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First attempt at a website

6K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  Allen 
#1 ·
We've been wanting to put a website together for quite a while and we've finally have something that is functional. Please take a look and give feedback. All images (except top image on swarm removal page) were taken by my wife. Note that the banner image near the top of each page changes are pages are reloaded. This was all done in Wordpress. Check it out:

http://localvahoney.com/

Also check us out on FaceBook : https://www.facebook.com/HorseshoePointHoney
 
#2 ·
Your website has nice visual appeal. :D

I didn't find any spelling errors, but I would suggest adding an "s" to this phrase on the Swarm Page: "In general, honey bee swarm are very docile, "

The word "pasteurized" on the home page could be an issue. While commercial honey may be heated to get it to flow better, that is not the same thing as pasteurization. Some commercial honey may indeed be pasteurized, but not necessarily all. :lookout:
 
#7 ·
The photos are fantastic. That's been one of my favorite parts of having the girls, is taking the pictures, and being able to share them with people. It's a nice, uncluttered website, easy to access everything.

I'm not trying to be nitpicky, but I would want someone to correct me on this, so on your home page you use "insure" several times (I think 3) and it should be "ensure" in all 3 cases.
 
#9 ·
It's an attractive site. In the spirit of removing inadvertent barriers to success, and with my "wordsmithing-fussy customer" hat on, one thing jumped out at me. I'm not sure "...avoid pesticide exposure" is where you want conversations to go, unless your avoidance measures would really reassure an organically-leaning customer. When I thought to myself about how to answer, "How do you avoid pesticide exposure?," the answers that came to mind raised more questions and didn't seem to be reassuring (note, I haven't a clue what your practices are).

Answers such as:
- If we see our near neighbors spraying, we cover the hives to keep the bees out of the spray. (What about the ones you don't see?)
- We have a great relationship with several large farms and they warn us in advance when they plan to apply pesticides so we can keep the bees in that day. (What about the other farmers, homeowners, and municipalities in a 3-8- mile radius?)
- We don't use pesticides in our hives. (This one I could feel comfortable with as a customer; accurate, and believable that you could succeed since you have control of the hives.)
Granted, the average buyer likely won't know the average range of a bee. Just a thought for your consideration.

I think a different word choice or dropping it altogether would be better for leading readers' minds to their happy place. Although it may be a misconception on my part, it seems to me that folks who are into organic food are also more likely to ask questions.
 
#14 ·
Joel,

You made my wife's night! She really enjoys photography and fortunately for me she has dedicated some time to capturing bee-related shots. She has lots of really great photos and only a small sampling are displayed on our site. She is thinking about adding a page on our site dedicated to bee-related photography in the near future.

Thanks again for all the comments.
 
#15 ·
That is a great site.
Did you find it difficult to work with Wordpress?
I tried to set up a site with a Wordpress template I bought from someone but it seemed too much like a blog and not like a website.

On the tab about where to find local honey, how about renaming it to:
Where to Find Our Local Honey
or if that is too long
Find Our Local Honey

That says right away that its your honey.

Did you have to have the site hosted somewhere?
 
#18 ·
Thanks Allen.

Where to Find Our Local Honey
Yes, I agree with you. For better or worse, we were trying to maximize keywords from google, which is why we went with "where to find local honey".

Did you find it difficult to work with Wordpress?
Not at all. Very easy. Our site is hosted by godaddy and getting wordpress setup was pretty easy. You can basically shut off all of the blog features, i.e., "posts" and focus on "pages" to make it look more like a static website.
 
#17 ·
Nice WEB-site. In the paragraph where you are talking about not using chemicals and avoiding pesticides, it is not clear if your bees are free from chemicals (treatment) or you just avoid additional exposure? If your bees are treatment-free - clarification will enhance the "non-chemical" statement. Good luck with your business, Sergey
 
#20 ·
Wonderful Photos, my complements to your wife for a job well done.

There are a few rules to what you want in a home page and you seem to have stuck well on all of them. Eye catching, you want to spark further interest immediately and your banner has that potential. you will always want to work on that feature though to improve it. Ad you want to provide immediate ability to click on the next link to follow that spark of interest.

I think the link recognition could be improved just a bit and brought up to match the elegant nature of the rest of the page. I woudl say the same for your name in the banner. you need a logo that carries that same feeling of quality as you have gotten in the page overall.

You break one rule. Never ever have a link on your home page that leads away from your site. Your Facebook link at the bottom would do that. Your home page only leads to more of your site. It is the doorway to your site not facebook.

Although I love your banner for the home page. I do not want to see it on every link I click on. sort of like seeing the same billboard over an over. that the photo changes does not help. You did very well with that banner. but I think you are a little to proud of it.

When I click on your queens link it is becasue my interest in your queens was sparked. I want to see your queens. I want to see how to order your queens. I want to see prices how to order why I should order etc. You don't have to capture my interest again and the wow factor has been used. I will admit those photos have a lot of wow factor to them but use it in another way. maybe as content on each page or breaks or footers or something. but the banner for every page just is not working for me. Make a gallery of bee photo page and let those that love the images have a relaxing time. I agree the photos should be on your site. I just think it needs to be reworked a bit in how it is done.

NO pages under construction. You get an extra slice of brownie for that one. don't know how many times I have had to point out to people if it is not finished don't let anyone know it exists. how hard its that? Unfinished pages actually angre people and they will never come back. big points for completion.

Other than those few points this site is very well done. not over done. you don't try to put the entire beekeeping world on your home page and the content of each page is readable holds interest and flows.

Overall one of the best first timer right out of the can web sites I have seen.
 
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