Frank Review Wanted!

[DirectorsChair]

Hi Everyone

I've just started a unique service for small hotels and guest houses using my skills as a photographer. I am finding it more difficult than I thought to persuade hotels to put my 'Video Style Brochures' on their websites. Although I've kept the cost as low as I feel I'm able to, I am using my telephone to market my product speaking directly to the owners. This is very time-consuming but I cannot afford to use the services of a professional telemarketing company as the product doesn't have a high enough price tag/profit.

I would appreciate it if you could review both my website: irvideo.co.uk - and the product of which I have samples showing both on the Home and Gallery Pages.

Please comment freely and frankly, as I intend to offer my services to small businesses whom I feel would benefit immensely.

Many thanks!

P.S. The website is still a work in progress - and I will be adding many more images on the Portfolio Page.

[fisicx]

My immediate thoughts when I saw the homepage was 'it's one of those affiliate make-money-quick sites'. The whole style of writing and homemade feel to the site put me off instantly.

The logo looks cheap and tacky - a clip art special and the differing font styles on the pages just look naff.

After your request for a review I expected to see some stunning examples of videos, instead you have linked to some poor quality youtube movies.

Sorry to say but I an totally unconvinced that you can improve my conversion rate using a video. I totally disagree with your claim that video is the cutting edge call to action tool. In fact, most marketing experts agree that poorly implemented video can decrease conversions. So where is the evidence that your videos will bring in new customers to my business? Demonstrate on the site that you can deliver on your promises and show me some high quality vids and I may well change my opinion.

As an aside, because the site is a DIY effort you are seriously hampering your chances of a decent ranking. There is a huge list of coding and design issues that need to be address if you want the site to rank well and bring in visitors from the search engines.

Sorry for the assassination but with your talents you could do so much better.

Incidentally, why do you have to be the cheapest? Cheap is often associated with poor quality but if you could show that the videos increased the number of bookings to a hotel then you could charge more for your services.

[James1980]

The front page could do with less text and more consistent formatting - the font size changes are a bit jarring and the use of bold/italics is a bit screwy. I think you've got the right idea with the grey column on the right hand side - it's more refrained.

I'm not sure what the difference is between "Gallery" and "Portfolio".

I think you could do with tightening up the text on the Packages page too.

You have a broken image on your Testimonials page, top left corner.

The email address link on your Contact Us page shows "irvideo" but clicking it will actually send an email to "instantreferrals".

There a little yellow sliver in the first paragraph of your "Other services" section, on the homepage.

"Then I'll check your website out for: Typo or grammatical errors and go through every inch of it with a fine-tooth comb!"

Shouldn't it be "typoes"?




James

[MJE]

Perhaps the site would benifit from more info about you, maybe a picture of you and more case studies - i agree with whats been said already that it looks a bit affiliate style and less personal than it could.

[dannels]

Way too much unnecessary text - not enough white space to draw the eye to whats important. As a result I have no idea what are the key messages you are trying to get across - remember you have only a few seconds before someone will make up their mind and choose to stay or leave

[PDC]

I agree the site looks very basic an not profesional, hosting videos on youtube is again not something that inspires confidence.

The photos on the 'slideshow' look great, I would try to feature these more, through the site, without a blasting soundtrack, and use that as an opener to move on to your video services.