Website for local business

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matthewpoker

New Member
I don't really have any designing experience or knowledge. I used a website creator and a template. My goal for this website is to show lots of our merchandise and be able to easily update it. I haven't started any seo or anything.

Would this site attract you to my store? (some of the pages are blank, I haven't updated it yet this week.)

www.chicagoresellers.com
 
benjamin.morgan

benjamin.morgan

New Member
The short answer No. The long answer: No. The site you have done looks like someone that just learned HTML and CSS. It doesn't look professional. There is no appealing logo. Everything is crammed together and it looks very busy. Also it's just a bunch of pictures? NO store at all! Why don't you set up an ecommerce and let people be able to order it online and get an invoice and be able to pick it up or at least find a better design considering you used a devil (website creators) template.
 
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matthewpoker

New Member
So there's 2 options for the redesign, I do it or we hire a professional. "Store" may have been the wrong word for the business. We're basically a warehouse and we hold a sale, much like an estate sale or flea market. The prices are not static and the merchandise is all unique. Since everything is 2nd hand, customers have to inspect an item before purchasing it.

The site's purpose is to be like a portfolio of what we currently have. There's so much turn over, the idea was to be like a photo gallery. We need to be able to take down lots of pictures and put up new ones, everyday.

If we hire someone to redesign it, is there a better looking photo host to use, that is as easy as photobucket? I don't think we can afford to have someone update it everyday. (I'm hoping I can learn to do that)

If I redo it, I would like to have larger uniform pictures on each page. Is there another devil that is more appealing than sitespinner? I agree the templete doesn't look appealing.
 
benjamin.morgan

benjamin.morgan

New Member
What do you mean Uniform pictures? It shouldn't be hard to create a nice design and implement a system where you can just upload a picture and it would show on the site, probably newest first (then you could click to go to a page with the item details. Probably not something you could do with a website builder. You could probably use Photobucket if you really wanted to but making an image uploader with a description and page would be better. If you are thinking about hiring somebody feel free to contact me.
 
AsheSkyler

AsheSkyler

New Member
I think if you took an extra step back before taking a picture it would help some. They feel too zoomed in. A bit of JavaScript like Lightbox or something would be better than the images opening in a new window.

Or use a simple image gallery like Plogger.
 
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matthewpoker

New Member
AsheSkyler said:
I think if you took an extra step back before taking a picture it would help some. They feel too zoomed in.
Click to expand...
Pictures are tricky for the environment I work in. For example a dining room set may be displayed crammed together. Unless I move every piece, its hard getting good pics. It is something I'm working to change in the future, though.

Here's my new design, so far. I'm working on setting up a gallery instead of using photobucket.
www.chicagoresellers.com/testing

What do you think?
 
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Lizyd Design

New Member
Style your links a little. Blue underlined text doesn't look nice. Also try updating the navigation menu. The grass is random, I would go for a darker color personally. Something easier on the eye. Also the "New" link is higher up than the other links... Not sure if intentional or not. Try adding some subcategories instead of having all the links in a row like that.
Put some padding in your footer. The text looks way too high up and random. Try also centering it. I would make the nav menu and the footer the same color too, if you decide to go for a darker alternative.
The address in the header is kinda random, I think it needs a better place. On the contact page perhaps.
 
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matthewpoker

New Member
What do you think about the layout of the site? I could change the page colors. I'm thinking about just having a basic header, with the name. Maybe Black/White, no cartoony stuff.

If you're near Chicago, I'll give you Arch Rivals for $50:)
 
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Phreaddee

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
Is there another devil that is more appealing than sitespinner?
Click to expand...
well I've never used sitespinner but the code it spits out is pretty wild. I think almost anything could be better if this is anything to go by.
sitespinner.png

and they are ALL absolutely positioned and all the css is in the head.
I would stay well clear of anything that spat out that code. so sitespinner 0/10.

there's better ones. google it.
 
Phreaddee

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
and images for the grey background! (and everything else)

I was going to have a play around in firebug, but with images everywhere and such nonsensical structure I gave up.

from a layout point of view, you need to work on your navigation. its very sloppy and messy. I don't like the graphics on the site too much but I can tolerate them, the nav however is not at all tolerable in its current state.
your main nav is tucked away underneath your categories nav, and there is overhanging text, things popping out here and there. its messy.

the images would look a lot better if they were a consistent ratio. I realise that your products are quite varied, but they need to be presented in a pleasing way. the table border and the grey background aren't working for me...

I would suggest you give squarespace a burl. I think its right up your alley for this sort of site.
 
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