Wheelreplicas.com Redesign - Prize: $150

[Jeffo]

OK, (Admin code added by Palmer - R7914326)

I have built my site and have had it running for a couple years now, but have grown to the point where I just do not have the time to keep up.

My market revolves around Original Equipment Replica wheels for cars like Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs and Ford Lightning trucks. In addition we do have some wheels for BMW's and 20 inch and larger wheels for SUV's and trucks.

My competitors sites:
www.afswheels.com
www.oeconcepts.com
www.performancewheeloutlet.com
www.factoryreproductions.com

What I would like to retain about my site:
1) I like the concept of having a drop down list as an alternate for easy navigation, and the robots tend to pick up keywords from this.
2) I would like to divide the wheels into segments (Camaro wheels, Mustang Wheels, Corvette Wheels, Truck Wheels/Lightning wheels). Check out www.wheelreplicas.com/index2.htm -this was my latest one I was working on.
3) I would like for the page to load fairly fast (or around the speed it does now).

If I like it I may also have the person do some templetes. You can see mine rotate at ffcobra.com and fbody.com.

I keep alot of images in www.wheelreplicas.com/images/ and can email the images to whoever needs them to work with.

I would like to have this done within about 10 days.

Also, if I like the template, I may have other sites to work on. I like to do these pages myself, but my time is limited, and I have been impressed by most the work I have seen here.

Last, I would like to be able to open the template using frontpage.

Jeff
281-748-6053 if you need to talk on the phone

[Jeffo]

sorry, it is now $150 for the template not $140.
Jeff

[Palmer]

Thanks for the contest Jeff, I edited your post to reflect the proper prize amount. This sounds like a fun one. If anyone has any questions they'll ask here and you be notified by email that there has been a reply to your post.

Welcome to Design Outpost, feel free to send me an email or private message (p.m.) during your contest if you have any questions or need any help.

Good luck! :)
Palmer

ps-A note to the Design Team...
-Here's a link to the old site http://www.wheelreplicas.com
-The deadline is in 10 days

[Marina]

I'm interested. :) Could you please email me the car images used at http://www.wheelreplicas.com/index2.htm. My email address is imdesigns@hotmail.com.

[Palmer]

Alternatively Jeff, you can zip the files and upload the zip file to your post and everyone can download it. Whatever works best for you.

Palmer

[Jeffo]

some of the cars

[Palmer]

Jeff, somthing didn't go right. :)

Palmer

[Jeffo]

ok,
there are alot of images in here, when you go to the link it will ask you to save as:

www.eaglewheels.com/wheelimages.zip (http://www.eaglewheels.com/wheelimages.zip) (6.78mb)
www.eaglewheels.com/carimages1.zip (http://www.eaglewheels.com/carimages1.zip) (361kb)
www.eaglewheels.com/carimages2.zip (http://www.eaglewheels.com/carimages2.zip) (1.37mb)

[Percept]

edit: attachement removed , see later post for the template.

[Jeffo]

Percept,
Hi,
I am also not a huge fan of frames. One reason is that when the robots go through and find key search words, like in the drop down list, they are not in the frames page, rather an nested page. I know they will find it with meta=follows, but I rather keep non frames as I am at the top of most search engines right now.

Also, I want to kind of point out my main catagories:
Mustang wheels
Camaro Wheels
Corvette Wheels
Truck/Lightning wheels

and no need to post the ebay link, but I like the little phone icon idea - very clean!

[Percept]

edit: attachement removed , see later post for the template.

[Percept]

edit: attachement removed , see later post for the template.

[Palmer]

Ok Percept, that's enough updates you're going to make us run out of disk space. :P

Seriously though, if you can upload them to your own server and use the IMG button when you post that would be much appreciated. :)

Palmer

[Percept]

The template is on my own webspace now, all comments still welcome.

Index-page

http://percept.be/designoutpost/wheelreplicas/wheelreplicas3.jpg

Info-page

http://percept.be/designoutpost/wheelreplicas/wheelreplicas2.jpg

[Jeffo]

Looking better, can you do it in blue perhaps, or add a little color to it? I am going to let one of my partners look at it also.

[Percept]

Jeffo, in case you think the design is to simplistique or anything don't hasitate to say it.
It's just that I think a website should be as usuable as possible and I think a design like this is pretty effective for this.
very fast loading if you use css and easy to navigate.



lightblue version:

http://percept.be/designoutpost/wheelreplicas/wheelreplicas4.jpg

Darkblue version:

http://percept.be/designoutpost/wheelreplicas/wheelreplicas5.jpg

Darkblue version with a little xtra color:

http://percept.be/designoutpost/wheelreplicas/wheelreplicas6.jpg

[Palmer]

Hello Jeff, here is my entry in the contest. Comments will be appreciated. Hope you like it :)

Palmer

<img src='http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/wr/1.png[/img]

[Jeffo]

Palmer,
Looks good. Can you make it to where the selection list on the left is easier to see? Kinda hard to see on the About Us, FAQ's and shipping. Also, not sure if it is my brightness, but on a different computer I was on in the warehouse I could see the car in the heading better - could you make it show up better and the embossed one on the bottom. Last is there a way to make the phone number a little easier to see? Sorry about all the comments, I really do like it!! (also, if it is easy to change can you do it in blue - although the I showed the wife and she likes your colors)

[Percept]

Hi Jeffo , about my design ( and variations ) I can allways add images to it ( wich will increase loading time wich isn't good for a commercial website IMHO ) .
I could also just design something completly else if you think this isn't in the direction you are looking.

It's your choice :)

Greetings.

[Jeffo]

Percept,
I do like yours also. Strong points are the clean look and I like the way the list is presented on the left. The phone is very clear which is good. The one thing that I see is it is kinda plain - which I understand load time is effected by the graphics.
I also like the feature Palmer has in his with the embossed cars in the top and at the bottom, it adds some flare to it. I am definitely going to have to have my employees also look at these.

[Percept]

Allright , thanks for the comments.
I'll see if I can spice it up a bit then :)

[Palmer]

Thanks for the comments Jeff, no apologies needed. I'll work on an update and post it in the next few days.

I'll save both copies separately so you can go with either color choice in the end if you choose mine. Just as a side note on page load. Since the browser put's the images in it's cache, all new pages after the first page loads will be very quick. In addition, I hand code all my pages which makes them load quicker as well. If your bored you can click on the "Home" link at the top of the forum and then click on any of the other link from the home page (except the forums link) to see what I mean.

Palmer

[Jeffo]

I look forward to them!!
Jeff

[Liz]

Hi Jeff,

I have an entry I'll be posting as soon as my web site decides to work again (man, I must have the worst luck with web hosts).

Just wanted to throw a heads up out there.

[Doni]

http://aaaflash.com/wheelreplicas.jpg

heres something i have started on let me know if im headed down the right track

Doni

[Palmer]

Originally posted by Doni@Jan 31 2003, 11:58 PM
heres something i have started on let me know if im headed down the right track

Doni
No pun intended :P

Palmer

[Jeffo]

Doni,
I like your design and layout, very clean. Couple of things:
Could you put a Mustang on the top right instead of a Corvette?
The wheel on the left, could you make it our Cobra R Wheel, Bullit Wheel or Cobra R Wheel?
The font on the left, is there one you have that might be a little easier to read?
Last, could you make the Wheel Replicas at the top left a little bigger?

-also are you using frames - I would like to avoid frames.
thanks,
Jeff

- I will post a mustang picture very soon.

[Jeffo]

found this pic on a car dealers website
www.eaglewheels.com/images/MUSTANG8.jpg

-most Car dealers have pretty good pics from the automakers

[Jeffo]

Doni,
Actually maybe the car in the middle should be the mustang, the one on the far right looks pretty good - you might want to play with it see what looks best.
jeff

[Palmer]

Hello Jeff, I've modified the design to reflect the changes you requested. The effect on the left with some of the background showing through the button is done with css. The opacity changes to normal on mouseover. Most modern browsers will support it while older browsers will just have the buttons at normal opacity like the one that has the hand pointer over it.

As requested I changed the color to blue, it can be a combination of blue and tan if needed or perhaps a lighter blue if that is what's wanted. Those changes can be done after the contest if this design is chosen or now if it will better my chances :D

Hope you like it... :)

<img src='http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/wr/2.png[/img]

[Jeffo]

Palmer,
I do like the blue, but like you said, maybe a mix of some lighter blue or tan. I can not see the selection on the left that good or if there is anything in the heading (it looks like there is something under the Wheel Replicas). But pretty cool layout. Can't wait to get this done, if business keeps up we should be over 1,000,000 hits per month like my other site.

jeff

[Palmer]

Ok, we'll just leave it alone for now and make any changes if you choose it as the winning design. I'll make any modifications while it's in graphic form, then when you approve, I'll convert it to html. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

[Jeffo]

Does it say something in the header or have pics embeded - kinda wanna see what is there if if is not too hard.
Jeff

[Palmer]

What I have in the header is...

-a rim in the top left
-log WheelReplicas.com
-(under WR.com) Low prices without sacrificing quality
-A crescent shape
-A corvette

Not quite sure what you can't see, do you have the brightness settings on your monitor turned down? Sure I can make it stand out more, what particular part isn't showing up very well?

[Jeffo]

I can not see any wording below the W.R. and the other images are kinda faint, I checked it on 3 different computers, all have monitors under 1 year old. I do see the Corvette, but the wording only like the last 2-3 letters. I will crank up the brightness to see if it makes a difference.

[Palmer]

That's ok Jeff, you shouldn't have to change your settings to see my design. I'll make the header stand out a little more. Maybe my monitor is too bright :)

[beetle]

Well, seeing how my posting is late and something else now needs my attention, I'll post my unfinished comp. Note that the black border around the picture is just so you can see the edges easier, and not part of the design. This would be intended to fill the page. If you like the direction this is going, I'll finish it up :D

<img src='http://www.peterbailey.net/clients/do/wheelreplicas/template/interface.jpg[/img]

[Jeffo]

Beetle, looks good, I would love to see the rest of it.

This is going to be tough at the end.

Jeff

[Palmer]

Brightened up the header and the images behind the menu on the left. Do they show up better now?

http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/templates/wr/3.png

[Marina]

I'll submit my entry tonight.

[Marina]

Ok, here it is.

http://www.imdesigns.net/site.jpg

[Doni]

http://xplicitart.com/wheelreplicas.jpg

Heres update V2

Doni

[Liz]

Hi, here's my entry:

http://clients.snapfire.com/wheels.gif

Thanks for your consideration...

- Liz.

[Dan]

Jeffo, How about this -

Let me know if this is what you like so I can do some more work on it.

[motiveX]

I might jump in on this one for my first entry...

Gotta find the time though.

:(

[motiveX]

My Comp. (http://www.placidminds.com/replica/replica-comp.html)

Just threw this together, in the time I signed up for this thing and probably won't have time again until Tue or Wed to make adjustments.

Hope if this doesn't help you, it will help others perhaps with ideas.

Who knows...

*cheers*

[Palmer]

Is it sacraficing or sacrificing? I think Jeff has it misspelled on his site and Sean, you copied the misspelling. Probably around 3am :) Nice work though, very clean.

[beetle]

Hey xteriormotive

Just wanted to say I like the design, but (with all due respect) I don't think the Ferarri image is appropriate. Anybody with a 360 Modena Spider ain't gonna be buying replica wheels. It's a beatiful image as I've seen it before, but I don't think it would do much for the site's demographic, that's all.

Just trying to be helpful by offering my 2 cents. :D

[Jeffo]

Wow,
its almost overwhelming trying to critique and choose the best. I have go together with a couple of my employees and here is what we have so far on each (no order of ranking):
xteriormotive -- catchy look, but we have no Ferarri wheels, mainly Mustang, Corvette, and Camaro wheels (in that order) - but very nice and clean.
beetle -- clean start, would like to see the rest
Palmer -- like the design but if we go with it probably go with a non neon color scheme.
Marina -- Nice look, the listing on the left does not blend in with the border though (is it suppose to?)
Doni - Like the design, mostly the top and the way the drop down blends in. For some reason the font looks kinda odd (VAG rounded may look better) - but really like the top and the wheel replicas going down the side.
Rabbitdog -- clean looking - where the cars going to be in color?
Dan -- Nice design, a little plain, but nice
Percept - Easy to read listing and navigation, a little plain but like the listing

Overall I like all the entrants!! Remeber I try to avoid frames if at all possible. Also Sacrificing is misspelled on the home page. I am going out of town on business until Fri - so I will make my decision when I get back late Fri or early Sat.
Jeff

[Percept]

Thanks for the comments Jeffo , I was kinda scared I wouldn't have time to adjust my entry cause I was having exams ( last one tommorow ) but since you wil decide on friday , I'll try to make a few changes to the template.

[motiveX]

I will swap out the image with something more 'fitting' to what you want later tonight...but right now I am listening to a professor go on and on about Advanced Visual Basic

:huh: :P

EDIT :: I don't have the time to go through and change out that image...I would have to find an image of a car that would fit your category as well as finding Hi-Res copies of those images (not overoptimized JPEGS)....don't have that kind of time.

Sorry.



:blush:

[Liz]

Originally posted by Jeffo@Feb 3 2003, 02:42 PM
Rabbitdog -- clean looking - where the cars going to be in color?
I originally had them in color, tried it with different colors and a single color, but then the whole page started too look too busy with all the colors. I could certainly provide color versions of them if that is what you would prefer.

- Liz.

[Marina]

Originally posted by Jeffo@Feb 3 2003, 02:42 PM
Marina -- Nice look, the listing on the left does not blend in with the border though (is it suppose to?)

The listing can be moved to the left if you like. I just wanted it to stand out a little...

[beetle]

I will not have the time to complete my design by this Friday. I will have time over the weekend. If you like, I will finish it then, otherwise I am perfectly understanding if you don't give my entry serious consideration B)

[Jeffo]

I think we are going to go with Donni's template. Thank you all for the designs. We will most likely run another contest in a month or two for our other site.
Jeff

[Doni]

If you can email me with the final revisions so that i can get this coded up for you i know you are wanting to change the font

Doni

[Percept]

Congrats Doni :)

[Mike]

Gongrats Doni :) The prize money will be sent to you via PayPal within the next 2 days.

[Palmer]

Yes, congratulation Doni, that was a very nice and clean design. I'll fire off the prize money later to day. Good thing mine didn't win, I have another client that liked it and wants it for his site :) Couldn't of used it if it won.

Thanks Jeff for running your contest so well, keep us in mind for any other sites you need redesigned.

Good luck with WheelReplicas.com,
Palmer

[Doni]

thanks everyone :)

Doni

[Palmer]

Doni, I'm thinking you should take off the link to the psd file and the html template. You wouldn't want anyone ripping them off. For any future wins, you can just email the contest holder or pm them to send the files.

[Doni]

can just delete the post :)

[Palmer]

Originally posted by Doni@Feb 10 2003, 06:06 PM
can just delete the post :)
Done ;)