Site Review - Newbie

[blackduck]

I have posted my first client site (which they are happy with) but I would like some feedback from all you experienced web developers out there.

I really want to produce sharp/professional looking sites and dont feel I have achieved this as yet. I would appreciate any comments on what I have done wrong, what and how I can improve.

Thanks heaps

 

[blackduck]

http://www.backtobasics.com.au

The url would really help I suppose!

 

[mickyjune26]

I like the colors and the layout.
good job.
I'm from america, so I'm not sure if there is much of a language difference, but some of the wording could be eliminated.
for example:
Back to Basics Business Training’s Managing Director, Susan Stephens, has this experience and has designed courses specifically for the Enterprises that focus on the practical day to day running of a business.

could change to:
Back to Basics Business Training’s Managing Director, Susan Stephens, has this experience designing courses specifically for the Enterprises that focus on practical daily business operations.

Maybe you could go on to mention project management, as it is a new hot topic in all industries.

I like the colors off to the left, it might add effects if you make the link that you just clicked on look like the programs link. I'm not necessarily speaking of a mouse-over effect, but simply giving the users one more item to remind them what page they are on.

Other than that, you have a simple, yet professional-looking site.

I look forward to hearing what you think, as I am starting to have my employees do all the programming, and I focus purely on site consulting.

 

[GUJUm0deL]

blackduck, like the site...its clean, simple and to the point...
All I can say is try using CSS tags for the links (like what tek-tips uses), it looks cleaner and cool...
Ummm, the 'Back to Basics', in my opinion, looks kinda too simple, maybe you can try to jazz it up with photoshop, or try creating a eye-catching logo...
Other then that...nice work!! I have not failed; I have merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...

 

[blackduck]

mickyjune26, I think your wording is more concise therefore better than the original. The client supplied all the wording, so I'll have to tread lightly with suggestions there.

Also, I did create a 'down' status for the left button links but it doesn't seem to work.

I created the navbar using fireworks (mainly for the one popup menu and the four button mouseover states) then imported it into dreamweaver.

So GUJUmOdeL, do you mean if I applied a css style in dreamweaver, those left navigation links would become nice and clear instead of being 'fuzzy'?
I'm not exactly sure how to do this, should I not use fireworks buttons in this situation?

Logo - the company doesn't have one. Do you know off hand of any design sites where I could get some ideas and techniques for that sort of thing?

Finally, thank you both for taking the time and providing some excellent ideas.


a happy little blackduck

 

[cian]

Hi there,

I didnt have time to read the previous posts so hope I am not repeating information.

In IE6, res 1024*

1. I think the manin logo Back to Basics is a little to big and too plain.

2. In the left column, there was no roll-over for Contact Us the first 4-5 times I "moused-over" the link. Also I dislike the way the link disappears when i click it!

3. For "distance education" there is a pop-up with 3 more links. Why only for this link? I would leave it out altogether or else add pop-ups for the other links. IMHO

4. The sub-header for each page is on 2 lines. I think it would be better on one line and maybe underlined?

5. I'd use a little more spacing between sections in your content.

6. On the contact page, you need to add a lot more info IMHO,
you have two names centered on the page. You could maybe start with a short paragraph:
"Please direct all queries concerning XYZ to Susan Stephens, Director of XYZ.
For questions concerning EFG please contact Alison smith, Senior Vice-junior office assisstant."
etc etc

7. Under Company in the left nav, you have just 2 links, Profile and Contact Us, being the top 2 links there should be the most important. Are these the most important links??

8. For long pages like Acreddited Programs maybe include a number of "Back to Top" links at strategic positions in the page.

9. should "terms and Conditions" be under "Company"?

10. Overall i'd use a slightly smaller font, and maybe specify the line height to aid reading.


Sorry if that seemed like I was harsh, best way to have it! You learn more that way.

Good use of colours and layout!


É

::

http://www.endamcg.com

::

http://www.endamcg.com/finland-gaa

 

[JillC]

Blackduck,
The pop-up menu seemed to be misbehaving in Netscape 6 so I reloaded your site in IE6. It was better, but still seemed a bit problematical. Perhaps that's because it is on its own and the other two links don't have pop-outs. I would suggest they should be just listed, indented a bit, under the link and do away with the pop-outs.

It needs a logo or something other than plain text. You can do all sorts of things with text in Fireworks - otherwise there are dozens of graphic artists who'd be able to jazz it up for you (I have a few tame graphics people here in Perth I can refer you to if you want). Otherwise, I know everybody else in this forum will scream, but I've found that using other people's templates works really well for me. You can buy a template including CSS (

http://www.basictemplates.com)for

US$5 and then edit the graphic in Fireworks to add your site name, and add or remove any other elements you like. And yes, I agree with the others - CSS is great!

Finally, in my opinion, it is pointless having a website at all if you don't list the prices. If there are no prices there then people will just click off the site and find somewhere that does have the prices. You will need to convince your client perhaps, but the distance education courses here in WA can be done by anyone in Australia (or anywhere else I guess) and I'm sure they all include their prices.

Hope that helps.

PS. don't forget to put Australia in your keywords, also NSW, N.S.W. and New South Wales.
:

 

[Wullie]

Hi mate,

First impressions are:

1) The programs heading looks far too prominent. I personally think it would look much better if it was the same as the company header.

2) Most important issue, there is no "Home" link. I would change the profile link to home as that is actually the homepage. If a designer has to think about what link takes them to the main page then guaranteed other users will simply get lost.

3) Ph (02) 4955 1199 fax (02) Why a capital letter for P and not for F??

4) Make things easy for users, make the e-mail link into a mailto so that the user does not have to copy it over to their client. It takes a lot less effort for a client and make the actual chore of requesting details easier.

Hope this helps Wullie

sales@freshlookdesign.co.uk

http://www.freshlookdesign.com

http://www.searchit-now.co.uk

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails. - John Maxwell

 

[z35]

hi, i think that the back to basics logo is too plain. i think you should make it an interesting graphic or animation.

also i would make the left part a frame so that you don't have to load it everytime. you could do this with the top part also.

 

[dongiovanni]

Very nice background and use of color; I think that's what makes the site look somewhat professional. However, the most distracting thing, right off, is the Programs header in the middle of the links menu (left side of page). Usually, a menu bar is uniform or at least in outline form. I don't believe you would create any confusion if you just took the Programs header out entirely.

Second, the mouseover menu is too slow, not close enough to "Distance Education," and not necessary. If you had a huge site with tricky navigation, that kind of thing is good (but not the script you used here. Try brainjar.com for something called "revenge of the menu bar" for a really good javascript mouseover menu bar). However, since you only have one mouseover menu, and only three links in that, I recommend removing the m/o menu and linking to those three pages from the "Distance Learning" main page. That would clean up your home page, and the navigation would be less distracting.

Third, is Back to Basics the name of the company? Is that their logo or company lettering at the top of each page? If not, then I recommend changing the font and making it smaller or otherwise more attractive. If it is their identifying image, then you might use your artistic skill to dress it up somehow with color, background, something. Right now, it just kind of sits up there doing nothing.

Fourth, each page has a header in the upper left of the white space that says something like "Company Profile." I know a lot of sites us gifs for lettering, but in my view that should be avoided at all costs because it looks fuzzy. I don't know anything about popular browsers in Australia, but if most of the company's clients are using the major browsers (i.e. or netscape), you can specify the font and make it different from the rest of the fonts on the page. That way, you get what you want without the ugly gif.

Finally, keep up the good work. I wish I had the knack for creating visuals like the green background you have.

Regards,

George

 

[GUJUm0deL]

blackduck, sorry it took so long to get back but i've been having midterms here...
OK, as for the CSS I typicaly either hand-write my CSS styles or use TopStyle, I don't like using Dreamweaver cause it can get somewhat complicated...
So an example of an external CSS might be:

A:link {font-family: "Tahoma", "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size:10pt; color:#003399; font-weight:none; text-decoration:underline}
A:visited {font-family: "Tahoma", "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size:10pt; color:gray; font-weight:none; text-decoration:underline}
A:hover {font-family: "Tahoma", "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size:10pt; color:#FF0000; font-weight:none; text-decoration:none}
A:active {font-family: "Tahoma", "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size:10pt; color:#003399; font-weight:none; text-decoration:underline}

And when you call this style sheet on all pages automticaly any <a> tag will follow this style, you can also use CSS to define the way a <td><th> tags look, like this:

td, th { font-family: &quot;Tahoma&quot;, &quot;Verdana&quot;, &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12px; }

Do a search for CSS styles on google.com and you will get a whole bunch of examples...
As for creating links in Fireworks, Flash, etc...is a good idea but nnnecessary...besides all those links will come out as GIF or JPEG or another kind of image that will have to load...
CSS is the best and clean way... I have not failed; I have merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...

 

[GUJUm0deL]

PS -- If you had to create/design the company's logo make you sure you also bill them for that...otherwise your next client might want the logo designed/created for free...
Case in point, any work you do on the site should be billed...fairly and justly, I might add!! I have not failed; I have merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...