Newest site

thecountrypotter · #1 11-12-2006, 01:15 AM

Hello everyone,
I've been working away making new sites. It's always nice to get some feedback from others. Let me know what you think. Advice, tips and positive critique is always welcome.

www.circuitcircle.ca
www.studioessentia.com
www.hantscountyarts.ca (not quite done as it seems to be a website by committee)

I must take some time to see what's going on here at the Vodahost Forum. Always interesting and always informative. Thanks everyone for all the tips this past year. Everyone's input is always helpful and appreciated.
Lorraine
Nova Scotia, Canada

Vodahost and Blue Voda are simply the BEST!!!

bill2006 · #2 11-12-2006, 01:49 AM

Wow, you have been busy.
http://www.hantscountyarts.ca/ - wonderful, great color selection. If anything, consider writing something for the NavBar alt text so it doesn't default to the URL.
http://www.studioessentia.com/index.html nice, for some reason slow to load, perhaps the fade in/out effects. relaxing. In your contact page there are 3 categories/names: Highway, Elmsdale and Nova Scotia, I gather its an address but invites a click.
http://www.circuitcircle.ca/ - NavBar not working yet or very slow. Loads the background first and then asks for "Press the space bar.."

good luck.

Vasili · #3 11-12-2006, 02:28 AM

(1/2 Hour Delay in posting...had to restart 3 times -- satellite connection, sorry!)

Hi, Lorraine!

CircuitCircle immediately engaged my IDM (Internet Download Manager), hinting at an "un-solicited download".....that's a red flag for me.
Additionally, I got a RealPlayer general failure (assumed it was the video on the page). I'd check into how it was loaded/linked.
Next....you have overlapping text and links at the top of your content.
Your color scheme was rather bold, and I would consider muting it a bit (more like 1/2 tint) to make it more pleasing and "cool" to visitors.
Your layout is off, and that is why it is "centering" too far to the right: check your page properties to reset the page width, as you may have inadvertantly clicked or placed an element outside of the intended page borders, causing BV to readjust the right side page margins which then "centers" disproportionately.....
I didn't drill in further.....figuring these should be corrected first.

And....not to be rude, I am running tight on time, otherwise I'd peek into your other 2 sites. I'll do so later on, though.
I like your tight layouts and attention to brevity. You have obviously put a lot of planning into your design, and it will pay off once the bugs are fixed!

Bethers · #4 11-12-2006, 02:39 AM

I can't open any of the 3 sites - don't know why - but they all seem to be causing my puter to say stop. Did you put anything on them that would look like spyware or something similar? I tried in both IE and Firefox - can't open any of them.

LadyEye · #5 11-12-2006, 04:03 AM

I am like Beth, I can't open then either IE7 ..... but in the meantime I'd like to say a big hello to you ... Nova Scotia here too!!

thecountrypotter · #6 11-12-2006, 02:14 PM

Wow, thanks so much for your advice. It's great to know I have "back-up" out there! Working alone "in the box" I can't see what others see.
1. Thanks Bill for the comments. How can I get around the background loading first? I have a slide show in Windows Media Player and that is what is asking for the space bar to be pressed.
2. Vasili: I don't know what's up with the "un-solicited down-load" I haven't added anything except Windows Media Player for the slide show I have on "Circuit Circle" I'd appreciate you looking into that. Don't want to scare everyone away with those "red flags" As for the colors, I'll try to "tone them down a notch or two :) I'll also double check the layout.
3. Bethers and Lady Eye: I have no idea why they won't open for you. I am using IE 6, which works ok and also in Netscape and Firefox. Any ideas? I wouldn't even (consciencely) know about sypware being on there. Could it be they take too long to load? And a big "hi" to you too Lady Eye - fellow Nova Scotian!

Thanks all of you for your valuable input. I have checked out your sites also and am nothing but very impressed. Voda Host is the absolute best place on the internet and the generous people in this forum is a huge contributor to that!
Lorraine

Dream Lady · #7 11-12-2006, 06:49 PM

Hi Lorraine! Just did a quick peek at all 3 sites. Very nice and unique sites! I especially like studioessentia. I'm afraid I don't have time right now to look at them in detail, so I'll be back. But just wanted to give you my first impression!! Great!!

Bethers · #8 11-12-2006, 07:10 PM

OK, I get get on them now - don't know why I couldn't yesterday.

I like the feel of them- but there are some SEO nono's

I'm on Studio Essentia - and that is pretty much a website that is catering to local people - but the only place se's have to see where it's located - well, they don't - anywhere - as the location is only in the header picture and they can't read pictures. If you want to be found by the people in your area, you have to use your location - probably in the title bar, as well as in text on the page - Putting important text into a picture doesn't do you any good.

I also doubt that most people will search by your name - so your title needs to say more - maybe something like: Esthetics, Hair Design, Massage at Studio Essentia, Nova Scotia

If there's room, I'd even put in the city.

On Circuit Circle - again the design is wonderful. But again, also - important information has been put on the page in a picture - again being the address/location. It is critical that that information on these sites be in words that the se's can read.

What I'm seeing - is someone who knows how to design a professional looking site (and these 2 look great) but who isn't taking into consideration the se's at all. And they have to go hand in hand - or the prettiest site will rarely be found. I went to their website - and they don't even mention SEO - which, sadly, is evident in the final result. There isn't a word of text on your home page that will be picked up and found by se's to bring traffic to Circuit Circle as a fitness center. Yet you have meta keywords with words not on the page (nope - those keywords to be there HAVE to be on the page) and a meta description that reads of more keywords - when here is where you need a nice little ad in sentence form describing your site (yes, using the important keywords). Your title bar again does not say anything about what/who you are.

I hate to be a naysayer here - you have BEAUTIFUL sites - but they aren't going to do what you need them to do as they are now.

naghosthunter · #9 11-13-2006, 12:52 AM

looks very good from my stand alone side :)

thecountrypotter · #10 11-13-2006, 11:06 PM

Thanks Bethers for all of your "sage" advice. I really have to learn more about seo. Your advice will go a long way and I will work at changing all of my sites to reflect better seo mangement. I thought I was doing a good thing by putting as much info as possible embedded in an image, but I was wrong. Back to the "drawing" board. Part of the problem is that the content is penned by my clients. Now I can see that I have to get involved in that part of the creation as well - to better optimize the sites.
I seem to be having a small problem with one of my images on www.circuitcircle.ca/trip.html. There is a logo image for Amigo Travel but apparently it doesn't show up on some people's computers and it does on others. It's just a simple jpg. Any reason you can think of why this is happening?
Thanks again everyone for your cudos and critiques. I learn something everytime I drop in the forum.
Lorraine

SChajin · #11 11-13-2006, 11:11 PM

I just took a quick and loved the look of all of them, I will go back and look some more. None gave me a hard time opening them. Good job

A Gardiner · #12 11-13-2006, 11:38 PM

To thecountrtypotter
I am interested to hear why in studioessentia you have navigation to each page from each page, but in circuitcircle there is no navigation to home page. I realize this is a small matter. I can see you have put in a lot of time to make these sites! Good luck.

Bethers · #13 11-14-2006, 12:10 AM

Lorraine, It shows up fine for me and I can't see any reason why others would have trouble.

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