Website critique.

Energize · 21 Jul 2011 at 18:32

I've been asked by the owner to help advise some changes to the company website. Quite frankly I think it looks like something from the 90's but I can't quite put my finger on what all the problems are here, colour scheme, font size and the number of bullet points can be improved as well as a couple of bugs, unfortunately it was created with one of those diy website creation sites.

Kemik · 21 Jul 2011 at 19:02

Needs some form of body (i.e. sides) to help guide the eye. More than one colour. Set apart the navigation bar and smaller font.

Ciphon · 21 Jul 2011 at 19:05

Well, the poor quality of those first two images make the site look cheap..

The menu is awful :eek:

In FF4 it's completely moving when you hover over a link...

Could have a far better layout..

Energize · 21 Jul 2011 at 19:17

Do you think the flash video should go as well?

I've moved the logo to the top right and significantly reduced the size of the images and the font size.

MrMark · 21 Jul 2011 at 20:38

I think i would get Wordpress installed on a PC and then start to look at the templates on offer and lift as much as possible content wise into that. At least it gives you a quick starting point and something to show. Then redevelop it.

Good luck!!

Mark

Draeger · 21 Jul 2011 at 20:59

MrMark said:
I think i would get Wordpress installed on a PC and then start to look at the templates on offer and lift as much as possible content wise into that. At least it gives you a quick starting point and something to show. Then redevelop it.

Good luck!!

Mark

This^^^. Or something similar. I think you are chasing your tail trying to revamp that site as it stands.

Lift the content and transfer it over to a new site. If you use a template of some sort it would take a day to complete, tops. I suppose it depends on whether you are doing it as a favour and how much time you can afford to invest in it or if you will be recompensed for it in the form of a fee.

The above is just my opinion though, your call m8.

uniQ · 21 Jul 2011 at 21:02

Extremely basic design. It's all of the things you mentioned in the OP to be fair. Needs scrapping and re doing from scratch. Bringing it up to date with a modern fresh feel.

Energize · 21 Jul 2011 at 21:04

Yeah I think it would be better doing it from scratch, however believe it or not that is a brand new website created by the owner (actually an improvement on the previous one!), and I'm not sure how well that would go down.

With wordpress is it easier for me to setup php on my pc or just use a web host to try it out?

Gtiracer · 21 Jul 2011 at 22:16

Text is all over the place and has no structure. Different fonts, sizes and styles have been used not being consistent and not looking professional

I dont know if they are rollover images on the top menu but all that happens is the underlining blacks out.

Heres a tip to clean up your HTML, keep your css file seperate. Wouldn't harm you to download a few Css templates and adjust them to suit.

Definately use some sort of frame structure.

Hope this helps and all the best with getting it sorted

Shadz · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:05

The font colour on this site is horrible, and its really to plain as well.

Don't like the fact that its just text on a black background.

Maccy · 21 Jul 2011 at 23:10

The links spread out onto a second/third line depending on your browser window side. Golden rule - developing to standards, not just one user/browser.

alle · 22 Jul 2011 at 17:05

...Black background and single coloured text spanning whole screen, although not necessarily yellow, are what reminds you of the 90s (or 'my first web page'

)

The lack of 'flow' doesn't help either.

Also take a look at the grammar and check the spelling. There are way too many random capitals in the middle of sentences.

Energize · 5 Aug 2011 at 22:19

What do you think about the guestbook and "tell a friend" pages, get rid? I don't think I've seen a guestbook for a long time.

You know I've just been looking at the code and realised what a train wreck it is!

unwashed potato! · 5 Aug 2011 at 22:25

you tell us. when was the last time you used either of those features on a website? i assume you visit many but do you ever bother to sign up guestbooks or tell your friends?

Energize · 5 Aug 2011 at 22:33

Never, but when I look at the site a few people have used the guestbook commenting "the website looks amazing". :eek:

3dcandy · 5 Aug 2011 at 22:51

late to the party..but....old style and very sparse with little to shout out "look at me!"
guestbook, the comments this website are amazing look like they are written by 10 year old girls..and guestbooks are so, so out of date...
+1 for Wordpress, nice and easy to use, anyone with an account can post a blog/news/update site, including via mobiles etc. can easily accomodate mobile users (real growth area) need I go on?

Sherbs · 5 Aug 2011 at 22:55

This what you've been working on?

Sherbs · 5 Aug 2011 at 22:56

Maccy said:
The links spread out onto a second/third line depending on your browser window side. Golden rule - developing to standards, not just one user/browser.

http://dowebsitesneedtolookexactlythesameineverybrowser.com/

But yeah it does look silly.

Energize · 5 Aug 2011 at 23:57

Sherbs said:
This what you've been working on?

Yes, well partly.

I just realised that the login page is not ssl!

wilko49 · 6 Aug 2011 at 23:09

The document layout doesn't make much sense - h2 for the first title, then a h1... plus most of the layout is done with tables. As said, the images are pretty bad quality. The prices page could really do with a bit more colour to break up the table...

It looks a bit weird with the massive horse banner at the top, then the logo. And the top navigation bar doesn't match the bottom.