Need an opinion

GerryRyan

While I'm still teaching myself css, html and a bit of photoshop - could I get some opinions on this page please?

Local Directory

I was aiming for a plain and straight forward, but professional, looking design; with a limited colour pallet (white, black, red, grey). I'm not a big fan of the mad, colourful, eye catching stuff.

But, imo, it turned out a bit gimmicky (biz card idea).

There's still a good bit to do (forms, some java script stuff for time/date display, menu on the right etc) but as basic templates go, how am I doing?

Anything, as long as it's constructive

forbairt

You'd probably be better posting this in the webmaster forum ... or maybe asking a mod to move it


The main image is quite pixelated ... detracts a lot from the logo in my opinion

I think I hate your flash banner ... check out swishmax ... or similar 30 quid and you'll be able to do some pretty cool flash banners

forbairt

your current logo is very blurred ...

I don't think websites have to be overly complicated but I think that is underly complicated if such a word exists.

Its not obvious to me what its about ...

I'm seeing local director > web design ??? what on earth is this ... local directory but I'm not seeing a directory here ?

Gordon

It's a bit too white for my liking, I'm getting snow blindness from it!

GerryRyan wrote: »

some java script stuff for time/date display

Why do people do this? If I want to know what the time is I can look at the clock on my computer. Usually these time scripts take the time from the actual computer anyway so if your clock is out then the web page shows the wrong time. It is one of the things on websites that I am baffled to find a reason why people do this. So why do you want it?

forbairt

Gordon wrote: »

Why do people do this? If I want to know what the time is I can look at the clock on my computer. Usually these time scripts take the time from the actual computer anyway so if your clock is out then the web page shows the wrong time. It is one of the things on websites that I am baffled to find a reason why people do this. So why do you want it?

Handy one on or two sites (depends on the site though) For example a site for booking hotels / transport ... its useful to have local time so you know whether or not to expect a response in the next little while. seeing its 10pm you don't expect people to be there.

Minor thing .. and yes in most cases its just the webdesigner is going ooooh cool I have have moving bits on the site

Sully

I don't like it. I don't understand for sure what you are: A designer, directory or an advertising agency? The front page has an awful lot of information and is slightly confusing.. Portfolio should be on a page of its own. Why are you advertising that other site so much? The logo doesn't get across what you do either. The site named indicates your a directory, but I got the impression you were an advertising agency then I got even more confused to see your offering websites when you hardly know how to design yourself (by looking at your first post)!

Try out being a freelancer and doing small jobs before moving upmarket and doing major sites. You gotta learn somewhere, and I think you gotta start of looking for nixers, doing a few sample stuff, then looking for larger projects. That's just my opinion, for what its worth!!

GerryRyan

Sully wrote: »

I don't like it. I don't understand for sure what you are: A designer, directory or an advertising agency? The front page has an awful lot of information and is slightly confusing.. Portfolio should be on a page of its own. Why are you advertising that other site so much? The logo doesn't get across what you do either. The site named indicates your a directory, but I got the impression you were an advertising agency then I got even more confused to see your offering websites when you hardly know how to design yourself (by looking at your first post)!

Ok, in simple terms, we are a business directory that offers web pages as part of the service.

• NewbridgeDirectory - main business - online directory
• LocalDirectory - second part of service - web pages

The local-directory (page linked) is the second part of the Newbridge Directory business. But, in hindsight, the name should have been given more thought.

The Newbridge Directory is the main business - an online business and service directory for the Newbridge area. This is why it's being mentioned so much. But I'm re-doing this later.

We were approached by a number of the businesses we had listed on the directory, asking us about web-pages and if we could do them. So we took the opportunity and are offering these pages, or advertising packages, aswell as the directory listing.

Now, there is a lot to sort out and, you're all right, it's not obvious enough.

I need to cut back on the references and links to the directory and get a seperate logo for the web design page. And have, in basic terms, what we are offering.

The portfolio is being moved to a seperate page aswell - we've a number of generic business sites to throw up.

Sully

You need a re-think of the design, as it isnt working for me - and I could have been a potenital customer looking for business. If I see someone who cant even design their own site properly, ill be sure to move elsewhere!

GerryRyan

Sully wrote: »

You need a re-think of the design, as it isnt working for me - and I could have been a potenital customer looking for business. If I see someone who cant even design their own site properly, ill be sure to move elsewhere!

Point taken Sully. I'm taking it down and re-thinking this tonight. On the site design, yeah, overall it's amateur looking - but I'm teaching myself as I go along. I'll be getting better and picking up new tips and tricks with each site or nixxer I do.]

@ Forbairt - just had a look at your site, and that's what I really should have being aiming at. In terms of text - here we are, this is what we do, how we can help you. I'm going along these lines with my one (but by no means copying yours, if you get me).

Sully

I dont want to sound to critical, as im far from perfect, but I think Forbairt site is rather confusing. I had to go to the sitemap to find the portfolio, the text describing there services is only a tiny part of the site while the featured project and the lady take up the large majority of the main page. Bad first impression for me anyway - and its the first impression that counts.

The About page is the propery style to be looking at it going by Forbairts website. That is well styled and layed out.

forbairt

Sully wrote: »

I dont want to sound to critical, as im far from perfect, but I think Forbairt site is rather confusing. I had to go to the sitemap to find the portfolio, the text describing there services is only a tiny part of the site while the featured project and the lady take up the large majority of the main page. Bad first impression for me anyway - and its the first impression that counts.

The About page is the propery style to be looking at it going by Forbairts website. That is well styled and layed out.

No worries ...
(and off topic in a way to the thread here .. I posted looking for C&C over on the webmaster forum a while back ... but if I'm giving advice to others ... I should be able to show what I mean from my own work I understand)

Unfortunately I've been too busy to do much with it like put the actual portfolio online ... hence I removed it from the main menu ... am I losing business .. ? potentially ... but it would be more business than I could handle right now. Word of mouth is getting me a lot of work and I send on links to the sites I've done if the people are interested in quotes and so on from me. (unless I start to outsource work .. to designers / developers .. which is a route I don't want to go down at the moment)

I've sorted out a content writer for the site as well ...

Also I think I'll be scrapping that design once I do go live with all the content .. and you'll see why when it happens

(thanks for the feedback .. site originally graphically designed in september one night ... didn't get to template it till november ??? and haven't done much with it since then unfortunately)