Personal Safety Portal - Website review request

[ivanl]

Hi all,

I've built a safety website which is supposed to give you access to local safety services and products. I would like peoples first impressions of the site. It's still a work in progress and I plan on adding more content and services. But I'm not sure which ones. So I guess I would like to know what's missing, what I could change,etc. Plus of course your initial impressions?
Thanks everyone.

the site address is : http://au.personalsafety.66v.org

[Moldydish]

Originally Posted by ivanl

Hi all,

I've built a safety website which is supposed to give you access to local safety services and products. I would like peoples first impressions of the site. It's still a work in progress and I plan on adding more content and services. But I'm not sure which ones. So I guess I would like to know what's missing, what I could change,etc. Plus of course your initial impressions?
Thanks everyone.

Ivanl,

You didnt actually add a site to look at so I just undertook a search for your site. Now, it may not be anything to do with you but I just looked up "Personal Safety Portal" and entered the one most likely site under that search to which you might be refering. Under the boolian search parameters there were only 6 results. I picked a tweetmeme site with the subject Personal Saftey Portal and there was a comment there by you as veggie_seeds so there is a connection there. My security then popped up a severe warning and a block. Dont know if that was immediately with the search but I hadnt clicked on anything else under that search. Details (for saftey of members):

High Risk intrusion attempt:

Risk Name - HTTP Fake AV Install Request 4
Attacking Computer - Scanwebguide.com
Attacking URL – scanwebguide.com/hitin.php?land=20&affid= (etc)
Source Address - 94.102.63.245


Name servers:
ns1.scanwebguide.com
ns2.scanwebguide.com

Registrar: Regtime Ltd.
Creation date: 2009-12-16
Expiration date: 2010-12-16
Status: active

Registrant:
Francis Aguayo
Email:
Organization: Private person
Address: 1843 Maud Street
City: Philadelphia
State: DE
ZIP: 19146
Country: US
Phone: +1.3027516035
Fax: +1.3027516035
Administrative Contact:
Kimberly Barnhart
Email:
Organization: Private person
Address: 3276 Matthews Street
City: Rockford
State: IL
ZIP: 61101
Country: US
Phone: +1.8156561357
Fax: +1.8156561357


I had clicked on a site with the exact given search name and further details:

RT @personal_safety: personal safety portal - find local safety services and products.
tweetmeme.com/story/364360413/personal-safety-portal - 9 hours ago


So if anyone in the forum was wanting to put off cleaning the house by looking up the likely site of Ivanl - take care Best wait till Ivan hops back and can direct to his site exactly rather than muck with a search that looks a bit suss as I did...

Moltendish

[Moldydish]

I decided to trust the security I use for browsing and have a look at the link from tweetmeme (the intrusion doesnt seem to continue so its OK). I went to your site Personal Safety Portal and had a look (the domain is named - au personalsafety 66 org)

Ivan I think you've created an interesting looking site, with friendly imagery and something that would intice people to have a little in site search ( if they could find the site). I think there is a problem with the domain name and (except for the link through tweetmeme with some leaching security problem attached) I don't think it would help organically in terms of searches. It is though, a unique naming system I think!

Your use of a touristy sales presentation is kind of odd for security but I think if you can push your site it could be appealing to people who are tired of the overly serious looking security presentation.

I'm not sure what I feel when I see the links to your 'saveyourdaughters' blog (it actually makes me shudder to think of over protected and controlled daughters whose fathers actually sweep their apartments,monitor their movements and debilitate their pathway to independence). In any case I think your site is a little different and more interesting than the average site.

I thought your seed site was also easy to look at and designed well for its purpose. I went back to the seed site just now and I see you advertise the "save your daughters" banner loudly on the home page. I get that you may see the link with healthy lifestyle and saving daughters but others may not. There are the health focused people who trust in nature and there are the health focused people who fear it (eg Gandhi was a vegetarian for love of all life and Hitler was a vegetarian for fear of disease). Perhaps you are trying to grab the attention of the fearful ones for whom the "save your daughters" link in a healthy food site will seem reasonable. In any case, just a review for you.

Jen

[ivanl]

Hey Jen/ Moldydish. My site should be hard to find through the search engines as I haven't finished it yet and don't really want it to be found, yet.
Secondly, I guess a link to my site would of helped. Doh! My bad. Sorry.
the actual web address IS http://au.personalsafety.66v.org
I also made a couple of sub-domains and redirected them. personalsafety.66v.org and ps.66v.org.

Thanks for all the comments about the site. I did want to make the site look different. Getting people curious to look around was the idea. You comment tells me I'm on the right track, so thanks.
The save your daughters program does have a suggestive name. Though it's about personal safety skills for all, not just for young women. I'm looking at other products to add or replace the current ones. Though there aren't many that are Australian.

With regard to the veggie-seeds site, Thanks for the comment. I didn't think of it that way. I guess the SYD banner link it is a bit loud for that site.

You've given me lots to think about at any rate. Thanks again Jen/ Moldydish.

[Moldydish]

I'm happy to do a review, which I guess I do from a surfers point of view. Ivan I think you have a strong understanding of presentation in marketing and engage viewers both with the information and design of your site. You have a flair I think for utilising template designs in a way which is recieved as fresh and innovative.

I had said that your site might be hard to find because of the actual name you have given your domain. The address is unusual and its not something that naturally comes to mind for surfers. I think with a more straight forward domain name you would have heaps of repeat viewers. Still, it could be that putting the au. in front of the name will allow you to grow your site popularity without directly competing with others who have very direct domain names in the area of personal security.

With your home page, I would move the title area to the left side rather than the right and I would bring it down a bit from the top of the viewing area. All the identification of what its about and where to go for more info is in a small area too high up the page. In art one of the first lessons in terms of visual space on a canvas is to make sure the main focus area is not looking like its run out of room.

The map of Australia showing where to find police is given more space at the bottom but the viewer will only really be involved with the top section and may not even scroll down there. As the site looks a bit like a footy sales template with items and maps but no people showing (and here Im not putting it down because its an interesting twist to do this with a personal saftey site), it needs something to sort of show there is life behind it. I would suggest just one area for a photo of you or someone to indicate to the viewer that someone exists behind that site and can be of service to them if needed.

I'm also thinking that the web page really looks aimed at young teens yet again the Save Your Daughters then is out of place. Perhaps have a section for parents and a section for teens but I would thinking mixing both will loose you both.

Jen

[ivanl]

Hey Jen,
thanks for all the feedback. It's just what I was hoping to get. You've definitely got me thinking.
With regard to the domain name, it does look complicated, and I don't expect people to use it. That's why I have other domain names that redirect to it. As long as people use the term personal safety in there seaches, they should be able to find the site. Though I haven't done the seo yet.
The 66v in the name enables me to use a popular keyword term in the domain to compete with other domains. And the au will help to filter non-aussies out, so I don't get unnecessary traffic, especially if I'm doing ppc. I don't expect to be on the top of any search results, I'll be happy with above the fold on the first page. Plus I still have time to change it if need be.

Thanks for the design critique, I can see your points of view with regard to the layout. I'll probably do some revisions today. And the products I have, I'm in the process of changing and adding, so that will change also.

Thanks again for your time,
Ivan.

[Moldydish]

Originally Posted by ivanl

Hey Jen,
thanks for all the feedback. It's just what I was hoping to get. You've definitely got me thinking.
With regard to the domain name, it does look complicated, and I don't expect people to use it. That's why I have other domain names that redirect to it. As long as people use the term personal safety in there seaches, they should be able to find the site. Though I haven't done the seo yet.
The 66v in the name enables me to use a popular keyword term in the domain to compete with other domains. And the au will help to filter non-aussies out, so I don't get unnecessary traffic, especially if I'm doing ppc. I don't expect to be on the top of any search results, I'll be happy with above the fold on the first page. Plus I still have time to change it if need be.

Thanks for the design critique, I can see your points of view with regard to the layout. I'll probably do some revisions today. And the products I have, I'm in the process of changing and adding, so that will change also.

Thanks again for your time,
Ivan.

Happy to be of service

Jen

[ivyjteo]

Hi Moldydish LOL,

very unusual choice SMILE. Anyways my reason for your assistance
I see you have a signiture in your post.I couldn't find it when creating
my profile...Could you give me directions please.

Appreciated

Ivy.

[Moldydish]

Originally Posted by ivyjteo

Hi Moldydish LOL,

very unusual choice SMILE. Anyways my reason for your assistance
I see you have a signiture in your post.I couldn't find it when creating
my profile...Could you give me directions please.

Appreciated

Ivy.

Well Ivy I dont know whether you'll be back but if so you need to go into your profile, go to your control panel and find "edit signature" ( I think ). You can get into your profile once you have logged in by clicking on your own name or finding "user CP" which is top left on the home page.

Good ruck

[spacey]

yes it has an interesting look to it , i am just wondering if you could get a .com.au address ?

maybe you can be a directory for security services ? ( for some income) good luck

[snooks]

I started a security directory 18 months ago and failed dismally

There are also very few affiliates in the security industry, especially regarding alarm systems and stuff like that. I know OzSpy have a AM programme, almost no one else regarding security in either physical or electronic aspects.

If you think i can ever assist regarding advice, feel free to holler. I had 22 years in the field as GM for a reasonable size company.

Cheers