready in place dave and have you done redirects from your old pages ?

And despite the rumours, the self transfer of OLSB websites to Office365 was a doddle!
What rumours?
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Moderator David@stives on May 31, 2012, 06:29:41 pm
Just done some updates, based on a couple of comments

any better

www.davidmorriswindowcleaning.co.uk
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Window Washers on May 31, 2012, 07:24:26 pm
Just done some updates, based on a couple of comments

any better

www.davidmorriswindowcleaning.co.uk

Dave IMO change the images/icons at the bottom, they have nothing to do with window cleaning nor safety, and they are confusing, it is very wordy at the botton and not clear and consise
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: elite mike on May 31, 2012, 09:15:24 pm
looks good dave , but the writing is a bit small

for my old eyes  ;)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: rg1 on May 31, 2012, 09:34:24 pm
Are you really looking for advice Dave, or just hits on your website ;)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on May 31, 2012, 11:45:36 pm
My honest opinion-

If you are doing this yourself then it's OK, kind of "run of the mill" but the web is full of much better.

If you are paying someone to do this then I'd be quite disappointed.

The icons on the home page don't even relate in any way to their topic.

If I was in your shoes, with your company, I'd want something considerably better for the online face of my company. ;)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Helen on June 01, 2012, 07:24:41 am
On the window cleaning page:
Who we are...has question mark are you inviting people to answer or making a statement
I would put your tel number and click here directly under DMWCC covering the south west.
I would list "other services"Training, Safety" etc etc and then have the photo's lower down. People viewing just want to see what they are after as quickly as possible, which is how to contact you and normally don't give a monkeys about pictures.

IMO the layout of "about" "latest news" pages are a better layout than the window cleaning one.

Just observations!
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Moderator David@stives on November 24, 2012, 03:13:25 pm
Hi Guys

took on all your ideas, I am just in the middle of loading up better pics, what do you think ?

www.davidmorriswindowcleaning.co.uk
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 24, 2012, 04:30:07 pm
Talk about delayed reaction! ;D

Better than your original one but........... If you want me to be honest, it's quite bland! It does the job & it's full of all the right information, it's just, well, boring to look at?

In your shoes I'd want something with a bit of wow factor. ;)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Moderator David@stives on November 24, 2012, 05:37:26 pm
Hi Winp

I paid £800 for this site, got ripped off I think, I have only just found time to get to grips with the control panel to fix things, going to spend a few days getting the content right, then give it to a new designer, I have had a quote for £1500 for a decent site
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Small but perfectley formed on November 24, 2012, 06:26:46 pm
You should give studio arts a ring he will be less than £1500
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Window Washers on November 24, 2012, 06:30:25 pm
Hi Winp

I paid £800 for this site, got ripped off I think, I have only just found time to get to grips with the control panel to fix things, going to spend a few days getting the content right, then give it to a new designer, I have had a quote for £1500 for a decent site
dave the worst looking website can make more than a fancy looking one it is the conversions you should pay more attention to,
Can you email the new pics aswell ;) design@windowwashers.co.uk
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: robbo333 on November 24, 2012, 06:37:41 pm
Get the content right and some better pics and your designer should be able to do the business.
How i'd do it is:
Type out everything you want to say in Word or whatever programme. Just type everything, don't worry about organising it at this stage. A sentence here, a phrase there, a list of what you do, who you do it for. The fact that you are 'based in Cornwall with the expertise and resources to handle large cleaning contracts around the UK' ...usual b8ll8cks.
Then when you've written absolutely everything you can think of, start organising it into sections.
I'm sure the dear little old lady with her 14 quid clean isn't interested in your ipaf certs etc. But she does want to know you care about her front garden and you're not going to kill her pet cat with your SLX22!
Once you've organised your text into all the different subjects, decide what to put on each page of your site.
Then type out the text for each web page onto a different sheet of A4. So if your site has 30 pages, you print out 30 pages of A4 paper.
Then you can lay out the pages on the floor and see how the information works as you look at one page... and then move from one page to another. Does it work on paper? Make sure it does! If it doesn't then it's easy to rejig. Then you need to shorten it. Yep, you'll have written too much and make sure you don't repeat yourself. Then get friends to look at it and read it. Ideally friends who know nothing about cleaning windows and at least one who has good English skills. Then you should be getting somewhere and time for a cuppa. But that's just me  ;D
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Approved on November 24, 2012, 08:11:29 pm
Nats your man for websites, look at my new website www.nolanscleaning.co.uk and change out of £400
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on November 24, 2012, 08:24:06 pm
Nats your man for websites, look at my new website www.nolanscleaning.co.uk and change out of £400


That's a much better viewing experience! ;)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Nathanael Jones on November 24, 2012, 08:32:34 pm
Hi Winp

I paid £800 for this site, got ripped off I think, I have only just found time to get to grips with the control panel to fix things, going to spend a few days getting the content right, then give it to a new designer, I have had a quote for £1500 for a decent site

£800 and you have to upload the photo's yourself??

I reckon you could improve the home page loads by getting rid of the search box & recent posts bit on the top right & extending the header to the full width of the screen.

The whole setup is wrong though - this is a site that says what you want to say - it should be a site that says what potential customers want to hear. For example, the header menu tabs are: "Window Cleaning, about, video, latest news, testimonials, contact"  - - -

1. Anyone who has found your website already knows you're a window cleaner, so tab 1 could be changed to a more enticing "Services" with a list of the types of buildings you clean in bold bullet points above the fold (Homes, pubs, offices, apartments, schools, hospitals etc etc).

2. "About" is an overused tab. Most potential customers aren't interested in much more than the very basics (eg. family owned business since 1992) and those that are won't trust you to give an accurate view of your own company, they'll seek out independent reviews. The "About us" text can easily be incorporated into the other pages leaving the site feeling less cluttered & overwhelming.

3. The video is no doubt something you're proud of,.. but being fast at cleaning windows could also be associated with being sloppy - personally I'd leave it off the site.

4. Latest news - ok its important to keep your customers up to date,.. but again having an entire page dedicated to it might be overkill. If the page isn't regularly updated then it could give the impression that your business is not progressing.

5. Testimonials are more likely to be read & believed if you put them on the same page as the service they relate to.

6. Contact us is essential, but I would add a relevant photo or graphic & some kind of text saying "We aim to respond to all e-mail messages within xxxxx hours".


I'd personally recommend removing a couple of those pages & adding a "Gallery" page & an "Area's Covered" page in their place.



I'm not a fan of wordpress though (I only use it with the Jigoshop plugin for e-commerce sites) so would much prefer to see you use a plain HTML site without a content management system. Do it right in the first place & you'll not need to keep changing it so often!

And £1500 is crazy money for a basic website - Even £800 is too much!



Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Frankybadboy on November 24, 2012, 10:02:11 pm
there you are dave,get some of that dosh out and pay nat to do anice one like mr nolans ;D ;D ;D


you dont want to be out done by big fat john
 :P :P :P :P

feel the love baby ;D ;D
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Window Washers on November 24, 2012, 10:42:26 pm
Wordpress is awesome for seo
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Moderator David@stives on November 24, 2012, 11:59:06 pm
Hi

I tried to get remove  the video page but don't know how at the mo, I can't get into certain parts of Wordpress to do certain things.

If anyone can help, I will pay gladly, far too busy to work out the finer points of the website
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Nathanael Jones on November 25, 2012, 09:00:30 am
Wordpress is awesome for seo

True - but its a pain in the arse to work with!
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Nathanael Jones on November 25, 2012, 09:45:06 am
Hi

I tried to get remove  the video page but don't know how at the mo, I can't get into certain parts of Wordpress to do certain things.

If anyone can help, I will pay gladly, far too busy to work out the finer points of the website

I'm afraid I can't help you with fixing your existing site (because I hate wordpress!),.. but if you'd like a new one built from scratch, just drop me an e-mail (info@avondhu-internet.com) and I'll show you some options that are surprisingly affordable & should give a much better result,...
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: A & J Owen Window Cleaning on November 26, 2012, 05:51:49 pm
got a existing site made a few yrs ago needs revamping how would i do it any ideas
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Nathanael Jones on November 26, 2012, 06:43:22 pm
got a existing site made a few yrs ago needs revamping how would i do it any ideas

Put up a link & I'll take a look.  :)
Title: Re: Website redisign
Post by: Matt Gibson on November 26, 2012, 06:51:10 pm
Hi

I tried to get remove  the video page but don't know how at the mo, I can't get into certain parts of Wordpress to do certain things.

If anyone can help, I will pay gladly, far too busy to work out the finer points of the website

Dave,

Drop me an email. ive got a bit of experience with wordpress. i can have a look for you and maybe sort it out.