Thread: First Website. Comments/Suggestions Welcome.

Gifts by Goldenthread is ready to look at.
http://giftsbygoldenthread.com

It's a very pretty site - well done. I did pick up on a couple of things: If you have centred your site (ticked the centre in browser box in page properties) I think it's not working because your top and bottom browser bars are overhanging the page slightly. This will take the width over 800 and null out the centreing.

I clicked on Afghans and the Large text is squashed and partly covered by the pretty blue flowers to either side, you probably just need to reduce your font size in both places. It's the same on Bath and Body, I think it's on all of your pages actually. There is also another bit of text that is spilling onto two lines and therefore overhanging the stuff below it. (The text where is says click here to win....) again it's happening on all pages.

Don't be disheartened - these are teeny weeny little things. Your site and products are beautiful and you have done a wonderful job. When you have time - take a look at my sites and see if you would like to exchange links :o) Our business compliment each other nicely. Well done!

Amanda, I'm opening in Microsoft Internet Explorer and I'm not seeing any of the things you mentioned. Everything looks to be fine and in place... now I don't know what I should do. What browser are you using? Yes, I will look at your sites and thanks for suggesting we link sites.
Thanks,
Shirley

I am also IE and Amanda's squishing of the afghan text appears on my screen as well. Also the violets are too close to and obscure the text line.

It going to look great - just needs more space between elements.

DDS

Originally Posted by talltwelve

Amanda, I'm opening in Microsoft Internet Explorer and I'm not seeing any of the things you mentioned. Everything looks to be fine and in place... now I don't know what I should do. What browser are you using? Yes, I will look at your sites and thanks for suggesting we link sites.
Thanks,
Shirley

Hi Shirley,

I've just checked your site with: SlimBrowser; Netscape 8.1; and IE. The problems I encountered were evident in all three browsers.

Your best bet is to probably wait and see if anyone else sees them - if not then I'm going to have a serious talk with my PC. Lol.

Hi Shirley
Nice looking site and wonderful gift ideas...
I agree with girlonthehill, text over hanging right side box
pages need to be centred........
On the whole you are off to a very good start.
Good luck.....

btw I use the opera browser

Very nice site, but I see the same things as the others. I also the word afghan on every page on the left side. The site is beautiful and you'll get it.

I'm still confused as to why several of us are viewing in Internet Explorer (I also tried Netscape) and I'm still not seeing any of the problems you are each talking about. Does anyone know how this can be possible? When I look at the site on the internet, everything looks fine. When I "add space to the elements" I'll be guessing because I can't see what all of you are seeing. I will do that and also check "center" in view properties (this had not been done) and republish all relevant pages. Thanks to everyone who is trying to help.
Shirley

Okay, I've made the following changes to the Home Page and the Afghan page only and republished each to see if improvements are right yet. Can someone please look at each of these two pages only before I proceed with all the others.
Checked Center in Browser on Page Properties
Changed page width to 1000 (thought this might help)
Added space around words on bottom right menu bar
Moved flowers away from word Afghans on Afghan page
Made no change yet to point size on "Click Here..." (is it still squished?)

Also, my Customer Login and View Cart at top right of every page are very close to the right edge. Can you see them both clearly or is View Cart getting cut off on the right side?
thanks,
Shirley

Originally Posted by talltwelve

Okay, I've made the following changes to the Home Page and the Afghan page only and republished each to see if improvements are right yet. Can someone please look at each of these two pages only before I proceed with all the others.
Checked Center in Browser on Page Properties
Changed page width to 1000 (thought this might help)
Added space around words on bottom right menu bar
Moved flowers away from word Afghans on Afghan page
Made no change yet to point size on "Click Here..." (is it still squished?)

Also, my Customer Login and View Cart at top right of every page are very close to the right edge. Can you see them both clearly or is View Cart getting cut off on the right side?
thanks,
Shirley

I've cleared my cache but it still looks the same. Sorry, btw changing the width won't help, unless tou change the width of the items on the page. I tried to give you a screen shot but couldn't get it on here for some reason. Maybe someone else can do that for you. Then you can see what's wrong.

I wonder what your screen resolution is set to because that can affect it.
Mine is 1024 x 768 (Start>control panel>Display>settings).

Your page width should be at 800 - as that's the size page you've made - and then your site will center properly.

I'm still seeing flowers on top of text in your header. Gifts looks like a daisy fts - the gi is missing. A daisy is also partway over the A in aspiring.

Your navigation - the last one "returns" is running over where you have the page ending - so they all need to be moved left or made smaller. Same with the bottom navigation. It's because of these that you need the 1000 width and the page isn't centering properly.

Are the afghans for sale? I don't see any pricing or way to buy them. If they aren't, then explain that for the customers :)

You've got a great start - need to tweak, tweak tweak.

Crocheted Afgans is still hidden behind the Nav Bar and the frame fot Glass Collectibles. G and s are hidden behind the flower empaulets.


DDS

Originally Posted by talltwelve

Gifts by Goldenthread is ready to look at.
http://giftsbygoldenthread.com

Nice site talltwelve

for your information.
I tried your form and it's not working properly.

it opened up in my outlook express. there's a topic on this forum with a step by step instruction to fix that...good luck

Mike

Amanda,
I did try changing my display settings to match yours and looked at my site again but everything still looked the same to me so I changed those settings back. Thanks for the suggestion. I've made all the changes I can think to make and republished. Please look again and let me know what you see.
Thanks,
Shirley

Bethers,
Thanks for your suggestion. I did add a small paragraph on the afghan page to let people know the afghans are not for sale but for prizes only.
thanks,
Shirley

Mike,
I'm not sure what might be wrong with the form. I built it myself in BlueVoda with action mailto:(my email address here) as described in the tutorial. I have tried filling out the form myself and submitting and it does email me the results as it should. Am I missing something and can you tell me more about what to search for in the forum and where to find it?
Thanks,
Shirley

Ah, it is much, much better. The daisies are no longer covering up your words. And the page is close to centered. The only thing that I see now that looks strange, is having your navigation on top and on the bottom running wider than your page.

Thanks for that last look, Bethers. I wish I could see what you're seeing but everything is in its proper place on my screen. I'm afraid to keep working with something I can't see, so I think I'll stop here for now.
Shirley

nice job, try deleting the nav bars and re-doing them that sometimes helps i found.apart from that it looks ok to me

Shirley: Very nice site. I love the name and the items. I use IE and the only problem I see is the nav bars hanging over your blue border, specifically the word "Returns". You might also try closing the spaces in the nav bars a little and maybe that will help. Other than that, everything else shows up wonderfully. I haven't tried your order form or contact us, so I'll try that when I have more time. Great Job!!

Hi Shirley - ok I've made a help page on my site and if you follow this link I've taken a screenshot for you (well, have joined two together). You will see what we are seeing and it may help you.
http://www.girlonthehill.co.uk/girlo...help_page.html

I hope that helps you.

Hi Amanda,
You're a genius! I can finally see what everyone else is seeing. The real problem is the following text lines on my home page (and elsewhere) are not showing up in the font style (typeface) that I chose for them. I used "Freehand591 BT" for all of the following lines: Customer Login, Gifts By, Inspiring Hearts to Give, Top Menu Bar, Click Here..., Just a Few... Bottom Menu Bar. I guess not many people have that font on their computer? Since the left navigation bar shows well in "Scogin", maybe I should consider changing all the others to Scogin? Do you think this is my best bet, or is it possible to acquire a list of the "more usual" fonts on the average computer so I can make another choice for these lines? Also, when I'm all finished I'll let you know and could you make one last screen shot for me so I can be assured everything looks good?
Thanks so much,
Shirley

You need to realize that you chose a font that most people won't have installed on their computers - therefore it will be a problem (as you've noticed) for almost all your viewers. There is a thread on here somewhere where I gave a link to all the fonts that are user friendly. I recommend you search for it and pick one of those fonts.

Ah heck, just looked it up for you - here's the link: http://www.ampsoft.net/webdesign-l/WindowsMacFonts.html

Beth,
You're all amazing. I had no idea a forum would offer such great help. Thanks a bunch.
Shirley

Originally Posted by talltwelve

Mike,
I'm not sure what might be wrong with the form. I built it myself in BlueVoda with action mailto:(my email address here) as described in the tutorial. I have tried filling out the form myself and submitting and it does email me the results as it should. Am I missing something and can you tell me more about what to search for in the forum and where to find it?
Thanks,
Shirley

When I press on it, it automaticlly opens up my outlook express. I guess if this is what you want it to do than I guess you're done with it, but if you want it like a form to get your customer's name, phone, comments,etc. than you need to do it properly.

this link here is how i was able to do mine. It has a step by step. Very simple if you decide to do a form format.

Whatever you decide, Good luck with your site talltwelve

Mike

oops, Pasting the link might help a bit

http://www.vodahost.com/vodatalk/for...-question.html


Mike

Shirley,
You're very welcome. There are lots of fonts out there I'd like to use also - but since we want everyone to see the pages the way they are meant to be seen - it's kind of important to use one that's widely accepted.

And I'm glad we solved why you were seeing something different than all the rest of us - and look how something so simple can cause such a mess!

Mike,
Thanks also for your suggestion for my form on the "Afghan" page. I followed your link and have reconfigured my Afghan page to follow to a confirmation page. Everything seems to be working properly. Information filled out by consumer arrives by email as it should.
Thanks,
Shirley

Hi Shirley,

It looks beautiful. Well done! I'm so pleased you were able to get sorted :o)

Amanda, I'm so glad you like the site. Another big thank you to everyone who responded with comments and helpful suggestions. I think all the kinks are out. I couldn't have done it without much needed encouragement and knowledge from all of you. Thanks so much.
Shirley

Hi, I think it's lovely. good work! :o)

Very pretty, I love the flowers and the color choices. If that's you're first start it's way better than my first, way to go!!!