My web designer has just sent me my new website layout, which is fun and bright and funky! If you'd take a minute to check it out and tell me anything that doesn't work well/doesn't look so hot/could be improved....I'd be SO grateful!

(I think you can only view it in Flash. Sorry if that's not on your computer. ALSO, IT TAKES ME ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO UPLOAD IT ON MY COMPUTER! Is it slow for everyone??)

*** The round template used for viewing the cookie photos will be switched to the rectangle. I know it cuts off too much of the photos as a circle.

Please critique away:


www.marmaladecakecompany.com




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I have nothing negative to say - wow, the colours are SO funky and cool, I like the easy movement from one category to the next. I especially like how each category is set up with it's own price info etc....the photos are great, and it all looks professional but it has a really fun element. I think it's terrific.

Maureen

I think it looks great i don't see anything wrong with it eather. your web it looks alot better than mine.

Your site is fabulous! I have high-speed, and everything just pops right up for me. I love the colors. Don't change a thing, I say!

Your site looks great!!! Very easy to navigate, good information, and easy on the eye! Also, your work is wonderful. Very beautiful cakes! Great job to your web designer.

I guess I will be the first...... I am using DSL and it wont load for me. Looks like the color is pretty cool though.
I will reboot and seeif it helps.

It looks great. I loved your old site, but this is even better. Very fun and fresh!

One tiny thing. When you get to the last photo at the end of a category, perhaps the "Next" button should be greyed out, or deleted completely?

Your colors are great and the website is just funky enough that it doesn't distract from the content. I love the way you've created more of a slide show with your pictures instead of having a bunch of tiny pictures on one page. Actually, I got so caught up in looking at your fantastic pictures that I forgot I was looking at your site in order to evaluate it! Great job!

Web site looks good but it takes way too long to load. You will lose your audience if you don't have some thing for people to look at within 10 seconds max. 4 seconds is better. It doesn't have to be the home page just a loading page will do. Something with text that fades in and out would work. Just keep your audience busy while it is loading. If it takes way too long with a DSl line just imagine how long a dial up connection will take.

74 I am on high speed cable and its taking way to long to load still have not seen it. I agree with the previous post. Need something for people to do while it loads I will keep trying. Finally got in it looks great that flash is slow though. You got a winner!

It took a while to load initially, but after it did load, it is very quick and easy to move thru. I love the colors and design! GREAT website!

It looks great! Except the one thing i like to look at when i'm "shopping" on-line is "about me" link. I'm not sure that makes sense..you know the part that tells me where you're from..training..experience..ect...

I had a load problem too & I've got broadband.

I love the colors and style of your website. I like that on your home page you have big chunky photos of your main categories and that the category titles are hidden until you move your cursor over the pics. It's hip and inviting!

//The round template used for viewing the cookie photos will be switched to the rectangle. I know it cuts off too much of the photos as a circle. //

I know you're changing it, but I really like the circle template. It's a cookie peep show!

My only suggestion is I'd like to see a button near the 'back' and 'next' buttons that says 'home' or something like that ie a button right there that will take you back to your home page.

And I also agree with revel on the 'About Me' page. Maybe you could change the title of the 'links' tab to 'about me' and add a little blurb about yourself there to with the links?

Looks great tho!

i absolutely love it! the simplicity most of all but like the others said, it's very easy to navigate. the way that the photos pop up, really showcase each individual design. also, i do love how you've included general pricing and flavors. love it

Great job, I really like it. A little slow loading but then it's great.

June

Ok I gave it time to load and once it did I think it's great!
The only thing I can see right now is when you get to the end of an album the only choice it gave me was to go back to the home page....
Other than that its great!

. . .I'm still waiting for it to load. . .still . . .lol. . . .

WOW! still . . .

. . .yep you guessed it. . .

YAY! It's loaded!

So far it looks really good, because people like a simple and easy-to-navigate website.

I like it a lot, it's very professionally designed. I'm sure your business will skyrocket now that you have your website.

Just one question, who designed it?

I think your site is really nice. It does take a long time to load, other than that it's great! I design and develop websites also. So do me a favor and critique mine too!

It's not about cakes, but homemade baby food. If you know someone who has babies, please tell them about it and sign up for my message board. I just made this in October and I need to get more members on my message board.

www.MyHomemadeBabyFood.com

I really think your cake and cookie designs are fabulous. I'll be sure to send people your way!

tamifaye
i like the looks of your too. i guess there are a few of us working on web sites right now i'm just doing a tempery one for the moment and when my dh gets finished seting up his web hosting he is going to help me design a better one. im putting a page on it just for cake and cookie decorators with links to there sites if anyone wants me to put theres on it let me know i have a forum started to put your info there.

I think your site is awesome! It is easy to navigate and very funky modern colors! I love it. BTW-your cakes are amazingas well!

The only problem I had was the load time. People are very impatient! If they try to pull up your site and it loads as slow as it does now I am afraid they will never wait that long and you will lose that persons visit. It took my computer almost 5 minutes to load the site and I have a high speed connection.

Otherwise the site is awesome!

Wow I read both pages of comments and I am still waiting for it to load. I am sure that it is very nice, But I have to sa I wouold have moved on by now if I was just surfing to find a cake place. I would probably hang around longer if I were looking specifically to see your site.

BTW still no page up for me.

Good Luck.

Julia

I agree...great website. I have broadband as well, and have to agree that the loading time is very long! Other than that, your website and your cakes are gorgeous!!

Angie

I really like your site. Your work is lovely. Photos look great. But, to be honest....I probably would have moved on before I saw them if I had actually been shopping. Even though I have high speed internet, the initial page took so long to load, I grew impatient. If there's anything I hate, it's a slow-loading page. Usually, I halt the load and go on to something else. Your designer needs to work around that, IMHO. Other than that...it's great. Good luck with it!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Your cakes are really beautiful!

The website is great. Mine didn't take too long to load, but there was a slight lag. The site is really fun to nagivate through...good job!

I have dial up connection. As you can imagine, it's taking for ever to load. And the only reason I'm waiting it's because you wanted us to see it. Otherwise, I would just move on to another site.

Flash animation it's nice, but it takes toooooo long. It's also a imposibble to bookmark a page if you find a cake you like.

I would suggest to get rid of the flash animation and use standard html.

It doesn't seem I will ever see your site...

It looks great! There is nothing negative about your website. Smile!

Thanks so much everyone! Great ideas and feedback. I'll contact my designer right away to let her know a few of these points and that it's taking a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time to load. That seems to have more bearing on the power of your computer/internet connection versus my website though, but I'll pass it on.

(I do really want Flash though, not only for the amazing design possibilities...but also to hinder copying of photos. Not to get into THAT discussion again, but I've had a few on my cake photos used on other websites in the past few months and Flash will be a bigger barrier for that. Blah blah balh....I know it's not foolproof, etc etc. Let's not open that can of worms again! )

Helen,
I LOVE your site, love the funky colors, love the layout. And I love looking at your cakes! It's like...oh hey, that one's in my favorites...and that one...and that one...and that one...

My husband and I run a consulting business from our home and we have an extremely fast web connection because we host web sites here, and most web pages load almost instantly. Your site takes 10 full seconds to load on my machine. From the site netmechanic.com:

My husband showed me that one day when he tried to load my web page offsite and found out that it was slow as molasses because of the huge pictures. Anyway, do speak with your designer about the loading speed, but try to keep the gorgeous layout!!