I decided to totally re-vamp my Hosting Company's site, using vBulletin for more than just the support forums.

Using vBadvanced.com's CMPS, I have a few basic pages giving information, with a dynamic navigation box at the bottom that pulls the page names and links from the db.

The forums are standard, but I am using vB Helpdesk and cinq's vB Articles as a Knowledgebase.

The Default style is the very nice Professional style from Floris of www.vbulletin.nl.

The site is pitched at New Zealanders mainly...but has $USD prices to appeal to the rest of the world.

Any comments would be helpful.

Thank you for providing us a link to Floris's lovely site, but what about the site you want us to review? I'm assuming it's the link in your signature - Sparkle Hosting.

When I look at the site, it looks to me like the Professional style. Not that there's anything wrong with that - I love Floris's design. It's just that uncustomized, it looks and feels like I'm at vB.nl - which isn't going to make your hosting service stand out from the crowd.

Maybe it's just me. I'm a huge fan of things being unique. When they're unique, they stand out and are remembered more often - and when things are remembered, that leads to more word of mouth marketing - and second visits

I'm not so sure I like the idea of a hosting company being portrayed via vBulletin. Especially because it seems to me like a fairly stock vBulletin with vBAdvanced CMPS. Nothing really stands out or sets you apart, when I look at it.

Again, this might just be me. Maybe it's just the fact that it's 2:30 a.m. here. I'd just like to personally see a bit more uniqueness and creativity.

Dang it. Forgot the link. Yes, www.sparklehosting.com , thank you dani.

I know what you are saying re: site uniqueness...I can't really afford (at the moment) to invest the kind of funds that are needed to make something REALLY nice. I used to have what I now term as 'one of those crappy Template styles', but decided that flash headers that go 'bleep' add nothing to my customers' hosting experience.

At present, given I am pitching more to the hobby/newbie site, I don't think the lack of flashyness is overly harmful. Obviously I would love to have something totally unique, but at the moment, functional is what I am aiming for.

Plus...New Zealanders like Black and White. Look at most of our national sporting teams' uniforms.

You don't have to pay an arm and a leg to go unique. Just take Floris's style and maybe tweak the colors a bit - and suddenly you have your own style Doesn't the Professional style come in a number of substyle colors? What if you combine elements of two sub-styles that have complementary colors ... and tada! Uniqueness

Yes, it sure does have a few variations.

I might have a play around with some blues.

Thanks for the feedback dani, your opinion is a valued one indeed.

Thanks, and good luck! Be sure to show us progress

Okey dokey...

How's this?

http://www.sparklehosting.com/forums...php?styleid=10

There is no banner on your site at prescent. I don't think a basic forum is the best way to attract customers to a high tech industry like web hosting.
Is there actually any functionality on your site?
How would a customer purchase your products?
I think if you want to sell web space, you should be able to create a custom website, not just implement a forum.

How very odd. I am guessing by banner you mean 'logo'?

There is...

Err, yes.

Unless the same strange thing affecting your ability to see my 'banner' also affected the price links, you should see (on the home page, but in other places as well) "Order : [$NZD] [$USD]" at the bottom of any plan.

Clicking either of those links initiates the purchase of the plan...as stated, $USD can be done over Paypal, and is automatic.

I must say, by 'Critique please' I would expect a little more than a cursory glance and then some negative feedback.
How about this then: http://www.sparklehosting.com/index.php?styleid=15

(As you obviously didn't look very much into the site, there is more than 'just a forum' there. An integrated Helpdesk and Knowledgebase, along with automated setup (if using Paypal) and internal site management...and a Forum.)

Sorry, didn't mean to sound so harsh. Site looks much better now, when I looked at site before it had a big white area at top with nothing in. I assumed that was where banner was supposed to be.