Website Review and Suggestions

**brianb** · 11-25-2006, 06:42 PM

Can i get some feed back on my first site please. the links don't go now were, and i've only been actively using dreamweave 8 for about a month and some reading on the web, i have a little bit of an issue with positioning it thing and i use a 1280x768 screen resolution so i had to make some changes for it to fit better in a 1024x768 res, which i'm still not to familiar with sizing and fitting on to a browser/screen. http://www.realbrian.com/web_page.html
Thanks.

**Jules** · 11-25-2006, 07:14 PM

Brian, my thoughts would be:

What do you want to convey with your site ~ what are you selling or promoting or whatever? It is hard to review a site when I have no idea what it is going to be about.

You have your basic layout there so you do have something to work with, and I am glad to see that you are using CSS to style your site.

I am not sure I like the colors because to me the blues don't coordinate together. Maybe a darker blue for the background and a paler blue for the navigation area? Here is a link to a cool color blender site that can maybe help you select colors: http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/color-blend/.

In all actuality, you should design your site for a smaller view port (monitor) as opposed to the size you are using. Folks with smaller view ports will have a hard time because they will have to scroll to view your site. Just a suggestion!

Your images will need work. Do you have an image editor?

I would suggest too, that if you aren't a proficient speller that you get someone to proofread before your site is open to the public.

I realize this is a pretty rough draft of your site and many changes will be made along the way ~ so you keep plugging away! I look forward to watching your site progress.

Jules

**brianb** · 11-25-2006, 07:30 PM

Thanks for the info, this is just a rough draft/template, i really had no intention of creating anything for use, just wanted to see if i could acutally put something together, as far as an image editor i have photoshop 7, but have never used it, as i mentioned i've only been using dreamweaver for about a month, all of this is completely foreign to me, and i'm really just learing on trial/error, and spending hours at a time trying to figure out how these programs work, it's frustrating and fun at the same time.

**Jules** · 11-25-2006, 07:47 PM

Well good for you, Brian! Keep plugging away at it and having fun.

Jules

**Jules** · 11-25-2006, 07:54 PM

Hey Brian ~ now ya can get even with me

...I just posted a site that I am working on for a gal.

I have been out of web design for about 10 years, so CSS, etc. was new to me up until about 6 months ago. You just wait, in another few weeks you will be designing like a pro!

Best to you,
Jules

**Brian07002** · 11-25-2006, 08:04 PM

Hey Brian,

I would suggest doing this, get yourself a copy of Frontpage 2003, and getting comfortable with that program, it's great for new users. Good Luck!

**Brian07002** · 11-25-2006, 08:05 PM

Hey Brian,

I would suggest doing this, get yourself a copy of Microsoft Frontpage 2003, and getting comfortable with that program, it's great for new users. Good Luck!

**Jules** · 11-25-2006, 08:20 PM

Quote:

I would suggest doing this, get yourself a copy of Microsoft Frontpage 2003, and getting comfortable with that program, it's great for new users. Good Luck!

Think you missed this Brian, he has Dreamweaver, which IMHO, is a much better program ~ even for a newbie.

Jules

**blackhawkpowers** · 11-25-2006, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules

Think you missed this Brian, he has Dreamweaver, which IMHO, is a much better program ~ even for a newbie.

Jules

Jules is absolutely right Dreamweaver is far more advanced than frontpage but frontpage is harder to work with. You don't want to learn with frontpage and then have to change to dreamweaver when you get to more advanced pages especially since you obviously already have a working knowledge.
It's nice to see you're using CSS as Jules said also the only thing I really think you should do is put together some more content before asking for a critique even if it's just so people can critique your layout just grab a banner from somewhere and stick it up top some text that you copied and pasted off someone elses site if need be for the body but it's really distracting the way you have it there. The biggest distraction for me is the nav bar on the left it's just kinda floating there maybe get a background and run it the entire length from top to bottom on the left.

Also this is common with people doing their first site but if you rename your file from "web_page.html" to "index.html" people will be able to go to your site at http://www.realbrian.com/ instead of having to put the page in there.

All things considered though keep up the good work not a bad layout especially for your first shot.

**blacksburgpoker** · 11-25-2006, 08:57 PM

I suggest start out learning html.

You will be so much ahead, because you will move to html sooner or later

**Mooofasa** · 11-25-2006, 08:59 PM

I suggest ditching the program, and going for a HTML/CSS tutorials and writing it using a syntax highlighting pad, e.g. PSPad.

**Jules** · 11-25-2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mooofasa

I suggest ditching the program, and going for a HTML/CSS tutorials and writing it using a syntax highlighting pad, e.g. PSPad.

I have to sorta agree here. I started out with FrontPage (not my idea of a good editor) and then to Dreamweaver which I still use, but I don't use the design view part of it at all; I just use the code view and then view it in a couple browsers to see what it looks like.

Jules

**raven67854** · 11-25-2006, 10:17 PM

ok dude i will help u i also have a website and well i think i can help. now the first thing you wanna do is get an easier way to talk to me do you have windows im or yahoo im. if you do my name is humble on windows im send me a message iam usally on all the time. when u get this talk to me i will help u get the site up and going. also take a look at my site. www.freeclipsandgames.com

**raven67854** · 11-25-2006, 10:24 PM

hey man listen i got a website and i might be able to help and i hope to help. now listen do u have windows im or yahoo im if you do my im is humble. that way we can talk better now about those links. i can fix that. take a look at my website. www.freeclipsandgames.com. also put me on your buddy list and i will see what i can do if i can talk to u in im. i do hard coding meaning i use notepad. so my site has a little bit differnt of a look but right now iam trying to convert it over into flash.

**barengo** · 11-26-2006, 11:34 AM

Change the font.

**raise** · 11-26-2006, 12:13 PM

Content: What is the point of your web site?
Layout: Your divs are a little off place.

Overall, not too bad considering you are using CSS div containers instead of tables. Keep trying and you'll get there soon.

**brianb** · 11-26-2006, 01:20 PM

Thanks for all the tips, i really had no intention of building any specific site, just opened dreamweaver and had a blank page and starting putting things together. I work in the mortgage business, i think i may take a try at a mortgage site with forms, etc.

**egoldincome** · 11-27-2006, 12:01 AM

Continue designing
I think you can create more better