My New Website

Decorating By ellepal Updated 19 Sep 2005 , 5:40pm by traci

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ellepal Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 1:45am
post #1 of 17

Hi Everyone! My darling husband, who is an artist and web designer, finished my website for me. I was hoping I could get some honest feedback about it......

what would you change, what might you do differently, what's good, not so good, etc.

I'd appreciate it!! I'm trying to get a little business up in my area...I'm still new to cakes, but trying to build my portfolio and gain customers.

Thanks!
Ellen

www.clarencedalecake.com

16 replies
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bulldog Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 1:58am
post #2 of 17

It looked good to me. Colorful, fun, and all the information seemed to be there. One idea: on the pricing page, give an example cake and how much it would cost. Sometimes all the numbers can be overwhelming. I really liked it. If I didn't decorate cakes, I would hire you thumbs_up.gif

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momoftwogirls Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:01am
post #3 of 17

I love it!! I like how you put the pricing on your site.
Your cakes are fabulous!

Great name too!

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KATE39 Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:05am
post #4 of 17

THAT IS A GREAT JOB! YOUR CAKES LOOK FABULOUS!

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ellepal Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:41am
post #5 of 17

Thanks for the encouragement! That is a good idea about the sample cake with the price. I have some examples at the very bottom of the page of cake types and what it would cost per slice for that type of cake with a certain kind of icing. Maybe I will put it on a separate page. Thanks again!!! Ellen

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Rainbow_Moon Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:44am
post #6 of 17

wonderful site! since i'm a editor per se, i'll give you the rundown of some suggested changes i have:
- title on the site - the l, d, and l in Clarencedale look different from the rest of the letters in the word - maybe they aren't bold like the others? if this is purposeful, i did not get the meaning, so you might want to take that into account.
- the curtains in your front photo are not as clean-cut as the rest of the photo, perhaps they can be redrawn? not sure what program you're using but an arc would look best there so it's smoother and matches the rest of that cute pic
- the white behind the words on the left on the front page - 'flavors and pricing' does not fit in the white space so i would suggest either making the white space larger or splitting 'flavors and pricing' between two lines
- on all the photos one thing would be to make it easier for users to browse (i love it when sites do this) is to make a 'Next' and 'Back' button when viewing each photo large, so you don't have to keep hitting the back button and finding your place, etc.
- i like the mouseover text on your 'Contact Info' on the front page - can it be carried through so that you get that on the other menu items? it would make it more consistent.

i hope these suggestions help a little, please don't take them the wrong way, i'm just trying to offer some 'constructive critisism'. your new site is awesome and hopefully mine can get nice and DONE like yours is!

ps - i once dated a guy from Youngstown when i lived in southwest VA...haha i visited twice and that was it!

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momsandraven Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:51am
post #7 of 17

Your site looks GREAT! Nice and clean, all the links work, clear photos, good information, and easy to navigate. Nice special effects that do not detract from the content at all. Give your hubby a pat on the back!!

If you're looking for ideas on a cake that you might want to add to the gallery, you may want to do something baby oriented, whether that be a baby shower type cake or christening, etc. (Unless that is not the kind of business that you're looking for.)

Keep up the great work!! thumbs_up.gif

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ellepal Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:58am
post #8 of 17

Rainbow Moon: Geez, you are a good editor!! I didn't even notice some of those finer details. YOu are right...I'll have the hubster fix those things, hopefully sooner than later.

Kate, I am literally dying to do a baby-themed cake. I might just do one for the heck of it.

Thanks again

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unforgetable2u Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 3:01am
post #9 of 17

very nice...the only thing i can think of that you could add is personal pictures of your cake designs.. that would be totally awesome. other than that i think its wonderful !!!! thumbs_up.gif

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ellepal Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 3:01am
post #10 of 17

oops, I mean "moms and raven" for the last line!!

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crimsonhair Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 5:05am
post #11 of 17

I love your site , your hubby did a great job and your cakes are fantastic. Excellent job all around.
Liz

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bubblezmom Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 2:53pm
post #12 of 17

Your site rocks! Easy to navigate and has beautiful examples. Your husband does great work. Wouldn't change a thing. I would add a couple of simple cakes. There are a lot of folks in the midwest who are turned off by the ultra-fancy cakes. They assume that the cake won't taste good or will be too expensive.

I would raise your prices slightly. I am in Indiana and any fondant with your level of skill would cost much more. Your work is excellent.

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ellepal Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 3:04pm
post #13 of 17

thanks bubblemom for your feedback!! Great ideas!!!

I would love to raise my prices for fondant, but in all honesty, people in Youngstown don't buy fondant cakes because they cost too much. (about 5.00/cut) We have one of the worst unemployment rates in the country, and we are a very depressed area, so I decided to keep the fondant cakes affordable. If I get busy, I may raise up a bit. I appreciate your suggestions!!

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Nitu Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 3:16pm
post #14 of 17

Nice Web site.
This site will really helpfull for you.
Congatulations to you and your husband.
All the best!


Nitu.

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BritBB Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 4:28pm
post #15 of 17

Nice site - and great cakes!

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Daniela Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 5:33pm
post #16 of 17

Hey Ellen,
I looked at your website and I think your husband did a great job. It is very straight forward and easy for clients to understand which is very important. The overall look of the site was really pretty also. Nice work icon_biggrin.gif

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traci Posted 19 Sep 2005 , 5:40pm
post #17 of 17

I think he did a great job!!!! thumbs_up.gif
traci

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