Website Review and Suggestions

**crush123** · 09:18 AM

Hello,
recently I have completely redesigned my site.
modified layout, colors, design etc.
and tweaked some features.
I wish to improve the site further and wish to know your suggestions.
please post your reviews and comments.
I am eager to implement your suggestions.

the main page is http://downloadsonline.org

your suggestions can help me a lot.
so, please post your comments.
thank you.

**ADAM Web Design** · 04-01-2007, 10:46 AM

The design in this case means nothing. You could have the greatest skin in the world and it won't help you.

Why?

Because you're making the same mistake that millions of others have made before you: link to a bunch of affiliate sites with no real rhyme or reason, stick them on a site (in your case, a faux directory) and see how many people will click and buy.

This doesn't work. It didn't work in 1997, and it doesn't work now.

In other words, what you need is some real content as opposed to just a bunch of links to affiliate sites.

**crush123** · 04-01-2007, 05:13 PM

Hello ADAM Web Design,
Thank you for your reply.
I understand your point.
The site is an online mall or a storefront listing downloadable products.
so, there is no other way for me to create real content.
I just placed titles, descriptions etc of those products.
I can't avoid affiliate links because, that is the nature of the site.
Suggest me what else I should do to build real content for this site.
Thank you.

**topboy** · 04-02-2007, 06:53 AM

my suggestion would be to change the link colours, make your links on the left a different colour to those on the main content of the page, to me it seems like too much use of the blue colour in my opinion

**crush123** · 04-02-2007, 10:08 AM

Hello topboy,
Thank you for your reply and suggestions.
I think the standard color for links is blue.
so, I have used blue colors for links.
If I use different colors for links, that might confuse visitors.
That is why, there is too much of blue color.

Shall I need to change anything else?
Thank you

**ADAM Web Design** · 04-02-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crush123

Hello ADAM Web Design,
Thank you for your reply.
I understand your point.
The site is an online mall or a storefront listing downloadable products.
so, there is no other way for me to create real content.
I just placed titles, descriptions etc of those products.
I can't avoid affiliate links because, that is the nature of the site.
Suggest me what else I should do to build real content for this site.
Thank you.

That's precisely my point. Your idea has you completely hamstrung. Reselling online generally only works if you have a unique offline supplier relationship (or relationships) to start with. All you have is the same relationship millions of others have, and you're all fighting for table scraps (the winner...ClickBank.)

**nabz** · 04-02-2007, 11:20 AM

i must agree with ADAM
but dont let it get you down, think it through

**crush123** · 04-02-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

Reselling online generally only works if you have a unique offline supplier relationship (or relationships) to start with.

Hello ADAM Web Design,
Thank you for your reply.
I agree with what all you wrote.
Can you please explain the point I have quoted?
I don't Know how to have a unique offline supplier relationship. Can you give any example that I can follow?

Thank you

**enicola** · 12:17 PM

My 7 second impression: looks like adsense site.
Will need to be fine tuned in layout if you want to make it sticky, my suggestions would be to move your welcome message down, it's too high and can easily be missed. Rearrange you links in middle so they are not so spaced out and bold the sub headings (perhaps change the subheading colors) and make font size smaller on links below to subs. Blue for links is good, but you can change the shade of blue from the standard. A good example of a cleaner layout that you could look at for comparison is topdownloads.net. A few adjustments here and there and you're site could be great!

Good Luck!

**ADAM Web Design** · 04-02-2007, 09:24 PM

An example? A store that sells bubble gum. They buy the bubble gum from a wholesaler, who buys it from the manufacturer. That's the best example I can give.

In other words, invest and resell (or find a supplier that will work on a consignment or JIT basis). If you don't know what those mean, you're not ready to sell online yet.

As far as adding content goes, again, that's tough becuase you don't really have a theme whereby adding say articles would work. You want something relatively unique though...unique = traffic = money.

**crush123** · 04-05-2007, 05:58 AM

Hello Adam web design,
I am doing affiliate marketing at present and the example you gave is different.
I can't venture into that field at present because I think it involves a lot of risk. so, excuse me.
thanks for your suggestions.

hello enicola,
Thank you for your suggestion.
I have implemented some of them.
I have lowered the welcome message.
made the subheadings bold
thank you.

Hello nabz,
Thank you for your support.

any other comments & suggestions please...

**Smoothie** · 02:25 AM

I believe ADAM Web Design means well but he is giving more of the business model advice than the design advice. Although I do agree with him that these types of sites don't work too well.

Regarding the design & look of the site, I thought the logo needs working. It seems too small compared to the title. Also, the gradient look on the top seems a bit old to me. The site to me looks like those that were around about 5-10 yrs back.

I think if you just made the title area a little more bold and catchy, the rest of the page would flow better. Kinda hard to explain.

-Smoothie

**bigaddison** · 04-06-2007, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crush123

Hello,
recently I have completely redesigned my site.
modified layout, colors, design etc.
and tweaked some features.
I wish to improve the site further and wish to know your suggestions.
please post your reviews and comments.
I am eager to implement your suggestions.

the main page is http://downloadsonline.org

your suggestions can help me a lot.
so, please post your comments.
thank you.

Hi Crush123,

I think your site is VERY well done. I see you subscribe to the ALL links blue idea. Even your navigation buttons. My only real critique is, at a glance it's very hard to tell what this site does for me. I did locate the site intro but I had to look for it and it left me wanting more. I think you should make the "Reason for Being" a bigger deal.

BigAddison
www.domainembarking.com

**anupat3l** · 04-06-2007, 03:13 PM

That logo looks like it was done in paint.. i dont like the editor links on right also.. i rate 5/10

**gator2007** · 04-07-2007, 08:34 AM

Is this supposed to be an informational webpage of just an ad landing page? IMO you pick the wrong name.

**brilile54** · 04-09-2007, 01:26 AM

looks very effective to me

**jazzy** · 07-30-2007, 04:32 AM

Hello Crush123,

Your design looks good to me. Its a clear and easy to navigate website.

Cheers !!

Jazzy

**HighVoltage123** · 07-30-2007, 09:05 AM

I think you need a better logo and all the categories are too close one to another - separate them someway

**Jerm3462** · 07-30-2007, 11:08 AM

Ok...:::sigh::::
Man i loaded this thing up full screen in 2 different browser at it rendered poorly.
The TOP DOWLOADS section on the right stretches much farther down the page than any other content, which leave big blue empty space at the bottom. Unprofessional.

The blue TOP SEARCH KEYWORDS section on the left overlaps into the white. Unprofessional.

Fixing that kinda stuff can make you rip your hair out, i know...but its gotta be done before you launch and try to make money.

One other thing ...this quote.. "All the downloads listed in this directory are Safe and Secure to the best of our knowledge"

that aint gonna work. Either say they are safe or dont say anything. That comment leaves doubt, I wouldnt dowload after reading that.

Id say site needs more work...but dont get discouraged...just needs a little clean-up. Good luck

**bezo.ean** · 07-30-2007, 12:22 PM

i must agree with ADAM
but dont let it get you down, think it through