I’m almost done, got to fisnish the HTML menu and how I want it to look, make the VIP club registration work, do a final edit on content and re-touch some pics.
The home page pasta pic will be a flash presentation of 7 images all about our food, just have to wait for that work to be done. I did it myself and using Dreamweaver for the first time.
My goal was to make it simple, to provide an easy means to find my menu online and build my VIP club database.
Any suggestions/feedback (good or bad) are always welcome…
It looks like your website is hosted on a server with a US IP number…This will reduce the effectiveness of “Canada Only” searches in Yahoo and Google as they pay more attention to sites hosted on servers with Canadian IP addresses and when sites on non Canadian servers show up, they are often way down the list…
2nd, my personal preference for a Canadian site is a .ca…And do not worry about folks who will tell you a .com is better…That only applies if you are looking for business outside of Canada…
It doesn’t look like a pizza place to me, or is it not supposed to be? The first thing that pops out at me is chicken, then it looks like some kind of computer or support site with the people on the right – especially the one with the headphones.
Your home page is broken up into sections. Each one is done very boldly so that they compete with each other for attention. The result is something that is a little messy and harder to read. Imo, you should decide what the “one” main impression is you are trying to get across and be bold about that “one” thing. Other things can be bold as long as they are done on a smaller scale.
I think that if you kept to fewer colors the site would look much cleaner and more professional. You have a great logo that really pops but all the other bright colors on the page detracts from it. Decide what your core colors are and stick to them. Them more uniform your look is the easier it will be for people to recognize and remember. Each section now, with all the different colors and pics, comes across as a page in a coupon magazine.
“If” you regard your place as a “pizzeria” I would change out the chicken pic for a pizza pic and make all the background colors in the other sections the same. Imo, this is an easy fix to make the site look more cohesive.
ResortPizza,
I think it is a pretty good site as far as looks. The copy at the bottom is a good starting point for SEO (search engine optimization for those who don’t know). The one thing I would recommend is to come up with an element that you can and will update regularly. This homepage looks like it will go up and not be edited, much like an online brochure. This is bad in googles eyes because it places a lot of importance on regularly updated content. Maybe photos of customers enjoying or quotes from customers about your food and biz. Just some thoughts.
These ideas are only important if you want to use your site to get more traffic as opposed to being a brochure site so take them or leave them.
PS. I spent two summers in Whistler and absolutely love it there! I will have to check out Panolis on my next visit.
ResortPizza:
I agree with pizzapirate and I I have to add couple more things:
1st is like anybody else saying is the google adsense ad; these kind of ads do generate money for somebody and since you don’t know about it I think it’s not you to get that income. it could be your hosting company and it is possible that the ad shows up only in USA. anyway you need to investigate it seriously because it is not placed in the bottom, it is placed in your prime real estate.
then comes the “Our Commitment to you” in the bottom of the page the one that really should be in the top instead of the googl ad. but that mission statement it self has couple problems: it is in the bottom in a very small font; hard to read. it looks like one of those pharmaceutical disclaimer that state all the nasty side effects you get after you use their product, and that is the last thing you want in your business and it looks like you have something to hide when actually that is what you should be proud of. the other problem with it is “We also operate a call center where all phone orders are dealt by our knowledgeable, well trained staff who provide realistic delivery and pick-up times.” this sentence IMO has to go or to be changed. it doesn’t answer any question in the mind of the customer but it imply and brings up other issues that nobody was aware off before. and with that sentence I would also delete the image of the girl with the headphone it just doesn’t fit with the local neighborhood restaurant.
The other problem is the deal page at the bottom of the page the offer says "free slice between midnight and 3am on Nov 21, 2009. I think that offer is funny; either offer something of great value or dont. again in that page the picture of the girl is too big and robe the attention from the offers.
The menu page: one of the most visited pages in any restaurant website and that for the obvious reason; that what the customer is visiting your site for. the pdf file is too large and it takes forever to download and when it does it is too crowded and absolutely I will never print out a four page menu in full color and colored background. I prefer something simple with one or 2 colors and I need the to find what I’m looking for fast and easy.
sorry if my opinion is not all flowery and rosy but I assume you asked for our opinions to improve not to just to pump up your ego.
Hey Jstar,
i was thinking of the same thing for the home page and was thinking of using quotes on the homepage for SEO purposes, thanks for the feedback by the way and thanks all…
Whistler baby… we just finished 10 days of Crankworks a world mountian bike and free style event, man it was awesome, the best of the best were here competing, 10 000 young adults who all love pizza, We did $22k in those 10 days, great for the summer season in a resort town. For sure come and check us out, would love to see ya.
Hey Sandro, no worries about the comments, bottom line it’s about making money and you helped me do that and I say thanks! I’ll implement a few of your suggestions.
I’m always trying to think outside the box and try to be somewhat different, hence the over sized pictures, bold colors etc… I want people to see and dial and not read, I operate in a town where everything is non traditional and upside down. Another purpose of my website is to promote B2B interaction, so I designed it to be more corporate and not so homey looking.
A little about where I’m located and some background with some topics for discussion: Panoli’s operates in Whistler, BC Canada, an international ski resort and host to the 2010 winter Olympic games (Nordic events). Whistler has tons of exposure that brings in people from around the world literally; these people as a whole are clueless in general. From Mexicans, Europeans, Spaniards and tons of Australians who are here for a short time. Our customer base is a loyal mix of locals and tourists, we have intense competition for a small town and we shine in the food and service department, people in Whistler beg for top quality service and food, there are over 150 eating establishments in Whistler with a local population of about 10k, there is a high profile restaurant scene here in Whistler and Panoli’s is trying to be a high profile take-out restaurant, and its working so far. There are over 10 pizza shops and about 30 places who sell pizza and I’m going to scream how good we are to all who will listen.
So, how do you market your restaurant? Traditional pizza type methods?
Door hangers, mail outs type approaches fail and I would get scalded by environmental groups and home owners who spend 7 days per year occupying their 4 million dollar home, tried that been there. Hotels and lodges will promote places with not only a good but great reputation and these people must be kept up-to-date and greaded. Menus have to be full process color, glossy and beautiful, service must be top notch and you must stick out from the crowd, almost glitter. Staffing here is a revolving door as Whistler is a transient town, so staff training plays a huge roll and is non stop making it difficult to keep service levels high. How would you do things differently if your staff rotates on a monthly basis?
In November we get a new winter crowd of short term locals who all want jobs and crave to learn what’s best in town. There is a huge local hype here in November about the mountains opening for the season and the first day of riding/skiing. As an example how things are upside down here; The free slice give away is the single best promotion we’ve done, man it goes a long way. It teaches people that we are open to 3am only on the weekends. Gives the broke locals a break and night club staff come in and it gives us a chance to network and it promotes word of mouth advertising, the strongest tool especially here in Whistler as the locals act as ambassadors to our great little big city.
So I guess after all my babbling, the big questions have been refined to:
how can I make my site better while maintaining a big, bold flashy look and feel, while trying to keep it simple?
How can I market my restaurant better and wiser to the international crowd that will be here this winter for the games (55k people for daily in a resort town that can’t handle the Christmas week rush)
My brain hurts, I’m going to finish the html version of my menu now, thanks all….
