It's an excellent concept and your logo is great. A bit more work on the site could really improve life for your visitors and hopefully increase your sales.

1 I'd lose the frames. They're not really necessary and, in the resolution I use, they give a grey scroll bar that cuts the screen in two and spoils your design.

2 Try thinking hard about the navigation to make it more obvious. At the moment, visitors have to think where to go and some of them won't bother. Can you group the site into main sections - Gallery, info for buyers, info for sellers, about us. Then you can have further navigation within those sections.

3 Do you really need those spots. They don't really add anything and make it harder to read the text.

4 Try to make buying easier. Push taking credit card payments up your list of priorities. (Paypal is the cheapest way, Worldpay is more expensive) A shopping cart system may be outside your budget but a buy button beside each picture that takes people to an order form would be better than nothing.

5 Think hard about post and packing. Like many people, I wouldn't order without knowing how much this would cost. I know this is difficult with such a varied product range but can you at least give a guide price? (unframed prints, framed prints etc)

Good luck - this is well worth developing.

Hi, for the most part I agree with the suggestions so far. You definitely need an image on the homepage... you're selling art! If it's a case of not wanting to hightlight one artist over another, then get the picture to generate randomly!

On a curatorial level, you've got quite a variety of styles on the site, and this might be working against you. On one hand you have some very modern looking 'fine art', and on the other you have some very traditional illustration work. Both are fine, but you have a bit of an image problem. Your customers don't think you're very discerning... sorry if this is harsh...

Hi There
My first impressions - 1) The first page is impressive but leaves you wondering if its broken, you have to venture and click on the logo to proceed! I wonder why?
2) Its too wordy. You are an Art company, so I wanted to see pictures, lots of them, but I had to scan all the little phrases and page titles to find one with pictures, and when it opened wow!! If only I could have seen that first.
I speak from experience as an antique & fine art dealer. I set up my site copying ideas from some of the more 'up market' dealers sites, I also had loads of visitors & no sales.
I was lucky enough to get business bricks feedback, altered my site and now I'm getting orders.
Sumary - Cut the words & display the pictures - just as you would in a gallery. Also words to be more 'chatty'.
I hope all goes well.
www.antiqueswestmalling.co.uk

Hi Lucy

Great art but it takes too long to get to it. I'd make the View Art page your home page for a few days.. This seems like the most important one on the website but takes 3 clicks to get to.

I'd also create a drop down box that is visible through most of the site with names of the artists so that returning visitors can link to their fave artists quickly no matter where they are on the site.

I'd also put a "buy" link next to each picture that links to your Buy Art page. Your Buy Art page could be stronger with key info such as Payable To info and other required info (Number of Pieces, Name of Piece) given in bold or bullet points. You also need to be clearer on availability (unlimited? 10 pieces?).

Good luck
Rajhev
rajhev@greenfiremarketing.com