Website/online store designers in SEQ

[Adam Randall]

Do you think Leyton Hewitt plays with a $20 tennis racquet from K-mart?
No I dont think so either, probably because he knows what benefits a $600 racquet provide over the $20 racquet.

While not many of us are at such an elite level at sport that we need the edge a tennis racquet of that quality can provide, we all want our business to be the best it can be.

My point here is that we don't know what we don't know.

I think in 5 or 10 years time, the instant web sites will be dialed in and as good as a real one. The tools even now are getting pretty good at compensating for lack of technical ability.

Recommending solutions such as word press is all well and good, but if its the only thing you have ever used or have never had a real web site for at least a couple of years, how can that be classed as a recommendation?

You current solution may be OK and you may not know enough to see its weaknesses, it does not mean it is a good solution.

What I have learnt in life so far is that the less you are prepared to pay for something, the less you actually know about it.

Knowledgable cyclists use mid to high end bikes
Knowledgable business people use mid to high end business tools
Knowledgable stylists use mid to high end scissors
Knowledgable tradesmen use mid to high end power tools

See the pattern here?

when you dont know anything about a given subject, the only thing left to relate to is price which is often why people who are not knowledgable on a certain subject will gravitate to the cheapest price, its the only thing that can be reconciled.

Next time you think about getting the cheapest solution for something, think:

- Is it my lack of knowledge that makes me gravitate to the cheapest?

[Brad]

Hi Olly,

Originally Posted by OllyEllice

Hi Brad,

I run the site below that is giving your eyes such a hard time ( https://shortsandshirts.evolveshop.com.au/ ) . I'd like some feedback on what exactly you feel are the main issues with it so I can make attempts to improve. We've only opened 1st December and to be honest web development isn't my strong point and this is an ongoing learning process for me. So Any constructive critisism would be great.

Thanks

Olly.

Small world

First of all, please accept my apologies if my post up-thread came across as unduly harsh or offensive. Such was not my intent. I was attempting to convey a point and be a touch humorous at the same time. Upon reflection however, it is clear to me I should have considered my wording more carefully.

I'm not a web designer, my background is systems. The best (best attempt at constructive that is) advice I can give would be to speak with a Web Design company. Web Design and Web Programming are two separate areas of expertise. In my experience there are many web coders who don't know the design/User Interface side.

Try this for an interesting exercise. Go to http://www.bikebiz.com.au and have a browse around. Now put 'bikebiz.com.au' into Archive.org's Wayback machine (www.archive.org), pick the newest archived page and browse around.

The old design for bikebiz was fairly user unfriendly. The frontpage links would popup new windows. To get to certain areas, you had to go through other areas first (I seem to recall you couldn't get to 'Shop' without going via the 'Bikes' pages). Archive.org doesn't cache their old site very well once beyond the front page, perhaps because of how the old site was designed.

Basically, bikebiz's old site was annoying to use. I'd rather use mcas.com.au (one of their competitors) to look at motorcycle gear, solely because I didn't like using bikebiz's site. Anecdotal sure, but I doubt I was the only person who didn't like it. Actually, I'd say it's a good bet because I like using their new site. Beyond a few specific examples above (and maybe one or two more if I thought about it) I can't really outline /why/ this is so, just that it is. I feel the new site is better designed, more user friendly, and enables me to easily gain the information I want rather than getting in my way.

There's a few design companies here on flyingsolo I think. Easiest way of choosing which ones to talk to is to look at their portfolios and see what you like. Any Web Design companies which don't list a bevvy of (verifiable) client projects, are probably worth steering clear of.

With all that said, kudos on being up and running and out there doing business right now