Critique My New Website?

[dmr400]

Hello everyone, I'm just about finished with my website and I was wondering if anyone would mind crawling through it and critiquing it. It can be found at:

PF Gunleather Home Page

or if the link doesn't work at:

www.pfgunleather.com

I've only tested it in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, so if you use a different browser I would appreciate your feedback on how it worked.

The most glaring things missing right now are the examples of the different colors (which will be fixed in the near future), and the lack of a picture of the pancake holster (I keep forgetting to take pictures before I send them to their new home so I'll have to make another one of my latest design).

All comments and feedback gratefully accepted now matter how big or small! Thanks,

Andy

Edited June 24, 2010 by dmr400

[Lobo]

Andy:

Nice looking website, and fine looking work. You are doing very well, sir.

My first suggestion is to take your telephone number off! Try to limit correspondence to e-mail as much as possible. Otherwise within a short period of time you will be constantly interrupting your work to answer the telephone. Some customers will think nothing about taking an hour of your time to ask questions, discuss options, offer suggestions, etc. Your prices are quite reasonable, but your profits won't seem worth it when you get one of those customers who is like the kid in the back seat on a trip (Are we there yet? When are we gonna get there? Are we there yet? When are we gonna get there? Are we there yet?).

It is always best to be friendly and accessible to potential customers. But there are only so many hours in a day and I need to make those as productive as possible. I receive and reply to over 100 e-mails every week, most of which are questions about products, production time, etc. I receive 20 to 30 orders every week for 25 to 40 items total. I need to keep my "shop time" uninterrupted so I can keep up the pace of production.

Staying off the telephone is what has worked for me. Your solution might be different, but I'm quite sure that you will need to find a solution soon.

Best regards!

[knockout]

looks fine, well outlined, good communication, and once filled out should be very effective.

[Paul 13]

Hi Andy,

Just checked out you web site, looks great to me! I do agree with Lobo about the phone number, especially with a one man operation (no one to screen calls). If there are any issues you can give it out on a case by case basis.

I am fairly new to this site but am impressed by the quality of what I am seeing and the friendlyness of everyone. I hope to be able to do as good one day.

Paul

[Shorts]

The website looks great All the info a customer wants is immediately visible at the top of the page and communication is clear.

As for the phone number, I too would take that down because of accessibility. As you get busier you will find the phone a bit of an anchor. There is a lot to be said for a good chat and communication with customers but just be careful how open it is. It's a control issue - the more you can control your work time, the better. Otherwise you will be stressed out of your mind, splitting actual holster work with customer service. Then people will complain how you never answer and the phone rings and rings... Just look ahead to the worst case scenario and decide how you can head that off from the very beginning. ;

Edit: What you might can do is request their phone number when they submit their email order request. If you need or want to talk to that particular customer you can call him/her on your time. You may also set your outgoing number to pop up as "Private" or not. That is a little one-sided, but remember, you've got to be in control!

...maybe I'm just a control freak?

Edited June 24, 2010 by Shorts

[dmr400]

The Ayes have it...phone number comes off Thanks everyone!

[dirtclod]

Nice website and work. But i would have the pages open in to another window. Because your banner / bar across the top and the box that everything is in limits being able to see the picture when your reading. I guess what i'm trying to say is when i was reading your description of the holster i tried to see what you were talking about and had to scroll up and then back down and find my place again to read. Might not be a biggie to anybody else i though it was a pain to have do that on ever picture and description.

The roll over thing didn't work to good for me either. Maybe i need to get a bigger screen I have a 17 inch. When i did the roll over the picture stayed to right where i couldn't see the whole holster and when i tried to drag it back it was gone.

I really like your opening picture and the rest are great to.

John

[ShortBBL]

Nice site! A couple things I'd mention though..... 1) The first thing you say on your Packages page is.... "If you can afford it..." to me, that sounds like you're questioning if your buyer has the money to buy a full set. If I was buying, it wouldn't really bug me (cuz I can afford it) but, it jumped right out at me. Maybe I have just seen too many things critique'd like that in the past. Just something to think about. Wording can be a huge part of successful advertisements. 2) When I mouse over your pictures (in particular, the one of the askins avenger type rig) it brings up a bigger picture, but it only shows part of it... it's too far off to the right side (and I use a big screen). 3) lastly, some of the pages like the "Belt" page, does not show any pricing at all.

Overall, it's a nice site and with some tweeks, it'll really look super. I am sure it will do what you want! Good job and nice looking stuff!

I am especially interested in trying to make a light holder like the one you show with the E2D(L?), Head Down! How does that work? It is my preferred method of carry but I was curious how it would hold up. email me directly if you like.

Jon

[Bronson]

Overall a nice website but I would have to agree with John.

But i would have the pages open in to another window. Because your banner / bar across the top and the box that everything is in limits being able to see the picture when your reading. John

Bronson

[JLSleather]

I LIKED the site. Menu ALWAYS visible (which I think is a MUST), nice photos, personal without being "wishy-washy", clear navigation ...

Two things I might do differently. Not that I'm necessarily "right", but thoughts (my wife says I'm antagonistic, but I disagree)

1.) Space the text just a bit. White on black will work, and the font size is okay for most, but maybe a few "points" added between lines.

2.) I would shorten the paragraph on your "wait time" page. Nothing on there sent me running for some other maker, but the initial impression when I click "wait time" is that I'm about to get a bunch of reasons why what I want is going to take too long. You cleared that up IN the text, but I think some will get that impression and be out. I LIKE the big, bold time frame right at the top (and "up front"), but maybe (without altering your text) shorten it up to NOT have that first impression ...

Wait times are the bane of the custom gunleather world. I am a drilling member of the Army National Guard, and a member of my local Search and Rescue Team. Because of the unpredictable nature of both , I've built a small margin into the wait time for unexpected callouts, so don't be surprised if you receive your item sooner than quoted.

If for some reason I have to suspend production because of either duty, it will be posted both here and on the home page. I don't expect to be called away from my business for more than one week a year (and doubtfully all at once), but I would feel remiss if I didn't put the possibility of it happening out in the open.

I added the paragraph break because (1) it takes the same space as what you now show and gives the illusion of being "shorter", and (2) it leaves the reader's eyes seeing "don't be surprised if you receive your item sooner than quoted. "

[dmr400]

Thanks everyone for your time and feedback. I've ditched the rollover pictures for now, I work on a 21" monitor and sometimes forget not everyone is so fortunate Still debating on how to make that work, some experimentation is ahead. Have also shortened the wait time page as suggested, and changed the wording for the packages.

[mulefool]

the website looks good, I have a Mac and viewed it with Safari. I'm sure surprised though about the comments regarding the phone #. I have mine listed on my website and yes sometimes I wish I didn't answer it, but there is always the option to let it ring. Personally if I had the choice between two makers to contact I would prefer the one with the phone, I have a better chance of getting an answer right now if I have a time sensitive question, rather than wait for someone to answer their email. If there is any problem I have another possible contact method so I would just feel more comfortable. Sure they can always use caller ID and ignore you, but I would just feel more comfortable with as many contact possibilities as possible. With the right message on your answering machine, if you are in the middle of getting things done you can still wait to fit it in to your schedule. But I think I was out voted....so! Chris

[David]

the website looks good, I have a Mac and viewed it with Safari. I'm sure surprised though about the comments regarding the phone #. I have mine listed on my website and yes sometimes I wish I didn't answer it, but there is always the option to let it ring. Personally if I had the choice between two makers to contact I would prefer the one with the phone, I have a better chance of getting an answer right now if I have a time sensitive question, rather than wait for someone to answer their email. If there is any problem I have another possible contact method so I would just feel more comfortable. Sure they can always use caller ID and ignore you, but I would just feel more comfortable with as many contact possibilities as possible. With the right message on your answering machine, if you are in the middle of getting things done you can still wait to fit it in to your schedule. But I think I was out voted....so! Chris

I want to put my $.02 also. I agree with Mulefool ... Chris.... Keep the phone number and the site works very well in Safari on my Mac also.

Dave Theobald

[BAD HIDE]

Nice site and excellent work. The phone # thing is up to you, I don't use mine simply because I only have one phone. I mainly use that for my real job and if I didn't compartmentalize, I'd go crazy. I give it out regularly to clients and customers, but you gotta e-mail me first so I know what's goin on. I have both my business emails set up to reroute to separate folders into my personal inbox - and I check that at least a dozen times a day.

Couple of little things - The handgun list is the only page that I have to side scroll, so if it was one column instead of two I'd just have to scroll down.

And this next one's a little bit of a pet peeve, but never put "under construction" on the front page. Saying "Pictures coming soon" is totally acceptable as most people know small sites are always works in progress - hell, there's plenty of big companies that have "pics coming soon" boxes. But "under construction" is almost the same as saying "not open for business yet." Sites don't have to be super fancy and 100% complete, a single page with your name, pics of a few holsters, and and e-mail is totally fine. If it's truly "under construction," it shouldn't be up.

[Ferg]

Hello everyone, I'm just about finished with my website and I was wondering if anyone would mind crawling through it and critiquing it. It can be found at:

PF Gunleather Home Page

or if the link doesn't work at:

www.pfgunleather.com

I've only tested it in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, so if you use a different browser I would appreciate your feedback on how it worked.

The most glaring things missing right now are the examples of the different colors (which will be fixed in the near future), and the lack of a picture of the pancake holster (I keep forgetting to take pictures before I send them to their new home so I'll have to make another one of my latest design).

All comments and feedback gratefully accepted now matter how big or small! Thanks,

Andy

Andy,

Get that "Under Construction" sign off your website. That is one of the biggest "Turn-Offs" for visitors.

Nice Site

ferg

[Ferg]

Thanks everyone for your time and feedback. I've ditched the rollover pictures for now, I work on a 21" monitor and sometimes forget not everyone is so fortunate Still debating on how to make that work, some experimentation is ahead. Have also shortened the wait time page as suggested, and changed the wording for the packages.

Andy,

Not knowing what you are working with for a Site Builder I will shoot in the dark.

If you are using CSS you should have a setting for how many pixels wide your format is. Seventy two pixels per inch in most cases so 15" would equal 1080 pixels wide.

If you aren't using CSS you should be able to shrink the width in whatever program you used.

ferg

[SimonJester753]

Works fine in Apple's Safari on a Mac.

Nice site. Things load quickly, which is important.

And I learned about vinagroon black! I'm currently working with black latigo, but when that runs out I might try some undyed leather and finish it as needed.