Web Site Reviews

Purpose: Cactapus is a web site that points to two different websites for two web designers. At the top, it tells us that this is an art and design website. But we have Macintosh support, print services, family photos, fine art... There is no clear purpose here.

• There is no clear navigation. You click and arrive at a page, but it's not clear what to click next. There's no simple return to the start.
• The domain names are cute, but difficult to remember or type. It would be better to use .com instead of the .co.uk extension.
• There are too many websites are clustered under one start page. Perhaps separate these into standalone sites.

Purpose: Rental of store mannequins.

• The navigation is inconsistent. The footer navigation bar at the bottom should be in the same place (at the bottom of every page) and on every page.
• The header logo should be larger and cleaner (no pixelation around the edges.)
• The logo should be clickable and returns to the home page.
• The "click for a larger photo" photo isn't much bigger. The customers are generally companies with fast connections, so go ahead and offer a full-screen photo of the mannequins.
• There's no online ordering or payment. Perhaps there could be a list of available mannequins (with closeup photo of each) and a calendar that shows when the mannequin is available, plus credit card ordering. Customers can select their mannequins, make reservations, and make payments. The owners would shift a great deal of the office work from themselves to the customer. They'd only have to arrange delivery and pickup.
• This site could really use a mailing list, so the owners can send out monthly offers and reminders.

Purpose: Sale of office chairs, desks, and furniture.

• Design: It's certainly not a very pretty site, but it works.
• Search button: There's many kinds of products and so on. This site really needs a search box. (Tip: Free search engines at atomz.com)
• Photos: Since the customers have high speed connections, the photos could be larger.
• Prices: Completely missing. These should be added.
• Payment: Allow payment by online credit card, check, etc. There should be online ordering. All of this could be easily added. It would shift much of the ordering and payment work from telephone to online.
• Contact: Is there a showroom? Name and contact info (email, mail, and telephone.) A page with more information: city, map, etc.

Purpose: Site that offers graphics services.

• Design: The navigation is unclear. Navigation bars appear in inconsistent places and often not at all.
• The URL should be replaced with something easy to type.
• The site is for a graphics service, but the drawings and images could be much better (larger, cleaner, better drawn, and so on.) Each page has a different layout. There are inconsistent fonts, font sizes, and layout. There is no style sheet.
• Mailing Lists: Should be added, in order to build up a customer list.

Purpose: Knitting blankets for refugees in Afghanistan.

• Design: Practical vs Pretty. Very nice site. Functional and attractive.
• Mailing Lists: Add a mailing list link to every page.
• Community: Since this is a person-to-person assistance project, this site could use a chatlist or some sort of community discussion, so that knitters can share tips, patterns, ideas, resources, etc.

Purpose: Mentors for girls.

• Design: There is a clear position statement.
• Search button: The site has a massive amounts of information. Add a search box! (Tip: Free search engines at atomz.com)
• The information is generally top-down (from the owners to the users.) To develop lateral contacts within the community, the site should add mailing lists, community chat lists, contact lists, group activities, chapters, get-togethers, etc.

Purpose: The site informs local citizens about the Cerrito Theater and organizes them to work in the local politics to save the theater.

• Design: The site works. Information about the theater and the politics to save it, with articles, letters and photos. There's a mailing list to collect names for the newsletter (and this is probably used to send out alerts for political activity. Very good.)
• Perhaps emphasize the mailing list more. Make it more obvious, and put it at the bottom of every page.

Purpose: Activities for kids.

• Design: The site's purpose isn't clear. Add a mission statement ("The site for kids" or similar) to the top banner. There's information overload here. Maybe reduce the amount of information: offer the best links, and add further links in a "More..." page.
• Mailing Lists: This site could use all sorts of email lists, newsletters, activity notices, etc. Sign up a child (age, city, and interests) and emails could notify one of events and activities.
• The Disclaimer. A site that has info for kids, and then adds a disclaimer? This has an odd feeling to it. Maybe call it "legal stuff" or similar.

Purpose: Sexual advice for women.

• Design: Chaotic layout. Every page is different. No consistent look and feel. By using a consistent design, the brand is reinforced and the visitor will remember the site. Suggestion: use a single top banner for all pages. Use a single navigation bar for all pages.
• Search button: Lots of information. Add a search button. (Tip: Free search engines at atomz.com) Add a site map as well.
• Mailing Lists: Add a mailing list so you can send monthly emails to your visitors. This will increase sales. To entice people to sign up, offer them a free course.
• Prices: Instead of asking for donation, simply state the price. A "donation" is voluntary, and many people will choose not to pay. Give one or two free classes or content, and charge for the rest.
• Ordering: shopping carts, online form, email, telephone, fax, and mail. The payment and registration system is chaotic. In order to take both of the courses that you offered, I registered several times, and was never able to get to the second course. New windows popped up, everything looked different, no single start page for everything.
• The site has potential. Good content, etc. But it needs to be more structured.

Purpose: Advice on childbirth in water.

• Design: Very confusing site. You click a URL, read a long text, and then finally get a "Click Here to Enter." There is no navigation bar, no consistent look to all pages, etc. By using a consistent design, the brand is reinforced and the visitor will remember the site.
• The pages are too long. Too much text. Shorten the text or break it up into several pages.
• Search box: Add a search box. (Tip: Free search engines at atomz.com). Add a site map.
• Contact: Add name and contact info (email, mail, and telephone) to every page.

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