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Old 12-17-2010, 10:19 AM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 22 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,176 posts, read 76,826,386 times
Reputation: 45533

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Quote:
Originally Posted by LawoftheLand View Post
[bump]

My remodelled website is 2 months old now, so it wasn't around during this 2008 group feedback thread. It also contains my first attempts at blogging. The website link is in my profile.

I'd appreciate any feedback on how it can be improved. I promise I take criticism very well.
1. I like the clean look. Professional.

2. I like your choice of IDXBroker. But the registration form pops up too often. Of course, I am a "No Registration to Search" sort of feller.

3. You are using Blogprotector, which I had not seen before. I chose to use Tynt. The popup warning from Blogprotector on a right click seems to be pretty blunt. But, if it works...

4. http://www.rebeccalaw.net/wp-content...and-Bunny1.jpg Lets the visitor have access to the photos unprotected by blogprotector getting in the way. Nice photos, BTW.

5. I'm getting pretty blase about clip art and stock photos. IMO, they can make a site look sterile, rather than custom, when they duplicate or replicate a lot of other sites. So, I shoot about all of my own stuff, and edit or derive from my own images.

6. All in all, I don't think it would turn anyone off. It works and loads quickly, and navigation is good. Not bad at all!

And don't go to my site to critique. While it functions, we are doing the "Temporary Inconvenience, Fleeting Improvement" thing right now....
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Old 12-17-2010, 11:16 AM
 
Location: Twin Cities, MN
164 posts, read 514,656 times
Reputation: 166
Mike-

Thanks sooo much for the detailed feedback! I had not heard of Tynt and will check it out.

I am still struggling with the registration issue and may decide to jettison that part. I personally prefer to not require it but have heard that conversion rates are higher if you do.

Oops on the unprotected photos - I'll fix that. I wish I had your photography skills but alas, I don't. I agree that custom work is best. I was very lucky to find a young talented person who did the photos in the slider. I'll pass your compliment along to her.

Thanks again for your critique! BTW, it was seeing your website long ago that made me decide to aim for a more minimalist style than the website I already had.
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Old 12-17-2010, 10:44 PM
 
Location: Columbia, SC
10,940 posts, read 21,916,982 times
Reputation: 10571
Rebecca, the site looks great. I really need a blog on my website. Do you or Mike or anyone have any suggestions on best way to create or attach a blog on a template website? Mine is through Z57 for what it's worth.
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Old 12-18-2010, 05:48 AM
 
Location: Twin Cities, MN
164 posts, read 514,656 times
Reputation: 166
Thanks, Brandon! My site uses a WordPress template called Agent Press and my blog is simply a separate page created within it. Once the page is created, the title will show up in the navigation bar. Then you submit posts labeled with the category "blog" and it shows up in the right place. At least thats how mine works. I would think Z57 could do the same thing.
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Old 12-18-2010, 06:38 AM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 22 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,176 posts, read 76,826,386 times
Reputation: 45533
Brandon,
Isn't the value proposition of Z57 that they provide all the content?
Unfortunately, I see too many templated sites whose owners take them off-site for a completely separate blog site.

I see you have a link to ActiveRain on your site. And it doesn't link directly to YOUR page. So, you have folks on your site, and decide to share your traffic with the rest of us AR members? Thanks a million, but, what's up with that?
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Old 12-18-2010, 10:32 AM
 
Location: Orlando
8,275 posts, read 12,835,765 times
Reputation: 4142
Like the others mine is in my info... and yes I did take the picture of Orlando myself... What a great place I live in.
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Old 12-18-2010, 04:04 PM
 
Location: Twin Cities, MN
164 posts, read 514,656 times
Reputation: 166
Default My 2 cents

Quote:
Originally Posted by AONE View Post
Like the others mine is in my info... and yes I did take the picture of Orlando myself... What a great place I live in.
Hi Ken-

That is a very good picture of Orlando! Here's my FWIW comments:

1. I'd change the neon blue background to an off-white or beige. More restful on the eyes and makes your content more dominant.

2. I liked the real estate library. Is that original content or a commercial package one can buy?

3. I'd remove the footer navigation links (it duplicates the top and side navigation links) and use that area for other things, such as the website design credits and the company information stuff. This would also allow your sidebar subcategory links to be in larger font.

4. I'd eliminate the "quick jump nav" tool because it doesn't add value by helping users get somewhere any faster. It just duplicates the route available through the sidebar.

5. The Sellers button in the top navigation bar takes a user to your bio and nothing else. Is that what you intended?

It's a good site and obviously my comments reflect my personal biases so take that with lots of salt. After all, I didn't know that Z57 websites provide the content for their real estate clients...
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Old 12-18-2010, 04:54 PM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,539 posts, read 40,313,582 times
Reputation: 17422
Rebecca the only thing I would change is move your categories above your recent posts on the sidebar. I personally like to get an idea of what people blog about and your recent posts and right in front so move it down and let me navigate faster.

Otherwise I pretty much ditto Mike. You can set on IDX broker when you will ask for registration. I don't ask for it upfront. I think mine asks after about 10 listings or so. As a consumer I would see the registration form and not even go there, but if you let them see a few first before, then they might.
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Old 12-18-2010, 05:22 PM
 
Location: Columbia, SC
10,940 posts, read 21,916,982 times
Reputation: 10571
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish View Post
Brandon,
Isn't the value proposition of Z57 that they provide all the content?
Unfortunately, I see too many templated sites whose owners take them off-site for a completely separate blog site.

I see you have a link to ActiveRain on your site. And it doesn't link directly to YOUR page. So, you have folks on your site, and decide to share your traffic with the rest of us AR members? Thanks a million, but, what's up with that?
Never really occurred to me to link it to AR. I rely on bright people like yourself for those kind of brilliant ideas and it will soon be linked to my page. Would you suggest rather than a blog on my website it would be just as practical to blog on AR instead?
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Old 12-18-2010, 05:34 PM
 
Location: Tempe, Arizona
4,511 posts, read 13,555,371 times
Reputation: 2201
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon Hoffman View Post
Never really occurred to me to link it to AR. I rely on bright people like yourself for those kind of brilliant ideas and it will soon be linked to my page. Would you suggest rather than a blog on my website it would be just as practical to blog on AR instead?
If you want to draw traffic to your website, then that's where the blog should be. Otherwise, you are giving AR all the search hits. Right now, I have 2 sites, one that's more static using a point2 template, and one using wordpress for my blog. I'm thinking of eventually just using the wordpress site for both and have been moving in that direction.
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