The Online Money Box
Quick Review by Red Herring
Analysis:
"The Online Money Box." Such a peculiar name, but one I managed to be quite charmed by. Going by the name, I had assumed it was a website or blog catering to assisting its users in online money acquisition, and upon my first visit to "The Online Money Box", I was proven correct. While websites on this topic are quite common, they are not unwelcome. Turning a profit online can be a tricky business and the more advice on the subject, the merrier. And an "Online Money Box" certainly sounds promising for that regard.
My review on "The Online Money Box" is going to be a somewhat different than usual. I explored the most crevices that this box had to offer me. And in the end, there were only two elements I had anything to really offer any critique on. Two elements? Well that doesn't sound as if it boded well for my quick review, which requires four elements of critique: two strengths and two weaknesses. Fortunately for my end, both of these elements also happened to be double-edged swords; both of them swinging well into each side of strength and weakness, rather unusual traits, but traits I am eager to tackle.
So. Let's crack this informational piggy bank open, shall we?
Strengths:
- Sleek Design
My eyes, my eyes, my eyes. My eyes were fed candy upon entering this "Online Money Box." It wasn't chocolate, for it wasn't tasty and rich. Nor was it a jawbreaker, for it wasn't solid but sweet. Pardon my metaphors, but if I had to make the analogy, I would say it was more akin to a peppermint candy. It wasn't sweet, rich or even particularly tasty, but it was "refreshing" and it certainly wasn't distasteful.
Nearly every part of this blog's design was perfectly organized; from its navigational elements, to its article listing, to even the advertisements over to the side. I especially admired the advertisement placement, because they weren't positioned so as to pose a huge distraction, but they were in an area where everyone viewing "The Online Money Box" would witness them wherever they went. So long as the website receives the activity to back it up, anyone who makes use of its advertising would get their money's worth just fine.
The design itself consists of a very polished header; consisting of a pleasant shade of blue for the majority of the header and a dark shade of grey for navigation elements to match. The background of the header is a particularly nice touch, making use of a very subtle grid-like pattern which fits the business niche of the blog. The articles almost feel a bit squished being in such a narrow container, but they manage to escape and pull off the narrow design elements.
I am not madly in love with this design, but I am attracted to it. Good work if it's of your design. Good choice if it's not.
- Informative Articles
For a newly-created blog, one of the most common and unfortunate aspects are in that they often tend to offer a fair amount of articles, but articles completely lacking in information, research or general wisdom. For a blog dedicated to the life of an individual being or animal, this is often understandable. However, for blogs that actually do intend to inform their users and provide them with knowledge to assist in their endeavors, this is a problem. "Common Sense Articles", are what I refer to them as; articles that manage to speak but not inform, providing you with knowledge that most should know already..."common sense."
I am most pleased to say that I have found articles on "The Online Money Box" that do not suffer from this most crippling flaw. In fact, many of the articles manage to be rather helpful. "Should your business logo be simple?", for example. While it borders on being a "common sense" article, there are a surprisingly large amount of individuals out there that attempt to go all out with their website banners and logos. While fanciful banners can be quite spectacular, a cleverly made simple logo can beat them every time, and they're often far easier to manage and implement into your website and marketing. "How To Increase Your Market Share" might be a bit general, but it does outline several important points that any individual beginning their expedition into online marketing very much need to know. Meanwhile, "Which pricing method works the best for you?" is an excellent introduction to pricing.
There are far many too informational blogs these days that fail to provide the one thing they set out to contribute: knowledge. "The Online Money Box" does suffer from this somewhat, and I will get to it below, but there are genuinely helpful articles to be found here; perhaps not in a massive quantity, but they are worth reading for anyone seeking to venture into online profiteering.
Weaknesses:
- Generic Design
Above, when I was praising the design of "The Online Money Box", I was making a few candy & sweets metaphors in order to properly describe how I felt about this blog. I feel that "peppermint candy" is an excellent metaphor for "The Online Money Box", even when it comes to the other side of this double-edged sword. You see, peppermint candies definitely give you that "refreshing" chill and taste to your mouth, there's no questioning that. However, each standard peppermint candy also looks almost exactly the same as the next...perhaps being a slightly different shape or having interestingly deformed red swirls, but they all maintain the same general shape. And I'm afraid that's how I feel about "The Online Money Box."
To put it frankly and simply, it's generic. "The Online Money Box" lacks any form of personal identity when it comes to its design. I see absolutely no trace of creative or innovative design that fits into the personality of "The Online Money Box." There is no personality to be found. It's cold and robotic, one might say.
The most glaring example of this would definitely be the "logo", if it can even be called a logo. It is literally just a string of white text stamped onto the pleasant blue background. Admittedly, it blends quite well, but in the end it's just text. There's a difference between a "simple logo" and a "string of text", I'm afraid. In addition to this, there could really stand to do with more "Online Money Box" themed elements throughout the rest of the site. Perhaps some interesting themed icons for navigation elements, a header background that's themed toward a name like "The Online Money Box" (Color for starts. Green or gold would be better choices for theming).
I'm eating a peppermint. Like I said, it's not distasteful, but it isn't unique. I'd much rather have something more unique. "The Online Money Box" desperately needs some personality mixed into it.
- Common Sense Articles
Above, I expressed my slight disdain on how many newly-created blogs tend to suffer from a phenomenon I refer to as "Common Sense Articles", where there is content but with no knowledge or wisdom backing it. I also mentioned that "The Online Money Box" manages to avert this. And I meant it. However, it doesn't avert it enough, I'm afraid. Even though there are genuinely helpful articles contained within, there are even more articles that fall under the common sense flaw.
I've mentioned in a previous review that "Common Sense Articles" are not particularly bad, so long as they're used in moderation. To be honest, a few common sense articles can actually serve as a good reminder to more absent-minded or stubborn users and individuals that tend to let such details "slip their minds." They may also be helpful to total beginners of the subject question and serve as a good introduction. The problem is that a blog should not consist of more than a small percentage of these "Common Sense" articles.
"Finance tips for a small business" is a good example of an article that falls too much into the "common sense" frame of mind. Everything listed in that article are aspects that anyone serious about an online business should have already considered, although this one might serve as a decent introduction for a newbie. "The Know-How of Home Based Business", in addition to being short, is a common sense article trying to disguise itself as something a little more clever. "How to Start Building Your Business without Capital" really only offers two "ideas" to the table without offering any legitimate suggestions: Browse for business ideas and make use of college students who might be willing to work for free. That particular article falls even lower from being common sense to almost completely unhelpful.
For every decent article at "The Online Money Box", there seems to be at least one or even two "common sense" or unhelpful articles. The biggest problem is that it focuses too much on general information without offering its users more specific / statistical data in order to guide them. Try offering more in that regard. Do some research. For "Forums", more articles on specific forum software much like the "Vanilla Forums… it just works" would be excellent. For "Freelancing", how about some more specific topics catering to the kind of freelancing work available on the web?
Get down and dirty with specifics and statistics. That's what "The Online Money Box" needs more of.
Final Remarks:
"The Online Money Box" is one of those few websites that manages to neither touch a positive side or a negative side with me. It touches grey and only grey, every element is a double-edged sword with equally positive and negative elements concerning it, leaving my lasting impressions rather confused.
Design is sleek, with a beautiful array of organization and general element involved, but it lacks defining identity and personality and carries no uniqueness of its own, which could very well be a crippling flaw. There are articles that manage to perform their purpose of informing their userbase of their options in Online Financial/Webmaster Pursuits, but at the same time, it suffers from an unnerving amount of "common sense" articles that generally fail to impart much wisdom. Even some of the more informative articles bear too much in the way of common sense. Even the fact that were only two elements I could really criticize is an aspect I can't say to be positive or negative.
Dull one side of your double-edged swords, Online Money Box, and we'll see if I can't discern a more clearer future for you. Whatever path you take, whatever road you travel, I wish you the best of luck, "Online Money Box." I hope it brings you success.
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