Need Website Critique

[Steven Hockstein]

We are currently updating our Website and I know all of you love to inspect and critique so I would appreciate some constructive criticism.

One of my particular concerns is the speed at which our project gallery loads. We have a fast internet connection in here and I was wondering how the gallery loads with a DSL connection and from other areas of the country. We are still adding photos but before the additional time is spent I wanted to know if there are issues that need to be addressed.

http://www.ahmarchitects.com/

Thanks in advance for you help.

Steve H.

PS: Wishing all of you a Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy New Year!!

[randynavarro]

I just checked out the photo galleries.

They loaded fairly fast - maybe 10 seconds for all.

We're on Verizon DSL.

[Steven Hockstein]

Originally posted by randynavarro

I just checked out the photo galleries.

They loaded fairly fast - maybe 10 seconds for all.

We're on Verizon DSL.

Thanks Randy,

Did you try any of the thumbnail flashes?

[Michael Brown]

Site looks very nice... but... SEO will be very bad unless you make sure search engines can follow the links on the pages. Search engines don't follow flash links and the flash on the front page is also a waste of SEO potential. Even if you added some small links along the bottom of the pages the search engines could then spider the site.

Michael Brown

http://www.devwave.com

[Steven Hockstein]

Originally posted by admin

Site looks very nice... but... SEO will be very bad unless you make sure search engines can follow the links on the pages. Search engines don't follow flash links and the flash on the front page is also a waste of SEO potential. Even if you added some small links along the bottom of the pages the search engines could then spider the site.

Michael Brown

http://www.devwave.com

Thanks. That is great input. I will place some "Invisible" text on the front page to increase the SEO.

[SonOfSwamp]

Two things:

Maybe it's just me, but I dislike websites that have moving stuff -- like the blue lines that "draw themselves" on the website. I'd suggest that you modify the website to make the moving things hold still, and then get comparative input on that.

Photos load slowishly here. I'm on Comcast cable.

WJ

[randynavarro]

Originally posted by Steven Hockstein

Originally posted by admin

Site looks very nice... but... SEO will be very bad unless you make sure search engines can follow the links on the pages. Search engines don't follow flash links and the flash on the front page is also a waste of SEO potential. Even if you added some small links along the bottom of the pages the search engines could then spider the site.

Michael Brown

http://www.devwave.com

Thanks. That is great input. I will place some "Invisible" text on the front page to increase the SEO.

Check other threads here that Dominic has posted regarding SEO.

I don't think he likes invisible links.

[Michael Brown]

Originally posted by Steven Hockstein

Originally posted by admin

Site looks very nice... but... SEO will be very bad unless you make sure search engines can follow the links on the pages. Search engines don't follow flash links and the flash on the front page is also a waste of SEO potential. Even if you added some small links along the bottom of the pages the search engines could then spider the site.

Michael Brown

http://www.devwave.com

Thanks. That is great input. I will place some "Invisible" text on the front page to increase the SEO.

Ya... invisible text is not good at all and may get you banned.

Michael Brown

[Jeremy]

Nice looking site. Loading speed is good on windstream dsl. I agree with Walter on the intro. I would delete it. Free advice for what its worth.

[Bain]

Very nice, Steven. I actually like the moving blue lines, and the photos load fine on Insight cable.

The flash intro? I'm not so sure about it. I think most people have trained themselves to automatically hit "skip intro" whenever they encounter flash. Is it possible to speed up the intro so everything morphs together more quickly?

Be advised that the foregoing comes from someone who has a horrid, cookie-cutter site 'cause he doesn't want to pay someone to put together something nice like you've done.

[Erby]

Dump the flash intro. It's a pain in the ass to everybody but those that design it. When I run into one while seaching, I DON'T hit "skip intro". I hit the back button to the search results and go elsewhere.

A picture of the priciples would look nice at the top center of your home page. Or if they're ugly, maybe a picture of the building or some kind of graphic.

Change the blue text on the front page. It looks like links but nothing happened when I clicked on it. Wasted my time.

There's no link to your home page. Your home page appears to also be the "About Us" page. People are used to sarching for a "Home" link to get back to the main page.

Put a visible "Site Map" at the bottom of the home page, when you get one. Spiders like it.

Increase the size of the text on the design page next to each type of project "New Home" etc.

When I went to New Home #4 I had to scroll down to see the pictures at the bottom of the screen. When I was done looking there was nothing readily visible to take me back to the Project Gallery page or to the home page.

Dump the blue text that looks like hyperlinks on all the pages that have it like the Building Inspection. I keep trying to click on it because it looks like hyperlinks.

You have added pages under Building Inspection and Construction Services but there not on the menu bar. I have to read down the page to find em. I'm too lazy to do that. Include them on a drop down menu similar to what TIJ has up above.

Some of the presentations in the project gallery scroll thru the pictures automatically, others don't. Make em all the same, one way or the other.

Picture Galleries seemed to take about 15 seconds or so to load (way to slow) when there were a full row of pictures across the bottom. Find someone on dialup and ask them to look thru your project gallery. Bet it'll drive them nuts. A LOT of the world is still on dial up.

"I" don't like flash presentations for pictures. Try powerpoint or something that lets ME control the speed of switching from one picture to the next.

I like the blueprint look at the left side.

[Steven Hockstein]

Thanks for your input!! I knew I could count on you all to tell me the real deal. I will use the information to improve the site.