I could use some constructive criticism on this site design...

[DRU]

If you have some free time please take a look at www.kennyshardwood.com and let me know how you'd like it if you were purchasing hardwood flooring.

Design flaws? Improvements that could be made? Look good? Anything you can tell me would be great.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by DRU

If you have some free time please take a look at www.kennyshardwood.com and let me know how you'd like it if you were purchasing hardwood flooring.

Design flaws? Improvements that could be made? Look good? Anything you can tell me would be great.

Thanks!

It needs a better color scheme, fonts could use some work and the menus look cheesy.

I'd suggest you hire an artist if they are paying you enough, it just looks very amateur.

[DRU]

It needs a better color scheme, fonts could use some work and the menus look cheesy.

I'd suggest you hire an artist if they are paying you enough, it just looks very amateur.

Actually, I work for them in-house. I'm limited a little bit with the looks from what they've asked for, but some changes could be made.

What is it that looks chessy about the menus? What work would you have in mind for an artist? One primary goal with this site is search engine friendlyness...graphics don't bold well with search engines, hense the text links.

I'm always up for sprucing up the page with better graphics, though. What kind of thing would make you say "that's more like it"?

[irishjayhawk]

Some people think drop down menus look cheap. I don't if done correctly. That said, I think you'res are done perefectly well.

[andoman]

What's with the clickable images in the top corners? Is it supposed to do something when I click on them?

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by DRU

Actually, I work for them in-house. I'm limited a little bit with the looks from what they've asked for, but some changes could be made.

What is it that looks chessy about the menus? What work would you have in mind for an artist? One primary goal with this site is search engine friendlyness...graphics don't bold well with search engines, hense the text links.

I'm always up for sprucing up the page with better graphics, though. What kind of thing would make you say "that's more like it"?

I would also concur on more color. I would ditch the gray background. Either make it a lighter gray or go with another color. It's too drab. Perhaps to make room for more pictures you can remove that scroll thingy at the bottom of the page. It serves no purpose other than filler and doesn't really 'match' the 'feel' of the page.

It's a good first start.

When I do a site, I always browse other sites for ideas and then pick and choose what I like from them and put them to work on my own.

Here are some good ones you might get some inspiration from:

http://www.andersonfloors.com/

http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/

http://www.bruce.com/resflram/na/bruce/en/us/

Notice that they have backgrounds that are 'earth' tone, as wood is, in that they are green and/or light brown. That is consistent with wood and the natural feel and the warmth of wood.

Originally Posted by DRU

Actually, I work for them in-house. I'm limited a little bit with the looks from what they've asked for, but some changes could be made.

What is it that looks chessy about the menus? What work would you have in mind for an artist? One primary goal with this site is search engine friendlyness...graphics don't bold well with search engines, hense the text links.

I'm always up for sprucing up the page with better graphics, though. What kind of thing would make you say "that's more like it"?

Graphics can go fine with search engines if you know how to do it right- that shouldn't be a tradeoff you have to make.

Honestly, as a guy that's been in the business for a long, long time, I'd say it needs some kind of overhaul, but it's hard for me to say what except to make the menus less cheesy and add more color. I'm not creative enough to come up with stuff myself, so I normally sub it out to artists that specialize in that kinda stuff. I just know if it looks good, not so much how to make it beautiful.

Also, I'd remove the W3C/compliance stuff at the bottom. That's kinda goofy too, the businesses customers and site visitors aren't concerned with it.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by memyselfI

I would also concur on more color. I would ditch the gray background. Either make it a lighter gray or go with another color. It's too drab. Perhaps to make room for more pictures you can remove that scroll thingy at the bottom of the page. It serves no purpose other than filler and doesn't really 'match' the 'feel' of the page.

It's a good first start.

When I do a site, I always browse other sites for ideas and then pick and choose what I like from them and put them to work on my own.

Here are a couple of good ones you might get some inspiration from:

http://www.andersonfloors.com/

http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/

Notice that both have backgrounds that are 'earth' tone, as wood would be, in that they are green or light brown. That is consistent with wood and the natural feel and the warmth of wood.

I like that second one a lot especially. I did a couple sites for contractors and wood guys and man do I see that beige/green color combo a LOT. I like it.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by skye22f

I like that second one a lot especially. I did a couple sites for contractors and wood guys and man do I see that beige/green color combo a LOT. I like it.

Well, you don't necessary want to do what everyone else has done. But I think the 'feel' of wood is so natural that you want your site to convey that same natural warmth. Gray just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if you are working with stainless steel or chrome you'd use gray. Hence, people use the earth tones because wood comes from the earth.

JMHO.

[DaKCMan AP]

Too much grey space on the front page. Also, the title at the top "Kenny's Hardwood..." has too much shadow, IMO. Otherwise, the layout is alright. Sometimes drop-downs don't look good, but in this case they're fine.

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Well, you don't necessary want to do what everyone else has done. But I think the 'feel' of wood is so natural that you want your site to convey that same natural warmth. Gray just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if you are working with stainless steel or chrome you'd use gray. Hence, people use the earth tones because wood comes from the earth.

JMHO.

Here's a news flash for you meme, EVERYTHING comes from the earth.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

Here's a news flash for you meme, EVERYTHING comes from the earth.

I was talking specifically in reference to design.

Here, you might learn something.

http://www.colorschemer.com/schemes/tags/earth+tones

[C-Mac]

Hey Dru it looks good. I think that highliteing the button backrounds with a lighter gray along with the drop downs would separate the buttons from th ebackground of the page better.

[Extra Point]

I, for one, like the cheesy pull down menus.
Products pull down menu:
Skip "Products>Unfinished Hardwood Floors"
Why? All the products listed other wise are unfinished, right?
Skip "Products>Engineered Hardwood Floors"
Why? If you don't carry it, why mention it?
Place "Prefinished Hardwood Floors" last. Indicates that the above woods are unfinished.

The "Jobsite Conditions" page is nice, but shouldn't concrete slab installations be in "Special Construction Situations?" If you retain it, shouldn't slabs come after standard joist floor installation, as that is more common? I printed "Jobsite Conditions." Got 3-1/2 pages. My reeruned H-P printer left out the bottom of Fig1. Font could be bigger if you're going to consume 4 pages, margin could be wider.

Warranty information page is blank. Should indicate "Under Construction."

Other stuff can be found. G2G

[kczoo]

I own a cabinet shop, so I love the product!! This site is easy to get through, good info. The freight quote is cool

Originally Posted by Extra Point

I, for one, like the cheesy pull down menus.

Yeah, I actually do like pulldown menus if they look good. I don't think those look too sharp though- they'd look better if they had less options though I think.

Also, the page needs a title. It's not gonna help you too much in searches to have that keyword-ridden title, and it looks unprofessional.