Please review and critique...

[wr1000]

Please review and critique my latest:

http://www.exchrome.com

[wr1000]

Please review and critique my latest:

http://www.exchrome.com

[John Rayner]

Ummm... Not very colorful for a graphic site is it? I think having an example of your product where you can first see it would really help sell the product.

I could be wrong, but I have seen plenty of PHPnuke sites that look just like yours... Can you say cookie cutter websites? Kerchunk, another site, kerchunk, kerchunk... Dang.. they all look, Kerchunk, the same...

Hi I'm Erel scribe and I can build your website for $39.95...

[kriz10]

I agree with John that it needs more color.

There are plenty of color tools around on the web to help with these types of projects.

I really enjoy using this one: http://www.tlhouse.co.uk/ColorCache/

Here is an example of contrasting harmony with your baby blue as the main color.

[stlewis]

A simple change would be to put the featured pics at the top right.

You don't need to welcome people now; the web is a safe place!

And it takes 27 words to get to 'stock photography' which is what you are all about.

[wr1000]

OK, the site has had some significant revisions since it was first reviewed. Please take a look at:

http://www.exchrome.com

[John Rayner]

Hi WR1000,

ummmm... what did you change? I still think you need to bring some sample closer to the top of the page, not scrolling towards the bottom.

[wr1000]

The whole forum was reskinned, and menu items were changed on the main page. I have not brought up the samples to the top yet, but your recommendation is a good one, and I will implement the suggestion soon! Sincerely WR1000

[John Rayner]

Look is getting closer... still need to move the samples... Final product looks kind of small tho. Are these shots meant only for web/computer work?

[wr1000]

Thank you for noticing the content. I am pleased to say that this little project has been over ten years in the making, and it might take another five to get it right!

The answer to your question about the photos on the site is "yes," the photos that are for sale are "optimized for internet" (that is our pitch). They are all available for immediate download, and sized at no wider than 1024 pixels, and 96DPI, where applicable. The goal is to provide a reliable source of photographs to designers, that are to be used in web sites. The other use, of course, is in printed material. At the current resolution, designers could use the photos when completing comps and mock ups, and, as needed, I will provide full size images to those that need them for press. After spending a long time thinking about it, I decided that the web was the market that I wanted to pursue, and that having low res, quick loading graphics is more attractive than having huge files that are difficult to manage, in many ways. As far as development, there are a lot of aspects of the site that I want to follow up on.

A few of them are:

1) Keyword the database - there are many photos that are not keyworded yet. They are in the database, but you can not access them by keyword. This is very time consuming, but rewarding, too. I have considered paying some college students from the college fraternity I was in to do this type of work on an as-needed basis.

2) Graphic redesign - this will include many of the suggestions that I have gotten so far, including moving some photos up to the top. I am always looking for (and working with) designers in this field. Being a third generation photographer, and having parents in both art and advertising, I appreciate design ability when I see it! I would like to incorporate Flash graphics, too.

3) Re-write - I would like to re-write the copy, making it more "consumer oriented." I know that there are experts who are fluent ad writers. This is the type of material that I will be seeking.

4) Advertise - I would like to participate in an agressive email and banner ad campaign to promote the site, after the needed changes have been made to it. This will be "phase four" of the project.

This might sound like an ambitious list to you. I am not one who demands sweeping changes, though. I anticipate that it will take another five years before this project is close to complete. Having been in business for some time, though, I know that five years of diligent development can, and often, from my experience, does, pay off.

Meanwhile, it gives me something to work on, get feedback about, and, most of all, to talk about in the forums that I frequent. This all helps me to develop new creative relationships on the web, and to steer away from the brick and mortar setting that was the only thing around when I was starting up.

And frankly, it is mixed water for me. There are a lot more people to connect with on the internet, and the advertising costs less, but the production costs are still high. We used to be able to beat this in the brick and mortar world because it was all local, and close knit. We knew each other, and people knew who to call on for what.