Please review my first website

gnolan

Hi,

I've almost finished creating my first website, which will be my personal web design website. I'd appreciate all comments and criticisms - but try to go easy!

I'd first like to point out some problems that I am already aware of:

• i'm just free hosting at the moment for testing purposes
• although i mention responsive design, my site is in no way responsive
• unsure whether the site looks acceptable in IE 6-8
• don't have enough/any websites online for my 'portfolio' page
• i know none of the social network icons link to any personal page yet

I'm sure there are many other problems but please be kind, this is my first proper attempt. The website can be found here.

Can anyone give me any advice as to what name to domain name to choose for the website? I was initially going to go with www.engine-room.ie, but then i'm thinking about www.engineroomwebdesign.ie but am wondering if that would be a bit too long.

I'd really appreciate any advice from a graphic design, seo, coding point of view.

InTheTrees

Not bad at all.

The front page could use some Oomph though. Its not very attractive, too grey too simple. I like your logo.

I suppose I'd like to see more images. More colour. How you do that I'm not sure, maybe screenshots of sites you've done on the front page as a preview of the portfolio page?

There's no reason you cant have buttons linking to portfolio etc, in addition to the fixed links at the top of the page.

Just thoughts, i dont mean to sound too critical. its not bad right now.

Salaas

The site is stable and simple but it reads to me like a technical manual rather than a website, especially a website for a web designer. You mention in part of it that you make a website thats memorable, however you do not reflect this in your own website as its current format is too plain to make much of a impact other than people thinking its very simple.
As InTheTrees said, review the colour and the layout of the site.
Draw from impressive things for inspiration.

You have the technical part sorted, now its a case of working on the creative part.

gnolan

Yeah I completely agree. Its quite hypocritical really. I say clear simple striking responsive design. Clear and simple maybe, but not striking and not yet responsive. I'm gonna take a look at the color scheme but I don't think incorporating some images will be difficult, I don't want to be just putting up random stock images related to web design.

I appreciate the feedback and would welcome any more.

Salaas

Ah no problem at all.
Its always good to get the opinion of others as it helps avoid getting tunnel vision and not seeing the whole picture.
Its the old problem with making a site for yourself your gonna be constantly modifying it until you hit that perfect point.

gnolan

Salaas wrote: »

Ah no problem at all.
Its always good to get the opinion of others as it helps avoid getting tunnel vision and not seeing the whole picture.
Its the old problem with making a site for yourself your gonna be constantly modifying it until you hit that perfect point.

I just noticed a typo is my previous post. I meant to say I would find it difficult to add in images. I don't want to throw in stock images related to web design. Any suggestions?

Hopefully a color scheme redesign will make a bit of a difference

MrPicante

well done on the new site - got to say they are never fionished. Consider them a work in progress : )

SMPB

So sorry to be negative but,
if you are not a designer and able to brand then why are you attempting to offer up the creativity side as a selling point, it wont work if yours doesn't sell that for you. If you know about SEO and/or have spent money with Google, then your web may be first point of contact but not necessarily. What are your strengths in relation to web and play to them with alliances - are you a programmer and able to build the back end? Engine room sounds like you are a programme developer rather than a web designer?

MrPicante

absolutely - try joining up with a front end designer and offer the full package

MrPicante

SMPB - you are not been negative - this is very good advice

SMPB

Thank you. I work in the area. Even if the web is very well designed, it takes more than that to get it ranked.
Relevant links is huge. More than one domain name, code your pages, check out the words you have used most on your site...are they words the public would search under (when you do the figures, they may surprise you - I remember checking one sight and one of the top ten words was Simone....go figure, it was a site for drinks!! Video is also a good one. Why is Google using it to push sites up through the ranks...because they probably intend to charge us for it later when it has been proven to work over time and we have all rushed to get them!!! Even so, it is working now and for free....

If your site isnt visible then people wont pay you for making their's visible, or at least nowhere near so much!!

MrPicante

There are lots of good SEO blogs out there where you can learn the basics yourself - SEOMOZ do a great learners guide - and it's always up to date

gnolan

SMPB wrote: »

So sorry to be negative but,
if you are not a designer and able to brand then why are you attempting to offer up the creativity side as a selling point, it wont work if yours doesn't sell that for you. If you know about SEO and/or have spent money with Google, then your web may be first point of contact but not necessarily. What are your strengths in relation to web and play to them with alliances - are you a programmer and able to build the back end? Engine room sounds like you are a programme developer rather than a web designer?

I don't mind you being negative. No, i'm not a designer, but i'd like to be. That's why this thread is in Digital Art & Design forum as well as Web Development forum. Teaming up with an experienced front-end designer is all well and good but I actually want to learn it myself.

From the point of view of SEO, i'l take a look at that site and examine my site a bit closer with respect to keywords.