Embracing Feedback and Taking Away the Guns
Ask and ye shall receive. I’m a big proponent of that saying, and I ask questions often and consistently. After all, if I never ask, I’ll never know or learn, right?
We recently handed out guns to our readers and asked for feedback on our design, theme and blog features. The comment section lit up, with everyone camped out and taking shots at our domain. It was great, and the feedback was extremely valuable.
There’s a lesson in that for everyone: Because you are a professional does not mean that you always get it right, especially with your own work. It’s very easy to think that something is clear or appealing, because your perception tells you exactly that. Seeing the world from other people’s perspectives can be a real eye opener.
Getting feedback is important for any online entrepreneur – keep sight of the forest while you work on the trees. We’re constantly adding, removing, pruning and grooming our acreage in line with our goals, both present and future. We change and adapt, we make decisions in accordance with our needs.
We’ve been back in the labs for some time now, already creating and tossing designs like madmen, having serious discussions and patting each other on the back. Change is on its way, but like a fine wine, these things take a great deal of care and time.
In the meantime, we thought you might like to read the suggestions that people made in our comment section. There are valuable lessons on how people perceive not just our site, but any site out there.
So after reading these comments, how does your own site measure up? Let us know what advice from here could apply to your blog or site.
Now. Put down the guns, step back slowly and keep your hands in the air…
Change your default WordPress search for a custom Google search (David Airey)
More lively color scheme, less gun imagery and shooting, move recent comments widget up on the page, as it’s an important factor to discussion, the home page is too cluttered. Main post doesn’t have enough space and there are too many photos. (Gary Fletcher)
Too much grey – functional but no fun. Prefer mug shots. (Karen Putz / DeafMom)
Don’t get rid of the gunslinging theme; too ingrained in what we do. The logo could use an update, the tagline isn’t clear, and the ripped paper should be more theme related. Like the RSS button. Main post doesn’t have enough space. Too many navigational choices. I like it once I’m off the home page. Excerpts on front page, feed, email: HATE THEM. (Kelly)
The design is too cluttered, the equal-sized columns don’t work well. Go clean and clear. (Jean Gogolin)
The RSS button rocks and the home page is appealing. Just the right amount of color and not too busy. (Tumblemoose)
Your main or current article should have more real estate. Two column would be cool. (Mark Dykeman)
Too much clutter. Move the middle column with the “best of” links below the left column. Moving the “best of” below your current post also seems a bit more logical. Frankly, it looks too much like a blog, and not enough like a place where you would get design and writing services. Have a banner that says something like “What We Do” or “How We Can Help You”. The tagline should change.
Also, be more straightforward in your links. Add pictures of yourselves! Add more white space. I would also consider removing the ads. I’m not a big fan of the black colours. At the very least, make it more glassy like your RSS feed icon so that it is less menacing. Keep the big RSS icon! (Graham Strong)
My attention is scattered in several different directions at once. So much to take in; too much in fact. A banner, two lines of tabs, three columns of information, boxes within columns. Must focus! (Urban Panther)
Highlighting more “key” posts would be nice. Maybe putting your best posts into categories. (Ryan)
Change your tagline or have a tagline for your services and a tagline for your blog. It seems the purpose of your home page is to push your blog articles and not the real stuff that keeps food on the table. Answer these questions: So what? Why here? Why you? Why now? I think you need a great static landing home page and then a secondary blog. The ads should reflect your services.
Have a disclaimer on your site. I do like the “Books We Recommend” section. Add a couple links like “Read what Harry had to say about this book” or “James or Charlie….” etc. You wrote such a great article about the Branding book. Link to it!
Put testimonials in the sidebar and make your About Us more prominent. Add a “Subscribe To Topic Without Commenting” option. I don’t see the point in Recent Comments. Have Harry create some unique and totally cool social media bookmarks to show off his graphics. The ones now are way too small and when they were big they were way out of focus. Add gravatars. Though I’d like to see pictures, I have to agree that the mystery idea does work well. (John Hoff – eVentureBiz)
I have to disagree about providing more business/ blog separation. MWP are Relationship Marketing in practice. The blog gives folks a relationship with people they’ll never see, makes them comfortable, and lets them sample the writing and design that the boys can dish out on a daily basis. I hate gravatars. I think a newbie-friendly homepage is critical, because you are as welcoming as humanly possible here in the comments. Make people feel they were invited right from the start. (Kelly)
The current color scheme fits and is part of the branding by now, as is the gunslinger theme. The post on the home page could use more real estate. Tagline and menu link clarification is good. I love that you keep the post pics in your middle column, but it does tend to clutter things when added to everything going on to the right. I’m not sure adding personal photos would be beneficial. There’s something to the mystique thing you’ve got going on. (Nicole Brunet)
Remove the needless clutter on the homepage, such as Recent Posts, Top All Time Posts, We Read It You Need It, and the dreadful paper scraps and push pin in the header. (KatFrench)
If you’ve just added Charlie to the team, perhaps the copyright line in your feeds should no longer read “Another rockin’ post from your favorite *duo*, the Men With Pens”. (Joseph Z.)
Ditch Revolution Magazine. I find it frustrating to navigate. Finding yesterday’s post (or any post besides today’s) on the front page takes too much time. I always have to dig through the archives or go back through my feed reader. I’ve always wondered about the shooting from the hip thing. I get what it means but I’ve wondered if people who don’t know you and your theme would take it the wrong way. (Amy Derby)
How about a photo for any newcomer? (Gary)
It seems like what you do is buried. I like the setup, as a blog, and of course I love all the content, but what you do is five tabs over, and that’s IT. Consider having the black navigation bar be just the “Guns for Hire” subnavigation stuff and maybe the ebook. You’ve got ads taking you everywhere but to what you guys do. I love the silvery-black thing you’ve got going on, and the guns thing is great. Perfect. Love the brand. (Spyscribbler)
The home page is way too cluttered, and I find it difficult to concentrate on the article. The navigation is difficult to understand, and if I’m looking for something, it’s always hard to find. Have a better portfolio that samples everything you do. Also, it’s difficult to find your portfolio – you mixed it with “Our Clients” which could be confusing. I rather dislike the Revolution Magazine theme. Recent Comments never really appealed to me. I second the subscription without needing to comment. Mention your newest pen man somewhere! (Allison Day)
Cluttered is often about clear visual prioritization. Drop some lower-priority sections. I think much of the other Rev Mag-related criticism relate to unclear prioritization of content. I like “Guns for Hire” but I feel like it ought to be the first nav item you see. (KatFrench)
Three columns is too busy. I would like to see something more simple and easy to read. I like the RSS button because it’s different and fits here. (Jamie)
Try CrazyEgg.com to see where readers are actually going on the site. (Mike)
I’m not a huge fan of the front page either. When I was new to this site, I didn’t know how to navigate it. I like the RSS button. (RL David)
I think the giant RSS button is a bit obnoxious. The ads are a bit much, too — and some were really unclear as to what the product was — but that’s not your concern/domain. (Kristen)
The number one issue I see here is an identity crisis. It’s not that you don’t know who you are, it’s that we don’t know who you really are. The title tag says ‘Copywriting and Web Design’ but the banner says, ‘Shooting from the hip’ which says nothing substantive and ‘Web Business Tips for Writers, Freelancers, and Online Entrepreneurs’ which isn’t really text at all, since it’s in an image. Will the real tagline please stand up? What’s the unique value proposition, here? I don’t see it.
Change the font to Verdana. I like to see more than just one font in a design: one for headlines, one for body text. Good work on the logo, but it needs to be better. I’d rather see a “pen is mightier than the sword” concept with earthier colors instead of all the black and red.
I can’t tell what you offer on the home page. The business and services pages are too difficult to navigate, and they need a more unified front. A listing of services does not convey benefit. The clients page is a bit of a mess. I want screenshots, descriptions of the goals and deliverables. I want testimonials. I want to see how you work with clients and hear from clients in their own words why I should hire you. (Michael Martine – Remarkablogger)
Too much clutter on the front page. Two columns would make me happier. I’m okay with the gun imagery. You remind me of Men in Black with their fun-guns. The other thing that I have issue with is your archives. I hate having to scroll through the whole archive testing out titles. Could you add a date-related archive list? (Alex Fayle – Someday Syndrome)
A huge thank you goes to everyone who participated and dropped a comment. Oh, and that new design we have up our sleeve? Soon, my pretties, soon. Stay tuned.
26 Responses to “Embracing Feedback and Taking Away the Guns”
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My own site? (backing sheepishly into the trees with hands in the air) …Aawww, let’s not talk about that too much… OK?
(turns and runs to pull down the shutters on his cabin before anybody sees the mess in there…)
Gary Fletcher – Write Scribes last blog post..Are You Tired Of Forgetting Ideas?
My own site? Gulp! (in true Archie Comics style)
I like the switch to 2 column, by the way.
And you guys are mensches (?) for eliciting feedback in this way.
Mark Dykemans last blog post..I’m a contributor at Mashable.com
Oh, scratch that last. I forgot that your single article view was two column, I see the home page is the same. But, as I said before, two column would be nifty.
Mark Dykemans last blog post..I’m a contributor at Mashable.com
James, Harry,
Glad to be of service.
So now that you gave me a little link love I have to stop shooting? I kinda liked the feeling of power, whoo-hoo.
Okay, all done. Well, for now anyway. I’m not turning it in.
Regards,
Kelly
Kellys last blog post..Inspiration Points: Cheers to Failure
So, does this mean my wish comes true– that I get to see what goes with those awesome biceps?
Hey come on, guys – everyone’s happy to bullet-hole our site but won’t even admit ONE fault on theirs? Weenies. All four of you. Weenies.
@ Karen – If wishes were nickels, we’d all be rich ; We’ve taken it into consideration, though!
@ Kelly – I will not be held responsible for any action you take hereon out.
Oh, yeah sorry. I’m flawless. To a fault.
I also can’t figure out the effing 2.6 upgrade. There. Is that a flaw? (Why does it have to be harder than the original install?)
P.S. Upgrade Comment Luv. (I’m sure that’s part of your master plan.) Your site hasn’t gotten me right for over a month, and frequently gets nothing at all. If you were reading the comments last weekend at MCE, I had Andy Bailey stop in to explain what causes it to be a pain in the butt on some sites. If I ever get WP 2.6 in, I get to help my readers out with that.
Kellys last blog post..Inspiration Points: Cheers to Failure
@ Kelly – Yeah, we’ve been busy with other things that take priority and have the upgrading stuff on our list. These things take TIME, woman!
Weeny? Hmm, my site has so many holes even Harry’s bullets would go right through without touching anything.
Oh darn, now you guys have got me off with this gun thing…
Oh, one other thing. My site might be cheap, but I added a tagline in the theme and a feed subscription last night. Anybody tired of hanging out in these woods besieging The Men is welcome to come in for a tea.
Just leave your weapons outside, please. We don’t want any accidents now, do we
@ Gary – Yes! Take them! Yes! They LOVE tea!
@Kelly: I spent a half hour the other day upgrading at least a dozen plugins each on two blogs. No sooner had I finished that than an hour later, three of those plugins released MORE upgrades. So, I did those, again.
Two days later, more new versions on more of the same. And WP is just as bad. Their latest upgrade is to 2.6.1 (or 2.6.2, I can’t remember off hand) and they’re saying it’s not all that important. So why release it? 2.7 is rumored to be lurking right around the corner.
Ahhh, don’t get me started about upgrades….that’s a rant for another post.
Bird song sounded for the first time in three days. James nudged open a shutter and peeked out as a ray of sunlight melted the tense atmosphere that had shrouded the Men’s neck of the woods these past three days.
Life as number two writing blog sure could be a handful sometimes, thought James. But they’d held them back this time. For today, at least, they had a little breathing space.
“Harry? Yeah, they’re gone. Now, those biceps…”
The Write Scribe’s stove whistled faintly beneath the pot of simmering water. Weapons piled up at the side of the old wood shed, and the sound of conversation surged here and there. “Come in, come in. I’ve got a little haiku poem for you today…”
Wow – that’s a lot of feedback. I hope you’re not going to change too much – I like your design.
I don’t think you push your ebook enough. You should have in the sidebar instead of all those other books.
Or why not put it in the footer of some of your posts like Liz Strauss does, saying if you liked this post – try the book, or something like that.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..The Worst Websites Can Make Money
That’s some great feedback there. While reading this post I was left with 3 impressions:
1. There’s an overriding theme that the MwP site is a little confusing
2. Everyone’s different and you can’t please everyone.
3. Even though a lot of suggestions were thrown out there, you’re obviously doing something right – even with the confusion out there people keep coming back. As I’m sure you’ll do, make sure you don’t lose that “success” part of this site in your next. People always say you learn from your failures, and I agree, but you also learn from your successes.
As for my site, I rather like what I’ve got and think it holds up well to many of the comments on here, but I of course nothing is perfect.
Something Gary Fletcher said about a more lively color scheme which I really liked. I’ve been trying to keep mine lively and have been thinking of ways to add a little more color in my sidebar, maybe for the titles.
Also, I have to watch out for the “confusing my visitors” aspect as well. I offer 3 services in addition to running a blog and forum. As a result, I’ve streamlined my site some. The challenge is to show the benefit of my company in a short concise way which will get them to click over to the appropriate services page while not getting confused and having to read too much text.
I’m always working on the focus and reading these comments has reinforced in me how people cry for direction (and at times leadership).
I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with. I wish you the best of luck and not that you need my help, but if you ever do I’m here.
John Hoff – eVentureBizs last blog post..The Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing and Does It Teach Us Bad Habits As Entrepreneurs?
Wow. Putting all those comments up there must have been a lot of work.
Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with. Really, you could write on a blank page of white and I would still read it. So I hope I didn’t sound too critical. My own blog is certainly in a constant state of identity crisis, so I’m no one to throw stones.
Actually, something Michael (Remarkablogger) said to you guys made me rethink my own banner and tweak it a bit. Now if only tweaks were so easy for the rest of the identity crisis I’m going through. LOL Oh well, one thing is better than nothing.
Amy Derbys last blog post..Punk Up Your Marketing
The worse thing about my bog is its location. Very hard for people to come and go freely on the comments because of all the gymnastics they have to go through just to say hi.
And John- I think the color on your site looks good as is. You want just enough to unify without being monotonous. And not so much that your main message becomes confused.
Gary- I tried to go to your site but couldn’t get there. Will try again.
Janice Cartiers last blog post..Feeling Sa-weet
Blog.That would be blog…
Janice Cartiers last blog post..Feeling Sa-weet
@ Janice – thanks, Janice. I’ll keep that in mind. I do have a tendency to toy with things even when they don’t really need much toying
John Hoff – eVentureBizs last blog post..The Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing and Does It Teach Us Bad Habits As Entrepreneurs?
Sorry all – off topic…
Hey James, thanks for dropping by Rebel Zen – I just saw your comment now.
Blogging royalty visits and I miss it!
Yes I have meant to do something about making the comments less of a pain to find. Will do.
And wouldn’t the world be a sweeter place if everybody was prepared to engage in civilised discussion about beliefs instead of going all funda-mental on us?
Seamus Anthonys last blog post..Snoozer and the Old Dude
@ Seamus – There’s no such thing as off topic around here. Feel free to discuss beer, the latest fashions, snow and hurricanes or how so and so pissed you off today. It’s all good. We welcome it.
And I’ve got that little quote tucked away. I mean to write about it. I’m all for open discussion and yes, the world would be a sweeter place if we could all do that.
Of course, it would be even sweeter if everyone agreed with me, but that’s a subject for another day.
@James Oh, for a perfect world where James and Harry ruled with fists of ink and pens of steel. (and yes Kelly, I said PENS of steel, not buns!
This is so exciting! Since my blog is constantly under construction, I welcome any criticism. Change is good! I’m off to rewrite my homepage content, tear apart a few walls, and paint some ducks on the ceiling!
Jamies last blog post..Pick the Brains of Top Bloggers!
Jamie, dear Jamie,
I like my buns of cinnamon.
Regards,
Kelly
P.S. Fists of ink and pens of steel is lovely. Couldn’t have waxed more poetic myself. ‘Specially not with the munchies, as I have now.
Ya think Cinnabon is open this late? Nom, nom…
Oh, right, I was suppose to read that list for stuff to change on my own blog. Hmmm. Will have to reread this when I’m more awake.
@Gary…your site is not loading, sir. I’ll check later.
@Harry and James: You are good sports and wise businessmen. You are also kick arse writers (and have great biceps). Just saying…
Oh man, do I _have_ to look at my own site? I wouldn’t need a gun to tear it apart–it’s already in shambles. I’m still trying to figure out how my new site works @.@