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

[rh71]

Originally posted by: dullard
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.

Something I wanted to add... the menu is a Flash 6 (MX) component IIRC, which means users who already have the Flash 5 plugin will still need to download the latest, which drives even more people away if they cannot see it the first time. Again, I have to ask you to reconsider using it because it may not "simplify" things as much as you like.

Another way to go about it is to use only Flash 5 "technology" (get rid of the component) and publish it as version 5. Last I checked macromedia.com's stats, about 97% of users had at least version 5 of the plugin.

 

[dullard]

Oh and one last thing. I realize you have the BWR logo to work with, and that you have the full name listed in fine print. But I tend to like to know the full name and be able to see it easilly when viewing a site. If they always go by BWR then you are fine. But if many customers go by the name Brown-Western Reserve you might want to give that full name a bigger emphasis on your page.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: dullard
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.

Something I wanted to add... the menu is a Flash 6 (MX) component IIRC, which means users who already have the Flash 5 plugin will still need to download the latest, which drives even more people away if they cannot see it the first time. Again, I have to ask you to reconsider using it because it may not "simplify" things as much as you like.

Another way to go about it is to use only Flash 5 "technology" (get rid of the component) and publish it as version 5. Last I checked macromedia.com's stats, about 97% of users had at least version 5 of the plugin.

k, now i gotta go mess with flash again cuz i only saved it as a movie, and forgot to save it as a flash file

yeah i will knock it back down to 5.

im thinking of where to put some other text on the page.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
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!!!

Opera 7 makes it look like this. Again, stick to the K.I.S.S. method for this one... trust me.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: dullard
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.

Something I wanted to add... the menu is a Flash 6 (MX) component IIRC, which means users who already have the Flash 5 plugin will still need to download the latest, which drives even more people away if they cannot see it the first time. Again, I have to ask you to reconsider using it because it may not "simplify" things as much as you like.

Another way to go about it is to use only Flash 5 "technology" (get rid of the component) and publish it as version 5. Last I checked macromedia.com's stats, about 97% of users had at least version 5 of the plugin.

k, now i gotta go mess with flash again cuz i only saved it as a movie, and forgot to save it as a flash file

yeah i will knock it back down to 5.

im thinking of where to put some other text on the page.

You won't be able to keep that menu with v5 of the plugin... MX will not allow you when you try and publish it because it is strictly an MX component. I think you published it correctly already... an .SWF is what you want, with a call from the .HTML page.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
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!!!

Opera 7 makes it look like this. Again, stick to the K.I.S.S. method for this one... trust me.

for me, CSS is now my KISS method, cuz i can do it easier than i can with pure HTML as i know more now about CSS than HTML

and ur link is fixed

no, i mean that when i used flash to create the movie, i never saved it, i only published it, so now i have to go back and mess around with everything.

and yes, it does allow me to publish it as 5

any way to figure out why opera 7 is doing that? (opera 6 is fine)

its messing up sumwhere, cuz not even all the images, or text are displayed, while everything else is perfect (banner is an example of that)

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
and yes, it does allow me to publish it as 5

Cool then... my memory is fading. At least a lot more people should be able to see it now.

 

[MikeMike]

okay, i updated "slightly" the movie is now flash 5, and the main text moved down a bit.

it says flash 5 doesnt support some of the things, but i cant tell a difference between 6 and 5

 

[royaldank]

I personally think for $250 this is way over the top.

As someone mentioned earlier, Keep It Simple Stupid. For $250, you should probably generate a basic template for the pages and then throw down the information. Everyone that does web work has been in your shoes before. You have this job and you want to make it good. However, you are probably doing a lot more work than you should be for $250 (which isn't much).

Personally, I would have probably started with frontpage template or a Dreamweaver template of some sort. These, for the most part, look profession and not all that generic. I would then quickly throw in all the information on the pages and link them up. Any remaining time would be spent on the logo and improving it. Just because they have a paper identity doesn't mean you can alter/improve it for your web presence. If your art skill aren't up to the task, then so be it. Not that big of a deal, but there are simple things you can do to make it look better.

Being honest, I would imagine that creating a decent template would take a couple hours. Add to that another few hours to type in all the information the customer is wanting to display. Final testing of everything put together should be another hour. Then, customer changes and edits probably another hour or two. Right now you are looking at nearly 10 hours for a $250 paycheck. $25/hr is pretty reasonable.

I understand, though, that the website look/feel are probably more important than your hourly wage at this point. I'm not trying to be mean here, but the site you have now just doesn't look professional. The borders are nasty looking, the logo is very bland, and the fact you need flash to view it defeats the purpose of a simple website.

Seriously, look at some Frontpage or Dreamweaver templates. Those could make it look better and accomplish your goals much quicker.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: royaldank
I personally think for $250 this is way over the top.

As someone mentioned earlier, Keep It Simple Stupid. For $250, you should probably generate a basic template for the pages and then throw down the information. Everyone that does web work has been in your shoes before. You have this job and you want to make it good. However, you are probably doing a lot more work than you should be for $250 (which isn't much).

Personally, I would have probably started with frontpage template or a Dreamweaver template of some sort. These, for the most part, look profession and not all that generic. I would then quickly throw in all the information on the pages and link them up. Any remaining time would be spent on the logo and improving it. Just because they have a paper identity doesn't mean you can alter/improve it for your web presence. If your art skill aren't up to the task, then so be it. Not that big of a deal, but there are simple things you can do to make it look better.

Being honest, I would imagine that creating a decent template would take a couple hours. Add to that another few hours to type in all the information the customer is wanting to display. Final testing of everything put together should be another hour. Then, customer changes and edits probably another hour or two. Right now you are looking at nearly 10 hours for a $250 paycheck. $25/hr is pretty reasonable.
I understand, though, that the website look/feel are probably more important than your hourly wage at this point. I'm not trying to be mean here, but the site you have now just doesn't look professional. The borders are nasty looking, the logo is very bland, and the fact you need flash to view it defeats the purpose of a simple website.


Seriously, look at some Frontpage or Dreamweaver templates. Those could make it look better and accomplish your goals much quicker.

I understand, though, that the website look/feel are probably more important than your hourly wage at this point. I'm not trying to be mean here, but the site you have now just doesn't look professional. The borders are nasty looking, the logo is very bland, and the fact you need flash to view it defeats the purpose of a simple website.

i am not really looking to make a ton of money on this one. i just need money period. if i can create this how i want, i should land another site of their's and i can charge more for that, yet only change this template a little to conform to that page. it isnt the money, right noow it is the experience. Plus i am gettin 20 bux each time i update the site with new items.

to me 250 is reasonable im 16!

CSS is very understandable to me now, and is basic.

i am looking at starting my own web store later, so i am using this as ideas for that.

yeah, the flash menu is the only thing i have ever been concerned on, i have always considered changing that and making it a stativ menu with a slight mouseover image.

 

[Ornery]

Hey Mike, you're right around the corner from me in Mentor. I travel down Tyler Blvd. almost daily!

Site looks OK. Looks professional enough. Um, are you going to take the pictures of the products and put them in there for that $250.00? If so, I'd say that's fair enough.

 

[royaldank]

Not a problem that you're only 16. Not a problem that you need the money, experience, and future leads. However, one thing you might not consider so much at your age is time management. You want to maximize your profit for time you spend. What I was trying to suggest is starting real small by using pre-made template or something you create that is much simpler than what you have now. Visitors to your site are going to see the website for what it is, not how much work you put in or what special tricks you were able to do.

If you were to look at the site you created versus another webpage you'll instantly recognize which was done by a beginner. For example, take these forums pages. Broken down, there really isn't much to them. A banner at the top, a logo in the top left, and some navigation tools on the top right. It's very simple, yet looks well laid out. The way you are doing your site now isn't necessarily a bad idea, I just don't think you have the artistic ability right now to pull it off.

Start small and simple. They want a page with X information. Come up with an easy layout template that only takes an hour or two to design. Then, plug in the information and let them see it. An information page like this doesn't need to be fancy and your target audience most likely knows that it's an information site about a company. You aren't necessarily trying to get new customers cold. If they are stumbling on this, they are probably in the market for some plumbing supplies. Present the information as quickly and easily as you can. The quicker the audience gets the information, the quicker they can act. Any time waiting for stuff to load, plug ins, flash, etc. is time that they have to flip back to their goggle search and try the next page (granted, something like 97% of internet users have Flash now).

Again, don't take this the wrong way. I'm trying to help you out. Like I've said, I've been in your shoes. But, the more you can produce that is nice, the better off you are. Get a simple design done and get paid. Between jobs or during breaks is when you can start tweaking and improving stuff. During your off time is when you can try and create new stuff in flash or fancy things like that. The more you can get something done, present it to your customer for feedback, and improve it is something that can help you. Dealing with the customer is often frustrating, and time consuming, and takes practice most of the time. This may very well be your father (or something like that), so if dealing with them on design and layout isn't an issue, then you're lucky. The customer is usually one of the biggest pains.

Best of luck man. You are on your way.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Hey Mike, you're right around the corner from me in Mentor. I travel down Tyler Blvd. almost daily!

Site looks OK. Looks professional enough. Um, are you going to take the pictures of the products and put them in there for that $250.00? If so, I'd say that's fair enough.

i dont work there, and i have never seen either of BWR's stores, however i have seen their affiliate's store Cleveland Plumbing Supply (my dad works there) and if i were to take pics of the product, i would be needing about 100gigs of space just to host them. I most likely will just put whose brands they carry, and a link to that brands site. In front of me i have a page of some of the brands they carry, and i count 80 different manufacturers, and that isnt all of them!

My dad used to work at classic chevrolet up there in mentor! ive been to the mall a few times, hobbytown a few, and a few to pinnacle woods up there to get stuff for my paintball gun.

i live near chagrin falls (kenston)

 

[DivideBYZero]

The grey is too flat, consider dark blue with light blue or even have a white background.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
it says flash 5 doesnt support some of the things, but i cant tell a difference between 6 and 5

Ahah! I knew I wasn't getting THAT old. There really isn't a way for you NOW to tell what will and won't work for either version... except when you go to publish it. Go with the drop-down menus on top and take out Flash altogether. That's what I'd do at this point.

 

[MikeMike]

royal, do you like http://www.brownwestern.com/Main1.htm

is that design better (uses all html although not much there) yes i know it still has the flash, lets just say that will become a static menu.

and do all browsers now support <table width="100%"></table> since i know in netscape it use to screw up if you did that.

i got a week of cuz its SB so i will try the pure HTML way, with a little CSS maybe keep the text box the same way, and use it for aligning some stuff correctly

should i get rid of the outline to their logo, or what? that is another possibility.

im gunna put up another design late late tonight most likely, and will post a link to it.

 

[royaldank]

I think most browsers now support width=100%. Not sure, but I think.

The page you linked wasn't coming up...that may very well be my connection.

I'll try and hop back on here tonight with some ideas for you. Maybe I can help you out tweaking some things later this evening or over the next day or two. Of course, I'm just giving you my opinion...take it or leave it. Hopefully I can help you out and get you started on a designing career. Are you more interested in design or coding? More and more everyday the two seperate further.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: royaldank
I think most browsers now support width=100%. Not sure, but I think.

The page you linked wasn't coming up...that may very well be my connection.

I'll try and hop back on here tonight with some ideas for you. Maybe I can help you out tweaking some things later this evening or over the next day or two. Of course, I'm just giving you my opinion...take it or leave it. Hopefully I can help you out and get you started on a designing career. Are you more interested in design or coding? More and more everyday the two seperate further.

it would be coding for me, as i have no design talent, i just undertook that whole thing for the experience and money. Coding is easy, and can sometimes take very little though, others major amounts.

now if only plumbing stores werent so bland, i could have made the page more detailed, and colorful ( www.webmonkey.com ) check out the upper left hand corner that is cool.

but yeah, i am more interested in coding than design, and i can do photoshop, just hard with a mouse, and no tablet to draw with.

i need to learn PHP, and some SQL, maybe some others soon, javascript is comin up, and HTML is in the process.

CSS is somewhat easy to understand.

 

[nmcglennon]

I would add more color. Develop a color scheme: 2-3 colors that look great together. I would also keep it very simple, in HTML, and stray from using CSS and Flash. The reason being that (I know from experience with construction companies) most companies that do business with supply companies, do not have the latest browers, computers, or Flash and CSS capabilities. Keep it simple and in HTML. I would also get rid of the annoying crossbar, instead of a cursor.

If you need any help on graphics I can do them for you... I charge $10 an hour, and would probably take me 1-2 hours max to do those. I run my own web development/design company which does exactly what you are trying to do.

Edit: I just PM'ed you.

 

[rh71]

At 16, you're still ahead of a lot of people. PHP/SQL, etc. is good stuff to know, but it sounds like you're overwhelming yourself with all this at once. Take your time, but be sure you can leverage all of these tools by the middle of college. Do PLENTY of internships while there, and your career will be well on its way.

 

[nmcglennon]

You need to have mastered HTML before you get into PHP/mySQL, else it is useless...

For such a simple site as this, you have no need to really go into PHP unless you are using a database catalog stored in mySQL, or are writing some special functions.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: nmcglennon
You need to have mastered HTML before you get into PHP/mySQL, else it is useless...

For such a simple site as this, you have no need to really go into PHP unless you are using a database catalog stored in mySQL, or are writing some special functions.

i was talking overall and in general what i need to learn.

i might turn this site into looking more like

http://www.kenston.k12.oh.us/khs/khs.htm

with different colors, and changing the flash menu into a static menu like the left of my schools site. and a few other changes. but yeah ,i am going to completely redesign the site late night tonight, when i am at my friends house for a LAN (he has dsl, i have 26.4k dial-up) so i should have a better design with that

 

[RossMAN]

Nice site, who's your webhost?

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Nice site, who's your webhost?

i dont know?

 

[Krassus]

Honest opinion from someone with a half-decade of experience... it's horrible. If you're the one who design it, you should find yourself a new line of work. Sorry, but that's honestly what i thought when i saw it.