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ok...i don't mean to be super critical here, but i'm gonna state it. WHY is it that so many MT's sites are visually appauling?????? i am a graphic designer and have been working in marketing for years. as an MT i have searched and searched the web for various massage sites. sites by an individual MT to small practices, from spas to corporate america massage sites. i have come across only a handful that visually keep me on the page.

might i make a suggestion? less is more.

one of the biggest issues i see on sites is that they are crammed with content expecting the visitor to read through. some sites have one page that just scrolls on indefinitely. other sites have poor navigation/organization. and then some just throw anything and everything on the home page. once you do this you risk losing your visitor's attention.


i'm not advocating having only pretty pictures. but a well thought out photo with minimal content which motivates the visitor to take action by either going to another page, calling you or emailing you will do far better than putting everything on your site and hoping your visitor finds what he/she is looking for.

i'd love nothing more than to see our profession become a powerhouse in the medical industry. and as such we need to make the most of the web. but to do so we need to present ourselves professionally and that means polished and organized.

do a search for yourself. compare some medical websites to your own and then decide...is your website really presenting you in the best way possible.

(sorry if this offends any...it is not directed at any one)

let's use our safe haven here to share our sites (i'm working on getting mine up and running) and brainstorm with constructive feedback.

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My website is AllAboutAnimalMassage.com.
My goal is to promote animal massage of course, but also to educate animal lovers about massage and bodywork, period. I hope and expect that as they learn it for their animals, they will also begin to explore the world of human massage for their own health and wellness. I would love any feedback on how this site can be made more effective!
Hey Gloria...

some quick ideas at a glance...

the left nav bar is hard to read. things like that should always be in a basic font and larger so it's easy to read.

again...i would suggest taking a look at that logo site i posted and maybe playing around with a logo versus straight text for your business name. the only time i would use a font to display a business name is if you are just using your name...and even then a little line here a little swirl there can turn a "name" into a business name. :)

i think the site is really soft and refreshing. If you are going to have so much text i would try to use some blank font color in there to help organize the thoughts. for instance the welcome to line should be in blue but the plain text underneath should be black. i'd make the "now available" that is green a more blue green color to fit with the color scheme (like the color of the sold out line further down)...and then the blue text underneath that is fine. and then for the various list of things under that...make the title of the bullet blue but the content of the info black and plain. keep to 3 colors of the blue bold, black plain and blue/green bold. and use those to organize your info a little better. you could even use the purple instead of the blue/green as the accent color. but use it sparingly so it truly is accenting really important info. follow this protocol for all the additional pages so they colors don't keep bouncing all over the place but rather there is uniformity in the color scheme.
Hey Megan,

I really have nothing to offer for your site. it is great!!! it's well organized. has a beautiful color scheme that fits into the photography. the logo is nice. i love the highlighted color boxes to the right of free sign ups for things and then the seperated news info on the left.

the only thing you need to continually keep an eye on in maintaining your site is making sure imagery always shows up. currently there is a red x box for the image on your news & events page and your store.

really well done!!!
Thanks
I had already contacted the site earlier today about increasing the size of the font for the page links. No can do unfortunately. :(

I have been working on changing some of the colors etc. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

Lisa said:
Hey Gloria...

some quick ideas at a glance...

the left nav bar is hard to read. things like that should always be in a basic font and larger so it's easy to read.

again...i would suggest taking a look at that logo site i posted and maybe playing around with a logo versus straight text for your business name. the only time i would use a font to display a business name is if you are just using your name...and even then a little line here a little swirl there can turn a "name" into a business name. :)

i think the site is really soft and refreshing. If you are going to have so much text i would try to use some blank font color in there to help organize the thoughts. for instance the welcome to line should be in blue but the plain text underneath should be black. i'd make the "now available" that is green a more blue green color to fit with the color scheme (like the color of the sold out line further down)...and then the blue text underneath that is fine. and then for the various list of things under that...make the title of the bullet blue but the content of the info black and plain. keep to 3 colors of the blue bold, black plain and blue/green bold. and use those to organize your info a little better. you could even use the purple instead of the blue/green as the accent color. but use it sparingly so it truly is accenting really important info. follow this protocol for all the additional pages so they colors don't keep bouncing all over the place but rather there is uniformity in the color scheme.
if they can't change the size...then can they change the font? you might be able to just pick a different font...a sans-serif would stand out a little clearer than the current font choice which is more specialized.

Gloria Coppola said:
Thanks
I had already contacted the site earlier today about increasing the size of the font for the page links. No can do unfortunately. :(

I have been working on changing some of the colors etc. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

Lisa said:
Hey Gloria...

some quick ideas at a glance...

the left nav bar is hard to read. things like that should always be in a basic font and larger so it's easy to read.

again...i would suggest taking a look at that logo site i posted and maybe playing around with a logo versus straight text for your business name. the only time i would use a font to display a business name is if you are just using your name...and even then a little line here a little swirl there can turn a "name" into a business name. :)

i think the site is really soft and refreshing. If you are going to have so much text i would try to use some blank font color in there to help organize the thoughts. for instance the welcome to line should be in blue but the plain text underneath should be black. i'd make the "now available" that is green a more blue green color to fit with the color scheme (like the color of the sold out line further down)...and then the blue text underneath that is fine. and then for the various list of things under that...make the title of the bullet blue but the content of the info black and plain. keep to 3 colors of the blue bold, black plain and blue/green bold. and use those to organize your info a little better. you could even use the purple instead of the blue/green as the accent color. but use it sparingly so it truly is accenting really important info. follow this protocol for all the additional pages so they colors don't keep bouncing all over the place but rather there is uniformity in the color scheme.
Where's that site for the logos again?
Thanks

Lisa said:
if they can't change the size...then can they change the font? you might be able to just pick a different font...a sans-serif would stand out a little clearer than the current font choice which is more specialized.

Gloria Coppola said:
Thanks
I had already contacted the site earlier today about increasing the size of the font for the page links. No can do unfortunately. :(

I have been working on changing some of the colors etc. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

Lisa said:
Hey Gloria...

some quick ideas at a glance...

the left nav bar is hard to read. things like that should always be in a basic font and larger so it's easy to read.

again...i would suggest taking a look at that logo site i posted and maybe playing around with a logo versus straight text for your business name. the only time i would use a font to display a business name is if you are just using your name...and even then a little line here a little swirl there can turn a "name" into a business name. :)

i think the site is really soft and refreshing. If you are going to have so much text i would try to use some blank font color in there to help organize the thoughts. for instance the welcome to line should be in blue but the plain text underneath should be black. i'd make the "now available" that is green a more blue green color to fit with the color scheme (like the color of the sold out line further down)...and then the blue text underneath that is fine. and then for the various list of things under that...make the title of the bullet blue but the content of the info black and plain. keep to 3 colors of the blue bold, black plain and blue/green bold. and use those to organize your info a little better. you could even use the purple instead of the blue/green as the accent color. but use it sparingly so it truly is accenting really important info. follow this protocol for all the additional pages so they colors don't keep bouncing all over the place but rather there is uniformity in the color scheme.
Here you go Gloria...

http://www.logomaker.com
I've had a lot of positive feedback about my site from friends and relatives but an outside opinion couldn't hurt.

Mine is: www.trueelementmassage.com

Thanks for your input!
Stephanie.
Hey Stephanie,

I like the site a lot!! really nice color scheme. simple yet elegant.

one suggestion i would have is having some sort of text indicating that you need to click on the True Element symbol in the animated opening screen. i sat there (i know i'm a little dorkish) waiting for it to open to the main home page. only after a couple of moments did i realize i needed to act to make it continue. or another suggestion would have it automatcially go to your home page after the animation is done.

i like the drop down menus. it's a nice change.
Thanks for taking the time to look it up Lisa!

I used to have an "Enter" right underneath but it looked awkward to me. I'll definitely do something about it though because I can see how it's confusing!


Lisa said:
Hey Stephanie,

I like the site a lot!! really nice color scheme. simple yet elegant.

one suggestion i would have is having some sort of text indicating that you need to click on the True Element symbol in the animated opening screen. i sat there (i know i'm a little dorkish) waiting for it to open to the main home page. only after a couple of moments did i realize i needed to act to make it continue. or another suggestion would have it automatcially go to your home page after the animation is done.

i like the drop down menus. it's a nice change.
Lisa,

I do agree with many of the comments you've provided others on their websites. I recently completed my website, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

One thing I know I'm missing is a detailed location. I graduated recently. Currently, I am working with a chiropractor where I can't bring my own clients in. I looking for space to rent, so I am currently only working with those I know personally or are referred to me as I'm in my home.

Thank you for taking the time to take a look!
www.bodyworkultra.com

Thanks,
Bonnie
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