Check out my new web site!

It loaded instantly once and took about 4 seconds once. 4 seconds with 5meg broadband is an eternity!

I don't know either. Haven't had time or inclination to really check it out. I suspect it's something to do with my firewall but............. I just tried it again and it's still the same thing. The cloud background pops up easily but the rest is very slow in coming. The progress bar has made it about half way as I typed this and seems stalled now.

Nope! Been waiting for about 4 times 60 seconds just now. Nothing but the clouds! Though those are nice! :)

I figure it's probably my firewall having something locked down too tight. I just haven't had the time to check it out.

Jim, FWIW, I've built a few websites, including e-commerce sites, and jus an FYI as a rule of thumb, "Splash Pages" ("click here to enter whether in Flash or not) are best used for personal stylized website only-not e-commerce...such as a site used to show off your persona artwork, family photos etc, etc.

It does create a "jump thru the hoop" effect and while it definatel looks cool, it is generally unpopular with visitors who come to bu something and do not want to wait to be entertained. In addition i places your vistors yet another click away from your site which wil ultimately lower your click-through rates. People are lazy...save the the extra click and wait time and ditch the splash page.

Also, as a rule of thumb, all but the smallest, innocuous animation are usually looked upon as distractions and annoyances...and "cheez up" your site with an amateur look. I see you're not using any on th main site...a plus.

And don't even THINK of using a background sound, whether the hate Midi or Mp3-regardless of the sound being played. This is without doubt, the #1 page annoyance on ANY website. This will make peopl leave quicker than you can blink.

Unfortunately, many web designers implement impressive and flashy sit "features" simply because they can....however, often times they have n real benefit to the functionality or usability of the site and onl serve to increase page load times and to annoy and distract visitors.

FYI, your "TOP" button takes you all the way back to the spas page...it should return visitors to the "home" (Catalog) page.

Contact information is an absolute MUST with an e-commerce site. Befor people give you their CC info, they want to know at least what stat you're in....I'd create one ASAP.

Preferrably, create an "About Us" page, with a bit of info (and pics about you, your company, it's employees, your products, etc, etc. mak it warm and personable. Just stay away from the cheezy, cookie-cutter, corporate mumbo-jumbo "Mission Statement" crap. Every "Mission Statement" I've ever read al sound the same and just sounds like BS to me anyway....trust me, don' insult your visitors intelligence by using one.

Good luck with your new site, hope you do well

-- wrightknuckle

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The corporate mission is "separate the customer from his money". Even mine is close: "make the customer happy to part from his money".

Jim,

I finally did a little playing with my firewall. It was blocking your mobile code. Once I allowed that from your URL everything was fine.

I've been meaning to ask someone this and since your site is geared to electric I'll start with you. I have an old Bob Holman P-51D kit still in box. Glass fuselage and foam wings. Originally intended for a 61-90

2stroke and a weight of around 11 pounds. I don't have the wing area off hand but it's 69". It's based on the Bryan Taylor plans.

I'd like to build it as an electric. Retracts, flaps and all. Any idea what electric motor I should go with?

Thanks

:-) Well put Tim. We're not quite that clinical but it is an important ingredient if we are to stay in business!

We take everyone's comments seriously. We've worked on the web site as a result of your comments. Try it again! Here's what we've done:

Please visit

and let me know what you think. It's not a real spiffy looking site yet but it serves the purpose. It'll get fancier later!

why not lose the splash screen entirely? it only took 90 seconds to load on dialup and serves NO purpose other than to force the visitor to wait and then jump through yet another hoop to enter the site

of your comments. Try it again! Here's what we've done:

until it was entirely downloaded before they could enter the shop. The new page totals 37K and the link to enter the store is visible almost instantly because it's a plain HTML link. There's no longer any need to wait for background images or Flash to load. An impatient dialup user will first just see "ENTER" in the middle of a blank white page. He can click it right away if he wants. If he waits a moment, the clouds and the logo will appear. we're already aware that the product thumbnails take too long to appear on dialup connections and that we're addressing the issue.

made and perfected, selecting the "color" of the anodizing, coordinating the manufacturing, etc. etc. etc. our company is finally launched!

real spiffy looking site yet but it serves the purpose. It'll get fancier later!

Hi Jim,

Your load time on the splash page has improved. and now gives users th option to skip the flash and "enter" the site...but it's still a splas page...

Studies have shown that most surfers lose interest after about 1 seconds of waiting regardless of their connection speed.....

FWIW, heres a few links that may help you along with the desig process...

A QUOTE FROM

(ACTUALLY A VERY HELPFUL SITE) "When people arrive at your site it's because they've made commitment. They've clicked a link or an ad and now they are at you site so foreplay isn't necessary. Let them in your site. On the othe hand, foreplay is necessary when you buy ads on other sites. This i when you have to seduce people to come to your site. "

AND ANOTHER STRAIGHTFORWARD QUOTE REGARDING THE USE OF SPLAS SCREENS/INTROS "Despite such good intentions, most of the Flash that Web user encounter each day is bad Flash with no purpose beyond annoying people The one bright point is that splash screens and Flash intros are almos extinct. They are so bad that even the most clueless Web designer won't recommend them, even though a few (even more clueless) client continue to request them."

Google a search for the term "web design do's and don'ts" and you'l get plenty of info and tips.

Good luck

-- wrightknuckle

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Jim,

I just had a thought: Obviously you really like the splash animation itself (especially so since I'm guessing you paid someone to have it designed) ;) Actually I do to, it's neat and clean...but I've given you my opinion about th use of splash pages on an e-commerce site already...

So how about this: Loose the splash page entirely, take your flash animation (the risin Fly Hurricane Logo on your splash page), resize it and replace you main site gif logo (230 x 60 pixels) on the main page (at the top left with a same-dimension (230 x 60 ) flash animation. It will be very smal in file size.

Once it's loaded into the browser's cache the very first time the flas animation is loaded, there is no additional load time for subsequen displays. You can have the animation refresh and load up upon each pag that's loaded. The animation action in the flash logo is subtle an isn't too distracting so cycling it each page that loads shouldn't be major problem.

Just my 2 cents..

-- wrightknuckle

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Thanks again! Your comments are right on. I do appreciate it. I'll pass the suggestion along.

Jim

Jim,

There is an excellent program called Advanced Batch Converter that will resize (and rescan) images in batches to a standard size that you designate. It is great for pictures in web sites because you can make them al the same size and type at one time.

When using a heavily PHP run shopping cart it is a good way to get search engine optimisation. If it took 90 seconds on your dial up I would check your settings because it is a tiny file and should only take 4-5 seconds at most.

It's only to say superb.

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*-'Search Engine Optimization ' *