BabySpoon, what do you think? - UK Business Labs

claudiac · #1 (**permalink**) 22-06-2009, 01:32 PM

hello,
I am a new user, just found this via Twitter which I am still getting to grips with.

I would love to hear some feedback on my little website Baby Spoon Home Page
I started this 7 years ago, I am just an amateur when it comes to web designing, so I am experimenting and adding, changing, modifying as I go along.

It is supposed to be user-friendly, and I know that there are a lot of things I need to change, buttons, the menus etc, but I still thought it would be nice if someone who does this for a living could push me in teh right direction ...

It is a parenting site, a collection of weaning, toddler, older children and family recipes. I have had a wealth of positive feedback from users and won a couple of awards (probably from sites trying to advertise themselves?!), and you can't really access the full contents as there is a members' area available to members only ....

Any ideas or criticisms will be accepted, even the very negative ones as I am looking at ways to improve it all the time!

Many thanks

Claudia

Baby Spoon Home Page

**Kay** · #2 (**permalink**) 22-06-2009, 04:40 PM

Hi Claudia

If you have lots of satisfied users then I guess it doesn't matter so much about having a professional-looking design. The main thing that struck me, though, was that it looks as though you've designed the website in frames, and that put me off.

There's also a lot of confusing information. If you look on the right-hand-side column of your site it looks as though you're selling an article about your daughter for £1 or $3. I thought that looked odd. Then I realised from elsewhere on your homepage that the £1 or $3 is a membership fee.

I think you maybe need to do a bit of a spring clean and tidy the place up a bit. There again, you've won a couple of awards for it, so maybe people like it as it is.

designsbysteve · #3 (**permalink**) 22-06-2009, 08:19 PM

Hi Claudiac, as Kay mentioned it looks a bit like a frames site from the 90's. I think my initial remark is that it could do with a bit of a hierarchy forming. At the moment I get a whole load of info as soon as I open the page, and that may put folks off. I'd be tempted to try and simplify things by making areas that need attention more prominent than others.

Given the size of the site you might be at the stage where you would be better off with something like a wordpress theme to keep the design solid whilst you add content.

**Kay** · #4 (**permalink**) 22-06-2009, 11:06 PM

Steve, I think that's a really good idea. If Claudia got a WordPress template she could concentrate on adding content and not have to think about the design too much - which I think isn't what she's really 'into' anyway.

There are lots of good freebie WordPress templates around.

**Mark** · #5 (**permalink**) 23-06-2009, 12:45 AM

Hi Claudia

By rights you need fifteen posts to post a web review but I've just banned a spammer running two accounts so I'm feeling topper!

Good luck!

claudiac · #6 (**permalink**) 23-06-2009, 10:45 AM

many many thanks (Mark, sorry about the 15 posts before asking for a web review, I will goback and re-read the rules!!!).

I have taken on board all your kind advice, and I will start working on changing it from frames to WordPress (need to look into this as no idea what it is!!)
It is not meant to be really professional as it isn't a proper business as such, just a bit of fun, but it does look very ameteurish and I think it is just too busy, which possibly puts a lot of people off. So all you have said makes a lot of sense.

Thanks again to all of you!
Claudia

x

1lessjob · #7 (**permalink**) 23-06-2009, 10:46 PM

I normally use firefox and the tag line under babyspoon gets cut off about halfway up. You could include this in your description. I saw two different prices for lifetime membership £1 on the home page and £5 on the membership page. I would add a 'use these recipes at your own risk' in the T&C just to cover yourself, people are crazy enough to try and sue for anything.

good luck in the redesign. Don't forget to back up before updating!

designsbysteve · #8 (**permalink**) 23-06-2009, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by claudiac

I have taken on board all your kind advice, and I will start working on changing it from frames to WordPress (need to look into this as no idea what it is!!)
It is not meant to be really professional as it isn't a proper business as such, just a bit of fun, but it does look very ameteurish and I think it is just too busy, which possibly puts a lot of people off. So all you have said makes a lot of sense.

I agree that if this were a full blown business website, I'd be looking to get something unique designed, however a WP template will probably fit your needs and look more professional to boot.

Just for your info, Wordpress began life as a blogging platform, however it has grown and is now capable of much more these days. Currently it does a pretty good job of working as a content management system. To use it, you install Wordpress on your website, install a theme and then activate it in the control panel. This then dictates the look of your site.

**NikkiPilkington** · #9 (**permalink**) 24-06-2009, 07:41 AM

Looks pretty awful in Firefox, sorry. Reminds me of the old geocities sites from the 90s

I'd second / third / fourth the Wordpress idea. Great for search engines too, which frames aren't.

delicious webdesign · #10 (**permalink**) 14-07-2009, 01:13 AM

agree with most of the above, and the geocities reference took me back !
I like navigation / links to have a mouseover effect and that almost a standard now for new sites, please please please remove the text 'home page' from your title

This is almost my biggest pet hate and will do you no SEO favours (unless someone searches for 'home page'