Websites - What do you want to see?

[TarrSteps]

I was just reminded by another post . . .

We were having a discussion about how websites are almost essential to any kind of horse business - specifically in this case for coaches/trainers/producers - now but range the gamut from super fancy with tons of information to basically a few lines on a page to what amount to pages on "social" sites. It was interesting to see what people thought was "enough" and what was "too much".

So what influences you? Are you put off by something simple or by something long and complicated?

Do you want to know a trainer's philosophies and attitudes?

What sort of photos do you want to see?

Are you influenced if a site does not list pricing?

Testimonials? Competition results?

Does a blog interest you or put you off because you'd worry about someone sharing information on the internet about your horse?

Just curious really. I know what I like and what puts me off but I was surprised at the differing views.

 

[Bikerchickone]

I always remember my dad telling me that if you have to ask the price you can't afford it!!! I still don't like to ask so would probably contact those who list their prices first! Also if the prices are reasonable then why try to hide them?

 

[Kate260881]

I would never be put off by too much information and I definitely like to see prices and pictures. However, the HUGE big no-no for me is messy pages. Have a nice clean simple title page with frames down the side for easy navigation. Then people can pick and choose what information they want to look at. It really annoys me when stuff is thrown in your face on the first page. If you've already clicked on it, you're clearly already interested.

Also, there has actually been a lot of research done into web design and the pages that people like the most are the really simple ones where everything is easy to find. So don't bother with fancy flash player animations etc, they are a waste of time. Get rid of the flashing lights and neon backgrounds. The good news is it means that just about anybody can produce a fantastic looking page on their home pc without spending a fortune on web designers and probably get more hits and success with it than a lot of fancy pages.

 

[Ziggy_]

Ditto all of what Kate said - I don't like testemonials personally as they usual sound like a load of b0ll0cks but I wouldn't mind a blog, with photos.

 

[Tia]

I prefer short and snappy to long winded and slightly boring.

Yes I like to read about philosophies and attitudes so long as it doesn't go on and on as then I think it becomes a bit tedious.

Varied ridden photos.

Yes most definitely - I expect to see prices, I'd imagine most Brits do - something I find bizarre over here that hardly anyone prints prices of whatever it is they are trying to sell.

I don't read testimonials, I always think if testimonials are needed then the person can't be that good, sorry just my way of thinking. Only major competition results would be of interest to me.

Not sure I would care for a blog; bit too public in my opinion and I believe customers should be given privacy and autonomy.

 

[seabiscuit]

I like a well designed, professional website, with easy links to the pages within the website. Good photos, good grammer, well articulated senteces/paragraphs.

Dont like realms and realms of waffly -trying-to-impress you stuff l

I don't like too much blurb, or too little. Short, sharp consice sentences. Would be v. interested to hear about philosophies behind their training. Again, not pages and pages of it.

I would like to see more pictures of the trainer riding, prefably videos of the trainer competing/schooling at home.

Also pictures/videos of the trainer's pupils working at home

Not particularly interested in long lists of achievements, just a brief overview of the best achievements. Long lists of achievements do not make a great trainer, hence why i'd rather see vdieos/pictures of the trainer and his/her pupils training at home, and a brief overview of pupils achievements.

Prices are a must, it really annoys me when I dont see prices !!

Would be interested in a blog, if the rider was able to write well.

Also one of the things that is so important- is regular updates on the website. So many sites are out of date which I do find off-putting.

 

[TarrSteps]

Interesting what you say about the blog, Tia. I've always been of the thought that clients are entitled to their privacy and I find it really off putting if a trainer goes into gory details about a horse's problems. What if somewhere down the line the owner wants to sell? Or even if the horse just gets sorted and doesn't need everyone to know every detail. I think people think it's cool to start with but then are sorry later. (Of course there's the other side, especially with "problem" horses - it's hard to promote your work without being able to say what horses you've worked with!) To those who like that sort of thing, would you be keen if it reported on your own horse/riding, especially if you didn't have input?

And testimonials only interest me if I know and respect the person doing the testifying. Though if Mark Todd or Hubertus Schmidt or Jan Tops likes your riding and is willing to say so in print, have at it.

One person suggested though, that these are exactly the sorts of things people are interested in reading but I still think they want to read it just to see what everyone's up to - gossip, as it were - not necessarily because they want to be paying customers. Their thought was rather of the thought that anything bringing traffic to the site would be of interest.

 

[Ziggy_]

With regard to the blog - I wouldn't mind me or my horse ending up in it, but I would like the option to choose not to be featured.

 

[Tia]

I think with the blog; talking about the training and how you accomplish certain aspects are absolutely fine - but the horses name and owner should be kept out of the public eye in my opinion. What I mean is, particularly with difficult horses, I don't see anything wrong in the slightest by giving accounts of the training/rehab etc given to the horse, but it should remain "the horse" and not have it's real name or the owners name published.

This is how I feel about it on HHO too - I am always very careful not to give away too many details of any particular horse so that it and the owner cannot be identified as I feel that these people should have privacy. If it's my own horses I am discussing then I have that authority. I think this is something whereby the owner should be consulted however; some owners may like this, so it's horses for courses. In a training capacity, I wouldn't have any great issues with a trainer publishing their accounts, however I would still ask for some form of anonymity.

 

[Donkeymad]

For me it must be easy to navigate, with the information I want easy to find. I like plenty of details without it becoming boring, and I like good photos. I dislike it when prices are not shown, I don't really like Blogs and I HATE music.

 

[Smash]

I don't want music. I don't want pointless splash page, animation or a tribute to your flash skills. It needs to be easily naviagted - REGULARLY UPDATED! - and not take an age to load. Prices and facts, not waxing lyrical about how it all came about and gosh aren't we all just marvellous.

No frames, no broken links, no sodding 'under construction' pages. If it has pop-ups, I'm gone. Ditto comedy cursors. Fixed width, I don't wish to be scrolling in all directions. Compatible with various browsers - I have no desire to install a new one for the sole reason of viewing your website. Memorable domain name please. Free 'build your own website by numbers' are the height of self-involved teenager stage.

Check grammar and spelling. And check it again. And get a few other people to check it for you.

It's likely to be the first imperssion of your business - don't shoot yourself in the foot before they've even picked up the phone.