new website is go

[cicli polito]

my web pal got around to launching the new website today.

any comments/complaints are welcome.

it's flash based, but you non-flashers (mobile, pda, obsoletum browsers) should be able to read the text.

best,
dan

http://ciclipolito.com

[hampco]

nice site

pix could be larger

we need to know your name, where/how you learned to build frames, favorite colour

stuff like that

[conorb]

There isn't information on the site about you.

Who you are.
What you're about.
Why you do what you do.

You describe your shop and a certain amount of philosophy but I still want to know something about you.

Like your name would be a good place to start.

It's all part of establishing a relationship with the client and developing a rapport.

Also, I noticed that some of the photos look a little out of focus. It could be that they are in focus and the resolution of the photo is such that it appears out of focus on my monitor, but it might be something to check.

Additionally you mention that you took Best of Show at Nahbs this year. I would like to have some photos of that as well.

Conor

[cicli polito]

thanks for the suggestions.

i suppose that i feel that the site is about the bike frames i make. it's not about me, as a person. i like that fact that when a customer does approach me, i can tell them my personal history on an more intimate level (telephone, email, in person) than simply having it float about in cyberspace.

i've found that some customers want to know that stuff, and some frankly could care less- if they are interested they'll ask. that becomes the first engagement with them; i'm very good at person to person communication, and i'm personally not too interested in blanket broadcast. i'm decidedly a bare bones person when it comes to virtual "presence," so i'll be keeping the site leaning to that side of the fence, though i will make a few updates/changes.

i know that the customer model is shifting (people want to know their farmer for their vegetables, people want to know their brewer for their beer, etc.), but that's something, to me, that comes from interaction rather than reading and interpreting text online.

i can't believe that i didn't put my name on the site anywhere though, going to have to fix that one.

conor - i looked at the site on three different cpus, and the photos looked all in focus to me. they may not be jeff weir photos, but i think they are decent. then again my dad and older brother all got glasses at 30 on the dot, so i guess i'm probably getting there . . .

[conorb]

conor - i looked at the site on three different cpus, and the photos looked all in focus to me. they may not be jeff weir photos, but i think they are decent. then again my dad and older brother all got glasses at 30 on the dot, so i guess i'm probably getting there . . .

Hmm, I went back out to the site and to me the first photo under the Construction area - the fillet brazed bb shell with the flux, etc., on it - is the one that looks the most out of focus to me.

I looked on my Linux box and on my Windows box using both Firefox and IE.

Since you're using flash as a photo viewing gallery I can't see what the actual size/resolution of the photo actually is - but hey, I'm older than you and have worn glasses since the 3rd grade. :)

Conor

[cicli polito]

Hmm, I went back out to the site and to me the first photo under the Construction area - the fillet brazed bb shell with the flux, etc., on it - is the one that looks the most out of focus to me.

Conor

well that's why; that series i took myself. shaky torch hands, and no $$$ to bring a photographer on site!

[shiggy]

my web pal got around to launching the new website today.

any comments/complaints are welcome.

it's flash based, but you non-flashers (mobile, pda, obsoletum browsers) should be able to read the text.

best,
dan

http://ciclipolito.com

I find flash-based sites annoying with long load times for little benefit for the user.
Yours does load more quickly on my iPod Touch because it ignores the flash images.
And the site does give access to the text, unlike some Flash sites.

[marten]

I find flash-based sites annoying with long load times for little benefit for the user.

I thought Flash sites were for clothing brands , who sell $ 0.10 worth of child labour for $100. Designed to take up an awfull lot of your time to hide the fact that there is zero content:frown:

And aren't they difficult to find for search engines? I know I gave up after a single page

[steve garro]

hey, man, i tried to open your site but could not. all i can say is that my site {V. 2.0} works quite well for me. it is simple. i downsized it from it's original form quite allot. people do not want to wade through a site. they want quick info. i'm not into fluff or chest pounding. i don't feel the need to tell people what i have been doing since i was three. i have 3 pages: one which is initial measurements, i talk with the person to get all the little details, my gallery, and the blog. the blog gets orders & shows that i am busy, shows who i am in real time, what i do building-wise & also is a portal for communication to all my clients at once & a gallery with 1000's of pics, and people love to see their progress shots..........a site is still no substitute for word of mouth, be it good or bad.........Steve.

[anthonymaietta]

i suppose that i feel that the site is about the bike frames i make. it's not about me, as a person.

I would venture to say that for A LOT of customers, its as much about the builder as a person, as it is about the frame itself. eRichie is famous for saying people aren't just buying his frames, they're buying him. Putting more info about you on the site might make people bridge the gap and pick up the phone, write that email, or send out that messenger pigeon.

[shiggy]

well that's why; that series i took myself. shaky torch hands, and no $$$ to bring a photographer on site!

I would also suggest you have several people (non-builders) read your copy and then tell you what is says. It may not be what you intended.

[cicli polito]

I would also suggest you have several people (non-builders) read your copy and then tell you what is says. It may not be what you intended.

i had several folks who barely ride bikes read the text, and i've actually also received a few emails about how "refreshing" the text on the site is.

is there something particular on there that you feel i didn't intend to say? i feel that its all pretty clear (though of course i'm biased).

at anthony - perhaps in a few years i'll have a bit more stuff to mention about myself!

at steve - not sure why the site didn't work for you. thanks for checking though. i guess try again if you want?

thanks again for all the input and suggestions.

[shiggy]

my web pal got around to launching the new website today.

any comments/complaints are welcome.

it's flash based, but you non-flashers (mobile, pda, obsoletum browsers) should be able to read the text.

best,
dan

http://ciclipolito.com

Nice that people like it but ask them what it says. I may be what you wanted be it does not set right with me.
Mainly needs a good editing.

need to clean up the ordering/pricing schedule. As is, you have a larger deposit required for special work/tubing but do not start the discussion on the details until the frame is ready to be started, months after the deposit was needed to get the place on the build list.

I would give more examples but I gave up on waiting for the front image to load when I sent back to your site.

[steve garro]

I would give more examples but I gave up on waiting for the front image to load when I sent back to your site.

A+ Steve.

[cicli polito]

re: 953 and lugs - people can either pay $500 to get in the queue and then pay an additional $500 after we talk (before work starts), or they can either pay $1000 straight up if they know from the get go that they want a 953 or intricately carved frame. proverbially, whichever way the cookie crumbles all the ducks end up in a row.

i couldn't come up with a way to write the above that i liked without being too wordy.

fwiw - i was a full time editor at the (at the time) united state's market share leader (62%) newswire service. 50 hours / wk, 3 years running. over those 3 years i had an error rate of less than 1/1000 wds., and i chopped for both content and grammar. i was very good at my job, but just not really my bag. i still keep in touch with some of those folks, and 2 senior editors (non-riders) scrutinized the text before it went up for the eyes of the potential public.

thanks again, and shiggy if you have any corrections or other editorial stuff meriting mention definitely email me: ciclipolito circle a gmail dot com