Need some website help

[futuresoptions]

In the finishing phase of my new website. It is a food inspired site and I need some folks to check it out and let me know how it shows in your browser. It would be much appreciated if you could add a few posts to the forum to get it started if you don't mind helping. I don't want to add the link in this post because I don't want any back links pointing to the site at this time. PM me for the url... thanks

[stomachmonkey]

you could always spell out the @ and still post.

[futuresoptions]

true...

double u
double u
double u
dot

culinarycastle

dot
com

lol


FWIW I went to browsershots.org and have been getting a 403 error when I try to load the site.

Any suggestions on forum topics would be appreciated as well

[RWebb]

BTW - you are not #1 in search results on culinarycastle - not surprising with a new site I guess..

it looks fine to me

I do like a navigation strip on the left to click on tho - but I'm not a real arty guy

forum topics could easily be gleaned from all the food threads here!

[Red88Carrera]

Nice site. It shows fine in IE8. Just a few suggestions.

Be sure to use spell check.



Be consistent with fonts.



Any time you have your email address, make it a link.


Also, be sure to use the ® symbol for any registered trademark you use on the site(ALT 0174), and © on your copyright(ALT 0169).

[oldE]

Looks good.
Why the link to Fox news?

Best
Les

[oldE]

sorry duplicate post.
L

[futuresoptions]

Thanks for the help Don, think I got most of them resolved. Used spell checker and for some reason they didn't show up.

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by oldE

Looks good.
Why the link to Fox news?

Best
Les

It is a widget that allows you to check headlines and then if you want to read further it will link you to the news story on a new page. Same thing for the CNN and Fox Sports widget as well. You have to scroll down the page to see the additional widgets. There is one there for internet radio as well. You pick your genre and then it will open a new page with all radio stations covering the genre you requested. I listen to the radio like this quite often and I love it. The only down side is that every hour to half hour it will prompt you to see if you are still there. You just click yes and keep listening...

[Red88Carrera]

Copyright should have a © next to it, not ®. Also, Amazon should have a ® next to it.

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by Red88Carrera

Copyright should have a © next to it, not ®. Also, Amazon should have a ® next to it.

Thanks!

[Red88Carrera]

Media Room could be problematic. Clicking the back button does not take you back unless you click it several times very fast. If you click it once, it just reloads. Should be pretty simple to fix. Most people won't like that. Either fix it, or open in a new window.

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by Red88Carrera

Media Room could be problematic. Clicking the back button does not take you back unless you click it several times very fast. If you click it once, it just reloads. Should be pretty simple to fix. Most people won't like that. Either fix it, or open in a new window.

Okay, I am not having that issue on my end, what I am experiencing is a lag in the load time, this is because of the widgets having to load. Let me open this page as a new window and lets see if it helps.

[Red88Carrera]

No lag from here. The new window works good.

[stomachmonkey]

OK, so the focus is a food lovers centric site.

The most obvious and easiest things (stores) to get to don't exist yet.

The forum does exist but is buried 3 clicks deep and spawns a new window.

Back to the stores, when you do get them up they should be one click from the left side, not click on stores then click to select which one you want.

The less navigation the better.

The news widgets, I don't get it. IMHO they are unnecessary. People already have their favorite news aggregators. They are a distraction and will drive traffic away from your site.

Outbound links, leakage, is typically something you want to avoid.

I get the feeling you think there is not enough content yet so you are providing filler which is not what I would do.

Focus on what you do have, make it great and monitor what your visitors are doing.

Add new content when it is ready and keep what seems to hold peoples interest and discard fluff.

[futuresoptions]

Great points monkey, will work on it..

[id10t]

Fix your title tag...

[cstreit]

Few issues:

1. You have a "General Store" category that seems to sell somewhat random items. I don't expect you will sell much of that and I bet its through some sort of affiliate program right? Problem is having a bunch of unrelated crap for sale on the site will hurt your SEO rankings. If you find you aren't selling much of the non culinary items, dump them. It dilutes your content and context focus and won't help you.

2. If I click checkout and it takes me to amazon for secure checkout, fine... but it's in a new window. Not immediately obvious how to go back to your site. Probably something you can't fix because you can' embed amazon secure in a non-secure page. However ...but I I LEAVE that checkout page, like say I forgot to add something to my cart, and go back to add it, POOF, all the items in my cart dissapear. Now I'm pissed because I have to build the whole order over.

3. Why would I go to you if I can buy this stuff from Amazon? This is a rhetorical question, make sure you have a compelling reason for people to visit you, or they won't.

4. Consider down the road using your own ecom engine. It's easy, free (Except for payment processing) and Amazon won't &*^^%* you on their outrageous fees. 10-12%? REALLY?!

[cstreit]

Edit - One more item. You must have content outside that forum to bring SEO traffic. Consider an interesting blog page with links regularly to items for sale. No content = no traffic.

I'm harping on this because I can't tell you how many of my motorsports customers seem to think that just because they have items for sale on the INterwebz, that customers will magically flock to them. "Hey bud, there are 132,357 people selling Ate Blue online right now. Why would they buy that can from YOU?!" If you don't have a good answer, the real answer is "they won't"

Here are some questions to ponder on and the answers will drive your marketing plan.

1. Why will people go to this forum vs. other culinary forums?
2. What can you do to provide a more interesting buying experience?
3. What value are you providing over other sites (both information and commerce)?
4. Who (and be honest) is your target market?

Hope this helps!!

[Don Plumley]

For me, it's very dark - you are trying to create an air of trust and community and the color scheme / wood paneling is not my cup of tea. But that is personal preference.

The photo of wine bottles is nice, but not culinary per se. I'd use one with food and family/friends.

You've lost branding on the forum page. The copyright is missing from the More information page.

Since you are storing information, you might want to link to your privacy policy.

You mention the copyright is "Culinary Castle.com"; is that a DBA for a legal entity?

You seem to be losing a lot of valuable screen real estate above your logo, and the name itself takes a bunch of vertical space.

I'm confused why I'd want to listen to "Internet Radio"; seems a little amateurish.

Opinions here worth what you paid.... ;-D