New Website

[D.A. Kabatoff]

I thought I'd post a link to my new website. I'm no website designer so it still has a few kinks to be worked out.

www.dakabatoff.com

Darcy

Edited May 21, 2010 by D.A. Kabatoff

[gtwister09]

Darcy,

It is a very clean web site.

Black and white photos throughout...Hmmmmm. That's a unique approach for a saddlemaker's site. As always I REALLY like the use of many photos to show details and to showcase your work.

Here's a few minor suggestions.

On Saddles Page

• You may want to add a "Click on photo(s) for more detailed photos of each saddle" or something to that effect to bring it to the attention of the person browsing that there are more detailed photos of each saddle available.
• Add some white space after your text describing the saddle and before the additional photos on each saddle.

On Trees page

• Add some white space between Trees and the 1st paragraph. Likewise add some white space between the 1st paragraph and the 1st picture.
• Add a space after Saddlery at the bottom.
  

On Embellishments page

• Add white space between text and picture.
• Maybe add Embellishments in your Title below Handmade saddles for consistency. (Trees, Miscellaneous have it but others don't)...just a thought.

It is great to see you with a web site that can showcase your work. Good luck with it. Maybe next you can follow the others in doing a blog (Steve, Bruce, etc).

Once again....looks good.

Regards,

Ben

Edited May 21, 2010 by gtwister09

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Darc, I am not a web designer either, however; I think Twister pretty much has hit it on the head pretty well. I also like the black and white pics, gives it an old timey feeling. Kind of reminds me of when I was a kid looking at saddles in the Sear and Roebuck catalogue but; that's a another story. I would only add some color samples on the Misc page. Also a basic price page for your wares. It will keep you from having to answer/justify a lot of questions from "tire kickers" on why a high end fine made saddle cost what it costs. I know people in this end of the country seem to relate better to a "hourly rate times hours labor plus materials type of cost" ie. 100 hours X $35 per hour + $1000 mat = $4,500 senario. I love looking at top quality work, such as yours and some of the others on this sight.

Bob

[Traveller]

Very classy, Darc! But of course. You're a good photographer, and that helps. (Oh yeah - you're a great saddle maker, too!) The site clearly shows the high quality work you produce.

If you are, in fact, looking for suggestions, I like many of those made so far. In particular, I'd like to second Bob's point about adding prices, or at least your base price. It could save you a lot of needless inquiries.

My only other suggestion (should you choose to follow my unsolicited advice) is that, on the Embellishments page, it could be a tad more clear on what you would be getting. For example, this is full-basket, quarter basket, quarter flower, this border, that border, etc. But that might be something you choose to get into with clients on an individual basis.

I don't see any examples of barbed wire borders? ;-)

Excellent site, Darc. Let me know if you want video for it! I've got some recent videos up on my blog at www.pebblebeachproductions.com. (They're for a dentist, so not a real close fit for you....)

Thanks for posting!

Joanne

[D.A. Kabatoff]

Ben, Bob, Joanne,

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, after reviewing the site with your comments in mind, it was easier to see the need for the changes. I've changed most of what was mentioned in your posts and am still gathering some information for the "Information" page which will include basic prices, saddle details, and ordering information. I'm still fooling around with some ideas for color photos and tooling descriptions and will probably change that up when I come up with something I like. I'm still trying to decide what the purpose of the site is... at this point it's more of an idea site for people who've contacted me and less of a site to promote new business

thanks again for your ideas.

Darcy

[dirtclod]

I like black and white pictures. But i think you would do much better having color pictures.

Personally for me i want to see what color or close to the real color espically if i was putting down a few thousand dollars for somebody to build me a custom saddle. Just my thoughts and they aint worth much.

Nice work.

[Traveller]

When I first built my site, I had to live with it a while to figure out what I wanted and didn't want. And now that I've rebuilt it, I'll live with it for another while before deciding the next direction it should go. It's a lot more organic a process than I'd first imagined. I don't know that I could have gone from zero to precisely right without getting that first one up there.

Your site looks great, Darc. Congrats!

[D.A. Kabatoff]

thanks Joanne,

I can relate to the process part... I've already got ideas on how to incorporate some color photos but they are fairly ambitious and will probably change the more I think about them which makes me think I should let things sit awhile.

Dirtclod,

thanks for the thoughts, I'm quite sure there will be people who share your views about color photos. When I figure a way to incorporate them without taking away from the continuity of the site, I'll be adding them.

Darcy

Edited May 21, 2010 by D.A. Kabatoff

[AndyKnight]

Looking good Darc!

[Bondurant]

Your domain is a tough one, you can buy a second one like daksaddle.com and similar and forward it to your main site. That way you can say D A K Saddle Dot Com on the phone or on a card without the complicated spelling.

Take five minutes to write something for your Info page, you can fix it later but I hate seeing blank pages. The only other thing is the saddles you have for sell do not show pictures, if your building them now you could just put up a picture of the tree and leather. Maybe even a picture of you working, anything as long as it's a picture.

Overall looks good, I like the BW pics, simple is better than fancy and this lets the site focus on your work. Nice Job,

[JHayek]

Outstanding website. Your command of the "visialia" style is also very impressive.

[rickybobby]

I thought I'd post a link to my new website. I'm no website designer so it still has a few kinks to be worked out.

www.dakabatoff.com

Darcy

Darcy,

Great job on the website. I like the old fashion look of the black & white. It shows the tooling detail (which is excellent!) crystal clear.

Rick J.

[Jeremy Stead]

Nice Saddles.

Just out of curiosity , why is everything black and white?

see ya,

Jeremy

[horsewreck]

Darcy, I get the black and white, I think it makes the site, reminds me of all the old paper catalogs that saddlers printed up back in the day. From the home page photo to the black and white saddles, it grabs you. I will let the other guys point out the places for small improvement, I give it two thumbs up, just great...... Jeff

[hidepounder]

Darcy,

I really like the black and white photo's also. Gives the site great character! Nice job!

Bobby