Website Review and Suggestions

**vesco** · 03-30-2007, 12:40 PM

Hope someone can help,

Dont know much about web design- just a bit of html, so I got a friend of a friend to design a site for me. The site looks good but I'm now wondering if its working correctly behind the scenes, I'm not selling many DVD's but maybe the whole concept is wrong but I want to cover all bases- here is my site www.onbikescotland.com

I would appreciate it if anyone could answer a few questions, I'm going to contact the designer but would like to have some info first.

1. Its hosted at vibus.net based in Ireland but I think this is a reseller, I cant get at the html to make changes, the designer gave me Macromedia but I still cant get at the html. Should I change to a proper host where I can get a username and password etc Then will I be able to change the site myself or will I have to give the host instructions?

2. How can I find out the size of my site on the server, also the bandwidth, does this info determine the reliability of my site?

3. Are my video samples too large, maybe people cant download them properly, what do you think of the quality of the video- they are in the wmv. format?

Apart from maybe people just arent interested in buying my DVD's, can you think of any other reason maybe technical why hardly anyone has bought my products from over 700 hits- please be brutally honest, if there is no future in the site I'm going to get on with something else.

Thanks

**phpgator** · 03-30-2007, 03:56 PM

Quote:

1. Its hosted at vibus.net based in Ireland but I think this is a reseller, I cant get at the html to make changes, the designer gave me Macromedia but I still cant get at the html. Should I change to a proper host where I can get a username and password etc Then will I be able to change the site myself or will I have to give the host instructions?

Even if your website is hosted by a reseller you should have access to FTP or some other way to access your website files. If you do have the Website files, you should be able to open the html files in any text editing program (even notepad).

But as mentioned, you should definitely contact your web hosting about not having the information to access your files. Or perhaps you just aren't sure how to use FTP?

Quote:

2. How can I find out the size of my site on the server, also the bandwidth, does this info determine the reliability of my site?

If your web host gave you access to cPanel then it should tell your directly on the front page after logging in. But size has nothing to do with reliability, that is up to your web host.

Quote:

3. Are my video samples too large, maybe people cant download them properly, what do you think of the quality of the video- they are in the wmv. format?

Even being from the US, downloads were fast and didn't give me a problem. Although it did scare me that you were driving on the wrong side of the road!

**blake** · 03-30-2007, 03:56 PM

You're riding on the wrong side of the road for starters!

OK, now since that is out of my system, here are some top of mind opinions. I am a designer, so I tend to judge a site on look a lot. To me the site seems a little amateurish, and I personally tend to avoid putting my credit card info into a site that just doesn't look professional.

Also, why would I want a video? Basic question, but if you can't answer it from a user's perspective, something is wrong.

Being in the U.S., I would have a few more reservations about purchasing.

The PAL/NTSC issue would concern me.
How much does this cost in U.S. dollars (or Euros). (I know, but most won't)
You don't have a physical address or phone number that I can see.

Here are three things that need to happen to sell these:

There must be a want or need to have the DVD.
The people with the want or need, need to find you.
People must feel confident in purchasing from you.

I hope this helps. Post back any other questions.

**MJM_RDS** · 03-30-2007, 04:21 PM

The site displays, so yes, it is working correctly behind the scenes (?)
1. The designer probably has a username and password, how else is it uploaded. Ask him directly for it.
2. Reliability depends on the host. Size of the site? Looks like less than 50MB.
3. They are under 10MB pretty much. They look fine, but I do not know this kind of material so I won't judge too much, just the sound is very irritating.
I think it would be better if you had them viewable on the site (embedded) as well as downloadable. I prefer download, but loads of people prefer on site. It's just more of a hassle to them to download and then start watching.

Perhaps the audience you are looking for, the ones who ride bikes and want to watch these DVDs just aren't getting to your site? Google doesn't seem to know who you are.

**travelagent** · 03-30-2007, 04:26 PM

"a friend of a friend" -- oh boy; that's where your troubles started ... perhaps you need to take a few months and learn both HTML & CSS, and design your own site.

Your friend isn't much of a designer, from the comments already made and I agree with them ... especially since your friend didn't tell you how to access all of the files.

But, since you're going to make contact with him, you might as well show him all of his code warnings:

Code:

line 61 column 51 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 62 column 55 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 63 column 43 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 64 column 43 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 68 column 50 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 69 column 50 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 70 column 45 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 74 column 39 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 75 column 43 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 76 column 35 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 77 column 46 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 90 column 183 - Warning: '<' + '/' + letter not allowed here
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <tr> isn't allowed in <body> elements
line 305 column 3 - Warning: inserting implicit <table>
line 314 column 13 - Warning: <embed> is not approved by W3C
line 314 column 171 - Warning: discarding unexpected </embed>
line 305 column 3 - Warning: missing </table>
line 21 column 1 - Warning: <script> inserting "type" attribute
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <body> proprietary attribute "leftmargin"
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <body> proprietary attribute "rightmarin"
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <body> proprietary attribute "topmargin"
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <body> proprietary attribute "bottommargin"
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <body> proprietary attribute "marginwidth"
line 304 column 1 - Warning: <body> proprietary attribute "marginheight"
line 320 column 25 - Warning: <table> proprietary attribute "height"
line 326 column 25 - Warning: <table> proprietary attribute "height"
line 326 column 25 - Warning: <table> proprietary attribute "bordercolor"
line 351 column 5 - Warning: <table> proprietary attribute "height"
line 355 column 29 - Warning: <img> lacks "alt" attribute
line 356 column 29 - Warning: <img> lacks "alt" attribute
line 357 column 29 - Warning: <img> lacks "alt" attribute
line 358 column 29 - Warning: <img> lacks "alt" attribute
line 398 column 117 - Warning: <img> lacks "alt" attribute
line 400 column 36 - Warning: <img> lacks "alt" attribute
line 416 column 1 - Warning: <table> proprietary attribute "height"

**vesco** · 03-31-2007, 04:38 PM

phpgator- thanks good info looking into it

MJM RDS - you are right the sound is bad , i've been told i'm on google but will take six months before i appear? dont know

blake- i dont agree that the site looks amateurish, we'll have to differ on that, also the funds transfer is handled by PayPal.

"Also, why would I want to..."

I talked about this on my home page, but below is text of why I created this website--

its not about speed on a motorbike, its about showing bikers who have never gone to Scotland 1000 miles of some of the best roads ( twisty, great surface etc) if they decide to go- I did the site because ten years ago when i first went to scotland on my bike if i could have got the info before going on my tour + a look at the roads themselves i would have loved to have bought DVD's so that i could watch them before my tour. It would have saved me alot of time and i would have been looking forward to getting on those roads and i could have planned my tour instead of just turning up and riding, maybe its a biker thing

**vesco** · 03-31-2007, 04:45 PM

PAL/NTSC my dvd regions page explains but my dvds are high quality bblanks that have been reecorded on, they will work on computers worldwide and alot of modern multi region dvd players

I'll have to look into PayPal currency ?

I cant have a physical address or phone number because i'm breaking the speed limit. I bet people in tha 70's had a happier life so what if more people died we all have to die sometime kick this health and safety into touch