Critique my site please, tell me everything that is wrong with it and what you would change

[MikeMike]

SITE

ok, the blue bar with the text in it, may become a pop down menu when clicked on i am not sure, please comment to me about that idea.

other than that, what do you think of EVERYTHING about the site?

would you pay 250 to have a site like that done (no you dont know how to code).

no links work, and this will become the template for every other page (height might change depending upon page sizes)

what would you change?

feel free to check out the source, and stuff, oh yeah

Screenshot of how it is supposed to look, compare your results to this, any errors please tell me what browser, and what kind of errors!!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP

MIKE

 

[wfbberzerker]

whats up with the little + cursor? i want my arrow, dammit!

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker
whats up with the little + cursor? i want my arrow, dammit!

i might try and make it a little pipe or sumthing actually.

and for the flash menu, the + and - might become open, and closed valves

dont forget this is my first site EVER.

i know of no problems in opera also, i can test IE6 and Opera, and they have no probs

 

[Dudd]

I'd suggest getting rid of the ASDF stuff, personally.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Dudd
I'd suggest getting rid of the ASDF stuff, personally.

never thought of that, why would you do that? it makes for good reading

 

[LAUST]

first off I want to say I love 1 page homepages,

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: LAUST
first off I want to say I love 1 page homepages, it looks very simple and QUICK and for what the site is advertising I think your clients want a fast and simple site.. great job so far IMHO

2nd... can you get me a deal on a kitchen sink? J/K

Funny too, I'm doin plumbing in my house right now actually, tearing out all the crappy old Galvanized and putting in new faucets through my entire house and a new bathroom downstairs... Just hauled in 600lbs of tile to do the kitchen floor bout 1 hour ago... I'm dead tired. This summer is backbreaker summer for me.

probably not for colorado! unless you wanted to pay for UPS for a stainless steel kitchen sink! but my dad actually works at another company they are affiliated with, so that is how i landed the job.

It wont be 1 page, once done, it will have links to other pages with the information they want.

(on another note)

not sure if i should implement a search, as you really shouldnt have to search for anything.

 

[helloedchen]

the box where it says Information Goes Here, is in the lower right hand corner.

drop down menus are neat

I'm using Opera 7.10...

 

[Atlantean]

needs work, the links don't work on the site.

 

[clicknext]

The outline and sign look cheap and crappy, and I think it deserves a little more than just dark gray and black. And you should use a normal arrow instead of the little +.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: GideonX
the box where it says Information Goes Here, is in the lower right hand corner.

drop down menus are neat

I'm using Opera 7.10...

hmm, opera 6 displays it fine, y wouldnt 7?

that is the image i was given

i was just messin with the choices, and chose the +

i thought i said the links didnt work?

 

[VTHodge]

I prefer to be able to see the URL to which a link connects in the bottom of the screen (by the progress bar), so I can tell if the link leaves the site, if its a java link, whatever.

 

[notfred]

Aside from the fact that your artistic skills need work and the pipe graphic looks like ass at all the corners, I like it.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: notfred
Aside from the fact that your artistic skills need work and the pipe graphic looks like ass at all the corners, I like it.

the only art i did, was the borders, and all text

here is the image i was GIVEN to work with LOGO to start and i think i am gunna darken the pie part at the ends it should look better

and no links work and take you anywhere other than the Higherhost link at the bottom right now anyways

 

[MikeMike]

bump, i need everyones input

 

[phatj]

I'd say change that logo you have on there... the graphics look blurred, any way of fixing that? Quick shout out to a fellow clevelander!

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: phatj
I'd say change that logo you have on there... the graphics look blurred, any way of fixing that? Quick shout out to a fellow clevelander!

yeah, the text on the flash menu looks blurry, cuz its to small. I am gunna try and break that image up into a few different, and just put text over the top of it.

what do you think of t he borders? i was told they look childich, but i like them, need some other peoples input though.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: VTHodge
I prefer to be able to see the URL to which a link connects in the bottom of the screen (by the progress bar), so I can tell if the link leaves the site, if its a java link, whatever.

 

[dullard]

Well I cannot use your website. It immediately requests me to download a flash player that the computer doesn't have. I am unable to download it (school computer, no installation rights given to students - plus even if I did have the rights the HD is at its maximum anyways so there is no room to download it to). Everytime I hit a webpage like that I click away and never come again. Requiring downloads to view your webpage is a good way to turn away potential customers.

As for the actual design it just looks like it is lacking somthing. Pizzaz comes to mind. Obviously a plumbing supply store will never be exciting. But the drab looks certainly won't keep me there for long. A little more color or a little less grey would do the trick. As it is it just looks thrown together with default drab grey colors and borders, etc. You may have spent lots of time on it, but it doesn't look like you did, it looks a bit like a child's work. Thus it won't convice a lot of people to hire you for their sites as well.

The overall organization may be improved if you tweak it a bit. Suppose as a customer, I'm interested in plumbing supplies. I will have one of two needs when coming to that website. (1) I know exactly what I want and all I need to know is the location of the store, or (2) I have no idea what I really want and need lots of product information to help me out. These should be the web page priority. Those links should be top and left where most people will look first. On your sidebar and your blue top bar these are both buried. The first thing I see is the mission statement. Honestly if all I need is 2 feet of PVC pipe I don't care about the mission statement of the company I'm buying from. I would rather see this "About Us" section buried in the middle of the sidebar or the top menu bar.

 

[MikeMike]

well, i now know you CAN see the flash menu.

ok, the locations of the store are immediately visible on the main image.

about us, can be dropped down, and locations raised.

even my school has flash plugin, and every computer there sux.

that is the exact reason why i am trying to figure out if i want the popup menu or not, incase you cant see the flash menu.

what type of pizzaz does it need? more color?

 

[Wolverine27]

Add some color (graphics or pics). Looks sort of dreary with all the gray and black.

 

[rh71]

For something you're doing for $250, I'd say to employ the KISS method (keep it simple stupid)...

A Flash menu of such (looks like it's a "Flash Component" from MX that you threw in) will work fine (once you get it to work), but keep in mind users may not have the flash plugin to even see it. They may not want to be bothered with a plugin download, and in turn, the business would lose a potential customer. You have to ask yourself if a $250 job is worth the trouble of getting around such a problem by creating 2 versions (HTML + Flash... all because of a simple menu).

Seeing it's your first site, it's not bad. Without sugar-coating it, your artwork needs some "rounding-out". Otherwise, it's not bad for $250... as long as the client couldn't do it himself and/or doesn't mind paying it.

 

[dullard]

well, i now know you CAN see the flash menu...even my school has flash plugin, and every computer there sux...that is the exact reason why i am trying to figure out if i want the popup menu or not, incase you cant see the flash menu.

I had to use your screenshot to see the flash menu - it doesn't come up for me. Just a white box. The plug-ins have a tendancy to cause problems on computers - plus they can lead to distractions as someone opens a website that makes noise during class. So the technician was told specifically to not have them. This is by choice. Yes it CAN be downloaded, but we choose not to. I'm probably in the minority of people who cannot/will not download it. But you are still pushing potential customers away.

ok, the locations of the store are immediately visible on the main image.

Yes they are - I was just giving general advice about your "locations" links. If it will always be clearly marked on the main image, then why do you need two links to the locations (one on the side and one in the menu)?

what type of pizzaz does it need? more color?

I'm not sure exactly what should be done to spruce it up. Something that will be less drab. But the grey background, with grey image, grey sidebar, and grey information box just doesn't look right to me. I see that the original logo had a white background. What about having white in the logo and the rest grey? It would help the drabness and keep the logo standing out. Then a few other minor changes like that and you quickly have a good looking page.

 

[MikeMike]

AHHH some read this!!! I didn't create their image!!! just a minor part of it, and i am going to clear that up in a second!!


WHO HERE HAS OPERA 7? there seems to be major problems displaying it, tell me what is wrong!!!

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: dullard

ok, the locations of the store are immediately visible on the main image.

Yes they are - I was just giving general advice about your "locations" links. If it will always be clearly marked on the main image, then why do you need two links to the locations (one on the side and one in the menu)?

points taken, however the links in the menu location, will open up a page with a mapped location (most likely) and some of the major interstates near by.

and some information about each location.