Site critique please....

[valley decor]

Hi guys, its been a while but for a beginner, i guess its going ok. Please take a look at this sight. The homepage is not actinic by hand work. Please let me know if the pages are loading ok and they look ok too. Especially in the catalog. I want to make sure the images are loading correctly.


Thanks!!!!!!!
http://www.valleydecoratingdepot.com

Thanks,

Regards, BOB ;) ;) ;)

[brian.mc]

Nice site Bob, but a few points of observation.

On your home page, the Google Ads panel dominates due to the intense background colour. Remember, anyone clicking on the links here are going to leave your site and may not return!

On your catalog pages, I was a bit surprised that your store name/logo is not displayed here! I think this is essential - your customers must always know where they are and who they're dealing with to inspire confidence, as well as remember where to return, as I think most of your product range will be purchased after consideration and comparison rather than on impulse, therefore it's important to ensure that they remember you!

Also, the border of autumn leaves down the left side of the page tends to draw attention away from the products

A final point - on the catalog pages, your left hand menu in white against a pale green background is quite difficult to read - especially as you move down the page (bear in mind I'm probably an old codger, but I've just got new glasses, but some of your customers might be just like me!)

Otherwise, a nice site.

[leehack]

Robert

Couple of quick things as i'm off to get some sleep, but they're pretty basic and need addressing IMO.

1) Left hand menu in white text - big mistake, so hard to read. You want to take a look at your site in IE7, Firefox and IE6. In Firefox the menu is practically unreadable on my 3 screens. Also needs a hover state on the links.

2) Top right hand corner graphic is being blocked by ad software and Google ads on a home page, please no, don't do it, it looks crap on a site.

3) Get your homepage into actinic, not outside, it's off putting as the design changes and the buttons have a dance. Consistency, consistency, consistency at all times - give reasons to stay, never reasons to leave.

4) Visitor counter, please no, these cheapen a site and mean nothing.

5) Too many moving parts on some pages, 5 or 6 things spinning or flying around is too much, its distracting, if you must do this keep it to one simple interaction. That flashing hot for example makes me want to baseball bat my screen, annoys the @##@ out of me.

6) Links to pages all over the place, where do i look for what i want, across the top, on the navbar, under the search bar, in the left hand menu etc. streamline things, lacking a bit of consistency.

Not bad apart from that.

[Duncan Rounding]

A couple of other things:
1. Your cart button in the checkout and basket are white on white.
2.; Underlining text on homepage gives the thought that it should be clickable - and it should be. Also othe 'hot' is not clickable.
3. I wounldn't have made the product ref as part of the short description. This then forms a main heading in the page - you could've selected just to show the product ref instead.
4. You logo should be visible on all pages.

Product presentation is good. I would also keep all pages within Actinic and change the white text to black as well as soften the leaves on the left.

[pinbrook]

1 Blue bar across the top of the page is the wrong colour blend - all other colours are earthy/autumnal - the blue clashes. therefore so does the blue add to cart

2 inconsistent use of lower case and capital letters in the left hand nav

3 ditch the welcome image replace it with product images

4 too many leaves on front page, image with company name is too low quality

Front page is confusing - are you a furniture store or a realtor?

[gabrielcrowe]

lols, all the things i was going to say are already said. dammit.

i really must get up earlier.

i'll summarise everyones comments:

sucks: http://www.valleydecoratingdepot.com
pwnage: http://www.dabs.com

back to the drawing board! :D

imho, of course.

[george]

One of your greatest sins has been to alter my arrow, for this you will be punished.

Hell awaits you.

[valley decor]

OK, I will work on it. Got alot to do. thanks for the input. Bee back soon.


Regards,