Flat Pack furniture assembly site. Opinions welcome

noreds

I just made a new site called irishflatpackassembly

basically it is offering to assemble flat pack furniture from the likes of Argos, Ikea, B&Q, HomeBase, etc, etc

Any opinions on the look and feel of the site would be really great

cheers

Adam

Not bad, show's off what you do straight away, simple and effective. I'd suggest maybe getting a logo done just to bring out the header a bit.

One question though. In the footer... Click here to report any errors with this page??? Why on earth would you want to put a link like that in?

Bob the Builder

You're contact page is a bit of a bummer, only found it after digging it up. Footer should be in smaller writing imo,
maybe remove the report an error link, and if you intend on leaving it there, call it website feedback at least.

nice website

noreds

just got rid of the report error and changed it to "For site feedback click here"
does that sound better ?

just waiting on my new shiny graphics tablet before i start trying out new logos
should have i monday. so anyone with nice photoshop tutorials on logos send em my way

You're contact page is a bit of a bummer, only found it after digging it up.

what do you mean by this ?
was it difficult to find ?
or just looked bad ?
few more details so i can try make it better would be great
i have changed the contact form to look a lot more subtle now
check it out and let me know what you guys think
also should i keep it as "contact us" or change it something like "book now"

thanks for the quick feedback already

daymobrew

On the contact form I didn't like the "This is required" for the "How did you find Irish Flat Pack Assembly.com" - I would prefer the text have more of a relaxed tone e.g. "We're always curious how people got to the site."
Could you make Email not required and just require one of Email or Phone?

The title of the Contact Us page is "IfpAssembly - Get in Touch" - I suggest expanding IfpAssembly.
The address section seems a little elaborate - I doubt you'll welcome orders from abroad (I realise that this is probably a limitation of the wufoo service).
You may want to limit the areas you will travel to.

On the Pricing page there is a broken link to Portfolio. Again the page title has the abbreviation IFPAssembly (though uppercase this time).

The Privacy Policy font is very different to the other pages. Oh, it's an image. Why?
And it links to a Hosting365 page. Mistake?
Again IFPAssembly abbreviation.

As for the site feedback link. It's a mailto link. I don't have an email client on my machine so the link won't work. I suggest another wufoo form.

I like the look of the site.

noreds

ok i have made good few changes

• both email and not now required
• changed the how did you find us to the "we'e always curious". i like that a lot better . cheers
• IFP Assembly now "Irish Flat Pack Assembly"
• put in a simple text box for the Address section (yeh the previous address was because of wufoo)
• the portfolio page link removed (that page is still being worked on so should be up within the next few days)
• changed the privacy policy to match font and now in text not image (was an image because i had put a shadow effect in it)
• 365 link was mistake when previously writting policy and had server info and links on it- gone now...i hope

does the contact form now look too long ?
too much detail ?
should i remove all the furniture info stuff and ask the customer in email when they contact ?

the site feedback thing is part of rapidweaver (program i use to make site) and i kind had it there just as something extra. do you think i should remove it ?

i want to have a nice looking graphic for the front page. dont like the plain desk i have now
any suggestions
was thinking of maybe a slideshow of previous assembly work

thanks for the constructive criticism. always needed

daymobrew

In the contact form prompt, "Where did you buy your furniture from" - I suggest changing it to "What store did you buy your furniture from?", because the current prompt is almost identical to the displayed question.

The "When" question prompt begins with "the exact day you request may not always be possible.". Uppercase the 'the' to 'The'

"Please list your catalogue page and code of your furniture. " - maybe "the catalogue" (the person submitting the form didn't write the catalogue )

The delay from going to the Contact Us page and the form appearing is a bit disconcerting. In the future I suggest hosting the form on your site to eliminate this delay.

The first two and last questions in the Privacy Policy have question marks *before* the question. Also, the first paragraph has "..." where I assume you should have IrishFlatPackAssembly.com.

mneylon

There are no contact details on the site

The images on the main page need to be compressed - the front page currently weighs in at nearly half a meg, which is unnecessary.

The text on the sitemap is hard to read (http://irishflatpackassembly.com/sitemap.html)

noreds

ok thanks for the input

changes:

• Changed "Where did you buy your furniture from" to "What store did you buy your furniture from?"
• Uppercase the "T" in "the"
• Changed "your catalogue" to "the catalogue"
• Changed the text colour on the sitemap page

The delay with the contact form appearing does annoy me too
Its just that the form is quiet easy to make and change and customise too.
I haven't figured out how to make my own decent contact form yet.

the paragraph thing isnt happening my end
try refreshing the page as i had previously wrote the text for the policy with the "..............." before i had a name for the site

blacknight what do you mean by there are no contact details
like a phone number ? (haven't got a number for it yet)
or email address
i think i have compressed the site somewhat
how do i measure the size of each page

let me know if there is anything else i can do to improve or tidy up the site
also if anyone has any info on where or how to promote the site to people in Dublin let me know

thanks again guys for the help

mneylon

You can see how fast (or slow) a site loads using something like this:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/

There are no tangible contact details anywhere on that site.

noreds

yeh i understand that a lot of people would feel more secure with more contact details
what i dont want is for everyone to just send a normal email asking about flat pack assembly. the contact form gives me all their details and when they want it in 1 simple email
then there is the back and forth questions which i have set out in the contact form
would it do adding a phone number and email address in on the privacy policy page
or i could put a phone number on the contact page.
but again i work so i wont be able to answer all calls and wont be able to go through all the details with the customer over the phone
when they leave their number i can ring back at a time i can talk freely
or would i be better off adding it down the bottom of every page

this is not a big huge business and will be more a part time thing unless it actually got busy enough to do so.
any ideas on what would look more appealing for contact details

heggie

there's little point having a website for a part time iffy business. You're either in businesss or not, no phone number or address would set alarm bells off for almost everyone i would imagine

mneylon

heggie wrote: »

there's little point having a website for a part time iffy business. You're either in businesss or not, no phone number or address would set alarm bells off for almost everyone i would imagine

Exactly

There is no way that I would even consider buying anything from a business that did not provide me with tangible contact details.

noreds

I am not selling tangible goods
I am selling a service
not like you will be waiting for a delivery of something that never arrives
if we don't come out to make your furniture you don't pay
and as for not buying from someone with contact details
what about ebay. Every sale is potentially a risk but how popular is it

I don't want to leave my current job before I have got even 1 customer.
That's why it is part time.
If it doesnt work I still have a job and am out of pocket a tiny amount on web hosting, domain registery etc
if it does work I am happy to go full time. I would love it
but I don't think it would be smart to even consider myself a business yet until I get a job or 2

aidan_walsh

I am selling a service
not like you will be waiting for a delivery of something that never arrives
if we don't come out to make your furniture you don't pay

Ah, the serviceman's creed...

mneylon

noreds wrote: »

I am not selling tangible goods
I am selling a service

So?

noreds wrote: »

what about ebay. Every sale is potentially a risk but how popular is it

Bad example. Ebay and paypal offer buyer protection

daymobrew

blacknight wrote: »

There is no way that I would even consider buying anything from a business that did not provide me with tangible contact details.

Would it help if noreds provided an "About Me" page with a photo, name and background? It would show who was behind the service.

noreds - You could put your mobile number on the site but not answer unknown callers during the day (I put my phone on 'Discreet' so it only makes one audible ring so as not to disturb those around me). Change your voicemail to mention IFPA and call people back later.

heggie

so hes not going to answer his phone? again, I dont think a website for this has any point, but a slightly better option would be to have another number, pref a landline with an answering service.

Seth Brundle

Why is there an FAQ RSS feed?

Regading the assembly date on the contact form:

The exact day you request may not always be possible. But we will do our best to try make it as close to your date as humanly possible.

It sounds terrible! You sound like you are not sure when you will come but you will come sometime. Are people meant to hang around waiting for you?

noreds wrote: »

I am not selling tangible goods
I am selling a service
not like you will be waiting for a delivery of something that never arrives
if we don't come out to make your furniture you don't pay
and as for not buying from someone with contact details
what about ebay. Every sale is potentially a risk but how popular is it

You want me to let you into my house / business but you are reluctant to say who you are or where you are from!?!?

As for having no clients yet: where did your testemonials come from? :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

Also did woodies, etc. give permission for you to use their logos?

Whats with the on http://irishflatpackassembly.com/info/privacypolicy.html

daymobrew

kbannon wrote: »

Regading the assembly date on the contact form:

The exact day you request may not always be possible. But we will do our best to try make it as close to your date as humanly possible.

It sounds terrible! You sound like you are not sure when you will come but you will come sometime. Are people meant to hang around waiting for you?
You want me to let you into my house / business but you are reluctant to say who you are or where you are from!?!?

Did everyone have a bad night's sleep last night? How about suggesting better wording that would be less confusing for you.

Maybe something like: Prior appointments may mean that your exact date is not available. We will confirm alternate dates with you before making a definite appointment

noreds

we all seem to have the grumpy monday blues
i put my questions on here to ask advice from the people who know
i have always asked what i can change on the site and am open to anything that you all think will help it be more user friendly and appealing. now it is suddenly being transformed into a del boy trotters service which i dont feel it is.
so i am reluctant to give out my home address as it is not a fully functioning business at the moment. if a handyman advertises online does he need to put all his personal details on including his address.

i dont think this is going to blow up into a multi national company so i would prefer to have an email and telephone number at the moment. it is a small service for people. i hope to promote mainly through word of mouth from previous customers. the site is more a portal for people who have heard of us from someone else. a way to get in touch. to see some of our previous work.
to have a few FAQs answered etc etc.
im not planning on making millions, its a few extra quid on the weekends or evenings. that much and i will be happy. but you guys seem to think i need something really business orientated. theres millions of places i would not buy stuff from. so i dont. if you dont like the service you wont use it. that is why i am asking what would make you more secure to use it. i want opinions, not to be talked down to.

it is fine pointing out what is bad about the site but i posted here looking for some friendly guidance. "it is terrible". how about a suggestion which would be a bit more constructive and the reason i am on this site.

totally understand the point about the phone number thing, as i have said havent set it up yet. probably this week so will add it when i get it

my testimonials came from clients that i have made flat pack for before. just didnt make it under the banner of Irish Flat Pack.
I have no clients from the site yet is what i am saying.

cheers daymobrew for the simple wording change. it is things like that which is exactly why i posted on here.

cgarvey

Woah! Bit heavy on the abuse there!

In context, surely a contact page with a email/form promoted as the primary contact method and a one line "or call Jim @ 087 123 4567" somewhere on the page. Link to the contact page as much as you like elsewhere in the site.

I'm imagine most people would be happy with that. Your customers are going to be people who haven't availed of the official fitting service that most (all?) of those companies provide, so are likely to be looking for a decent chap for a decent price, and suit the turn-up-and-pay-me-cash approach.

A whole sweep of tradesmen, small removals, gardeners, etc. all trade like that (i.e. don't have a landline, and don't give full name & address on initial contact). Now if you want the ultimate in professionalism, then obviously you need a more credible presentation.

Legal issues aside, this is.

noreds

cgarvey = a voice of reason
thank you very much
you put what i couldnt into words
exactly the kind of thing i was trying to get across

Seth Brundle

Apologies if I sounded quite strong - it wasn't intended.
Dying of back, neck and headache for the last few days. Bit better now!

noreds

no big deal kbannon
least you are big enough to actually say something about your comments

most people just seemed to jump on the ratty band wagon for no reason at all
kinda made me look at boards.ie in a different light since all the people with the negative comments were people who seemed to have posted a lot on this forum. like i said i dont mind negative comments as long as they're constructive or justified.
i have had a good few more questions relating to the site but kinda felt like whats the point in posting on boards after the response i got. im a rookie in web design looking for help thats all.

i've had a lot of positive feedback from here and other places i've asked people to look at the site. im happy with the look and feel of the site myself (which amazes me since im very self critical). so now onto the next issue of flyers and business cards.

anyway good to know theres people decent enough to actually come back and put their hand up

cheers

Seth Brundle

Don't worry too much about the attitudes from others - it generally isn't intended.

noreds

not worried
just was very surprised by the feedback
was kinda "wheres all this coming from"
was thinking maybe i was asking too many questions or pissed someone off

everyone is entitled to opinions but was more the way it was delivered that had some venom in it

heggie

what posts offended you?

judging by your responses, its either myself or aidan_walsh, I'm not sure why??

mneylon

heggie wrote: »

what posts offended you?

judging by your responses, its either myself or aidan_walsh, I'm not sure why??

Probably me as well

noreds

i didnt say any posts offended me.
i said i was surprised by the feedback. i was surpirsed by the manner it was delivered. not a simple "try this" or "maybe you should".
it was blunt and seemed quiet rude and as if coming from someone looking down their nose.

so you think that people need to be in one full time business or not at all.
i dont agree but i dont think you're wrong with your opinion. we have different views. but you seem to give the impression if someone doesnt agree with your way of thinking they are crazy.

The last page of this post has absolutely nothing to do with what i asked for. advise. not a little game of tit for tat.

as for blacknight probably you . probably

but anyway cheers to the people who have given advise

EKRIUQ

noreds, I've found here isn't really the right place for getting web reviews it's more to help people with web design in the building process.

I don't bother here looking for site feed back because generally it ends up with people with doing there best to find fault with websites and they them self’s would never look for feedback on there own sites, don't get me wrong there are some excellent contributions from web designers and these are generally the people who aren’t afraid to show their own work and give give constructed feedback the right way.

There was a thread here a few weeks ago about the cost of web design and very, very few so called professionals who were slagging off other websites were willing to show some of there own work.

To a non web designer it looks fine and gets the point across and I’m guessing that’a who your target market will be.

noreds

funny you mention that post BingoBongo.
i actually read it a few weeks ago.
was laughing to myself how many times people were asked to show their work and didnt show anything.
yeah seems to be a kinda in the click mentality.
i guess if i asked a few people on here to design my site and they done it exactly like it is now they would all be saying how great it looks, etc.

i dont want to have people lost in my big fancy corporate website.
i want it to be simple and let them know what we do and what they can get from us.
it went from making flat pack furniture to rocket science.

you hit the nail on the head with the feedback given the right way. nothing like being a bit civil to people. dont think its only this bored which has that problem these days. so many people with the "im great" attitude going on.

but at least from this post i have seen there are a few decent people left out there.
thanks for the comments BingoBongo

heggie

group hug!

conkeroo

Im no pro but I like to do a bit of design myself. I think the site looks absolutely fine. Pretty slick, nice colour scheme, no "offensive" looking fonts. Straight to the point and easy to navigate. If im honest though, one small thing that bugged me personally, when you rollover the navigation, I dont think you need those fade-in balloons. They kinda distracted me and actually started to give me a bit of a headache when I accidently rolled over the links. For the info thats in them, the titles in the links are already self explanatory. Or even if you wanted to leave them, dont do the fade in/out bit, just do a straightforward and instant popup/disappear. Just my opinion from a visual point. Also, as someone else said, put your logo in the header so the site will gel with the business cards and flyers when you get them made up. But these are minor things. Great site, like I said.

noreds

yeh was just trying out something new with the floating bubbles
dont like them myself so i will be deleting them myself during the week
will try change it to regular hover over nav bar i think. keep it simple

still trying to think up a snazzy logo
if anyone has any suggestions let me know
having a brain freeze with the logo at the min

thanks for checking out the site conkeroo

conkeroo

No worries at all. Listen, you give me an idea of a logo, what style - simple, intricate, what you want in there and i'll try come up with something. If not for you to use then you might get some ideas from it. I'll do it for the fun of it! See what you think and let me know.

noreds

cheers conkeroo that would be great
would love something to tie in the flyers and business cards to the website

like i said kinda have a brain freeze on the logo
im not sure what would look good. but a few ideas:
cardboard box with pieces of furniture or blueprints flying out of it and name coming out too.
or something with a screwdriver and hammers as letters

i dont mind if it is simple or intricate as long as it looks well.
want it to blend in with the site look and feel. kinda sleek but smooth

to be honest im just plucking ideas out of the air
at least i am open to any sort of logo
so i think the best thing is to leave it up to yourself and see what you come up with

i sent you a pm with my email address if it is easier to sort the logo stuff that way.

i think your first on the list for the special flat pack discount offer

Cheers

aidan_walsh

If you guys want to start soliciting work, please take it to adverts.

noreds

he said he would do it for the fun of it

conkeroo

conkeroo wrote: »

......you might get some ideas from it. I'll do it for the fun of it! See what you think and let me know......

...

cianclarke

Those tooltips on the nav bar serve no purpose and are quite annoying.

The customer comments is a very good idea, but remove any of the ones that sound like eBay feedback like "A+++ SERVICE OMG EBAY RULZ" and that.

Contact form - the heading text on the booking form needs some padding on the left and top, so it doesn't run along the border.

The images on the corners of all your boxes are quite slow to load, it's a massive 16KB!! Needs to be saved as slightly smaller, try photoshop's save for web option.

Finally, as a professional offering a service why on earth are you allowing other companies to advertise on your page? Seriously, unless it's a clever link exchange with a mate's bussiness, don't!

Just a few tidbits, other than that a very clean smooth design.

noreds

cheers for the tips cian
i have :

• removed the tooltips boxes as nobody likes them
• put in different customer comments
• padded out the contact form a bit, let me know if it still doesnt look right
• i have also used photoshop to "save for web" my images and cropped them down in size
• and yeh removed the links to the stores. i think you're right about the free advertising thing

let me know what kinda size the page is now

cheers

giddyup

Nice site and as an Ikea junkie I know the pain of flat pack assembly. You've mentioned you're working on the phone number - for me that's a must have - I wouldnt deal with a service provider online if I couldnt get some immediate answers on the phone.

More of a content thing but the one thing I would change and this is subjective so you may well disagree but to me your tagline is a little clunky - Have Us Make Your - Flat Pack Furniture / Furniture For You.

I would change 'make' to 'assemble' or 'build' or maybe change it completely to something like - "You buy it, we'll build it" or "Fast, professional, low-cost furniture assembly".

noreds

yeh totally understand about the phone thing
should be soon i hope

as for the slogan. was never 100% keen on it myself
but i dont know about the you buy we build as then you get a lot of people thinking we make anything.
but i would like to change it to something snappier
if you have any other suggestions for the tagline throw them at me

cheers