Practice websites

Re: Practice websites

annaw — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:48:46 GMT

Hi Arlo,

Thanks so much for all your advice and opinions. I will certainly get my hubby onto tweaking the bits you mentioned. Any more advice on the other pages would be fantastic!

JGW - I often ask my clients how they found my website and have certainly changed a number of things secondary to their comments and ironed out some glitches I didn't know were there until they mentioned them!

Re: Practice websites

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:25:49 GMT

[quote user="annaw"]Hi Arlo,

Would be really grateful if you could give me some feedback on my website www.vets2you.co.uk. Created by my husband using moonfruit so obviously he was a little limited using a template. We just weren't prepared to spend the sum of money some companies were asking for what he thought were substandard sites!!

Many thanks, Anna[/quote]

Hi Anna,

The first thing I thought about this one is that your proposition: 'home visiting vet' doesn't scream out to me as strongly as perhaps it might. 'Bringing the vet to your pet' is there, but slightly lost. Likewise, 'Your Caring and Professional Home Visiting Vet' is there, but doesn't leap at me.

Also, you have to remember that not everyone will arrive at the home page of your site, so your consumer proposition, which is clear and strong, needs to be obvious on every page.

However, I think your husband could do this very easily! I'd recommend you perhaps decrease the font size of your telephone number a few pixels, decrease slightly the space between that and your email address, and then, in the room you've created, place the words: 'Your caring and professional home vet' up there. You may need to set it in a design element, say a box with a slightly different background colour to the dark blue, to make it really stand out.

That way, your proposition will be more obvious, and on every page.

Here we go, I've had a bit of a play with it to show you what i mean:

BTW, I'm not a professional designer. I tend to art direct proper designers! Still, I think this works quite well, and doesn't need a change in background colour behind the proposition. Now it's the very first thing I see when visit the page.

Other things. You refer to yourself (I presume) as 'we' on occasion, and as 'me' on another. Presume the 'we' is to give the impression that yours is a bigger company than it actually is? (I know I have done that in the past!). Think you need to be consistent, one way or t'other. Personally, I think 'me' is a stronger proposition in this case. That is surely your big selling point, that if I use you, I'm buying you and the personal service you provide.

Otherwise, the font size on your navigation is a bit small on more recent computer monitors. Looks fine on older machines. But on mine, I think an older person might struggle to read.

Small tip - I think designers generally advise against bold AND italicised text. Becomes indistinct and harder to read. Currently that is especially noticeable with your 'serving pool, bournemouth etc' line. Rule is either make the text bold, or italicise, but not both together.

I'd de italicise 'Why choose Vets2you' and increase the font size of that heading a tad to make that stand out more.

Otherwise, I like it. Particularly the photo of the van adjacent to the photo of the map.

I've really concentrated on the home page here. Have run out of time for the moment, but will try and take more of a look at sub pages in a while.

Hope that's useful!

Re: Practice websites

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:42:08 GMT

[quote user="David Beattie"]Very many thanks, Arlo, for taking time for that.[/quote]

My pleasure.

[quote user="J G Wray"] Ummmm. Isn't anyone else asking their clients about their website?

JGW[/quote]

I'm sure they are (and in the last example, there is a feedback form built into the site), but very good point to remember, nonetheless.

One of the great joys of the electronic medium is the abilty it affords to test different things with the target audience, at very little cost.

If possible, not a bad idea to ask clients to view your website whilst waiting, and see whether it meets their needs - differentiating between existing clients and new ones that found you via the site.

What you don't know, of course, is what those people the site did NOT convert into a new client think.

Re: Practice websites

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:35:17 GMT

Very many thanks, Arlo, for taking time for that.

Sounds like a few tweaks here and there could improve site even if not making the shift away from free Merial webpage.

Most helpful

Re: Practice websites

J G Wray — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:56:41 GMT

Ummmm. Isn't anyone else asking their clients about their website?

JGW

Re: Practice websites

annaw — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:35:27 GMT

Hi Arlo,

Many thanks,

Anna

Re: Practice websites

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:45:25 GMT

Hi David,

Sorry for slow reply - been up to my ears one way or the other ...

First thoughts, I can see it is a template based website, which does tend to limit the design. It's quite hard to create a website with real wow factor within a template.

That said, you've got the basics well covered. WHO. WHAT. WHERE. WHEN.

I like the strapline. Creates a nice strong image in mind. However, it is a bit indistinct against the green background. I'd recommend lightening the grey a shade or two.

Also like the prominent positioning of RCVS accreditation - which sends strong message to the visitor.

I'd bump up the font size of your address and telephone number a bit, perhaps make it bold. Just make it stand out a bit more.

On the home page, you say welcome to our practice website twice! You need to delete one of them, which is just wasting valuable internet real estate. I wondered about the rest of your first para. Thought perhaps it was self-evident, but then thought no, it's quite welcoming.

The paragraph about 'your views count' needs a direct link to the feedback page. It took me too long to figure out where to give feedback. I know, it's there on the left, but in quite a big list. Should be linked from the paragraph as well.

The paragraph titled 'response from your feedback' reads more like a news piece. I think it might be appropriate (if you can) to make that a box for announcements, changing as you have an announcement to make. For example, you could use this spot on your home page to announce special offers, and link to that section as appropriate.

I think the navigation on the right and left (esp the right) would benefit from more visual clues that they are menus. Perhaps just one of these at the end of each item: » (or you could have arrow type images, though I am not sure what your template system offers, if anything).

Small thing. The navigation item 'registration' would be better changed from the passive to the active: 'Register here'.

One thing I am unsure of, which could be important, is the search engine friendliness of your site. It appears to be set in what's called a frame, and I am not sure that's particularly google-friendly. If I search google for Gortlands, I find you. But I guess most people would probably search for Belfast vet, where you are nowhere to be seen. That needs fixing, I think the first step would be to talk to Merial about how you can optimise one of their template sites for Google.

That's a few thoughts - I hope helpful.

Re: Practice websites

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:05:34 GMT

Hi Arlo,

Wonder if I could trouble you when you have a moment to take a look and provide some feedback to take back to the practice manager on the website for the practice I'm now at:

http://www.gortlandsvets.com/

Cheers.

Re: Practice websites

anthony chadwick — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:16:08 GMT

Dear All

We are also doing a webinar on practice websites on Wednesday 27th July at 9 pm

Go to www.thewebinarvet.com/upcoming-webinars and put in rh1 to get it for free

Best wishes

Anthony

Re: Practice websites

Emily Nightingale — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:05:50 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

Emily - you are not listed on the page of vets! Makes me rather nauseous reading about your 'doggies'. I want a professional caring for my pets not a cooing nutcase! (no offence)

[/quote]

None taken- Thanks for the input.

Re: Practice websites

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:28:41 GMT

[quote user="Emily Nightingale"] Dear Arlo.

Thank you for the offer of looking at practice websites. I have just started at a new practice and have been involved in a little bit of their marketing things so far and would love it if you would be able to give us your thoughts on the current site.

www.forgevets.co.uk [/quote]

Hi Emily,

Sorry for slight delay ...

I rather like your website design. Clean and tidy; simple, intuitive navigation. Here are some thoughts:

On the home page, quite a big block of text. On reading it, I think the third paragraph, about Bud, should be moved elsewhere on the site. The home page should be about creating that all important first impression about the practice, and nothing else. Whilst the Bud video contains an important and worthy message, it doesn't say anything about the practice. And I don't think you should kick off your 'relationship' with the new visitor to the practice website with a discussion about loss and bereavement! So delete that paragraph, and increase the font size and line height of the remaining text slightly, to make it more easily digestible.
Your links use a very light green which is hard to see on my monitor. I'd recommend you change link colour to a darker hue, possibly a burgundy red.
'Welcome to' is similarly hard to read on my monitor, and I recommend that is changed to the same black as THE FORGE VETERINARY CENTRE...
You don't have a consumer proposition / strapline. You could argue that it is unnecessary as the 'Welcome to The Forge Veterinary Centre' is so prominent. But I would certainly consider a strapline if you have a particular USP over local competitors, and want to get that across. There is quite a lot of unused space left of the dogs / telephone number where it could sit.
Really like the photos of the team, looking very happy, and just the sort of people I'd like to care for my dog! But it would be nice to caption the photographs, so if I've forgotten someone's name, I can remind myself!
Not sure that the Animal Health section really offers me much. Slightly confusing to be dragged off to myvetonline just for that one section. How about changing the content of that section to contain either your own info sheets, or perhaps a facility through which visitors can submit a question for the practice? Bud's story could go in there.
I tend to agree with Bob that the general public do like reading that you have a pair of doggies etc. I think most people presume professionalism in a vet. The fact that you have two 'doggies' of your own I think makes you sound like someone who can empathise with clients.
News otherwise is a little thin. Worth noting that (certainly in my experience), relatively small numbers of people read news. But it does serve the very important purpose of giving google more fodder with which it can put you up the charts.
I would recommend you put your opening times, along with your address, within the blue area at the foot of the page, which appears on every page. I think visitors may want this information without necessarily wanting to contact you (where the info currently appears). That way, it doesn't matter which page the visitor arrives on, the 'who', 'what', 'when' and 'where' are immediately visible.

Thats it for the moment. Hope there's something useful in that lot.

Re: Practice websites

Cat Henstridge — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:24:33 GMT

I hope Arloe won't mind me mentioning this but on the subject of practice websites and your on-line presence, vCPD (our CPD company) is running a CPD day in December which should be of real help to anyone wanting to improve their website and on-line marketing. In particular we will be covering social networking and help you set up FaceBook pages and Twitter feeds.

If there is enough interest, I shall also arrange for a professional web developer to attend to give delegates honest appraisals of their clinic websites from a user friendly perspective.

You can see more details on the day here.

Cat

Re: Practice websites

Bob Russell — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:23:11 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

Emily - you are not listed on the page of vets! Makes me rather nauseous reading about your 'doggies'. I want a professional caring for my pets not a cooing nutcase! (no offence)

[/quote]

'Joe' public love it though! The website is aimed at them not vets. If you read the many forums (fora?) on animals in general (unfortunately) this is the tone of most of them.

Re: Practice websites

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:03:06 GMT

Emily - you are not listed on the page of vets! Makes me rather nauseous reading about your 'doggies'. I want a professional caring for my pets not a cooing nutcase! (no offence)

Re: Practice websites

Emily Nightingale — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:18:36 GMT

Dear Arlo.

www.forgevets.co.uk

Thank you- Emily Nightingale.

Re: Practice websites

Alasdair Mathieson — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:13:36 GMT

Back now.

What a band, what a night, what a hangover. Things do seem to go in threes.

IM heading to England from tomorrow, so no excuses - enjoy.

As I like to think : There's no substitute for experience.

Re: Practice websites

Mark Holmes — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:07:21 GMT

Iron Maiden? Aging rockers..... the drugs are now on prescription, the sex is now on prescription, and rocking and rolling is what they do when they walk!

Re: Practice websites

Gina Dungworth — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:23:49 GMT

[quote user="Alasdair Mathieson"]

However, I must go now, off to Aberdeen to see Iron Maiden tonight. Anyone else fancy going?

[/quote]

Sadly I don't think I could make it up there in time, even if I had a ticket.

Re: Practice websites

Alasdair Mathieson — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:23:41 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Nice place, nice people. Yes, but it doesn't say anything about what these nice people do in this nice place. Perhaps 'nice place, nice vets ..!' Not sure. Something to think about.[/quote]

"Nice place, nice people, great vets" perhaps - people like things in threes. Just a suggestion.

Niall

[/quote]

I could make comments about liking things in threes but I won't!!

[/quote]

Me too, and there are some good websites catering for that kind of thing.

Thankyou all for your opinions, the more the merrier, and all will be taken on board.

Arlo, special thanks to you. However, I must go now, off to Aberdeen to see Iron Maiden tonight. Anyone else fancy going?

Alasdair.

Re: Practice websites

Bob Russell — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:49:21 GMT

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]

"Nice place, nice people, great vets" perhaps - people like things in threes. Just a suggestion.

Niall

[/quote]

I could make comments about liking things in threes but I won't!!

Re: Practice websites

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:22:52 GMT

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]What do you think about the moving banner at the top - eye catching or just irritating? I'm never sure.[/quote]

Sorry, forgot to answer this one. I don't find it particularly irritating, because it isn't moving constantly. I think generally animations should do their animation, and then sit down and shut up, so to speak.

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]"Nice place, nice people, great vets" perhaps - people like things in threes. Just a suggestion.[/quote]

Brilliant.

And positioned next to the animals, it's almost like they're saying it!

Re: Practice websites

Niall Taylor — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:07:26 GMT

Thanks for the clarification Arlo.

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"] Use with caution, though, and generally VERY subtly. Nothing worse than huge bold italicised red text to make a point. As I said in another post, it's the Internet equivalent of clubbing the reader over the head.[/quote]

I'm dusting off my collection of lurid, flashing, jagged speech bubbles as we speak!

Niall

Re: Practice websites

Niall Taylor — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:05:41 GMT

"Nice place, nice people, great vets" perhaps - people like things in threes. Just a suggestion.

Niall

Re: Practice websites

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:57:34 GMT

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]One last thing - what is it you mean by 'design cues' to help visitors navigate?[/quote]

To be clear, I didn't say to 'navigate' as in navigate round the site. I said design cues to help show the reader where you want them to look.

Partly, that is about positioning of the elements on the page. Our eyes naturally track left to right, top to bottom (I know, that's obvious. What's a bit less obvious is that content should be laid out to take advantage of that fact, i.e most important content top left, least important content bottom right).

As importantly, using various design tricks, such as different fonts, font sizes, font colours, different types of borders around blocks of text, background tinting to highlight important stuff, can all be used to help lead the eye to the content that you want to emphasise.

Use with caution, though, and generally VERY subtly. Nothing worse than huge bold italicised red text to make a point. As I said in another post, it's the Internet equivalent of clubbing the reader over the head.

Re: Practice websites

Bob Russell — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:56:21 GMT

I have looked at so many websites and none have been quite right. A bit like Goldilocks and the three bears. This one is a 'little bear' website as far as I am concerned!