Review : plantationmedia.com

**South** · 10-20-2003, 08:26 PM

We are about to completely redo this site. As it is it's been pieced together and is a total mess, dead links and all. I'd like to use the critical responses here to guide us as we take on the remake, so feel free tear it to shreads. The pickier you are the more helpful it will be to us back here at the drawing board.

http://www.plantationmedia.com

!!thorough...not mean

!!
Thanks

Digiteyes · 10-20-2003, 08:50 PM

I would start by getting rid of the orange and reducing the content under each heading to one sentence on your front page.

Your linking structure is inconsistent. Many of the links are dead.

Seems like you are using random graphics for the sake of using graphics. For instance: what does a butterfly have to do with a starter package, or baseball have to do with an advantage package, or the earth have to do with blackholes? Get my point? Try to establish a theme, or at least coherent messaging.

**South** · 10-20-2003, 09:09 PM

Yeah, the orange was a bad idea that looked good at 3am one morning

.

Most of the dead links are on the hosting page which is under a different URL (like I said, pieced together). You're right. Having different navigation even though we're trying to tie the two sites together as one isn't too bright. I'll try to standardize more.

Any suggestions on a color that might go better than the orange?

The images made sense to me because I had certain things in mind of how we would be marketing it on the street. Thanks for pointing out that they mean nothing to someone who can't read my mind

. I'll try to find some more applicable images.

"or at least coherent messaging." Please explain that better.

Good suggestions and exactly what I'm looking for,
Thanks!

Digiteyes · 10-20-2003, 09:26 PM

Probably some shade of blue. For the text (along with reducing it/moving much of it back pages), I would unbold it and make it black. Bold text is meant to highlight small parts of text not entire paragraphs. I'm sure you already know that, so I'm guessing that bolding the text was the only way you could make that crappy-ass orange color semi-readable. :wink:

All I meant by coherent messaging was that the text and graphics have something to do with each other.

If I were doing the design (now keep in mind I'm new at all this), I might try to capitalize on the plantation theme and try to use graphics that are both relevant to the text and somehow tie back to that theme ...don't ask me what those might be, just something I might try.

**South** · 10-20-2003, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digiteyes

If I were doing the design (now keep in mind I'm new at all this), I might try to capitalize on the plantation theme and try to use graphics that are both relevant to the text and somehow tie back to that theme ...don't ask me what those might be, just something I might try.

JuggoPop is working on a logo for me right now that will tie in with a mansion, magnolias, or some theme with a "plantation" flavor. Perhaps it would be a good idea to echo that feel in all of the graphics when possible.

Digiteyes · 10-20-2003, 09:33 PM

I would think so.

**LazyJim** · 10-21-2003, 03:35 AM

You links bar at the top (below the heading) has .: before each link, this looks weird to me because it there is no :. on the right, (although individual). More importantly, these are IMAGES and they are simulating TEXT, what a waste!

raciviusdawn · 10-21-2003, 07:06 AM

i wouldn't use the plantation bit at all...just because the site is named that doesn't mean you have to use a plantation theme...

Digiteyes · 10-21-2003, 07:29 AM

I would because it's already incorporated into the Plantation Media logo and therefore would be in keeping with the corportate identity.

raciviusdawn · 10-21-2003, 07:56 AM

well i'd change it...especially being from Georgia..but hey...that's just me..using a house is fine but if you explore things beyond that then i think it's a bad idea...

Digiteyes · 10-21-2003, 08:01 AM

RD,

Have you noticed Southnow's avatar? Southnow's name? Southnow's choice of domain names? I'd say there is a common theme. My guess would be he chose the Plantation name for a reason.

**South** · 10-21-2003, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raciviusdawn

well i'd change it...especially being from Georgia..but hey...that's just me..using a house is fine but if you explore things beyond that then i think it's a bad idea...

Explain

Digiteyes · 10-21-2003, 08:06 AM

Oh, I forgot southnow's signature...

raciviusdawn · 10-21-2003, 08:16 AM

well i know a few people from savannah and macon who'd just as soon forget about plantations ya know..but hey...don't mind me. i'm just thinking that from an overall picture you might want to limit the amount of content that some might find controversial or painful.

**South** · 10-21-2003, 08:59 AM

???just as soon forget about plantations????

: Plantations are current working farms right now all over Georgia and the whole South. My house is within 20 miles of the Wade and Millhaven plantations, employing between the two of them hundreds of people.

From the "painful" comment I'm assuming you're applying some racial context to it. The 6% (yes 6%, check it) of Southern landowners that owned slaves were no more racist than the northern slave ships that carried them here through northern ports. Sorry for the rant but I get so sick of you people assuming anything Southern=racist. I'll probably get booted from this forum for saying the above but that is SO frustrating.

I've lived in Georgia since birth. I don't know any racists, I don't associate with racists, I've never SEEN the KKK except on TV, and I don't equate Southern things with "pain", "hurt" or racism any more than any of my black, Native American, Mexican, Indian, or Asian friends that I live and work alongside every day. I don't know who your friends in Macon and Savannah are, but I live 45 minutes from Savannah and we dont do racism here anymore than New Jersey. It's a NATIONAL problem, not a Southern plague!

raciviusdawn · 10-21-2003, 09:29 AM

whoa Nellie..lol

I didn't mean to suggest that GA was filled with racism...God knows that I know it's a national problem...not something confined to just Georgia. But hey, I just thought I'd give a suggestion that's all..not saying that you had those intentions because I know you didn't. I just wanted to put a caution sign up so that you considered its ramifications that's all...no big deal..sorry about the confusion....let's drink martini's now

Digiteyes · 10-21-2003, 09:44 AM

While I tend to agree with you southnow, RD does have a point. We do live in an era of hypersensitivity and your place of business MAY not be the best place to have contoversial themes (whether or not the controversy is justified). However, if you are confident none of your target audience is sensitive to your theme then go for it. Just remember you may be eliminating those who are, as potential customers, right off the bat.

**South** · 10-21-2003, 09:47 AM

Sorry. That's a touchy thing with me. I didn't mean to go off like that.

As for the suggestion..

I know that some people for reasons that defy logic will tend to make false associations. I didn't worry about that too much since we're really not trying for national business. We do most all sales person to person and the website serves as support for that. Since we're dealing mostly with local, professional people, they connect very much with the theme.

Quote:

Originally Posted by raciviusdawn

sorry about the confusion....let's drink martini's now

I'll buy.