Website Critique Please

BirthBuddy · 03-19-2007, 04:20 AM

hi all,

I have been adding articles etc to my doula web site as I have had time to research and write them recently.

Note that I am not a web designer or graphic artist etc, so my logo design and layout skills etc are clearly rather limited.

If you have a moment could you please take a look at my site and give me some feedback as to what you think about:
- the look and feel (is it friendly, not intimidating and welcoming?)
- ease of navigation (is it obvious where to find different types of info?)
- readability (is it easy to see and read the text, and is it in an easily readable and understandable style?)
- quality of content (did you learn anything new and interesting, are the articles well presented etc?)
- relevance of articles and info (is the info relevant and interesting and informative to you?)

Anything you like/don't like and any other info and articles you think should be added.

What kind of info are you generally looking for (if you were pregnant) etc?

http://birthbuddy.wordpress.com/

I added a poll, so you can crit anonymously if you prefer.

Thanks in advance!
Have a lovely day.

3ofhearts · 03-19-2007, 08:17 AM

I really like your website. It looks professional and it's full of information & content. It will certainly keep someone's attention for more than a few clicks, anyway.

The only thing is I hate hate HATE those Snap Previews that pop up over links. It's really just a personal pet peeve though, and it wouldn't keep me from visiting a site.

Good luck!

~Melissa

BirthBuddy · 03-19-2007, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3ofhearts

I really like your website. It looks professional and it's full of information & content. It will certainly keep someone's attention for more than a few clicks, anyway.

Yay, thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3ofhearts

The only thing is I hate hate HATE those Snap Previews that pop up over links. It's really just a personal pet peeve though, and it wouldn't keep me from visiting a site.

Hrm, I will have to see if I can turn those off. They seems to be added automatically on wordpress....

saalmc · 03-19-2007, 10:54 AM

It looks really nice! I like the layout, it's simple, clean and professional. Easy to navigate, and informational. Maybe the smallest bit too wordy in some areas... but that may just be a personal preference thing! If I were in the process of getting to know someone to determine if she should be my doula then I might want it to be wordy!

I found one small typo on the "About Us" section (I copied it for you here): "In fact in retrospect I should have studied medicine and become and obstetrician."

Overall, it's a great site!!

BirthBuddy · 03-19-2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saalmc

It looks really nice! I like the layout, it's simple, clean and professional. Easy to navigate, and informational. Maybe the smallest bit too wordy in some areas... but that may just be a personal preference thing! If I were in the process of getting to know someone to determine if she should be my doula then I might want it to be wordy!

Ok I think I do tend to over explain, I might edit and cull it down a bit over time... especially as it grows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saalmc

II found one small typo on the "About Us" section (I copied it for you here): "In fact in retrospect I should have studied medicine and become and obstetrician."

Thanks I fixed that. I am afraid I am the queen of typos! I tend to type faster than I actually can. Now that there is in-line browser spell checking things are much better though

Thanks for the helpful input! I appreciate it.

HerthElde · 03-19-2007, 03:16 PM

Beautiful site!

One thing I would expand on/add is the potential risks of castor oil induction.

Tranquil Doula · 03-27-2007, 06:08 PM

I love the site. I'm about to begin designing mine and I've still yet to decide on a name for myself and also a logo. I hope for it to be live by the end of July.

ErininVA · 04-02-2007, 09:10 PM

Very nice. I find that various sites of mine are always evolving. You may find things to change as you continue to have clients. If you are getting a number of the same questions from clients you can always try and work that question and answer in to your site.

emmabella · 04-02-2007, 11:43 PM

What I love about your website is that the design is very professional and the colors are perfect. I think the content is also really great, I can tell you put alot of work into that and it shows! I would keep working on making it more personal/friendly. The best way to achieve that is with photos "above the fold" that means that they should be able to see the photo without having to scroll down. This also helps your site from seeming too wordy. There should be some pregnancy/baby/birth related photo on each page but particularly the homepage. If I could choose, I would actually have you boot your logo completely out of the site. I don't think it is adding anything and I think it brings down the overall look. I think you are off to an awesome start!! Don't ever stop improving your website... it will keep people coming back and improve your search rankings.

JoyousLiz · 04-03-2007, 12:49 AM

I think you did well. Especially if you are new to the web design game.

I would love to see some photos in the header or sides to give a warmer approach. Personally, I adore istock.com, it is a great way to get professional photos, and the price for the rights can be as low as a dollar. My fiance is a web designer and it were they buy most of thier images. As a note when adding photos to a site you don't need as large of a pixel count, so the small size works fine. (ie, cheaper

)

Other than that I found it to be very professional.

douladot · 04-03-2007, 06:31 AM

Jane -- I just had to tell you, I just love your slogan about birth being your greatest achievment.... That was beautiful!

BirthBuddy · 04-03-2007, 08:59 AM

Thanks for all your helpful and useful comments. I am mulling them over and considering how to apply them... specifically the one about my suck logo

I made it myself (with clearly limited talent) and I am rather attached to it now...

douladot · 04-03-2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirthBuddy

Thanks for all your helpful and useful comments. I am mulling them over and considering how to apply them... specifically the one about my suck logo

I made it myself (with clearly limited talent) and I am rather attached to it now...

Jane -- I hope you didn't misunderstand me...I really like your logo -- I think it is beautiful!

doula Michele · 04-03-2007, 09:29 AM

Hi..
I love how there is so much reading and info on your site.

Although I did find the first page almost to wordy. I know that is because I am not a word person, and I found all the words to be almost overwhelming. My eyes did not know where to go first.

But like I said, that is just me, and I find alot of words overwhelming, so I usually move on.

emmabella · 04-03-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirthBuddy

Thanks for all your helpful and useful comments. I am mulling them over and considering how to apply them... specifically the one about my suck logo

I made it myself (with clearly limited talent) and I am rather attached to it now...

Awww, I didn't mean to come off quite that harsh.

Your logo is fine (nice concept) but I think your site actually looks more professional than the logo, it's like it doesn't match. Maybe if you moved the logo over into your side column, right above or below the little "What is birth buddies?" blurb, it would be less akward looking. It is hard to have someone critique your "baby" but I know you want an honest opinion at the same time. As a designer I would encourage you to hire someone to give your logo concept a facelift... not a scrap the whole thing and start from scratch deal. Just have them take it and help your idea really pop. It really is worth the investment in your business.