Travel Writers Exchange Forum Home

1. 

   Trisha Miller
   Administrator

   Thanks to Bryan Cassidy of Tourfolio.com for volunteering to go first!

   This is my initial thoughts after spending some time at his site - this is not intended to be comprehensive, just some first impressions to GET THE CONVERSATION FLOWING, and I may jump back in with more comments later.

   Any forum member is free to add their own comments after spending some time at TourFolio.com - and you're also free to agree or disagree with me (or anyone), but please be specific with your reasons if you disagree - thanks!

   So, in my humble opinion......

   What Works:

   1. I like the clean layout and simple design - the colors are easy on the eyes, the font is readable, and there is not much to distract from the content;

   2. I like the photo at the top of the topmost post - large enough to be noticeable without being overwhelming;

   3. The navigation below the logo is clear and easy to understand what you'll get if you click on any of the links;

   4. Good clear use of social media networking connections - both in the upper sidebar and on each post - I love that you make it easy for others to retweet your posts;

   What Could Be Better:

   1. The navigation way up at the top of the page could be clearer - I almost didn't see it and was looking for some link to Archives to see what else might interest me;

   2. I like the section for popular posts, but would also like to see a section or tab for Recent Posts - I often like to see a link to what else has been posted (Yes I know I can just scroll down, but sometimes people are in a hurry - if they see a link they may be inclined to click on it rather than scrolling);

   3. The "Welcome to Tourfolio" section in the upper sidebar takes up a lot of valuable real estate that MIGHT work better if it was in the right side of the (black) header - out of the way but still very easy to see/read - this would pull up the sidebar so that the Popular Posts section might be at least partly above the fold, which can encourage readers to stay around to read other posts;

   4. Aside from the word "Tour" in the name, it doesn't shout "Travel" to me. Keeping in mind that many site visitors make up their mind to stay or leave within just a few precious seconds, I believe a site should leave one with a clear impression of what it's about with just a glance.

   5. I didn't find any Tags listed at the end of the posts - displaying Tags helps people to stick around and read more stories when they find one they like by helping them easily find similar stories;

   Suggestions:

   1. I'm not sure how to make the site look more like "travel" without sacrificing some of the cleanliness of the design and layout, which I like - maybe making the photo at the top of the topmost post a bit larger might help, or keeping that topmost 'section' for a 'featured destination' article? Or perhaps a logo that incorporates some image of travel?

   2. Expand your "About" page a bit - readers will want to know more about you and where you've been, and they'll be more inclined to remain loyal readers if they can establish a more personal impression of you.

   3. Add a few more social sharing/bookmarking options - while it's true that most people use Facebook and Twitter, a number of other services still have a high quantity of users, such as Stumbleupon among others;

   Posted 2 years ago #
2. 

   Amandah Blackwell
   Moderator

   Likes

   1) Easy navigation.
   2) Clean website -- not too many ads.
   3) Website loaded without any problem.
   4) Great information.
   5) Clear pictures on posts.

   Tweaks

   1) Perhaps utilize the space to the right of the logo or expand the logo.
   2) Add "Recent Posts" to the right hand side where "Popular, Comments, and Tags" are.
   3) Add "Categories" to the right hand side where "Popular, Comments, and Tags" are.
   4) Make the navigation at the top a little bigger so readers can see it.
   5) Add "Become a Guest Poster" to the top navigation bar.

   Possibilities

   1) You could add more social media icons if you want.
   2) If you post articles to Ezine Articles, grab one of the icons and post it on your site.
   3) You may consider shrinking the pictures. I found them a little overwhelming. I like looking at the pictures and reading the words without having to scroll up and down.
   4) If you're on Twitter, you could grab the code that will post your tweets on your website.

   Posted 2 years ago #
3. 

   Maria Staal
   Member

   What works:
   * First impression was a good, crisp and tidy site.
   * I like the black letters on white background, as this is easier to read than light letters on a dark background.
   * Cool button to direct people to your facebook fan page. Is that a plugin?

   What could be better:
   * As Trisha says, the navigation could be a little bit clearer. It would be handy to have the 'Recent posts' and 'Categories' in the sidebar as well.
   * I personally find the header a bit dark.
   * The logo is cool, but it does imply that you only talk about cities.
   * As a non-native English speaker I must say that the meaning of the word 'Tourfolio' eludes me a bit. I am not sure what it stands for, but it is very possible that it is a clever word play on something I don't recognise. So please don't worry about it.

   Suggestions:
   * A few more picture on the homepage to draw people in.
   * Navigation a bit clearer.

   I like your site, Bryan. That I don't visit it very often has mostly to do with the fact that I personally am not looking for the type of information you are giving. But I have no doubt that people who are looking to find that kind of info, will find your site helpful.

   Posted 2 years ago #
4. 

   Wendy VanHatten
   Member

   My Likes:
   At first glance, I love the photos and the layout.
   I also like the fact that subscribing to the blog is right there & you don't miss it by scrolling down to read something else.

   Tweaks:
   Do you allow guest posts? I see now that you do, but it was not apparent until I really looked for it.
   I did have a little trouble finding more "about you" at first.
   I also had to really look for the navigation & getting around to other posts.
   The name of Tourfolio is catchy but not sure it would draw travelers to your site
   On my screen "Helping Friends Travel Since 2009" is kind of squished together. If it is supposed to be that way, that's okay. It does sort of imply I need friends to travel with, however!

   All in all I do like the site. Travelers need to find your site & then stay there. Anything you can do to make that happen is great...and it's always a challenge for us!

   Posted 2 years ago #

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