Please review my new travel site

rodrico101 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 01:08 PM

Hey Again,

I feel like I keep asking for help, but I ahve several sites that I run and am always trying to improve them.

Here is one of my newer sites that involves a new business service that we are offering travel groups. We travel with your group and document the entire trip via the web with both video and photo media. One site we did had over 800,000 hits in one weeks time.

This site basically explains what we do and how our services work.

I would like some opinions as far as site design and actual text content. Wondering if we explain things well enough for others to comprehend what we do.

Thanks for your time.

http://www.creativetravelsites.com

Rod

James · #2 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 05:58 PM

What a great idea. And your site looks good, too.

However, I think I would try to make one significant change on the home page.

I went to review at your request so I dug in a little. However, as you may know, unless people find something they are looking for in just a few seconds they often leave. And in your case you need to get right to the gist of your program.

Look at the content of your second paragraph:

"Imagine having your next trip documented, via the web, as the trip takes place on a daily basis, through text, audio, video, and photos."

This is really the first message you want people to get. People are not coming to your site to learn how proud you are of what you are doing as the first paragraph reads. You should be proud of your work but reading that will not hold many people long enough to get them to paragraph two.

I would start with this paragraph and perhaps think of some way to make it stand out by converting to a list or large print or something. Once hooked they will likely stay.

rodrico101 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 06:27 PM

James.....

Good point...I will take a look at that and probably make a change!!

Rod

bluefox · #4 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 05:21 AM

Great point James, when I read the first paragraph I was a little confused.

Excellent site, I don't know what else you want me to say.
I have had a very similar idea, you just never know if an idea like yours will take off.

I was going to pick on you for not using a Gallery plugin like Lightbox, but you have and the effect is very impressive.
Though I would have a few more scenic images rather than people for a more dramatic affect.

Honestly though it's really hard to pick on your site as it is pretty damn good!
Love the header, navigation and the light clean color scheme. I also like how there is no advertisements on your site.

Considering the type of site it is, I don't think Ads will help it in any way.

Others might disagree.

Congratulations on a beautiful, clean and interesting site and an original online business idea.

Well Done 9 out of 10!

rodrico101 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009, 11:17 AM

Bluefox,

Thanks for the kind words.
I figured if we are building a site promoting site building it better be clean and compliant. One reason I stuck with more people shots is that for our service we are highlighting what the kids (or group) is doing on the trip. I thought more people pictures would add to that effect.

I will adjust the homepage text for more of a pow effect. We have two trips lined up late this year and early next. Hopefully with some good empirical data from those ventures we will be able to show more income evidence for advertisers and groups to use our services.

We will sell ad space on the actual trip sites, not this homepage.

Thanks again for the comments,

Rod

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