Hopefully I'll be able to get some good advice - I'm making money from this site already so something must be working but I'm trying to 'fine-tune' the site now.
at the moment we're just promoting payday loans, so thats where most of my energy has been focused. I'm looking for general comments on the design, but theres a few things in particular I'd like to know
Page Loading - any issues in speed? I've personally noticed a few problems and I think there may be too much JS loading.
Branding and Trustworthiness - Do you see this as a cowboy lender or a reputable company. What information is missing?
Thanks!
Alex
edit: Just to add, the form is live and goes directly to our merchant so please don't submit it
Overall I think your site design is pretty good but you could maybe liven it up at bit by adding some images. Can't say I noticed any issues with the loading speed but I am at work using quite a fast connection, I'll have another go when I get home tonight.
In terms of trustworthiness I wasn't immediately put off so something is right. I couldn't find a registered address on the site, that would put me off slightly and also the lack of information between selecting a finance product and having to input my personal details definately would put me off.
The site design is too plain, no images and the text and links make it look like its just a bunch of ads to other sites. I would consider a nicer template and focusing on making the site feel more 'legitimate'.
The logo did not inspire the feeling of a "Professional" site. The image on the right is good, but the lettering needs some work to make it distinct and stand out in your visitors minds. Especially with this type of site you want to create a brand based on your logo, something that will catch the users eye and stick in there mind.
The site did have a drab feel to it, this may be due to the dark background. The same colors on a gradient or pure white background may make the content pop out better.
Overall it looks ok, but honestly it did not inspire trust on my first visit, something you really want to do. As stated above the logo is a good place to start with this.
I'm not a fan of the general style of the site, its very boxed in and doesn't come across as very professional. I certainly wouldn't put any of my finances in your control. I don't mean that nastilly, but the site doesn't instill trust or come across too seriously.
Some general suggestions for you though:
1. The logo isn't great, it doesn't have a handle or anything, its just bordered, gradient text and is a bit boring.
2. The main layout is very boxed in, with hard, close edges and single tone colour use which makes it look really dated.
3. The content suffers the same problem, single colour boxes everywhere, closely spaced using very full colours (gray and that default blue colour).
I think you need to get a little bit more graphical and modern with your design. I don't mean a mass of eye-candy, but taking the time to have your graphics done properly, to a high quality and putting some visual thought into the general design of things.
Drop the dull content colours, space things out more and give it some life, as its certainly lacking there.
Take a look at some loan/credit sites (major ones) and see what they look like, give it some umph
Congratulations on making money off of your web site! I have to say that it doesn't look up to par compared to the sites of major financial institutions. IMHO, the logo is way to big compared to some other corporate sites. The dark background is usually not used when you want to reflect transparency and trust.
Regarding speed, the form on the left side in your landing page took too long to load. I can see some people leaving your site before it finishes loading.
I am not a designer so I don't know what it takes to make it look more like a site of a major financial institution. Probably a good designer may help you there.
BTW, I have my own site for review in this same section. It is listed under "Please Review SmartRatings.com". If you could provide any feedback I would appreciate it. Please feel free to trash my site.
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