Thread: Website 50% Complete!

Hi everyone!

I am finally getting there (very happy). I have 5-6 pages published already and am really getting the hang of things. (at least I think). I need your thoughts and opinions about my site. I am still a newbie so I am still new to the computer lingo world.

Please tell me your opinons it would be so very important since you are my vodahost home.

P.S. Not all of my links work on my side buttons yet..

Thank You
www.romancebyshirlee.com

Site is nice. Colors seem very appropriate . Some overlapping but might be the browser I'm using right now.
Products look great. The left candle margin images look to me to be a little to far left (not that i'm a conservative) and that makes the page look uneven. So either I need ajusting or the left of your page or the center could use some tweaking. Doing great.

Looking good. Some of the pages have different transitions. Think the contact us suites the site better.
This may sound like a silly question, but are you left handed. I just noticed that your menu is on the right. Don’t worry! It looks fine there, its only an observation & curiosity. I know this is an old rule from advertising in news papers, as the right hand side was always the most expensive place to put ads because it’s the 1st place the eye sees. That’s why you rarely see an index in a paper or mag on that side of the page. Its worth to much money. But all is looking very romantic.

Chris

Originally Posted by Collectors-info

Looking good. Some of the pages have different transitions. Think the contact us suites the site better.
This may sound like a silly question, but are you left handed. I just noticed that your menu is on the right. Don’t worry! It looks fine there, its only an observation & curiosity. I know this is an old rule from advertising in news papers, as the right hand side was always the most expensive place to put ads because it’s the 1st place the eye sees. That’s why you rarely see an index in a paper or mag on that side of the page. Its worth to much money. But all is looking very romantic.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your comments greatly appreciated!! The answer to your question regarding if I am left handed is no I'm a righty. The reason why I have my navigation bar on the right side is because I've never ever enjoyed navigating on sites that have left side bars. I personally feel that internet is all about navigation and truely beleive that vistors will have an easier time navigating my site in this setup.

Thank you,

Garren

Originally Posted by Garren

The reason why I have my navigation bar on the right side is because I've never ever enjoyed navigating on sites that have left side bars. I personally feel that internet is all about navigation and truely beleive that vistors will have an easier time navigating my site in this setup.

Not so fast, Garren....
Personal opinion aside (yours and mine) the internet IS all about navigation and protocol, and natural navigation should always be set either to the left or at top (or a combination of both), conspicuously "above the fold." It is a standard that not only the majority of internet USERS expect and inherently demand, it is how the SE's methodology continues to index and rank websites. To depart from the accepted protocols would sever any hope for relevant SE rank and postioning, let alone create potential ill-will from visitor's inability to appreciate your "creative influence."

OK, now it's time for an opinion:
The gang already picked up on the easily modified and the obvious, but I would suggest replacing the "HOT" graphic with another....something more complimentary (this one seems truly out of place for such a class-act) I actually have an image/element to submit to you for consideration: a purple "pulsating" twinkle-star, which would be attention drawing but not attention grasping....I tried to email you (on your site email form-did it work? if not email me here), but if you would simply reply, I will attach it and send it directly.

I like your site, the design elements, and the attention to detail you have demonstrated. I think it will do you well!

Nice, colors appropriate with products.
Few suggestions:
-link something to this, I thought it was your e-mail "RomanceByShirlee.com"
-It is a bit crowded, maybe removing a few items will help.
-The page transitions are superfluous, users dont have time to wait, they want things quickly.

I know a lot of effort goes into making a website, with a bit of tweaking you will make your own better.

Garren, I thought your site was lovely. I knew exactly what you were selling and how to buy it.

I do not think it matters that much where you put the navigation bar and I think you have valid points for putting it on the right. I know nothing about SE protcol and do not understand how the layout of your page could possibly affect your rankings as a SE looks for keywords and metatags...not sure how an engine will know what side your menu is on (but would like to know if it is important.)

The important thing to me as a customer about navigation bars is that they are easy to read and kept short and simple. I tend to not like wading through button after button and prefer less on the first menu with more subcategories "inside" but that is just me. I would not want one any longer than yours.

I am on a slow dial -up (ugh!) and the only request I would have is the individual candle product shots load very, very slowly. I almost don't want to wait to see them. I don't know if you can adjust them in any way (dip 72??) but I think they are lovely.

Overall, I think you have done a great job making your site ROMANTIC!! Which, afterall was your goal. I also like the way you divided up the text on the first page with bars....I get frustrated with lots of text and this helped me ALOT and i enjoyed learning about soy candles.

I see you used MALS-e cart. How do you like it and was it hard to set up? May I email you about it?

Great job!!! You have worked very hard!!

Looking good! I see not all links work. I, too am at the 50-75% done stage. Your site looks yummy, er...smells yummy. Never knew that about soy...burning cleaner.

Originally Posted by islandcrazy

Garren, I thought your site was lovely. I knew exactly what you were selling and how to buy it.

I do not think it matters that much where you put the navigation bar and I think you have valid points for putting it on the right. I know nothing about SE protcol and do not understand how the layout of your page could possibly affect your rankings as a SE looks for keywords and metatags...not sure how an engine will know what side your menu is on (but would like to know if it is important.)

The important thing to me as a customer about navigation bars is that they are easy to read and kept short and simple. I tend to not like wading through button after button and prefer less on the first menu with more subcategories "inside" but that is just me. I would not want one any longer than yours.

I am on a slow dial -up (ugh!) and the only request I would have is the individual candle product shots load very, very slowly. I almost don't want to wait to see them. I don't know if you can adjust them in any way (dip 72??) but I think they are lovely.

Overall, I think you have done a great job making your site ROMANTIC!! Which, afterall was your goal. I also like the way you divided up the text on the first page with bars....I get frustrated with lots of text and this helped me ALOT and i enjoyed learning about soy candles.

I see you used MALS-e cart. How do you like it and was it hard to set up? May I email you about it?

Great job!!! You have worked very hard!!

Hi, Mals-e cart is a nice cart. I would be happy to help you with this cart, we can e-mail each other if you want. I want to thank you for your nice comments on my website!

I had reduced the pictures as small as I could without distorting the images, unfortunately I don't no how to reduce smaller than what I have without distorting them. Do you have a suggestion on that? I realize people with Dial up will have a slow load time. (I am sorry for that)

As far as the navigation bar having to be in an important place for SE optimization I have a hardtime beleiving that one! for starters I have searched many other sites which were ranked high with a navigation bar in many different locations. I am ranked on Yahoo as #9 when searching for scented soy candles.

Please feel free to e-mail me: shirlee@romancebyshirlee.com

Again thank you for viewing my site as I would want people to see it...you truly understood what I was trying to accomplish.

Hi ya Vasili,

Just wanted to thank you for sending me the gifs. Unfortunately I didn't get to use any. I put a few different stars and I think that you will be impressed. I have a question for you though, how do you make images load faster on the pages? I don't want to distort the images since they are candles. I have reduced them as far as I can in microsoft picture-it.

Thanks

Garren

u r welcome!. I will TOTALLY email you...thanks!! I'm not ready to try the cart yet, but i'm sure i will need help!

Regarding your pictures....i'm not an expert by any means at web requirements, and it may just be my ridiculous connection (however, I hear that way over HALF of websurfers are still on dialup)....but I do work with computer images alot. not sure if I can help but i'll try.

THe best way I know of to do your pictures is first to remember that for web viewing, they do not have to be high quality, as in DPI resolution. Really GOOD resolution for printing is 300-600 dpi. For surfing, you can use pictures as low as 72dpi. This DRAMATICALLY reduces the load time of your photos.

I don't know how you generated your photos, so can't give you specifics. But basically, copy the original pic and change the copy to 72 dpi resolution (be sure to save an original in its top resolution in case you don't like the 72)

THEN you change the dimensions to what you want, say 2" x 2" or ? pixels x ? pixels (I'm no good at pixels!) to get the finished size you want for your layout. You can do this in your photo editing program or use the Pix Resizer (never used it but it is in several threads on this forum). Then save them as .jpeg files . You might have a "save for web" feature on the software you are using that might simplify the process for you.

Then, test a pic. in your preview page. If it is too "grainy", up the resolution to 150 dpi. Rinse, Lather, Repeat! LOL

I guess my point is, by doing it this way, you will not distort the picture at all! It keeps it's original dimensions. Alot of people don't know that the DPI is a HUGE reason their pics are just too large. And unless you are selling something that needs to be printed out by the customer, 72 dpi is usually just fine. You can even have a LARGER picture (3 x 3) at 72 and it will be a smaller file than a smaller picture (say, 2 x 2) at 300 dpi.

One more tip....if you just can't get it small enough, try CROPPING the picture before you change the dpi. Take out as much background as you can around your candle. I did not notice how closely you cropped, so you might already have done that.

One last thing.....i do not know the specifications yet for what the thumbnails/photo gallery pics are recommended to be in pixel size....you probably do, though as you already have yours set. My suggestions here are just general for photos.....

Anyway, no worries cause I think you have done a great job!!!

OH! I see you posted while I was writing my novel! LOL I see you use PictureIt! Can you change the DPI setting in Picture it? Also, it sounds like you didn't use the Pix resizer? Maybe that will help.