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View Full Version : Wanting some feedback on my website.



CustomAffects
12-06-2013, 04:12 AM
Just recently redid our website for my company. We are a automotive shop that specializes in window tinting, car audio. video and truck and car accessories. Our site can be seen at:

Custom Affects (http://www.CustomAffects.com)

Please give me some feedback and let me know what i could better or if it looks good?

Wozcreative
12-06-2013, 11:37 AM
The website is clean and structured, however I don't really see a well built brand here. Your logo doesn't match the black and yellow of the site, nor can it be read clearly and it uses curly fonts. I'm assuming that was an attempt to make it look "classy" but it does a poor job, instead it looks like a craft/scrapbooking company logo.

In terms of the website itself:

• You are missing a call to action on the home page
• The photos do not make sense.. your business is about vehicle accessories but your showing a brick wall, a house, a dusty trunk.
• Where is your "About" page?
• Where is your testimonials/gallery of work you've done?
• Your images look like your 16 year old took them using a nokia phone, consider taking some professional clean photos that really show your work.
• Why are there 2 Facebook icons being used?
• Use different icons for "window tinting, car audio/video and truck accessories"
• The contact page is a bit confusing.. there are 2 contact pages.. why not consolidate everything to one?
• Window tinting page - use different icons for each section


Overall though it is clean and uses a nice grid. The information isn't overwhelming and you get a good idea of what you do. More improvement is needed to differentiate yourself from competitors with stronger brand recognition though. There's nothing here for someone to "remember" about you in terms of getting an emotional attachment to you "brand". After seeing your site.. or seeing many others while researching it.. I'd forget who you were. Take a look at mr lube for example.. they have gone the whole nine yards with their brand being integrated throughout all marketing materials.

I specialize in brand design and development so I may be much more "sensitive" in terms of how brands portray themselves.

CustomAffects
12-06-2013, 01:58 PM
Thank you for the feedback. On the home page the pictures shown is work we have done. The trunk is a stereo build we have done, the house and building are things we have tinted. We tint windows on automotives, houses and commercial buildings, we also build custom stereos, and we also install truck accessories as well as golf cart parts and accessories. The 2 Facebook icons are because we have two Facebook pages, because we have two different locations in Texas. Also if you hover of the pictures with your icon, you will see a description which might make more sense on why we used those pictures.

We have one location in West Texas, and our newest location has opened in the DFW area, which is why we also have 2 numbers on the page and the reason for the 2 facebooks. Since the two cities are so far away, i didnt want to combine our Facebook pages because we offer some things at our DFW location that we do not at our west texas location.

CustomAffects
12-06-2013, 02:00 PM
How would you suggest making us stand out from our competitors on our website?

UK_Business_Consultant
12-08-2013, 10:25 AM
In addition to what wozcreative said, I would say that you need much more information on your site about what you do. For example window tinting may seem obvious but there are so many out there who need more information in order to be able to make a decision as to whether it is right for them. Also the more useful information you have, the more Google will like your site.

Also you list truck and golf cart accessories but there is no online catalogue or shop of these. Why are you not selling these in an online shop? I run a BMW parts and accessories online shop and a car sun blind online shop for those people who don't like tinting ;-) and it opens up the world as your market place (between 40% and 60% of my monthly sales are export).

CustomAffects
12-08-2013, 03:59 PM
You make a very good point. I will look over my information and how to add more to it. As for the online catalogue, i just honestly dont know how to get an e-commerce store on my website. And if i do im not sure how to go about managing that. I keep quiet a bit of inventory on hand, but my turnover on it is pretty quick and most of the things i order comes from a close warehouse so if i need something i can just order it and have it the next day.

But if i dont physically have something at my shop, how do i go about selling it online. I would like to keep my inventory cost as low as possible and i feel like i would need it all on hand to be able to sell online? correct or am i thinking about it wrong?

Wozcreative
12-08-2013, 06:56 PM
You make a very good point. I will look over my information and how to add more to it. As for the online catalogue, i just honestly dont know how to get an e-commerce store on my website. And if i do im not sure how to go about managing that. I keep quiet a bit of inventory on hand, but my turnover on it is pretty quick and most of the things i order comes from a close warehouse so if i need something i can just order it and have it the next day.

But if i dont physically have something at my shop, how do i go about selling it online. I would like to keep my inventory cost as low as possible and i feel like i would need it all on hand to be able to sell online? correct or am i thinking about it wrong?


You do not have to have it on hand to sell it on line. It is the same thing as if someone called you to buy, or someone created a transaction online and bought. You just have to tell them how long it will take for them to get the product.

UK_Business_Consultant
12-08-2013, 10:11 PM
Its not ideal to not have something in stock and sell it online but its a common practice. I do try to stock the most popular items but with some things like car sun blinds, there are over 500 different types and when they sell for anything up to $210, its not practical so I have them drop shipped for domestic or shipped to me and then I ship them on for international. Im about to start building a webiste dedicated to a new high end product and these will all be drop shipped. Drop shipping or ordering on demand isn't without its problems but if you have good communication with customers, it can be done. For m online stores, I use a specialist web design software for my online shops which makes it easy to add and manage products.

tallen
12-09-2013, 06:40 AM
Are the accessories that you offer unique (not available anywhere else), or are they also available from other vendors? If the things you would be selling are also available elsewhere, how do you distinguish your store /site from the others? Is there enough profit margin on these accessories to justify the sales, or do you make most of your money on the installation of the accessories? The point I'm trying to get at is to ask whether or not you really want to get into e-retailing, with all the order fulfillment, shipping, etc...(is that the business model you want to pursue?), or whether you just want to show a catalog of the accessories that you can provide to customers who bring their vehicles to your shops for customization? That said, an e-commerce platform wouldn't be a bad way to present that catalog, with the potential for online sales as a possible bonus.

liamdai
01-11-2014, 03:37 PM
I tend not to read any replies, before i make my own suggestions and comments. I learned from another forum, that reading other comments first may persuade or deter my personal opinions.

So sorry for repeats if there are.

I think your logo and company name should be re done, its hard to see. Your logo is your brand and if you want to brand you company, you should make it "nice"

I like the top part, where you list your services and how to reach you.

What is the purpose of your website? I think this question every needs to ask before even attempting a website. If it's just informational, it's pretty good for basic set up. If you want to be informational and brand your knowledge, you should add some tinting articles, where people can read about it.

A lot of times, the buy cycle is, get to know you, learn and trust you before they call you.

seo wise, your links are bad, you should redo your link urls (slugs).

I would add some testimonials or a gallery section, where i can see some of your work and see people you have worked with. At least, i can judge if you do the job in the style i want. Or prove you have real satisfied customers.

I think with sites like these, you are more lead generating, than being informational. You are missing a call to action. A simple, "Give us a Call if you want tinting done right!" will get more people to pick up the phone and call you.

Right now, it's all information about your company, and doing nothing to make me to use you.

Also, i would change the color scheme, if possible. This may be a personal preference of mine, but coloring has a lot to do with psychology and how we perceive your company.