I need fresh eyes!

[sandandsong]

We are new business, and would love some fresh eyes to give us some feedback. Please take a look at our website and make any comments you see fit. Thank you.

[cbscreative]

Aside from repeating that your background is too dominating, which was pointed out in your intro thread, the primary purpose or mission of your publication should be clearly stated. When I view the site, it's not obvious right away what your purpose is.

The Editor's Note area seems like a great place to put some teaser copy to draw the visitor in deeper. Something inviting that captures the most important purpose for your site would be good. One or two sentences with a "find out more..." link to an About Us page would help improve your response rates. I'm sure others will offer more suggestions so I'll leave room for them to comment too. That one just stands out to me right away, so I think it merits being a top priority.

[vangogh]

I mentioned this in your intro thread, but I'll say it again here. I like the overall design of the site. I do think the background should be toned down as right now it pulls my eye away from your content and toward the background. I'd use something lighter with a more neutral color. Red draws the eye and you don't want to draw the eye to the background.

The page itself has a nice look. I like how it gives the feel of a newspaper, given the theme of the site.

As far as the content is concerned what's there to keep people visiting the site? I see ads and offers and similar, but how about some information content to keep people coming back regularly. Why not some local news stories, interviews with local people, reviews of places and events, etc. The link to featured articles leads to a blog off the site? Why not incorporate that on the site? It would work better to keep people at the site.

Your forum is geared solely toward sales and employment. I'd keep those sections, but add more general community topics as well. If I'm understanding your business model I think you'll have the most success by building a site where the communities serve want to visit and spend time at. While there they can buy and sell, but getting them there is going to require something more. I'd look to add more informational content that doesn't sell directly, but doe draw people into the site, keeps them there, and makes them want to come back again.

[KristineS]

I guess I'm not really sure what you're trying to do here. Right now it kind of looks like a community calendar, which isn't a bad thing, but then you have articles too, although they're kind of hidden. What's the aim of this site? Are you just looking to be kind of a resource for what's going on in the surrounding area? Are you hoping people will advertise on your site? Knowing what you want to do would help me give you some more substantive feedback.

[AllCeasonsDesign]

Sand and Song,
I see you have already gotten lots of great advice on here. I did check your site out when you first posted and again just now. I see you have already made a lot of the changes suggested and I think the improvement is 150%. Your background is much more subtle and no longer draws the eye from your information.

Strictly from a graphic designers prospective, I might see if you could make a more dramatic Logo look out of Sand and Song. Also you can see the seams in your repeating background. (This is no big deal, and I probably only noticed because of my profession) You can purchase seamless background images on many stock photography sites like istock.com.

Other than those two little things I think you have made HUGE improvements since I first looked. GREAT job!

[vangogh]

I see the new background. Definitely an improvement. I'd still go with something even more neutral, but what I see now is a big improvement over the red one I think. It's your content that's standing out now. Definitely an improvement.

[Stu_Upton]

The guys above have already offered really good advice so I am going to need to be picky in a constructive way.

“In this issue” – Which issue is this? Is there an archive of previous issues?

“Breaking local news” – maybe consider sticking a date and time with it, let us know just how breaking it is.

How about having the links that take visitors away from your site opening up in separate windows?

Personal choice but I would look to contrast the headlines from the text a bit more, instead of just differentiating them with colour try using a sans serif font for the headlines to create an impact and contrast.

As for the more general look and feel of it I love the idea of the community newspaper / magazine and it can encourage your readership to get passionate about (and become loyal to) something so I would say commit to it, let us know bold and centred exactly what it is, not hide it off to the left, let your readership know who you are and who you service.

On the location page there is a nice picture of (I’m presuming) you with contact numbers but how about a biog to accompany it, never miss an opportunity to get personal with people, stick this on the editors notes page.

I could well be wrong but I presume this is being financed (or will be) by selling advertising space to local businesses? If so how about considering a ‘local hero’ section where you pick a local business a week and highlight the owner in a short ‘picture and ten questions and responses’ page, gives the local business something for free but you can almost guarantee that they will tell people that they will be appearing on it generating extra exposure.

You’re probably bored of my rambling by now so last thing is on the ‘local news headlines’ page, while I love the headline ‘Hey Thief Suffers Gun Shot Wond’, I presume it should read ‘Hay Thief Suffers Gun Shot Wound’

Hope a little bit of that helps

Stu

[sandandsong]

I would like to thank all of you guys for the time you have taken to review and critique our website. We are taking your comments to heart and making improvements where we see fit. Your input has been very appreciated.

[vangogh]

Glad we could help. As always with critiques like this don't take anything we say as gospel. This is your site so it's your decision. At the same time much of the critique is coming from people who make their living design websites.

Feel free to keep us updated as you make changes and we'll all look again.