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Websites Agricultural Site Review

Discussion in 'Reviews' started by ishkey, Sep 17, 2010.

  1. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    I rarely ask but I find myself in a position where I need input.
    The site is a sub-domain (farm.wilmargraphite.net) from Wlmargraphite.net and is designed to address the Agricultural Industry.
    Basically it's to remind the old-timers and draw in the new farms. (Farmers talk to each other and exchange knowledge.)
    I was given a small file and told "try to understand it as best you can - then go for it."
    Please take a look and let me know what works and what doesn't or anything else you can think of.

    Thanks
    Dave
     
    ishkey, Sep 17, 2010
    #1
  2. navyfalcon

    navyfalcon Well-Known Member Verified Member

    You show pictures of agriculture machinery
    You are not selling agriculture machinery
    You are selling lubricant
    show what the lubricant does (protected and unprotected)
    using grease and using graphite.
    why do I want the product (don't tell me - show me)
    -
    hope this helps
    falcon
     
    navyfalcon, Sep 17, 2010
    #2
  3. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    Ish, the overall design is good, but to be honest there's a lot of writing where simple pic's may do; e.g with lubricant v not been used, or being slightly bold if you want your machine to look like this use(good pic) but if you dont use (bad pic)

    Hope you get my drift
     
    1970Forest, Sep 17, 2010
    #3
  4. quick123

    quick123 Banned

    Re:

    Thanks for the nice information. I really like Agricultural Site.
     
    quick123, Sep 18, 2010
    #4
  5. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    I knew this question would come up as I was thinking the same thing. The problem with pictures is you can not tell from looking at the pics. When the equipment is new the working surface metal has a blackish/grayish look to it as just painted at the factory. When coated with graphite it looks the same. After using the equipment the graphite gets burnished into the metal and takes on a grayish/silver color same as metal untreated. I haven't quite figured out how to show pictures short of adding a color to them in photoshop which would represent the graphite.

    As far as to much reading goes, in the file I was given it contained several different types of literature for the Ag industry. It would seem the more info in writing the better. It's a highly information driven world. You might say they are not into the Tweeting style of communication. Almost all the info they read is generated by Universities and highly technical riddled with details.

    I'll try to see how I can improve on what you guys suggested.
    Thanks for the input.
     
    ishkey, Sep 18, 2010
    #5
  6. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    I contacted one of the farmers who uses Slide Coat 1 and asked him to send me some pics of his equipment - he graciously did. So I did my best trying to show the areas where graphite is to be applied. The pics do seem to break up the long wording on the page.
    Still trying to find goods ones of before and after.
    Does this help improve things?
     
    ishkey, Sep 19, 2010
    #6
  7. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    Yes mate, breaks it up nicely, just would not go with the yellow writting (keep it green)

    Not to sure if when hovering over pic they pop out (Flash?) but over-all much better!!!!
     
    1970Forest, Sep 19, 2010
    #7
  8. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    Ok I can do that make it green.
    Didn't think of the hover pop out, might give it a try. If the pics I was given look ok when enlarged if they don't I just leave the size as is.

    Thanks Forest
     
    ishkey, Sep 19, 2010
    #8
  9. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    You could always put the pics through Photoshop and sharpen them?
     
    1970Forest, Sep 19, 2010
    #9
  10. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    Good idea - I seem to te brain dead as I have been working on 3 things all day staring at this monitor. Yea green looks better.
    I'll attempt the pop open later.
    Thanks again
     
    ishkey, Sep 19, 2010
    #10
  11. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    Sent you a grt link via pm, hope it helps
     
    1970Forest, Sep 19, 2010
    #11
  12. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    ohhh just noticed the writting ON the pic, better in light clour, as at first did not see it in black.

    What is it with us folks staring at a screen too much? my excuse is helping the young'un to learn the basics, but he's doing better than me...(little ***)
     
    1970Forest, Sep 19, 2010
    #12
  13. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    Lighter better.
    Mom always said "Get back from that TV or you will ruin your eyes"
    Now I have glasses. Mom got hers a 67 she's now 82.
     
    ishkey, Sep 19, 2010
    #13
  14. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    might be my old eyes
     
    1970Forest, Sep 19, 2010
    #14
  15. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    You crack me up.
    25"
    I'm taking the night off -
     
    ishkey, Sep 19, 2010
    #15
  16. navyfalcon

    navyfalcon Well-Known Member Verified Member

    navyfalcon, Sep 20, 2010
    #16
  17. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    Stu and his daughter have been around for a long time. Both have some really interesting stuff and a good place to learn.
    Thought I would just create a image rollover effect, where the <IMG> tag is embedded in a hyperlink that has JavaScript onMouseOver and onMouseOut event handlers: (one line of code).
    In the <HEAD> section of the page, I would have JavaScript code that preloads the image files and defines the event handler functions: (few small lines of code).
    I would rather do it this way for the one page, as opposed to adding into my css file. It's cleaner and easily modified /or removed if needed.
    But thanks for reminding me about Stu as I haven't looked over there in 6 months so I'm sure there is something new to see.
    I'm wondering why you haven't used some of his more fancier menu systems on your site. That would really ease some of your massive navigation you have with all those links.
     
    ishkey, Sep 20, 2010
    #17
  18. GG

    GG Active Member

    Ahh helping out a respected member, always a good feeling :)

    First thing nice colour scheme for the site. Colours do stand where it need to. Also love what you done with the navigation links on the left even though we know that it's common to do stuff like that but visitors that don't know will be quite impressed so it would leave a good view of the business even though it's small but it does get noticed.

    I agree on what forest said, you need to sharpen the images a little maybe the image on the left of the header and also header look obviously out of place the images on the right ruins it giving off a bad impression for the site. Try to belnd in both images so that they do not look seperated that will give it a good effect to the viewer.

    Also on my screen the logo background is a little darker than the website background. The website background is of a more lighter Grey so best would be to have it transparent so that you won't have any problems.

    The gallery on the first page is a little too down. For me it's too much text on the 1st page. IDEA :D just popped in my head now try making the website header as a flash header? meaning all your images can be shown on the header so it is moving at a good enough pace that it does not distract the visitor.

    Half way down the page you have 3 images of tractors. The one on the left has too much White and looks a little 'fake'.

    Also half way down the page again near the table if you look to the left it shows that next to your navigation links slightly on the right of it, it has a shadow but then suddenly stops when you get half way down the page.

    However, I would definately edit the images and maybe put a small flare on them? even though it'll be small you may think it could be pointless but that's what visitors don't notice. It's there, it does give a effect but the visitors cannot tell that the flare is their unless shown through the eyes of a designer or if the visitor looks closely at the images for mistakes :rolleyes:

    Finally, your contact form looks a little out of place. Try to leave a small gap in between the lines to make it look a little neater.

    Hope this helps mate ;)
     
    GG, Sep 20, 2010
    #18
  19. ishkey

    ishkey Moderator, Logos, Sports Crests Staff Member Verified Member

    WOW now that is what I call looking deep.
    Stuff I hadn't even seen, but that's why you guys are so highly prized for your critiques.
    Looks looks I still have a heap of work ahead of me.

    "also header look obviously out of place the images on the right ruins it giving off a bad impression for the site"
    The idea was to make look like a far off and close up shot.

    "Also on my screen the logo background is a little darker than the website background."
    It is darker. Some things I have to abide by the owner of the site.

    "3 images of tractors. The one on the left has too much White and looks a little 'fake'."
    I can honestly tell you it is real not a toy and that is a small unit for the farms here. I'll talk to Kinze the manufacture and see what other pics he has or it's to the old Photoshop along with the rest.

    "has a shadow but then suddenly stops when you get half way down the page."
    I've been working on that one trying to figure why it doesn't extend all the way down, something in my css.

    All the other items you mentioned I do my best to improve on.

    Thanks much for your keen eye.

    The strangest thing, this is the second time I was responding to a post Logged In and when I went to post it it came up with the Become a member page. Had to copy what I wrote, log out, then log back in to paste my reply.
     
    ishkey, Sep 20, 2010
    #19
  20. 1970Forest

    1970Forest Moderator Staff Member

    GG very good review; some I had not noticed until you brought them up (so would someone look for all of that?) trying to cut down on Ish's work load.

    Ishkey, IMPO try and sort the pic's and you have more or less cracked it. It is really nice tosee your work in progress though!!
     
    1970Forest, Sep 20, 2010
    #20