New vBulletin Community!

[vBTotal]

I know its "kinda early" to be getting comments etc on it, but I think I can get some positive/negative feedback on it, and it should help me out! Check out the site below, I did a lot of custom templates etc, with the portfolio,testimonials and all, quite simple. Check the link out below.

Website Here (http://www.vbcore.com)

I know it is still the default style, but soon expect our fully custom one :smoke:

[amykhar]

My only comment at this point is that I hesitate to do business with a businessperson with unprofessional grammar in the sales copy.

For example:
vBCore is in the process of designing about 3 new styles that will be for sell.

Little things like that can do a freelancer in. You'll need to really proofread your stuff or have one of your mods or admins help you if writing isn't your strength.

[SupraT]

For being designers, which I think you are, your site does nothing for you. It is a basic install with nothing special. IMO, if you are designers, your first project should be your own site. That is your best advertising and says something about you, the company and the quality of your work.

I also agree with amykhar

[vBTotal]

Getting our own design up isnt as much as a priority as our customers are. We put our customers first, and it will always be like that. We will let our portfolio do all the talking.

[AN-net]

well no one will look at your portfolio is your site's design doesn't scream "professional web design"

also your flash header does not touch the main table;)

[vBTotal]

well no one will look at your portfolio is your site's design doesn't scream "professional web design"
I see where you guys are coming from, but when you have large companies like ExtremePixels, and others asking you to take on their custom jobs, and make commercial styles for them, its a bit difficult to find time to do your own website :), but as I said, our custom style will be released shortly

[SupraT]

If I was shopping for a vB designer and came across your site, it would not encourage me to look further. Don't take offense as you asked for input. :)

[vBTotal]

So your one of those people who judge a book by its cover ;)
You can take a look at some of our latest projects-

www.gamerzplanet.net
www.webmaster-forums101.com :)

[AN-net]

i agree you and your team of designers are gifted but the hard fact is that the world judges everything from what they first see, sad but true...

[vBTotal]

I understand :)

[Polo]

I like your logo it the site is vbulletin related, I say leave that style :) people will familiarize your site with vbulletin... just my 2cents ...

[KW802]

Some quick thoughts....

- Based upon the main page I would not have normally browsed further. The mislabled links in the "Products" box, the 'nasty-gram' warning that is shown when clicking on the links in the products box, the mostly stock VB3 style, and the mislabeled navbar (eg: "Navigation" is a link to the customer page) doesn't strike me as a site that does vb skinning. But, you said you're still working on it so I'm giving the benefit of the doubt. I figured I'd poke around anyway....

- On the portfolio page it'd be better if the thumbnails opened up the demo site and not return back to the vbcore.com site; intution is that if I see a picture of a demo then by clicking on that picture I'd be taken to the demo.

- There are some nice looking graphics but the wording needs to be polished. For example, "Ben is one hell of a customer" doesn't tell me anything about VBCore.com or what it can do for me nor does it tell me what kind of work you did for that customer, it just tells me that somebody likes a guy named Ben. Oh, and most people won't care that "Jarek is so dang picky" -- Those types of comments are best suited for a private staff area, not for the public. Remember, you're trying to sell your services & products, not those of your customers!

- For the demo sites that are not yet opened then at least being able to view a larger graphic, perhaps the homepage mockup, would be good to see instead of just the small thumbnail.

- I would drop the "Forum Showcase" forum. Unless vBCore.com designed those sites you don't people using your own forums to show off sites that were done by possible competition!

[vBTotal]

Thanks KW802 ;)

[Dean C]

I think the previous posts in the thread pretty much sum it up. People always judge a book by its cover, and your cover is a plain, stock one ;) If you have all these large contracts with people then concentrate on them and not your site. The best marketing tool you have available is your customers, not your website. At the moment your site is incomplete, stock and doesn't showcase the skills you possess. Therefore your site is not acting as a good marketing tool as you would have hoped.

This is just my opinion, but I'd close the site down. Build up some kind of splash and temporary portfolio page and concentrate on expanding your portfolio. Then when you do get the time to build your site, spend time planning it through instead of launching an incomplete and unappealing site :)

Hopefully you'll take my criticism as constructive and best of luck with your business venture. Hopefully it won't go down the pan as so many vB-orientated design companies do these days ;)

Cheers,
- Dean

[bubbadog]

I would say that your first priority needs to be getting your site in order. I realize that you are busy doing work for others, but the stock look does not act as a good advertisement for your company. In much the same way that you wouldn't eat in a dirty restaurant, so too most people won't take the time to look at your products if the first thing they see is a stock look.

The other thing you really need to work on is the grammar on your site. Frankly, it's atrocious. I would not use a company that presented such an image. Right or wrong (and I am making no judgements here) it creates the impression that the potential customer would be dealing with a group of kids rather than serious design professionals. Comments like "The customer failed to pay and vBCore took down their website" only reinforce that image. No one needs to know that; it's between you and the customer. A simple "This design is available" would be more than sufficient.

I have to agree with Dean; if you don't have the time to fix your site, you might want to think about taking it down until such time as you do.

[SVTBlackLight01]

This is just my opinion, but I'd close the site down. Build up some kind of splash and temporary portfolio page and concentrate on expanding your portfolio. Then when you do get the time to build your site, spend time planning it through instead of launching an incomplete and unappealing site :)
I was thinking the exact same thing as I was looking at the site and reading through this thread. In it's present state, the site will probably turn away more potential customers than anything.

[yinyang]

1. so i'm confused. are we supposed to be judging your site or your portfolio? cause you seem to be taking offense to our comments on your site and then you rebuttal by telling us to look at your portfolio.

2. your logo background doesn't match the page background, unless this is on purpose.

3. your navigation box doesn't line up with the inner table. kind of sloppy.

4. i hope you don't take offense because i know how difficult it is to do work, but if your purpose is to use your site as offering services as a web designer, then i think you can leave it. but if it is to be a vbulletin specialist, then you definitely need a unique template.

[Polo]

2. your logo background doesn't match the page background, unless this is on purpose.

3. your navigation box doesn't line up with the inner table. kind of sloppy..
are you using aol or something? that might be the reason.... I can view it perfectly fine in firefox and explorer :)

[vBTotal]

3. your navigation box doesn't line up with the inner table. kind of sloppy.

wow, thanks for letting me know that, last night i was messing around with it, and it looked fine in Firefox, but in IE its all messed up, *goes and fixes it*

[yinyang]

are you using aol or something? that might be the reason.... I can view it perfectly fine in firefox and explorer :)

no, i'm using IE. and i'm on a viewsonic LCD. it's only a slight discoloration. no biggie, but noticeable.

[vBTotal]

I can't tell either, and i have looked on both IE and Firefox, can you post a screenshot? :)

[yinyang]

1) the first attachment should be vbcore.gif. when saved as a gif, the body background color is #E7E7E7 and the logo background is #DEDEE7.

2) the second attachment should be vbcore.jpg. when saved as a jpeg, the body background color is #E7E3E7 and the logo background is #DEDFE7.

[Tony G]

I like your banner. That's about all I can comment on, really. Not much else is worth commenting on, sorry. *shrugs*