Thread: Professional Or Not?

Hi guys I've got to that stage where I am having difficulties being objective about my site having worked so closely and intensely on it.

Obviously everyone has their own preferences in terms of style, presentation and even SEO etc but I would like to know whether you think my real estate site looks professional? Does it look the site of a genuine real estate agent?

If you were looking for property would you be comfortable making an enquiry? Or would there be some niggling issue that would make you think that the company behind the website was not professional or perhaps even not trustworthy?

Be straight with me - I can take it!

Sorry, it's the third site in my sig - www.relocationbulgaria.co.uk

Originally Posted by AJ113

I would like to know whether you think my real estate site looks professional? Does it look the site of a genuine real estate agent?

Looks very professional to me. I'd have no problem making a query.
Good luck!

Looks great to me...Wonderful colors

Looking good. My problem is that you have more on the left side of the page than on the main portion of the page. For the home page, make sure it all evens out - and that will take care of that.

Thank you all for your comments so far, please post more!

Beth - how do you envisage evening out the home page? Another column on the right with the search box in the middle?

Well, the picture you have under the text - looks like a background picture - so I almost didn't even it see it at bring it to the center, or the contact form- thus bringing up the left. If you want that text there on the left and the contact form on the left - then add elements to the center/right. Make it BALANCE. I can't tell you what to do, as I don't know your reasonings for why you just ran down the left and didn't use the main page.

Well, when a search is made using the form, the search table extends downwards, so I can't really place anything of importance underneath the table. (Try clicking on 'view all properties' ).

In IE, the table extends over the picture, in Firefox it extends under the picture, so I have two choices: either leave the space under the search form blank, or place a picture there which will not interfere with the text when the search form is used in Firefox.

It looks fine to me, I would love to see a more professional banner on there, I think this would really smarten it up.

Paul

When you asked for a site review, all of this was discussed in relation to the image and what some considered wasted space. You seem to have made your choice and asked only if it came across (as I understood it) as if the business came across as a professional one.
I think it does. And good luck again...

Looks very professional and I would have no problem proceeding a business inquery with your site.

Andy

Originally Posted by karel

It looks fine to me, I would love to see a more professional banner on there, I think this would really smarten it up.

Paul

Yep, I agree. It will be done!

Originally Posted by sedona

When you asked for a site review, all of this was discussed in relation to the image and what some considered wasted space. You seem to have made your choice and asked only if it came across (as I understood it) as if the business came across as a professional one.
I think it does. And good luck again...

Spot on Ken, in the end I am only really keen to know about the perception of the site visitor in relation to the professionalism of the business.

........so thank you for your views on precisely this topic and indeed your good wishes.

Ken, Sharon, Paul, Andy, I asked for your views on a specific issue relating to my site and I appreciate your comments, they have helped me tremendously.

Beth - I am contemplating your replies but as was highlighted by Ken, you didn't go quite as far as answering my question in the OP. I'd still like to hear your opinion on that!

If there is anyone else with opinions on this I'd love to hear from you.

Hello I like your website alot and does look proffesional.

The only thing I am unsure about is the botton right with the picture, it kind've looks unfinished, and almost as if that image don't belong.

Maybe if you put a border around it might seem included it, perhaps?

Apart from that it looks really good, pages load quickly.

Darren

Originally Posted by AJ113

Spot on Ken, in the end I am only really keen to know about the perception of the site visitor in relation to the professionalism of the business.

Keeping in mind, of course, that, on the web your site is your business and how people perceive you. I thought I understood what you were after and your site does a pretty darn good job of inspiring confidence. Other suggestions to improve your site may still be well worth considering in order to make an even better impression.

But, I think you know this well.

Sorry - but this thread was in the review room - therefore a review is appropriate. However - if you had a review going on - there is only supposed to be one thread per website in the review room.

However, I do not find it professional to have all that blank space. So while the template made is professional - what I mentioned takes away from it as a complete package.

OK thanks very much one and all. I've got a pretty good idea now what I need to do in order to complete the picture.

I also like your web, perhaps a little more balance as mentioned above would improve it. I think that the image below the buttons needs a bit more work, my opinion is that the image is not profesional for 2 reasons.
1. the design work of the image looks a bit poor you have cut pasted one image on top of another, try blending them a bit more.
2. they look to young to buy houses?
the rest of the work top quality,
keep it up.

Heh, I was wondering if anyone would spot that! I'm happy with the presentation of the people, they're deliberately layered in an attempt to give that dynamic, modern feel to the collective result as a whole, but you're right, the sprog is slightly too young to be buying houses in Bulgaria! I just couldn't resist his face! Nevertheless it's not professional - he's got to go....

Would you do me a favour please narobe and check out the 'new build' page? the pictures change for that one.

Also on the 'management' page there are some more links in the left hand column, if you click on those the 'people' pictures are replaced with others, perhaps you would give your views on those too?

Hi, the sites feel & colors look nice with a good fresh feel. Two things worth a look at.
1. The form for the search could be on just 1 page with a link to it from all other pages. It looks a little lopsided with nothing underneath until a search is done. Thinks this would make all pages look a little more uniform.
2. If you can? the boarders on your search form don't look very nice in fire fox, but look fine in IE.
FF tends to show table borders different to IE, & viewing in FF is becoming as important as IE these days.

Good luck.

Hi, the look and idea of the image on the new build page is great it looks like you have taken more care with it.
The idea of a dinamic and modern view on the image of the home page is ok, but the layout fails. You have cut roughly the borders on each individual, and the light is shinning in every direction on their faces.
Try a zoom in and use a blare out tool on the borders, fill colour on hair to make it rounder and smoother. Put a filter on all the pics at the same time to dissimulate the light. Well thats what I would do.
Don't try to be professional. BE PROFESSIONAL!! hope it helps.

A lot I know about design, but want to see what you think about using using the faded background picture instead of the white background for the search boxes? Adjust the size of the pic so that you can place the search boxes over the pic. That way when opened, it will extend into the pic and appear as a unit. Also, use the green border around search boxes and picture. Can you use a bolder font? That would make the text stand out more.

Hope this helps. Don't laugh at a newbie, though....LOL

oops..forgot to mention that I think your site is very professiion. Having looked at a lot of real estate sites lately, I would not hesitate to send an enquiry. Love the cool colors.

Definitely professional, approachable and personable... if I were in that market I'd definitely be making enquiries. With the management, I'd possible make it easier to distinguish with same layout, different colors perhaps. The only example I can give is with www.psfk.com they have different sections of business, and use different colors with the same design to distinguish the differences. I'd also like to see a different banner.

km 5tq - I understand what you're saying. The problem I had was that it would work in Firefox but not in IE. However I have resolved the issue with the search box, (I put the search box on the front layer and the picture on the back - hey presto!) so I have quite a few options now. Thank you for the positive comments in your second post.

MADin Melbourne - again, thank you for your positive comments too - some good ideas, I'm thinking blue for management.

Fortunately the general message seems to be that the site does indeed display enough professionalism to warrant an enquiry at least, but that doesn't mean there is no room for improvement. On the 'to do' list are:

New banner
Add more balance - to the home page at least
Replace the faded picture with something more positive.
Investigate a change of colours for different sections.
Revise the 'people' picture

Absolutely invaluable peeps, I'll be making those changes over the next few days, I'll re-post to this thread when I think that the site is worthy of a re-appraisal. In the meantime if anyone has anything else to add I'd be delighted to hear it.

Site updated as follows:

New banner
More balance
Faded picture replaced
'People' picture improved

I experimented with different colours for management but I didn't like it, so I left it as is.

I would appreciate any comments.

I still say the home page has to have balance - all the way to the bottom- and you need to put another section down there where you have more on the left than the right - maybe you can do a footer there - with your name, address, contact info etc.

OK, home page duly balanced!

I have re-designed the website now, nothing drastic but I would appreciate your views as a whole on the site now please.

www.relocationbulgaria.co.uk

Bump

C'mon guys, take a little look please?

AJ
It looks Professional, could you clean up the couple on the Main picture as you are quoting them and they really stand out as a cut and paste? The house pic is clean and clear so maybe remove them all together and clarify the quote We bought our dream home with Relocation Bulgaria..... John and Joanne Smith (UK 2007)

Cheers