Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-15-2016, 11:17 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
SlowGypsy's Avatar
 
City: Northern Ontario
Vessel Name: Chickadee
Vessel Model: Pilgrim 40
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 169
Florida Bay Coasters - still open for business?

Can anyone tell me if Jay Benford and Florida Bay Coasters is still operating?
Their website is up and running, but I have received no responses to any queries I have made, not from Jay himself, nor from Jeff and Lilly.
Anyone know if their doors are still open? Are they still making Coasters?
SlowGypsy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2016, 12:10 AM   #2
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Have you tried the phone number on this page?

Benford Design Group
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2016, 08:24 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
SlowGypsy's Avatar
 
City: Northern Ontario
Vessel Name: Chickadee
Vessel Model: Pilgrim 40
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 169
Thanks, I will give that a shot. I does seem strange that they do not respond to the "Ask the architect" query form built into the website.
SlowGypsy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 09:26 AM   #4
Guru
 
City: Tampa, FL
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 672
Pet peeve... Lots of companies these days do not seem to "get" that if you have a website then you MUST keep it up to date, and respond to contact requests from it! To not do so is to alienate a whole segment of potential customers. Better to not have a website at all than to have one and just completely ignore it!
denverd0n is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 10:59 AM   #5
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by denverd0n View Post
Pet peeve... Lots of companies these days do not seem to "get" that if you have a website then you MUST keep it up to date, and respond to contact requests from it! To not do so is to alienate a whole segment of potential customers. Better to not have a website at all than to have one and just completely ignore it!
I hate to see "Latest News" and the most recent item on it is 2011. Forms that don't work is horrible too and many of the contact request forms do not. They don't test them and I guess never wonder why no one is contacting them. We try to make websites not time sensitive unless they are ones we're selling something on.

Every web site should be looked at, tested and updated no less frequently than every 30 days.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 01:05 PM   #6
Veteran Member
 
Tamrow's Avatar
 
City: New Haven
Vessel Name: Chesapeake
Vessel Model: Mainship 30 Pilot II
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 95
Many small businesses underestimate the time and cost of maintaining a website. They are interested in getting an online presence to promote their company so they hire a company to build them a website. The problem is they might not be web savvy enough to maintain it themselves. It's not unusual for the website developer to sell them all the bells and whistles which makes it even more onerous to maintain without hiring someone or devoting a lot of time; especially if there is a web store included. A good simple alternative to begin to promote a small business is something like a business Facebook page. It's Easy to post to and share your business contact and event info on.
Tamrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 02:09 PM   #7
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamrow View Post
Many small businesses underestimate the time and cost of maintaining a website. They are interested in getting an online presence to promote their company so they hire a company to build them a website. The problem is they might not be web savvy enough to maintain it themselves. It's not unusual for the website developer to sell them all the bells and whistles which makes it even more onerous to maintain without hiring someone or devoting a lot of time; especially if there is a web store included. A good simple alternative to begin to promote a small business is something like a business Facebook page. It's Easy to post to and share your business contact and event info on.
That's a good alternative and so it building a site that's easy to update. Every web host has tools that make it easy to add a blog and use it to post updates. Wordpress and other blogs are easy to update. You're right about web developers and you can still have the bells and whistles but have a structure that it's easy to post new pictures and type in boxes. Even having internal web developers in a larger business, they can make maintenance easy or very time consuming.

When I built my first site years ago, I tried to read about what made a good web site. I don't know how many of you remember the yahoo website at that time, but simple, white background, no flash, just text mostly. Even now their front page is rather simple. The KISS principle still applies.

The other thing some developers do too much is total redesigns. People like familiarity. Make subtle changes. I went on a website recently that I frequently go to. It took me ten minutes to find what had always taken 5 seconds.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 02:43 PM   #8
Guru
 
alormaria's Avatar
 
City: Trenton
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,522
"The other thing some developers do too much is total redesigns. People like familiarity. Make subtle changes. I went on a website recently that I frequently go to. It took me ten minutes to find what had always taken 5 seconds."

Kids today!
__________________
Al Johnson
34' Marine Trader
"Angelina"
alormaria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 05:10 PM   #9
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by alormaria View Post

Kids today!
Wifey B: I resemble that remark..
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 06:17 PM   #10
Moderator Emeritus
 
jwnall's Avatar
 
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
Quote:
Originally Posted by denverd0n View Post
Better to not have a website at all than to have one and just completely ignore it!
That should be engraved on a big stone somewhere!
__________________
John
jwnall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 08:09 PM   #11
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwnall View Post
That should be engraved on a big stone somewhere!
And more and more not having one is the same as not existing. People are expecting businesses to have websites. They think often of people without them as fly-by-night.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:36 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012