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Thread: Whats wrong?

  1. #1

    Whats wrong?

    Whats wrong with http://www.geekside-hosting.com ? We get plenty of hits, but not a lot of customers; Is the site design hard to navigate? Are the order forms broken?


    Thanks for taking the time to look at GSH.
    Geekside-hosting.com, cheap, reliable, hosting at a low price.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    441
    the header is nice, but the rest of the site doesnt really match. try using a different font than times new roman.

  3. #3
    A lot of the time, customers want to see features. They want to see what they get for the price you want. My suggestion to you would be to list all the possible features whether it be small or big. A long list is very appealing to most customers. Keep in mind, an experienced person that knows what he/she is looking for will not care about the long list as long as it has what they want. So, long list of features is something that will awe the first time buyers.

    Also, most people like to see white space, designwise. It's more relaxing to the eyes and more likely than not, they will tend to stay on your site longer. Usually the longer, the better to get your message across.

    I notice this a lot with my clients on both points I mentioned.

    Hope that helps. Good luck.

  4. #4
    nice header

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Here?
    Posts
    2,560
    As already mentioned, the header and body of your site don't blend well. It's also a very text based site. I'd consider adding some images and a logo.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    45
    This is a classic example of marketing 101...

    You seem to have the content but you need to have a better plan with the website. I am sure heard that first impression are everything, your website is the first impression of your company. I know that if you were selling equipment online and I was searching around and found your site, because of the look of the site I would't buy. It would't matter how many customers say your great just not going to happen.

    Dark colors are hard to read no matter what, though people do it I would stick to a light background and black text. Possibly keep the header and then transition into something a bit lighter for the body, you could always go back to a darker color after the body. White text strains the eye I would say away from that...

    Serif and Sans-Serif fonts. From a designers point of view I would dump the Serif fonts from your heading. Typically you want to use a Serif font for headings and Sans-Serif for smaller type because the little widgets provide almost a line for you eye to follow. This rule can be broken but helps as a guideline...it is almost become a standard for designers to use almost all sans-serif fonts even in text on the web.

    The other thing that jumps out to me is that the text is all centered? That make it really difficult to read. When I rollover a text link not only to I change size but font type from serif to sans-serif thist must be fixed!

    You know you allways have the option to get a template, I know I have seen many designers here that offer hosting templates for you to purchase. If you decided you can fix it up you have a good foundation to build on.

    I did'nt mean to sound derogatory...please take this with constructive critism!

    If you need a little help drop me a line possibly I can help you out.

  7. #7
    I have to ask who your target market is? If I were a potential business client, I would be very turned off by things like IRCD servers, Half-Life, etc. If you are going for gamers and kids, then I suppose this is fine. Since you asked for a critique, I will pretend I am a small business customer in need of a dependable web host. This is where you would lose me for each page:

    Index: You have no logo, no privacy policy, and no phone number. The layout is iffy at best, the menu system is pretty but the rest just falls apart. Those little notes by the founder just come off as amatuerish.

    About Us: You talk down about other hosts! Never do this, it is childish. Also, you are in business to make money. Do not apologize for this! Also, you have told me nothing about your business. Where are you located? How long have you done this? Etc.

    Plans: Your 24/7* support is not 24/7! Telling me that my questions will be answered in 8 hours does not inspire confidence.

    Order Form: Your terms of service are too hard to read, and much too shallow. Take the time to write a comprehensive TOS.

    Custom Plan: I can generate a plan ok, but how do I order it? This only tells me the price, not what to do from there nor any way to submit the plan to you.

    FAQ: It is price gouging, not "gorging". Trying to answer my query in a few hours is not an answer. Offering to host crap that anyone makes is scary. No business client would go for this. No way.

    Network Info: There is no info there, simply a "Network: Up" message. This is useless, consider removing this page.

    Help/Support: No comment on the ticket page, other than you might consider branding it somewhat. The forums should be taken down. You only have two registered users, and at least one of them is a moderator. This does not inspire confidence. Also, one of the posts suggests that your email does not work. Do you really want clients to see this? The AIM user names are very unprofessional. Consider registering something like "geek-side-support" and using that.

    Contact Us: See above regarding the AIM names. A phone number would be nice, so would a web form.

    That is all. Please do not think I am being harsh. I am simply being realistic and trying to provide a service to you. I know how business cllients think. On the other hand, if you are going for MUD users and fraggers, ignore most of what I said above. Best wishes with the site.

  8. #8
    Thanks for the critique, we have created an entirely new page; and are working on changing the content.

    http://www.geekside-hosting.com/news...de-Hosting.htm is the new site so far.
    Geekside-hosting.com, cheap, reliable, hosting at a low price.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    110
    looks like you bought a template?

  10. #10
    Actually no, I know it looks that way; but the designer for GSH made it, the "Sample link", and "yourLogo" are just so he can easily change it in the future.

    So how does it look? Its easy to navigate, the CSS looks great.
    Last edited by Geekside.com; 03-26-2003 at 07:03 PM.
    Geekside-hosting.com, cheap, reliable, hosting at a low price.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    45
    It is much better but the intro SHOULD NOT just be news. The first page should be designed with the idea you have around 15 seconds to send a message and draw them in...

    Why not put one of your most common plans on the front page, make it stand out and easy to order, or possibly a promo you are running. A quick example is Apple they have a great intro. I would also consider removing the news item you have, they are really not anything important.

    I but the new site is a world of difference! I think you are on your way now

  12. #12
    We're putting a small list of plans on the left table, is that what you're talking about?

    And about an intro: An entire site dedicated to an intro or just on the main page?
    Geekside-hosting.com, cheap, reliable, hosting at a low price.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Central Kansas, USA
    Posts
    33
    2nd page much better.
    In 1982, I thought PCDOS was better than VIC20.
    In 1993, I thought OS2 was better than Windows 3.1.
    In 2007, I don't know what to think.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    45
    Originally posted by Geekside.com
    We're putting a small list of plans on the left table, is that what you're talking about?

    And about an intro: An entire site dedicated to an intro or just on the main page?
    When a someone enters a site, the first page should contain information that is easily organized, and jumps out! Click on any of the advertisments on this site and see how their sites are organized.

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