Muse website feedback

[jc_]

I've gotten a first-draft homespun version of my muse up and live on the web, but haven't yet started the trial period with PPC advertising. First, I was hoping that some of the people on this site could provide any initial feedback on design, look/feel, wording, content, etc, as well as general feedback.

Also, I've had some font size problems across browsers (font looks tiny in Safari), and am not sure what to do about that.

www.sounds-delicious.com

Thanks so much! It is very appreciated!

Jen

[cartoonfan1983]

Jen,

I Really like this idea. Your site looks well done, especially for just starting on it. I Love the colors and the layout. I think it's a good price as well. Great job!

[wildsoul]

Great start! Looks good. The FAQ is really well done. Great biz name for your product.

Looking forward to your testing results on the viability of your idea overall, but your site does look good, clear, and credible.

[turk]

Hi,
What a great idea.
Site design however can use some help.

I don't know your technical background on web development, but this will be right in line with 4hr. work week principles:

Sitepoint is like Elance for the web world.

You can get design work done cheap (er)
What else you can do there is ask for feedback just like you're doing here. These guys/gals will do the same thing we're doing here, but for design/colors/links etc.etc.

Be warned! they can be ruthless. The very first web site I designed years and years ago I spent close to a year building it (early web years.) I thought people were going to love it as I did. The comments were so "honest" I almost cried. It was a definite blow to my ego, but served me well for years to come.

After all it's not what you or I think about your creating where we might have emotional vested interest, but what the visitor will think/feel about your site.

You may want to have a sample on your site to find out how many visitors will download it. That's always a good indicator

[lykrah]

Jen,

What a great idea and nice-looking website. Everything seems thought-through and looks professional. The only comment I have is about the two photos on the front. The top left photo has a pink hue and the bottom right makes the fruits look "flat." I would Photoshop those a bit or get new photos done that look more professional.

Wish I'd thought of this myself.

[jc_]

Thanks for all of the replies so far. They are very helpful! sitepoint.com looks like an excellent resource.

Also, I came across this link that might be helpful to people out there if you're trying to design your own site -- it's a review of the three most popular blogging softwares (wish I'd seen this before!)
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/blo...ackdown-review

Jen

[coollikeme]

I think you need a business phone number, in or contact information. To make you more accessible, most people like to talk to someone if they have an issue or a question.

[final_id]

What "most people like" might not be what "makes the most money."

Eye on the prize. A phone number where people can talk to YOU? ANY TIME? EEeeeeek ...

[coollikeme]

On your site. How can you expect them to trust you. If there is a problem people want to talk to someone. Just set hours when they can call like 10 am to 3pm or a time that suits you, and if you get a lot of calls. Then outsource or hire someone, if you are getting a lot of calls. That is a good thing, because then you get a chance to satisfy your customer, And In the end that leads to more money. The prize is take care of the customer and they will take care of you.

[final_id]

That's old-think, "take care of the customer and they will take care of you." I think Tim's book is pretty clear that sometimes a customer isn't worth the trouble he costs you. Part of the premise of this book is to leave old-think behind. There are certainly times that having a customer-service phone number displayed prominently will inspire some confidence. But there are also times when paying for an 800 number and staffing it is counter-productive, and you might actually want to reject the five $5 sales you could get in a week by paying $400 a week to run that customer-service office. You have to think more clearly than, just to spout the old aphorisms about doing business "right," and start to realize that the old "right" might be the new "wrong," or at least the new "unprofitable" or "hide-bound" or "traditional but slow" or even "bloody minded."

There's a phase when giving out a personal phone number is a good idea. Tim's clear on it. Are you in that phase? Are you clear on it?