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View Full Version : Revamp Time!!!



boogle
01-31-2011, 02:46 PM
Hello everyone, like many small businesses I started off with a nice clean to the point website, and as my business has grown eloquently... my site has not. I am not going to build a whole new site or anything, just looking for feedback on ways to clarify things, get rid of some clutter, increase conversions, etc. Any feedback would be really appreciated.

Murfreesboro Rock School (http://MurfreesboroRockSchool.com)

Thanks

jamesray50
01-31-2011, 08:11 PM
Hi Boogle, I like your product. I didn't read everything, but I like the idea of teaching music to students and then they get the oportunity to play in a band. Is this something different than they can get in their school system?

boogle
01-31-2011, 11:12 PM
Thanks! Certainly nothing like this going on in the school system. Tennessee ranks pretty low when it comes to music education. We have some awesome teachers around here but the system keeps cutting time so now kids only get maybe 12 hours of music education a year tops.

So how was your trip on the site? Where did you go first? What made sense and what did not?

Thanks!

vangogh
01-31-2011, 11:43 PM
Wow! You've done a lot of work since the last time you showed off the site. You were just getting started then if I remember. I think you may have incorporated some of our earlier suggestions too. The site is definitely looking much nicer than before. I read through some of the content and it looks good. I haven't gone through every word, but in general I don't see much to complain about there. I like being able to see all the instructors.

I remember suggesting more color last time around and I'm going to suggest it again. My first impression when landing on the site is it's very dark and I think it sets the wrong mood. Unless you're specifically marketing to goth kids I think the site needs more color in the header image. It doesn't have to be all bright and rainbows, but I really think you'll find a lot more people signing up if you add some color. I think you can leave the footer as is, but color will make the site more inviting when someone firsts lands on it.

If you want to keep the black and white look, tone the black down a bit. Make it more a dark gray and then have a few of the flowers show a splash of color. It doesn't have to be a lot of color. Again I'm not suggesting rainbows, but I think some color would make the site more inviting.

One minor touch you might also try is using rounded corners. Look up border-radius if you're not familiar with how. Just a few px roundness here and there can add a lot to a design.

Spider
02-01-2011, 05:50 PM
I understood from your opening post that this was what you wanted to change. What I see looks fine to me - cannot see any reason to change it, unless it is not performing - ie. not getting students to sign up. I liked the color scheme - the black and orange worked for me, but I like simple. If you follow the suggestion to have more color, I would suggest very muted color. For me, there is quite enough color in the graphics.

I don't like fixed width, but the way you have a fixed width body with a seeming unlimited width header is a clever alternative. I like that.

vangogh
02-01-2011, 10:28 PM
I liked the color scheme - the black and orange worked for me, but I like simple.

I doubt you're in the target market though.

Here's the mission statement of the site


To offer youth a positive and supportive environment that teaches self confidence and individual growth through learning and performing music.

The current color scheme doesn't suggest a positive and supportive environment. If anything it suggests the opposite. That sends a mixed message about what the site is about. When you land on the home page you immediately see the darkness. Very soon you also see mention of one power chord at a time. The suggestion is the music will be dark and heavy. If that's what the music is going to be then the color scheme works well. Reading through the rest of the site I don't get that impression. The rest of the site indicates a different color scheme, particularly in the big header image would work better to communicate the site's central message.

greenoak
02-02-2011, 08:51 AM
it looks good .....i would be leery of changing it too much when its working already.....i thought the color choice was appealing and fitting ....a little strong, but we are talking rock...right? and its different, which might be a good thing... .
....if anything ,i would add more images ...like a lot of pictures of your kids and the school doing what you do.....maybe a gallery or a nice collage.......but down in the lower parts not the heading.... . ..

KristineS
02-02-2011, 01:59 PM
I think this is very well done. I'm especially pleased to see your note on the front page about the radio show and that you're showing off your press. That's something a lot of businesses miss.

I'm neutral on the color scheme. Part of me agrees about the brighter colors, but a lot of sites for kids tend to do that, and if there is a site that could do well with a darker color scheme, a site about playing rock would probably be it. You've also done well to add additional color with pictures of the instructors, kids playing instruments etc., so that helps.

Overall, I think it's a great site. Congratulations.

vangogh
02-02-2011, 07:34 PM
To be clear I'm not suggesting bright colors. Just some color in the header image. I even suggested that a dark gray might even be enough. I think there's too much solid black as the first thing people will see and I think it conveys a conflicting message to the mission statement. Someone landing on the site might think only certain styes of music are being taught and played, and from my understanding a wider variety of music is accepted. I simply think a little color would make that clearer.

boogle
02-02-2011, 09:21 PM
Thank you all so much for the input so far, it truly is very appreciated. As for the color (or lack there of :) It is really good to hear the unbiased opinions and see how much they differ. It sounds like everyone agrees that with the pictures and graphics the site itself is not "too dark". If I am understanding you correctly van the issue is at the top the page feels dark heavy, giving the impression of musical styles that are associated with black and dark schemes which is a really good point. My logic is that it probably does not act as a deterrent for the parents and the input I have gotten from our kids they think it looks really cool. I guess my point is a parent is most likely going to read about the program and get the information there. Kids are in my opinion more likely to make impulse decisions based on how the website looks regarding if the say "hey mom, this looks cool" therefor I have the color scheme. I think I am going to keep that aspect as it is right now, although you bringing those points to light will certainly make me keep my ear to the ground and see if parents are being turned off by the colors, if so, I certainly will change it and appreciate the heads up to watch out for that.

I think what I am most wanting to update is the way the text is presented. Our program is relatively novel, at least for around here. I want to make sure that when someone stumbles upon us from a google search or ad that the language is written and presented in a way where people can quickly feel like that have a clear (and accurate) understanding of what we do.

Thanks!

vangogh
02-02-2011, 11:41 PM
I do think your success or failure is going to have more to do with word of mouth once you get started. If one kid in a school joins he or she is going to recruit friends. I think your content and the experience real people have is what will be most important for you.


I guess my point is a parent is most likely going to read about the program and get the information there.

You're probably right, but I wouldn't assume that. Parents will make the same impulsive decisions their kids do. We all make decisions based on emotional impulses. The information we collect is usually to justify that emotional decision. People will form impressions within milliseconds based solely on the visual of your site. I'm not saying you have to follow my advice of course. Just suggesting it's something to pay attention to.

One thing you could do is set up a test. Show two different versions of the page. 50% see one and 50% see the other. Then see which performs better. That's the only way to really know which works best. The rest is all opinion.

Patrysha
02-03-2011, 10:19 AM
Maybe you already changed what everyone is saying is too dark? Unless the pop of orange in the header was always there...

To me it looks just what I'd expect for a Rock Band School...and as a parent I'd be drooling over the place...if it were near here I'd be searching for a way to fit it into the budget. Considering I have two flipping guitars, an organ and a keyboard that have all been gathering dust for years...Not sure it would fit grandpa's idea of what music lessons should look like, but I think it will fit the modern generation of parents and kids just fine.

jamesray50
02-03-2011, 10:22 AM
I looked at the entire website and really liked it. On your About Us page on the Mission Statement, I think student should be students. Also I really like how you give a $20 dollar discount for a referral, but you spelled referral wrong. But, I really like the idea of your business. I wish I was young enough to sign up.

vangogh
02-03-2011, 11:41 AM
Patrysha the site hasn't changed since I made my comments about color. I'm mainly referring to the mass of solid black at the top. It seems a little too much to me. Also know that I have flash blocked by default when a page loads so the video shows up as a dark gray box to me adding to the lack of color. That won't be true for everyone of course and with the video loaded things do look better.

All I'm trying to say is that I think the site is trying to appeal to all kids between a certain age range, but that the current color scheme seems to be one that will appeal more to a specific group of kids within that age range. I think with a little more color the site could appeal to a wider range of the target market.

Patrysha
02-03-2011, 02:23 PM
See, I'm kind of thinking the opposite...that he does want to appeal to a specific set of kids within that age range...kids (and parents) who want to rock and roll...especially considering the choice of Seven Nation Army as the flash learned song that was featured in the video...that's no "darker" musically than the traditional Smoke on the Water that kids seem to pick up first.

vangogh
02-03-2011, 04:43 PM
I don't think all rock and roll is the same. There's quite a bit of variety in rock music (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_music). Rock music spans the spectrum from soft to hard. It can lean toward jazz, blues, classical, country, punk, pop, etc. each with very different sounds and people of very different interests and likes and dislikes. A group of kids wanting to play a jazz fusion sort of rock and a group of kids looking form a power trio heavy metal band probably aren't going to see the site the same way.

My thought is the current color scheme is more to the liking of the power trio metal band and maybe not so much the band looking to play pop love songs. If I'm understanding right the site would like to appeal to both as well as every other potential rock music in between. If the site is aiming for the power trio kids then by all means the current color scheme makes sense.

As an aside one reason Smoke on the Water is a popular song for people to learn is because it takes about 10 seconds to learn how to play it. It certainly appeals to some who like rock music. I've always liked the song myself, but it's ease of learning is the main reason lots of kids learn to play it quickly.

Patrysha
02-03-2011, 04:50 PM
lol so true...must be the headbanger in me that sees it as fitting...and my inability to conceive of anyone actually liking the jingle pop bubble gum stuff...

vangogh
02-03-2011, 09:53 PM
I'm not the bubble gum type either. As a teen it was all hard rock and heavy metal for me. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and similar. The site would have had me targeted well. I'm just thinking it's goal is to appeal to a wider audience of kids.

Patrysha
02-03-2011, 11:25 PM
As a teen it was all hard rock and heavy metal for me. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and similar. The site would have had me targeted well. I'm just thinking it's goal is to appeal to a wider audience of kids.

Me too...though my most recent trip to HMV had all the current bands (or at least the ones I liked enough at the time to look up...it was a few years ago) was categorized under punk...which I found very weird. It was Green Day, The Offspring and Billy Talent that I was looking for.

vangogh
02-04-2011, 12:15 AM
Green Day was punk prior to Woodstock 99. They became much more commercial after that. I can see them being classified there. It's funny sometimes seeing how some bands are categorized. Lot's of bands don't really fall easily into any one category. Rock itself has so many influences that it can defy categorization. But to sell the music and to get airplay it needs to be categorized.

I'm fine with the 2 categories of good music and bad music. :)

craigb
02-04-2011, 11:05 AM
I liked the website and the idea that you have going.

A few sugestions I have for you are first you say that you have a concert for the kids?
If the concert is at a local establishment see if that location would be interested in advertising on your site
if there is a store you buy equipment from see if they would like some space on your site as well.

You may also see if there is a local DJ in the area who would like to teach turntable and get a few hip hop kids in there
as well. I didnt hear any music on the pages when they popped up, you might think about adding that feature to one of the pages just
as a sample of the students work. Also add some anchors that link the pages together so as they click it takes them to different places
on your site.

One last thing would be add a featured student of the month. Someone who has made a lot of progress or is
just really good. that would draw family members to the site to see their loved one and institute compitition amoungst the
students to attend and do their best to be featured.

CloptonCapital
03-22-2011, 03:21 PM
I doubt you're in the target market though.

Here's the mission statement of the site



The current color scheme doesn't suggest a positive and supportive environment. If anything it suggests the opposite. That sends a mixed message about what the site is about. When you land on the home page you immediately see the darkness. Very soon you also see mention of one power chord at a time. The suggestion is the music will be dark and heavy. If that's what the music is going to be then the color scheme works well. Reading through the rest of the site I don't get that impression. The rest of the site indicates a different color scheme, particularly in the big header image would work better to communicate the site's central message.

Agreed. Simple fix: invert the color scheme. Go from mostly dark to mostly light with no real change in design.