A New View For You - any chance of your humble opinions pls?

[Don Ciccio]

Well, I had a bit of spare time so I have been using it to shred out some of the superfluous elements of our website such as unnecessary menus and navigation.

Some of you were kind enough to comment on the December 2009 changes. I made some temporary fixes at the time but I have now applied all of the changes I felt needed doing after reading all of your comments. The revised site is now live here and if any of you have a moment, feedback would be appreciated, Thanks.

Essentially, I have got rid of the left hand navigation bar, toned the garish yellow down, added info about Sicily's delights, clarified what we do and added some guest feedback to the front page. We have also dumped our own translations and added the google translate bar. I know there is a lot going on on the front page, but i feel its more ordered and understandable now....

OLD SITE (sceengrab)


REVAMPED SITE (screengrab)




December 2009 Thread: here

Thanks again

DC

[Nemo]

DC - my first look at your website and I just find the front page a bit busy. Does reading what other people have to say make me want to book it? Not really....I love reading peoples' comments, but that will be after I've decided whether the accommodation, location etc is possibly what I'm looking for...so I would expect to find them further into the site.

I know others have already said it's a little bit dated, so I'm with them there, but if it works then I guess you don't need to worry too much.

I have only just produced my first website, which is basic to say the least, via Google sites, but I am getting leads and coming up on Google searches. So while I dearly want a more professional looking site, it is at least doing its job!

[Don Ciccio]

Thanks Deb,

I ummed and ahhed about the guest comments for a long time. Eventually, after seeing several other sites that featured snippets throughout, and speaking to our guests who said the comments sold the holiday to them - I decided to go with the front page. However, I have this afternoon converted those text comments to a small flash animation in their place, and trimmed out the bout us introduction (after all, we have a page all about that) which hopefully reduces the information on the front page into more manageable chunks?

DC

[Nemo]

Ok, having had another look, I tried to analyse what makes it look so busy and my conclusion was that it was the number of typefaces and sizes that make it so. I am no techy, but maybe someone else with a bit more knowledge of professional web design could advise how to simplify things a little?

I'm not a great fan of flash - I always skip those aspects of a site. The only moving things that would interest me personally are a video maybe or a moving gallery of photos. I always think the simpler the design the more effective it becomes.

[Jimbo]

Clement Stone said:

So many fail because they don't get started. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin.

For me, a front page should be like the starter course in a desirable restaurant. Attractive, full of good things but light in substance because it’s main job is to alert you to the pleasures to follow. If it’s too stodgy, you may not make it to the other delicious courses which have been prepared with such loving care.

Your original front page was too like a main course for me and I sent it back. It’s calorie-reduced replacement is more to my taste but still a bit heavy. Your front page is your shop window and it’s where your photographs can really earn their stripes. I’d be tempted to use the great panoramic shot of Villa Anna bigger – across the whole page – and make the frieze (I preferred the original design where the frieze went across the whole page) of other (again good!) pictures links to information or guest quotes. And pare the text to the bone; every word should earn its keep.

I’ve opened the shadows on the panoramic to make it sing a little more and toned down the pinkish cast (but I’d lose the car!).

Jim

[barbersdrove]

what lovely way to describe it! I think browsing the menu is the best part of any meal as at that point all things are possible. I suppose that's where what listing sites you are on comes into it.

I agree with everything said above and I think the typeface bit in particular is right. More spaces give room for the text to show itself off. I think spaces are like the staging for the text.

I used to mark assignments for degree students and dreaded the ones where they had filled every part of the page. even though they were often written by the most promising students, knowing I had to make my way through the document put me in a bad mood. I used to comment along the lines of ' i hear what you say but I'm deafened by the way you say it'

[Hells Bells]

Much better in it's simpler version, and I mush prefer the toned down yellow.
Not sure about the flash animation of your guests comments. The original was too wordy though. Include them by all means, but perhaps pare them down a little, to only one or two comments, then use them more fully on the villa pages.

[Don Ciccio]

Well, blimey. Thanks to each of you, really! I have seen a new way forward. ANd I really liked the menu/dinner analogy.

I've made changes to the online version as a result of these comments.

I have trimmed out some of the text and tried to keep only the relevant parts there on page 1. I haven't shopped the villa photoyet but will now go and have a play. I forgot to move the car, but am going out in August anyway so can take another then, or try to shoop it out beforehand?

Anyway, There are only two sizes of text now and I have reinstated the panoramic banner across the centre. My worry is that these images are a little to bright? How do i tone them down? Do I need to? I have also given a bit more white space over between the text and switched the flash from right to left so that the text is broken up by images and not all on one side.

And, significantly, I have now also cut the Flash animation down to half its size and only put two comments on there. I will make another one with one or two other comments on for the villa page itself so that they dont overwhelm visitors.

I might have to PM Jimbo about how to get rid of the shadow casts. Thank you all once again!

DC

[Rocket Rab]

And, significantly, I have now also cut the Flash animation down to half its size and only put two comments on there.

Please, no, DC. I feel like I'm being brainwashed.

And I just can't get football results out of my mind - remember the Grandstand teleprinter?

You're too young? Lucky you.

[Don Ciccio]

Rab, hmm, yeah, I remain unsure about the effect on the flash text, but am still trying to find a more subtle one.

I did contemplate a blinking cursor and a Grandstand teleprinter bzzzz sound effect (of course i remember - just), but thought you might all apprecaite teh sound of a vuvuzela more...

Anyway, I uploaded the wrong version, I have now switched the .swf for the less indoctrinating one i prepared earlier. Luckily, i could not* get hold of a vuvuzela sound effect.

(*did not want to)


Here's the latest screen cap:

[Rocket Rab]

Yes, very lucky!

I prefer version 2, btw. Much more soothing.

[barbersdrove]

I think that's a real improvement. It's almost convincing me to book! (If i had the time to spare and could stand hot weather)

[Jimbo]

To my surprise, I'm rather taken with the flash animation and the way the words progress in a multi-coloured starburst - bit like a spaceship entering earth's atmosphere. Cool. (Perhaps you could finish the sequence with a lunar module parachuting down with 'get2sicily' logo on its side?).

Much better (IMO). Nit-picky stuff: don't need the 'Villa Anna' heading over the main pic because the text on the left is doing the same job. Main pic needs a border because the top left edge disappears into the background. Text blocks need tidying to mimic the shape of 'their' pictures. Pity the frieze pictures aren't links to other stuff. Otherwise, it's chicken tonight. My compliments to the chef!

' i hear what you say but I'm deafened by the way you say it'

Too true, bd. I will paste this quote onto my screen when I'm working on my site (or posting here).

Jim

[Don Ciccio]

Well, maybe, once we move over to our new name/url you'll see the spaceship! Or maybe not... It was the most subtle transition of the lot in the software bundle I got old of. The other effects were far too 'itv2' for my liking.

I have tried the supplemental tweaks you have suggested such as the text alignment and the picture border - should it be a light grey or the bold black it now is? I can see what you mean, but i could tryt o shop some blue sky into teh top left hand corner to take away the white and do away with the need for a border?

As for the thumbnails linking to somewhere, it is certainly a good idea, linkin them to the Trapani region sub pages on these places, but heres a question. If i link to a page from one of those images, how do i type the link so it directs to the page anchor (paragraph anchor) position on that page.

I have a vague recollection it's something like http://***.get2sicily.co.uk/04region2.htm#B
where the #B is the anchored reference point on the page... is this correct?

Otherwise, thanks again for such positive and constructive critiquing of my site and for all your suggestions.

DC


UPDATE, okay, yep, tried it and it worked. might try working in a few links on those thumbs now. Ta

[Jimbo]

... picture border - should it be a light grey or the bold black it now is? I can see what you mean, but i could tryt o shop some blue sky ...

Down to you, the objective is to avoid picture edges melding into the background. I like solid borders but you may prefer other solutions.

One further thought? Given the 'family' nature of your business and the amount of effort that you all obviously put into making your guests happy, you might consider including a group picture of the background boys and girls. Perhaps sitting around a table in the sunshine and toasting your guests with a glass of wine - or some such jolly confection?

... thanks again for such positive and constructive critiquing of my site and for all your suggestions.

Thanks, in turn, from those who regularly contribute to website review threads for your postive and constructive responses to comments and suggestions.

Jim