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Website color critique / recommendations...

Turkish

Lifer
Hey all,

I am designing a website for a small business (log home dealer), and I need some recommendations with the colors as I want the colors to resemble a log home but don't really want to use brown 🙂 What would you all recommend? Here's the URL: http://www.kizildere.com/lh1

Oh and please keep out if you are going to tell me that I suck at webdesign or going to tell me I should build it with Flash ( :rolleyes; )..

Edit: oh and I am designing it as minimal (resolution) as possible, and its all CSS...

Edit 2: just realized the site is not Opera compatible, but I assume most people in WV use either IE or Firefox so it should be ok...

Thanks 🙂
 
The big font on the top makes the site look very amateurish. Also, I would add pics of people looking happy, like on all pro websites.
 
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
The big font on the top makes the site look very amateurish. Also, I would add pics of people looking happy, like on all pro websites.

I know... I need to fix that 🙂 Thanks.
 
The links don't work. 😛

I do suggest using some more graphics in the banner at the top. It just seems to be missing something up there....but the colors seem alright.
 
Hey, you have the space for it... slap a bark/wood texture into the top area. And for just the top a bit of simple Flash does tend to 'wow' the masses (except for us that use flashblock 😉)
 
The colors are okay, as someone already suggested:

1: Center the page
2: Add a true graphical banner.
3: Include a title to the page. Currently my browser shows "Untitled Document".
 
1. A good banner would do.
2. Try not using absolute positioning, google for \"css fluid layouts\"
3. Use margin:0px; instead of assigning left, right, top, bottom
4. Name your divs with something that has meaning, like container and nav, so you know what your working with
5. Instead of aligning each paragraph left, do:
#layer17 p {text-align:left; }
6. Why are you using z-index if you don\'t have any overlaying layers?
7. Try changing the colors on the navigation, google up \"Listomatic\" and see if you like any of those CSS navs
8. Use H1 for the header, and use the Fahrner (sp?) Image Replacement technique so search engines will see the h1, and that will get you higher, but using the technique you\'re replacing the header with css/ an image.
 
Sorry, can\'t edit b/c scripting is disabled

9. To align the whole page without much trouble, do body {text-align:center;} and then make a div aruond the whole website, and if you have one then add margin:0 auto; which will add automatic margins to left & right sides, and text-align:left to make the text in the site align left. The reason for body {text-align:center;} is because IE5 doesn\'t understand the margin left&right, but it will center if you do text-align:center. Remember, you\'re putting this in the container, so for ex

body {
text-align:center;
}

#container {
margin:0 auto;
text-align:left;
}
 
10. Add a meaningful title, and google up the code for meta description and keywords, as this helps search engines know what your content is, etc. So if you google your site instead of reading some text thats on your site, it will have your description. Good for SEO (search engine optimization).

11. Add a year for the Copyright.

12. For some people, 10px Verdana is too small (old people for instance), I suggest raising it to 11 px, or make it font-size:small; or x-small; because you can\'t resize text in IE if its in pixels.
 
It's generally a good idea to not have colors that resemble vomit.

But if you were to use those colors, i would suggest burgundy as an accent like you have in the "Unique lifestyle" text. The orange mouseovers dont mesh well. Also not a fan of the black borders and white gaps.
 
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
The links don't work. 😛

I do suggest using some more graphics in the banner at the top. It just seems to be missing something up there....but the colors seem alright.

Well duh, I'll use a graphics banner 😛 Its just that they still haven't told me the company name, so I cannot design a logo/banner according to that 😛 I also like the idea of putting a stock photo of a happy family on the right top corner, what do you all think?
 
Originally posted by: AcidBath
Hey, you have the space for it... slap a bark/wood texture into the top area. And for just the top a bit of simple Flash does tend to 'wow' the masses (except for us that use flashblock 😉)

LOL, I thought of it, but I cannot find any royalty free good bark/wood texture on the net 🙂
 
Originally posted by: TravisT
The colors are okay, as someone already suggested:

1: Center the page
2: Add a true graphical banner.
3: Include a title to the page. Currently my browser shows "Untitled Document".

1. Why center?
2. I'll.
3. I'll include the title as soon as I know the name of the company 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Turkish
Originally posted by: AcidBath
Hey, you have the space for it... slap a bark/wood texture into the top area. And for just the top a bit of simple Flash does tend to 'wow' the masses (except for us that use flashblock 😉)

LOL, I thought of it, but I cannot find any royalty free good bark/wood texture on the net 🙂

They would need to be chopped down, but these are free:
http://www.mayang.com/textures/Wood/html/Bark/index.html

from the site:
They are free to use for all uses, whether commercial or non-commercial (you may incorporate them into your work with no requirement to pay us any licensing fee etc). It would be nice if you could credit us.
 
John Kimble: so much info, thanks 🙂 I am reading them all right now 🙂 I think I am gonna have some trouble centering it but let me try first.... will post back with results.
 
Ok, replying to John Kimble:

1. I'll design a banner soon.
2. Fluid Layouts look good but looks like I'll have to redesign the entire site?
3. ?
4. Will do 🙂
5. I'd put that in CSS layer 17 or div in body?
6. Actually all the menu items are overlaying layers for example. I know I could have done it with one layer for all but this was easier?
7. That site is sweet, thanks 😀
8. Great tip, thanks!
9. I am gonna try this now.
10. I'll fill in the meta tags after the whole page is done.
11. Done, but is it supposed to be before or after C sign?
12. Done. Edit: Actually, changing it to small or extra small kinda messes up the whole design, like layers get messed up and stuff 🙁
 
Originally posted by: JohnKimble
Sorry, can\'t edit b/c scripting is disabled

9. To align the whole page without much trouble, do body {text-align:center;} and then make a div aruond the whole website, and if you have one then add margin:0 auto; which will add automatic margins to left & right sides, and text-align:left to make the text in the site align left. The reason for body {text-align:center;} is because IE5 doesn\'t understand the margin left&right, but it will center if you do text-align:center. Remember, you\'re putting this in the container, so for ex

body {
text-align:center;
}

#container {
margin:0 auto;
text-align:left;
}

just did what you said but nothing changed on the site? can you check the code and tell me what I am doing wrong? thanks 🙂
 
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