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Hi,
We still have the same layout, but have implemented a new main logo, navigational system, and a slightly different color scheme. Plus, all of the graphics have been optimized to load faster.
URL: http://www.web-master.tv
Please provide site feedback. Thank you.
David | http://www.web-master.tv
The site for webmasters is here.
Hey,
I visited your site and the first thing I noticed was that everything was aligned to the left side of the screen.
You should make use of the tables feature and center some text, align some left, and align some right. The color scheme could use a little pick me up. I like the Orange background, but the Blue link color and the hover color need to be changed. Try changing the Blue color to a lighter blue, and the hover color to something that just isn't so hard on the eyes. Your orange backgound color is fine, just don't put a light color over a light color; ie, hot pink background and bright yellow text.
Those to links between the Main logo and the Nav system need to be moved toward the bottom. Your content is to far down the page. Content should always be the main priority. If people like your the content on your site, then they will look to see if u have a mailing list to subscribe to or something.
Something that just caught my attention is that the main logo's background is a different color than the websites background. It's not a hugh difference, but noticable. If your wondering how to get the two backgrounds matched up, find out what the text colors value is of your logo's background (ie: #ffffff for white). Change the value of the website background to this new value.
Your "About Us" should be on a seperate page. Remember, content is the main "phocis". People usually do not read About Us pages. They usually do this when they are thinking about ordering something and want some background info on your company.
You should also include a simple navigation system at the bottom of all of your pages. This will be easier for the visitor to navigate your site. If you will notice, most sites have a nav system at the bottom of their pages. This is to mainly keep the visitor there. If they have to scroll back up, you are facing a 75% chance that they will not stay.
Here is some EXTREMELY helpful info. DO NOT put links to other sites on your main page. This eats away at visitor staying time. They see that shinny, flashy button and just wanna go there cause it looks like it might have some useful information. It may or may not, but looks are deceiving.
I'm almost done so bare with me. Make your articles your most important items on your site. It would be nice to have a sneek preview of the article before clicking on the link to read the rest. Add an excelent quote from the article to give them that sneek peak. If they like the quote, they WILL read the article. Do not put the date next to the articles on the main page. People will notice by that the last time the site has been updated. You may post something everyday, then not till two weeks. Your visitors may also be turned away if the article is even over a month old. If you leave the posting dates out, then you will have more people looking at the articles.
Hope that helped out. Man, I haven't typed that much since my last English paper. I've been designing sites for a while and have learned the important aspects of designing a site from mainly experience, research also helps out a ton.
"Looks like your doing great so far, keep up the good work."
That line was just for the Community Advisors
------------
David Guerra
Your-Hosting.com ->coming soon
i agree with phocis about logo background, navigation system and outgoing links.
if i could give you an advice, i think that a smaller font size should be better. i think that changing background color of each column should help you making contents more visible.
remove dates, phocis is right.
putting the link to the search engine submit service at the top of the page seems you're more interested in redirecting me to this under payment service than in providing me contents and info.
that's what i think, hope this helps.
simone
Thanks for your thoughtful feedback, keep it coming...
David | http://www.web-master.tv
Site redesigned using feedback from the last two posts here... Looks MUCH better and more professional. Thank you!
DS | http://www.web-master.tv
I've read these other comments, and I agree with them. I will just try to add a few things that I see when I look at the site.
When I go to a site, I generally want to get, at a glance, a really clear idea of why I am there and what I can get. I don't feel like I get that at your site. Partly, it's the use of color--usually white areas to me mean, "Read here!" But the areas (the "articles" and "web tools" sections) where I need to read on your home page are colored, and maybe even too dark for me to be able to read easily.
Also, somehow the top nav bar and the sections in boxes don't flow together, and I wish they would. What I mean is, I would prefer that the link to "Articles" is right above the section called "Articles." And so forth.
Also, is "your favorite webmaster information portal" the slogan of the site? If so, it should be right up next to the site logo. That would give an immediate impression of "I am here, and this is what I will get from being here."
Overall, I like the colors. Mostly, I think the site needs visual organization that will help convey information. (I know, that's a terribly intangible thing, but it's also really important.) Colors, shapes, relationship of objects, all that kind of stuff. Oh, I like the boxy graphics, too. Reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright or something
Hope any of this helps and it wasn't too abstract...
Here I go again,
The Main Page looks MUCH BETTER!!!
I went to your "Tracking your visitors" article and saw that you are referring visitors away from your site. This is allowed though because your trying to show your visitors what type of programs that will help them track visitors. Here's the problem. I'm a visitor and I'm looking at your article. I'm interested in these links that you are trying to send me to. Well, I want to goto, the Hitbox site because it's free and i'm a cheepo. I click on the link...
Is there a problem here?
YES!!!!!!!!!
Click on the link and ask yourself why you just left. When you are advertising a service to others, there is a way to make them stay at your site. Open the link in a new window. OPEN ALL LINKS, THAT POINT TO OTHER SITES, IN NEW WINDOWS. If they want to go back to your site later, it is very simple. So, in a sense, your visitor is still at your site even though they aren't actively viewing your site at the moment.
I think you should either get rid of your 468x60 banners, or move them to the bottom of your pages. They are just distracting. Just get rid of it. Wait till you get over 100 visitors a day and then put them back on your site. Also, you need to ABOLISH your Freebie-central and free stuff center buttons. If they wont give you money for directing people to their site, then why are you putting them on your site. It's just FREE advertising for them.
Last thing, but this may be the most useful so listen carefully. Just by looking at your site, I am just guessing that you aren't that familiar with CGI or PERL. SHTML should be more familiar to you.
What you should do is make a header.html and a footer.html file.
-Copy and Paste your current header, and save it as header.html
-Copy and Paste your current footer (which you need to redesign as suggested above), and save it as footer.html
-make both of those files easy to get to on the server.
-open up your index.html file
-select your header and delete it, replace your deleted header with this "<!--#include file="header.html" -->" no quotes. Do the same with the footer, but replace with "<!--#include file="footer.html" -->" again no quotes.
-save your index.html file as index.shtml (to intilize your new server side include tags)
-FTP all three of those files to the internet (put them all in the same folder. If you want your header and footer paths in a different folder, then point to the new location on the server. IE: <!--#include file="newfolder/header.html" -->)
-Repeat those steps for all of your other pages.
By using this process, when you update your header and footer then you do not have to update every page on your site, just your header.html and footer.html files.
AHHHH, the greatness of SSI.
If you need anymore help, or need assistance in something like setting up a CGI script, then feel free to contact me.
Name: David Guerra
@mail: phocis@gmx.net
ICQ#: 6033857
AOL IM: iPhocis
I'll rate your site again after the next update you make.
--------
David Guerra
Your-Hosting.com (Comming Soon)
360d.net = Professional Webdesign for Less
http://www.360d.net/
Well, it has definitely improved... but you NEED to center the WHOLE page... just move everything into the middle.
Adam
Hi,
POSITIVE
1. Eye catching good color scheme
2. Graphics are cool
3. Navigation layout is cool
4. Layout interesting and allows surfer almost immediate access to info and services offered by site. Saves surfing time.
NEGATIVE
1. Difference in logo background vs page background persists
2. "About Us" too upfront. If just have to have on index page should be 3rd and not 1st column
BROWSERS
IE 5.5 - Layout is OK - Logo background difference VERY apparent in IE
Netscape 4.75 - Layout is OK / Logo background difference less apparent. The borders around columns and site phrase "Your favorite webmaster information portal..." missing. No color change when links are clicked.
Netscape 6 PR2 - Layout is OK / Logo background difference less apparent. The borders around columns and site phrase "Your favorite webmaster information portal..." missing. No color change when links are clicked.
SUGGESTIONS
1. Agree with folks above. Should have links to other sites open in new windows.
2. Move site phrase "Your favorite webmaster information portal..." just under or next to site logo.
3. Move Navigation bar closer to logo
4. Correct background color of logo
5. Move "About Us" to third column or to another page. Suggest more to another page and place some other useful info for webmasters in another column on the first page.
OVERALL
I visited your page a while ago after you posted a response in another forum. It was not too inviting at the time and not well organized. But I just want to say it looks really good now. The folks at SitePoint had some great suggestions. I hope they can help me as much when I post my site. Your site is markedly improved. It looks interesting and inviting. It definitely has "sticky" potential.
IMHO.
WP
Webbing Along!!!
Great info for a budding webmaster like me.Originally posted by phocis
Here I go again,
The Main Page looks MUCH BETTER!!!
SNIP.....
Last thing, but this may be the most useful so listen carefully. Just by looking at your site, I am just guessing that you aren't that familiar with CGI or PERL. SHTML should be more familiar to you.
What you should do is make a header.html and a footer.html file.
-Copy and Paste your current header, and save it as header.html
-Copy and Paste your current footer (which you need to redesign as suggested above), and save it as footer.html
-make both of those files easy to get to on the server.
-open up your index.html file
-select your header and delete it, replace your deleted header with this "<!--#include file="header.html" -->" no quotes. Do the same with the footer, but replace with "<!--#include file="footer.html" -->" again no quotes.
-save your index.html file as index.shtml (to intilize your new server side include tags)
-FTP all three of those files to the internet (put them all in the same folder. If you want your header and footer paths in a different folder, then point to the new location on the server. IE: <!--#include file="newfolder/header.html" -->)
-Repeat those steps for all of your other pages.
By using this process, when you update your header and footer then you do not have to update every page on your site, just your header.html and footer.html files.
SNIP......
Thanks,
WP
Webbing Along!!!
sites lookin better al the time..one minor suggestion though..the header title img could perhaps do with a little more impact -it blends in too much with the page (just my opinion).
regards
bj
regards BJ
It looks okay
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