FRAMERS WITH GOOD WEB SITES

Keith Hewitt · Post by **Keith Hewitt** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 5:33 pm

We see and hear a lot about web sites. One thing which strikes me on my travels is that the best frame shops-also have good web sites.

Here is a collection of framers who I believe have got it right. Browse a few and I'm sure you will not only be surprised, but also get fired up to emulate them

Maybe you want to add your own web site. My list is by no means meant to be complete.....
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FRAMERS WITH GOOD WEB SITES

AUSTRALIA
www.ormondsframing.com One of the top framers in Australia
www.pictureframermelbourne.com.au
www.jubileeframers.com.au
www.gallery360.com.au
www.mahoneysgalleries.com.au
www.framecraft.com.au A member of this forum.

CANADA
www.excellentframeworks.ca

GERMANY
www.rahmen-ruetz.de/english.htm Top framer in Munich and very smart business lady.

IRELAND
www.pictureframing.ie An Irish framer – Steve from Dublin.

NEW ZEALAND
www.imageland.co.nz Lance from New Zealand.
www.vanufflen.co.nz New Zealand – an innovative framer, with a restaurant!

PORTUGAL
www.lua-azul.com Nice to see a Portuguese framer with a
home page link to the F.A.T.G.

SINGAPORE
www.framingangie.com Singapore – Angie Mui – a framing experience and a great site, especially for box frames. And nice music!
www.merlin.com.sg A go ahead Singapore framer
www.fastframe.com.sg
www.evershinegallery.com

SWEDEN
www.keycreation.se The only Swedish framer to become a F.A.T.G. G.C.F.

UK
www.acaciaworks.co.uk A finalist in the FATG best web site competition.
www.imagey.co.uk Winner of FATG best web site 2006.
www.fringearts.co.uk UK framer who teaches framing and writes books.
www.frames.uk.com UK framer who has a web site with a lot of info not seen on other web sites.
www.berkeley-galleries.com
www.suesgallery.co.uk A framer who has even framed a large piece of wall!

U.S.A.
www.theframeworkshop.com John Ranes USA web site. John lectures, and writes articles on the benefits of having a good web site.
www.artistframeservice.com Jay Goltz
www.getthepictureframing.com
www.frameworkscincinnati.com
www.joannart.com
www.sutherlandframing.com A site with some nice ideas.

VIET NAM
www.artworldvn.com Good web sites are not only in the developed countries.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Keith Hewitt[/url]

markw · Post by **markw** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 7:57 pm

good topic Keith - its interesting to go through your list and see the contrasting styles.

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 8:11 pm

I agree this could turn into an interesting discussion.

Keith, I am not 'knocking' you.
Not sure what you mean by 'got it right'..

Right for who? Other picture framers or the general public who are just looking for something.

The first premise of designing a Web site is to use the K.I.S.S. approach.
You have to capture the interest within about 10 seconds.

Just like you when you are shopping. You look in the shop window and if nothing grabs you within that 10 secs then you move on. You will not go inside.

Whilst I agree with some of your opening comments. A lot of 'our' sites just swamp you with information on the very first page and you normally end up having to 'scroll' left to right and even up and down, just to see the whole page.
The 'Best Frame Shops' probably have the time and money to 'contract out' to a Web design service. Not so easy for a one man band or husband and wife team. My other half is a computer dinosaur, which doesnt help......... (ooops in the sh...1......t)

A genuine Thank you though Keith, you have reminded me to continue my quest to get my own site running properly. Time !!!!

Framing Norah · Post by **Framing Norah** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 8:12 pm

Hi Keith,

I agree that the quality of your website is often an indication your business's level of professionalism.

However, the examples that you have given may not be the best to illustrate your point.

Just looking at the first group - Australia

1. Ormond's site, www.ormondsframing.com, will not render in my browser (IE6) I'm left looking at a plain blank window with no alternative way to access the site. I would not recommend a site that is fussy about which browser can view it.

2. www.pictureframermelbourne.com - This site is down at the moment, we just get the 'page cannot be displayed' error.

3. Stefan Aleksiev has a good site at www.jubileeframers.com.au

4. www.jubileeframers.com.au another very competent, professional site.

5. www.mahoneysgalleries.com.au commits the cardinal sin of placing an obstacle in my way. Having clicked on the link to the site, I don't want to have to click on some stupid 'Enter Here' button to gain access. Would Google be where it is today if instead of being allowed to search right away, you had to first click on the ENTER sign'. Have a look at any truly great sites (BBC, Wikipedia, The Framers Forum) you won't see any amateurish 'ENTER HERE' nonsense.

Keith Hewitt · Post by **Keith Hewitt** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 10:15 pm

Hello Framing Norah,

Well I just clicked www.ormondsframing.com and was blown away with Osgoods site.

As he is a regular on this forum, perhaps he will add his comments

Keith

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 10:23 pm

I have just looked at Osgoods site.

Yes very impressive and by the look of it 'future proofed' as well.

I am lucky, I am on BroadBand. How long does it take to load with Dial-Up.

Not picking faults, just a thought.

Lemon_Drop · Post by **Lemon_Drop** » Wed 24 Jan, 2007 10:32 pm

I can get on it also, its works from the link Keith posted, but not Norah's link.
Its a nice site, I would imagine its slow also on dial-up, but I got broadband also.

markw · Post by **markw** » Thu 25 Jan, 2007 9:01 am

could this be the clue Roboframers looking for

http://www.framingnora.com

Framerpicture · Post by **Framerpicture** » Thu 25 Jan, 2007 5:02 pm

We have just submitted a brief to have a new website built (including e commerce) and I was wondering if anyone out there would mind sharing a rough idea of what their site cost to have built?

Post by **John** » Thu 25 Jan, 2007 9:51 pm

Ormond,
I also get an empty page when I try to view your site (Win98SE-IE6). I have not disabled Java, and can view Flash animations ok elswwhere.

Keith,
www.pictureframermelbourne.com continues to be down. Are they still trading?

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Thu 25 Jan, 2007 10:23 pm

If I click on Ormond's site in Keith's post I get it immediately, but not at all in Norah's

What's goin' on?

I like Ormond's site - sight and sound - stimulates two senses without any crap background music.

Dermot · Post by **Dermot** » Thu 25 Jan, 2007 11:11 pm

http://www.ramovani-nora.cz/eng_frame.php

aivar · Post by **aivar** » Fri 26 Jan, 2007 1:58 pm

In Russia many framers yet do not understand it.
The largest companies can and not have the websites, and those who have, use them to conduct unfair advertising.
For example my site, though it and very bad on design but though as that tries to give the information on framing work.
But we now alter all.
http://www.art-ru.ru

mick11 · Post by **mick11** » Sat 27 Jan, 2007 10:41 am

The URL in Norah's post for Ormonds site has a rogue comma at the end of it after com. That's why it wont load from there.

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Tue 30 Jan, 2007 3:51 pm

markw wrote:could this be the clue Roboframers looking for

http://www.framingnora.com

Our Norah has an 'h' - this one does not. I Google earthed the postcode, residential (with a pool!) about 10 miles West of Edinburgh.

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Tue 30 Jan, 2007 7:24 pm

Thanks to those who posted a positive comment about my site. Yesterday it was unavailable for a while, but I don't know why.

Some of you have had trouble getting my page to show in your browser. If you have Flash installed it really should work, but if it doesn't, I'm not savvy enough to know why, so I apologise for not being able to help you with that.

As far as being a "quality" site goes, I don't have a clue whether it is or not and don't really care much. I bought a "Flash" template and had it modified slightly then added my own images and data, so if you are not wealthy (like me) and don't want to pay someone to build you a website, you have a several opportunities available to you if you want one. Firstly buy a template and add your own data. Secondly make a website with Microsoft Publisher or some other WYSIWYG software. Thirdly go to http://officelive.microsoft.com/ and help yourself to a free website.

If you make your own website, one of the hosts you could consider is Lunarpages, which is where I host mine. Inexpensive and you get lots for your money. If anyone signs up to Lunarpages through my website, I get a reward, but I need to change the link on the contact page as it's out of date at the moment.

I bought that template because I loved it, no other reason. As far as gaining business from it, that doesn't happen and I don't really care about that either. I have always been of the opinion that a website will not get business for a strictly custom framing business and so far I have been proven right. Selling retail products is a different matter.

Underpinner · Post by **Underpinner** » Sat 03 Feb, 2007 5:32 pm

Not much point in having a beautiful web site if no-one can find it.

I have just done two quick searches on Google, using the following key phrases...
picture framer uk
picture framing uk
...and only ONE of the sites in the UK list shown above appeared in the first 100 results, namely frames.uk.com - this site was number 15 out of well over a million results in both searches.

Perhaps if I used a more localised search phrase to look for each site in turn I would have found more of them. My own site (which is rubbish compared with what it used to be - but there is a reason for this) was number 60 and I am more interested in being found in Wales than in the UK as a whole.

The cost of the site? Assuming you start with a fairly standard PC and selection of software, you can add Microsoft Frontpage from Ebay for a few pounds, design the site yourself and host it with Freeola for free. The big advantage of this method is that you are not dependent on a web designer every time you want the site altered or updated.

John Ranes II, CPF, GCF · Sat 03 Feb, 2007 11:19 pm

Underpinner wrote:...The cost of the site? Assuming you start with a fairly standard PC and selection of software, you can add Microsoft Frontpage from Ebay for a few pounds, design the site yourself and host it with Freeola for free. The big advantage of this method is that you are not dependent on a web designer every time you want the site altered or updated.

Underpinner,

Please give this statement some reflection, the next time a customer walks into your shop and asks you to cut a mount.

When you inquire about a frame or mounting, they explain to you that they simply need the mount as they picked up glass around the corner at the hardware store and plan to fit the picture themselves at home......"You're too expensive they explain, and after all, how hard can it be?"

If you find a good IT hosting company, btw, they can give your website complete administrative control. I can edit product, staff, images, newsletters, structure within minutes even from my laptop while traveling in the UK this week. You are correct in recognizing the value and importance of that ability to edit.

Regards,

John

markw · Post by **markw** » Sun 04 Feb, 2007 9:18 am

John
I think your comparing chalk with cheese. Web design isnt difficult with frontpage and the ability to get a web presence has been put within reach of almost every business.

The web designer sitting out there fearing the loss of business because the odd framer has designed his own pages would be very short sited. Most of the develeloping world is waking up to the fact that the web offers unlimited opportunity to make money.

Underpinner · Post by **Underpinner** » Mon 05 Feb, 2007 8:19 pm

When you need a good professional web designer then nothing else will do and the good ones are worth their money.

All I am saying is that a lot of would-be website owners don't need to spend anything from £100 to £300-£400 or more per page on their first web site when a competent brochure site can be made for next to nothing.

Neither do I see the need to fight their corner for professional web designers. The good ones, like picture framers, can do that for themselves. And I often make mounts for customers who bought cheap frames elsewhere. If customers cannot afford, or cannot justify the cost, of my services for the full bespoke job I am happy to help them by doing any part of the job for them. And if they come back to me again and again, even better.

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