websites

[kevinlevrone]

I have my personal website at:
www.kevinlevrone.net
and I have a myspace
www.myspace.com/levrone

feel free to visit!

[gncrep]

who did the first site? it looks pretty good.

[wedgylx]

lol nice kev, I'll myspace you

[kevinlevrone]

I art direct my website. I've had a couple of people work on it. Collectively, it hasn't turned out too bad. It's still evolving. Need to get the 'store' into the design of the rest of the website.
Do you do websites?

Myspace is a lot of fun. Great inreaction with other members. Lots of detailed questions though. Send me a friend request by all means!

[gncrep]

Well, I've done a couple sites with flash, but its not really my thing (too tedious). I was just curious.

[kevinlevrone]

www.estnutrition.com

My sponsors website. It's going to go through major renovation soon.

Do you think on a commerical site flash is necessary? How much is enough? What supplement companies have sites that you like?

[Ibanez]

Nope, Flash is not neccassary. I have used animation, mpegs etc but not flash on my main site. The internet demographic still contains many users whose access is through dial up. Flash can take a while to load, and commercial site containing flash can slow everything down somewhat.

Sites like Coke, Ford etc are not really selling so much via the web, as opposed to containing information. A website that is actually acting as a storefront works most effectively when it is more concise and less 'flashy'

[gncrep]

I don't get the first two questions.

I think BSN has a great looking site, and designer supplements has a cool site too. Legal Gear and MHP have fair sites, and the German American Technologies site needs to be redone completely, in my opinion.

oh...and I think discountanabolics.com has an excellent site. It looks great, easy to use, and very functional. Good work Chris.

[kevinlevrone]

Have you noticed the ads for these companies too? I think of most ads as having dark backgrounds...almost always black. BSN has gone to white and using blurred images with red tones in the background. What do you think about that? MuscleTech went for a short while to brown but seems to come back to the black theme.

If you didn't know any better most ads from all companies look like automotive supplies!

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll pass that along to the people at EST. They are new to the arena. Establishing their brand. You don't want to have the me too look but you don't want to go off the other end either.

[wedgylx]

DesignerSupps has a pretty cool site, but after visiting it a few times it started to be a pain and I've just been using the HTML site instead of the Flash.

SNS has compiled a real nice site

I'd make something that looks nice and "futuristic", but I really wouldn't use flash

[Ibanez]

Well, psychologically, yellow and red are the most visually. McDonalds paid good money back in the day to find that info out, and obviously their branding reflects that.

BSN, have caught me as being switched on for several reasons. They use the red and yellow theme, highlighted with a holographic style surface. It at once draws you in and gives you the impression that they are high tech, oh and the fact they are handing out endorsemnents like lolly water to big names is fast establishing their relatively new brandname.

Black or white is very safe and wise, as again, internet demographics would suggest that although I am using a 23" Apple cinema screen, with 2000x1600 resolution, there are still many users who have old crt or less than stellar lcd displays, that may not vividly detail fine details and color was and separation like modern monitors.

-F.T

[kevinlevrone]

BSN, have caught me as being switched on for several reasons. They use the red and yellow theme, highlighted with a holographic style surface. It at once draws you in and gives you the impression that they are high tech
-F.T

New labels show that they are dropping the holographic style. So, you think that BSN corporate colors lend themselves to both sexes? Is that necessary with bbing products?

that's one big a*s monitor you have

[kevinlevrone]

DesignerSupps has a pretty cool site, but after visiting it a few times it started to be a pain and I've just been using the HTML site instead of the Flash.

SNS has compiled a real nice site

I'd make something that looks nice and "futuristic", but I really wouldn't use flash

okay, never heard of SNS...sports nutrition supplements? did a google

went to Designer to see what you were talking about. Nice graphics. Think that the dna strand is over used? What products of theirs do you use?

[wedgylx]

okay, never heard of SNS...sports nutrition supplements? did a google

went to Designer to see what you were talking about. Nice graphics. Think that the dna strand is over used? What products of theirs do you use?

SNS = serious nutrition solutions.

Designer Products I have used - Rebound XT and currently using Activate. I've also used Serious nutrition solutions versions of Lean XT (SNS calls it reduce) and Sdrol (SNS calls it Mdrol).

I like the DNA strand graphics they use. I also really like the fact that they have desktop backgrounds that you can download. It gives the consumer a feeling of involvement in a weird way, which reflects on consumer loyalty and even placebo.

[Ibanez]

We should never underestimate the power of marketing. My initial responce was to say no, dropping the colors won't change etc... But I think women like the colors generally, my wife and her friends like their bottles and colors.

I remember the marketing study I did ages ago regarding 'Bronx' ice cream. The company were stalling with sales etc and they just couldn't attain market share. They hired a marketing guru who tasted the ice cream, some of the best he had tasted. The management team were switched on, they had good sales reps, everything looked great...

but they were not shifting units.

The marketing guru did a study of what ppl thought of and what images were conjured up when they thought of ice cream etc. What did the consumer want in an ice cream, and on it went.

So, after a few months, they changed the label and did some reinvention-and so Haagen Daaz ice cream hit the market. Now one of the most successful and powerful 'boutique' ice creams out there.

Or the incredible influence of Chanel cosmetics-very classy french image..... actually in reality grown from no where out of the dustbowls of texas by some overweight housewives..... (TRUE STORY)

Marketing flat out works, when the principles are worked.

I moved to Colorado 17 months ago. I am proud to say that in that time, from knowing not a single person, and having no contacts in the music business I have developed and managed the fastest growing and largest private music studios in the State. Much of that was acheived through inexpensive, but effective target marketing.

I think that you need colors that show something smart and sophisticated, without being cheesy. Keep the fonts fun yet easy to read.

[kevinlevrone]

great story about the ice cream

My favorite blunder was when McDonalds came out with pizza. They did everything to get it to the market but no one thought about the box wouldn't fit through the drive up windows.