Welcome to the new Website Review forum!

[sclark]

There seem to be a lot of folks who request others to review their websites, so we may as well have a forum for those posts! Let the reviewing begin!

[steelersfan88]

Scott you really are the man! Why can't everyone here be as kind as you are. This will be a nice edition, especially since so many of these threads can be taken out of the other forums where they don't belong :), no puppy forum though :D

[bizability]

This is a great idea. I will check this periodically.

If anyone would like a quick free Web Usability/Content Writing Review, not elaborate, just some vital, basic observations, I will provide this as I am able, depending on what free time I've got.

I cruise the web looking for sites to comment on when I reach a lull in my work.

Universal Recommendations:

1. Make sure all your links work, no 404 messages.

2. Convert all "we" oriented copy to "you" oriented copy.

Users don't give a fig about you and your company and your products/services. They care about their needs and how you might be able to satisfy them and why they should go to you rather than your competitors.

"Your web site can be optimized for users and search engine when you let us...blah blah blah" rather than "We [blah blah blah ]and our expertise[ blah blah blah]"

3. Label links in manner that makes sense to users. Avoid vague, meaningless labels like "Resources" or "Programs":
be more specific. What do you mean by these terms?

4. Make "Contact Us" and "About" pages prominent. Use hidden email form on contact page, to avoid spammers.

5. Convert Print Read copy to Web Scan copy. Users do not read web text like a magazine or a book. They skim rapidly for relevant info, then maybe slow down to read relevant text. Use bulleted or numbered lists, short sentences, short paragraphs, no dense blocks of text.

Cheers! (I have 30 thousand more points, but that's all for now) Ha!:) :cool:

[pyro]

Originally posted by sclark
There seem to be a lot of folks who request others to review their websites...I agree. Nice to have a place for them all to go, now.

[tonyh]

Originally posted by pyro
I agree. Nice to have a place for them all to go, now.
Quite, as there are so many forums to place site reviews in: XML, HTML, Graphics and General. A one stop shop is great :) .

[Ben Rogers]

Yeah, it's a good idea. It could cause problems though, people might want to just link to their site, so in post #1 they post "check my site" and then won't car to hear your advice... <sigh>

[bizability]

"they may not care to hear your advice"

I'm used to that. Even if you say, "I humbly suggest...You might want to consider...The general web norm is to....Based on my training and experience with similar clients, I would recommend..."

...some sensitive, pampered, coddled people may secretly desire only adoration, not analysis.

I say: give it to them anyway. Maybe they'll toughen up, pull their heads out of their self-generated clouds, and join the real world!

[Ben Rogers]

Yeah... I remember I was like that when I first came here.. I forget what I didn't want to do though...