My website

[Paul Phillips]

Hi everyone,


This is my first post on here and I was wondering if you could have a look at my website and suggest any changes/improvements that I can make.

The website was built by a design company for me and all i do is add the products, graphics etc.

The url is www.balloonandpartyshop.co.uk

Thank you very much in advance for all your help

Paul

[leehack]

Here's a few for starters:

1 - About us page doesn't show anything. Either add something or remove the link from the navbar.
2 - The "welcome to our website" on the home page is a graphic, where it could easily be done in text. This would add content to the site, but far more importantly, that graphic is huge, it will slow downloads down and increase your bandwidth for no reason at all.
3 - I almost love the navigation down the left hand side, it's just the hover state i do not like, make the button change colour rather than underline, will look more professional (IMO) and look nicer.
4 - The logo looks very homemade, a bit like ones first logo they created when they got Photoshop. The shadow on the text adds nothing and just makes it harder to read. I'd improve the logo personally, a real catchy professional looking logo can do wonders for first impressions. Add a phone number to it also.
5 - Don't relay that you are new, i want to think you have been around for ages and have just revamped your site. New site = worry for me.
6 - The gallery button takes you to a screen where you have to click once again to see the gallery. Reduce the clicking required at all times. If i select gallery on the menu, then take me straight there.

On the whole i really like the site and can see the effort that has gone in, it just needs a nice bit of icing added to what is a nice cake. I often seem to say the same things on a review, to my eyes, most are nearly there, they just lack that little finishing touch, icing or class you might call it.

Nice job.

[leehack]

I selected a box of 50 balloons for £2.95 and you will charge me £5.95 to send them to me. That is excessive and would result in me certainly cancelling my order. After somebody is willing to buy your products and is progressing through the checkout, the last thing you want to do is put them off with excessive shipping costs.

[Duncan Rounding]

Welcolm Paul.
Some points I noticed in Firefox (sorry if already mentioned):
1. About Us links to an empty page.
2. The balloon picture and paypal logo on upper left go to a dead end page.
3. The home page on first load is almost 0.5Mb. The homepage could be improved by removing the main graphic and replacing with text.
4. On the Terms page the first paragraph hignlights on mouse-over.
5. The LHS nav needs to change colour more than it does. It's also confusing when the top level underlines but nothing happens on click. (Ditto for top nav)
6. Lots of sections appear to be empty such as Party Games and Party Favours.
7. I couldn't find any reference to the delivery costs before going into the checkout.
8. Bookmark link doesn't work in Firefox.
9. Clicking on Feedback goes to a rather strange page. (http://www.imagemule.com/uploads/oddpageSsUW.jpg)
10. You could add a logo to the Paypal checkout pages rather than just your (or someone elses) name. (BTW sorry for the test order)

Looks like a long list but it's a nice site.

[george]

*puts on sunglasses*


PS Is Valentines not past?

[Paul Phillips]

Hi,

Thanks for all the suggestions - looks like ive got some work to do!!!

I think Ive sorted the postage issue but can only get it to work if i set the item weight to 0.01 which is the setting I have set up for zero postage. Not sure what is going on there but it is giving me the correct postage now

Rgds

Paul

[leehack]

add 0.00 = £0.00 for zero postage

then add 0 weight for free shipping onto any product and 0.01 for any that should be charged.

[Paul Phillips]

What I have is the product (Qualatex Balloons Standard Tone Colours) then the component then the attribute with the choices. I have the product weight set at 0.643Kg which should equate to £1.95 postage as set up in business settings - shipping and handling.

I have tried setting the pricing model to all three options but still end up with £5.95 postage as you got. £5.95 is the setting for 1-2Kg so somewhere it is doubleing the weight of the item

Hope that makes sense

Paul

[leehack]

post a screenshot of your shipping table for me to see.

[Paul Phillips]

hope you can see it clearly

[leehack]

If the weight is over the band in the shipping, it will take the next one, therefore 0.643 that you have input, will take the tier above it.

To be charged £1.95 for shipping, the product will need to have 0.50Kg in as the MAXIMUM, anything over this will move up to the next tier, which is exactly as it should be.

In your shipping you are saying "up to an dincluding this weight will cost this", anything over and the next tier kicks in correctly.

[Paul Phillips]

thanks for all your help - just one last thing

Any recommendations for a company to redesign my logo

Paul

[leehack]

Not really to be honest, i do my own. All depends on what you are after and what you are prepared to pay really.

[Rich-MLandS]

Hmmm, I would suggest support your menus for javascript disabled users.. e.g. allowing them to click on the section headings as I cannot drop the list down when I turn javascripts off.

[Paul Phillips]

Thanks but please forgive me as I dont know what you mean

Paul