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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Critics Wanted - What don't you like about my childcare website

150 replies

nannynick · 30/05/2007 19:31

My Babysitting Website has had a little revamp over the past couple of days.
I would love you to tell me what you Dislike about my site... for example, was there something you would want to see, but didn't find? Do you think the colour scheme is horrible? Do you think it contains too much information, or too little information?

Come on, be as nasty as you like... tell me what you dislike. Many thanks.

OP posts:
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funnypeculiar · 30/05/2007 20:10

Practical question ... do the postcodes stack up with the areas you say you cover? We're in Walton (do you cover us?) and it doesn't look like there are Weybridge postcodes in there.... (Tempted to register/will mention you to local friends)

I like being able to see availability so easily - think that's really clear.

Found the home page a little difficult to navigate - I expected to navigate/find key info via buttons at the top. There's a lot of info/quite broad coverage - in fact most of the content - on that home page- any chance of splitting that across pages/more visual to make things more bitesized? eg the 'You say you are qualified how does this benefit me' section - fraid I zoned out there. Liked your sectioning generally, though and felt that all the right info was probably there, just not shouting at me, iykwim. Perhaps some bullet pointing/bol for key words and ideas might help, if spliting across pages isn't viable.

I also got confused by content buttons at bottom of page - I assumed these were other services you provided at first - but having had a look at a few, assume these are just helpful info? Think it makes it look like you really know the local area/have a great network, but they are hidden a way a bit/not great signposting.

I agree that I'd have liked a photo of you on there somewhere - it somehow feels like the personal touch suggested by the tone of the content requires a smiling mugshot...

Final thought - feel there's a bit of a mismatch between your cartoon visual ( cute, perhaps a bit rugrats, being harsh, felt slightly downmarket) and the top RHS photos - classy, contemporary, expensive)

Hummm, sorry that was a bit of a brain dump/rather lengthy (in my defence, I have done this for work a few times )

Katymac · 30/05/2007 20:10

Do you mean apart from me?

HuwEdwards · 30/05/2007 20:14

Here's a typo - not sure if it's been pointed out..

I have neve had an issue with Nick not being female!" - Mrs Murphy

I think it's good - I like the photos too.

HuwEdwards · 30/05/2007 20:16

and another on the Special Needs page

"Nick came to the house and met all three of my children. Within minutes my autistic 4 year old had really taken to him (very unusual for him!) and it became obvious that Iain was happy to be with Nick, so I had ni qualms

MarsLady · 30/05/2007 20:17

I kinda like it! The first page is a blimming lot of info... but I've read your reasoning. I still think that it should be spread over several pages. Also... what about some different pictures on the different pages?

Found the red a little harsh... but again that just be me! Wasn't keen on the cartoon figure... but I don't like cartoon figures.

Didn't look as homemade as some sites.

All in all. I like it.... yes.... I kinda like it.

colditz · 30/05/2007 20:21

Perhaps a different page for terms and conditions?

It's a very good lay out, but to be honest, the home page tells me everything I need to know! Price, policies, and terms and conditions! So to lead people around the site, would it be an idea to shunt some of the info to a different page?

LoveMyGirls · 30/05/2007 20:26

I still don't like the green (jsut incase you missed it further down)

Is there a pic of you on the site? perhaps on the contacts page might be a good place to put one?

definately agree there should be more pages/ links as home page is long.

saltire · 30/05/2007 20:30

Very good. i was hoping you would cover the PO14 postcodes as we are moving down to the area and know no-one at all, so therefore no sitters.
Anyway, I liked it, very eyecatching

nannynick · 30/05/2007 20:32
  • Postcodes -
It is tricky to define the area in which I work, as traffic conditions can make some areas not that far away tricky to get to (picture me sitting on the M25!). I have previously tried a system when a visitor enters their postcode and I calculate an estimated mileage between my home and the given postcode. However that was not overly accurate, so prone to saying I will cover an area which was tricky to get to traffic wise.

We're in Walton (do you cover us?)
I have done some night nanny work in Walton-on-Thames in the past. It is only 14 miles from my home, but it is inside the M25, thus traffic conditions can make it tricky to get to for say a 7pm start. Given the distance, yes I would consider it, but I could not guarantee a start time until I had been on several occasions and thus knowing how long it takes to get there during rush-hour.

It is a tricky issue... open to suggestions on how to solve that one.

Postcodes shown are ones which I have calculated distance/drivetime to, so can easily add more if other areas are found to be within about a 30 minute drive of Lightwater, Surrey (not via motorway).

Please do register and mention me to friends - can then calculate distance/drivetime based on accurate postcode, rather than just a rough location.

I like being able to see availability so easily - think that's really clear.

Glad you like it. Have tried several different ways of showing that and for past two years now have used a PDF, which most clients and visitors can view.

The home page is really just the brochure content, so that Google can index it easily.
May try splitting it up over multiple pages, to see how that looks, and monitor if Google then drops my listings/rankings.

I also got confused by content buttons at bottom of page

Ah, those are relics of previous site designs over the years. Again they help the search engines to index additional content, but are not overly useful sometimes to humans.
The 'Links for Families' page is very popular, often gets ranked as a higher Entrance page than the index. Not sure that is good... but sometimes people are looking for local information, not a babysitter and then once on my site, then think about a babysitter - as all information is connected with children/childcare.

  • My Photo -
    Don't suppose anyone knows a mumsnetter in my area who is good with a camera, who can take a nice digital pic of me, so I can use it on my website?

  • Logo and Photos -
    Interesting comment that one... tricky to change logo, as it is used on my car and gets a lot of looks - especially from children.
    Photos are Royalty Free Stock Photos, thus they look professional. Tricky to know how things could change, without losing the photos... which previous versions of the site have lacked, but were added for this version to help give a visual representation of the service. Are the photos worth keeping?

Appreciate your comments... keep them coming, all comments are much appreciated.

OP posts:
Katymac · 30/05/2007 20:35

I like the photos - I just need a border round them the bottem right two have part of a border & it looks lovely

nannynick · 30/05/2007 20:46

I've added some pics of my to my profile... so you can tell me which one you like best (personally I think they are all terrible).

Have also put a picture of my car on profile, so you can see why changing the logo may be difficult. Could perhaps change the shade of green used on the website, would that help?

OP posts:
Katymac · 30/05/2007 20:51

Tone down the green a bit - not sure about the photos

nannynick · 30/05/2007 20:54

I've tried to tone down the green and also rearrange the photos, plus add some borders.
Please revisit My Babysitting Website and if you don't see changes, then Ctrl-F5 to refresh.

OP posts:
Katymac · 30/05/2007 21:06

Much better green

Fab Photos

Much nicer

Katymac · 30/05/2007 21:07

Below was IMO (obv)

Btw could you pull the centre picture down a few mms

saltire · 30/05/2007 21:08

The picture with the blue top on is better IMO

LoveMyGirls · 30/05/2007 21:09

Looks fab now!

Ladymuck · 30/05/2007 21:28

Please don't take this the wrong way but I would personally recommend that you get a professional head and shoulders shot done. The top one is too "passport" like and the second looks as if you might have been caught by surprise. [Sorry if that is your normal look!]

I find that a professional photo makes quite a difference when I'm looking at cvs etc. I suspect that it may make even more of a difference when you are a bit of a rarity (a male professional childcare provider).

That said personally I'm not fussed whether your phto appears on your site or not - just if it does I think that it needs to be as good as the rest of the site in terms of its quality (no flash reflections etc).

nannynick · 30/05/2007 21:54

Ladymuck I quite agree... just need to find a photographer who will do it, and let me use the resulting picture on a website without it costing me a fortune.

Anyone able to recommend anyone - Surrey/Berkshire/North Hampshire area.

OP posts:
Katymac · 30/05/2007 22:01

Isn't Hub2dee a photographer??

NotQuiteCockney · 30/05/2007 22:07

Testimonials:

congeuital should be congenital

neve should be never

The calendar is a nice touch.

ThePrisoner · 30/05/2007 22:12

I've only looked at your first page, and think it all looks fine, apart from ...

I think you may have used the wrong word on Mrs. Harper's recommendation ... "I can throughly recommend Nick ... what stuck me about Nick ..." I think it should say "struck."

I think you need commas here - "I, Nick Mitchell, guarantee" ... don't know if it's necessarily correct English, I just like commas!

Should it say "congenital defect" rather than "congeuital defect"? (Or is this a new word?!)

I think the first photo on your profile looks a bit like one of those "wanted" posters!!

Well done

macmama73 · 30/05/2007 22:13

Looks great. I like the red, and the cartoon. You are advertising a childcare service, not a designer sofa shop. It looks friendly and is informative.

I would go for a professional photo as well, it looks more, well, professional! I am sure it would be money well spent.

Don't suppose you commute to Germany, do you?

Dottydot · 30/05/2007 22:19

Hi
Haven't read the whole thread, but here's a few thoughts.

The first paragraph under 'Meeting families first' is a bit wordy. I'd put "along with experience in pre-schools" etc. (gets rid of a "having" as you've just had one.

The second paragraph doesn't end right. You can't end with "as it" and then go into your list - the tenses are all wrong. Just end it with "and helps us all:"

I don't like the bold sentence "I Nick Mitchell guarantee to you the following". It's too clumsy and over the top. You don't need it as you've just mentioned the guarantee you're going to give.

Under the Brochure section, you need an apostrophe in "Nicks" at the top. Again, an apostrophe needed in "Nicks" in the Contact section.

I would have the photo of you in Contacts on your home page. To be really honest it all felt a bit impersonal and like you were trying to sell something (which I know you are!), but I relaxed when I saw your photo 'cos you look really approachable and nice!

The twin 3 year old boys quote seems to be used quite a lot on the site - I'd get a couple more quotes on there!

I found the site easy to navigate though!

bookwormmum · 30/05/2007 22:24

I think it's knowledgeable not knowledgable but other than that, it looks fine to me.