# motorhome related website design



## 91144 (May 1, 2005)

Do you think motorhome related web design is good or bad?


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O I must be thick. I don't understand the question. Are you asking if Motorhome Web Site design in general is poor? Or one site in particular. What one person may think is bad. Another may think it's the best thing since sliced bread. If you mean the overall navigation of the site is poor, then again that's your opinion. The person who designed it may think it's the D**** B*******. Everyone's tastes are different. I personally hate ANY Web site that takes 4 days to load and when it finally get's there it really is C***. Just my opinion. But we need more information on what you are getting at or trying find out. :roll:


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## 88812 (May 9, 2005)

I think you need to add more information and set the question so that it can be a y or n answer

Good luck


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## 91144 (May 1, 2005)

fair enough sorry should have made myself clearer  
When I am viewing a web page I try and see if it meets the following criteria:

Firstly and most importantly is the site easy to use and navigate?

Secondly does the site do what you want it to do (pet hate for me at the moment is insurance websites that you spend ages filling in the forms for an online quote and then it says they will ring you, if I wanted to talk to them on the phone I wouldnt have tried to get an online quote! rant over)

Thirdly does it look good. Not so much in terms of my personal taste on how things should look but are there problems with its layout, such as text overlapping images not loading (or as johnsandywhite said take ages to upload very annoying!), pages only being designed for certain browsers and dont function at all in other types, that sort of thing.

I have noticed that a lot of webpages related to motorhoming are very poor and was wondering what other people think.
Hope that clears thing up a bit.


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

Now we are getting somewhere. I agree with all you say about the Insurance Web sites. This also applies to a lot of on-line shopping sites too. Motorhome Web sites in general are pretty good, but you do get some really bad ones. Supposedly all-singing, all-dancing but do not put across the message they are trying to put across very well. My own Web site (my very first ever journey into HTML over 4 years ago), set's out to be easy on the eye, not take too long to load, be easy to navigate etc (i hope it manages this - always open to suggestions). Just my own opnion again. :wink:


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## 91144 (May 1, 2005)

nice site johnsandywhite, obvious navigation , quick upload times and concise! perhaps MHF should set up an area for putting sites people like or dislike i'm sure the companies would love to know peoples opinions on there site and other motorhomers would have a good resource to sites without having the agony of going to the rubbish ones.


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## 89468 (May 24, 2005)

As a web site designer, I have to say that the majority of UK sites I have visited are appalling. They break all the rules of good practice for page layout, site navigation and graphic design and appear to have been knocked up by somebody's 12 year old son or daughter, using a bit of free software out of a magazine.

I was even moved to send an email to one (well-known) RV spares company recently, because they actually asked for feedback on what people thought of their site. The thing was a nightmare riot of garish colours and flashing graphics, multiple type faces and hopeless navigation. They responded to my (constructive) criticism by saying that they liked it that way!

What people don't seem to realise is that a web site is often the first or only image of the company that customers get to see. If the site is hopelessly chaotic, then that's the impression people will have of the company as a whole. Far too often, companies look upon the web as a cheap way to promote their products, when what they should really be doing is applying the same basic business principles as they would to any other area of marketing.

The web is a powerful tool for commerce, but in the hands of inexperienced users, it can do more harm than good.

Am I ranting here? You bet!


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

I could not agree more *Gewitty*. Although I am not a Web designer and was pretty new to HTML when I built my own simple Web site. I do think that Web designers tend to go overboard with the Flashy pages. I have been invloved in Programming computer's for over 20 years for pleasure and for profit, though that wasn't my job. Simple get's the message over every time. :wink:


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## phylymann (May 9, 2005)

johnsandywhite said:


> Supposedly all-singing, all-dancing but do not put across the message they are trying to put across very well. My own Web site (my very first ever journey into HTML over 4 years ago), set's out to be easy on the eye, not take too long to load, be easy to navigate etc (i hope it manages this - always open to suggestions). Just my own opnion again. :wink:


Not really a moan...but......I HATE sites that have music screaming out at you on every page.

Sorry


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## Drummer (May 9, 2005)

Sorry lovers, Drummers a bit thick today. Good is Yes. Bad is No. Right? Shouldn't the two opitions have been good and bad?


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## 89468 (May 24, 2005)

The logic of the, 'Yes & No' options defeated me also! 8O It might explain why there have only been two votes so far.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

It are not raining here also.....


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Gewitty said:


> As a web site designer, I have to say that the majority of UK sites I have visited are appalling. They break all the rules of good practice for page layout, site navigation and graphic design and appear to have been knocked up by somebody's 12 year old son or daughter, using a bit of free software out of a magazine.


Hi Gewitty

No offence meant or implied but I think you may have just shot yourself, or at least shot the "Professional Web Designer" in the foot....no, maybe not, you might be one of the rare ones who really can out perform a 12 year old with a bit of free software. The trouble is there are an awful lot of companies out there who have been let down and had loads of cash taken from them by "pro web designers" who then go on to design the most uninspired and un-user friendly websites.

Mike

P.S. Hi skipster2k2 why don't you go back and edit your poll?


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## 89468 (May 24, 2005)

No offence taken. Your comments are quite right. There are a lot of cowboys out there who are responsible for some pretty dreadful sites.

My original criticisms were aimed at motorhome web sites though, which was what the thread was discussing. Several of those that I have looked at are truly awful (although one actually had a web design company's name on it's home page).

The good news, however, is that most professional commercial companies now take the web very seriously as a channel to market and invest appropriately in site development.


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