Website Review and Suggestions

**Sneakyheathen** · 04-01-2007, 11:50 AM

http://npmusic.sewitupcharlotte.com/MTP/news.php

As you may know, I run a review website that features reviews, interviews, webmaster articles, etc for webmasters. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for improving look, experience, etc. Give me some ideas. (Don't be afraid to be harsh, I know I'm not!)

**emkay** · 04-01-2007, 12:05 PM

I think your site is awesome, and has great potential. I really like the free reviewing service you are offering to web masters. Your site could really grow, but you need to consider the following.

Your website url is way too long, and it's almost impossible to remember it by heart, have you ever thought of buying a domain name BTW? I like your website name though, Minus The Pie, sounds...casual yet professional.

Another thing is the colour scheme. I do not think the dark colour scheme you are using fits with with your site. And it may have enough power to drive visitors away. I would suggest going with a whiter-gray colour scheme, which will enable the site to look much more professional.

I don't really have much else to say, well done

**Sneakyheathen** · 04-01-2007, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emkay

I think your site is awesome, and has great potential. I really like the free reviewing service you are offering to web masters. Your site could really grow, but you need to consider the following.

Your website url is way too long, and it's almost impossible to remember it by heart, have you ever thought of buying a domain name BTW? I like your website name though, Minus The Pie, sounds...casual yet professional.

Another thing is the colour scheme. I do not think the dark colour scheme you are using fits with with your site. And it may have enough power to drive visitors away. I would suggest going with a whiter-gray colour scheme, which will enable the site to look much more professional.

I don't really have much else to say, well done

just FYI: I had planned on maybe getting www.minusthepie.com when i got the funding for it.

As for the color scheme, thanks for the suggestion. I will look into making it more professional.

**MJM_RDS** · 04-01-2007, 12:16 PM

Personally I just don't like the whole dark theme that some websites have, I like it bright and with some colour.
The fade you have on your nav items (from the blue to orange) doesn't work in Opera (v9.10b8679). It's blue when you hover and then when you hover over them again it's orange and stays that way.
Also don't like it when there are two navs, some sites need it, but your site repeats some of the nav items.
The logo is so alone up there in the corner.

Otherwise not much to say, the usual layout, and I'm not really sure how much freedom php-fusion gives you since I never tried it myself.

**phpknowhow** · 04-01-2007, 12:54 PM

I would say, buy the domain now. Someone will come along and relize that it is in their intrest to buy it and then sell it to you.

For future referance:
Always buy the domain before you even think of doing any coding.

It would be a complete waste to have a site whose domain has already been taken.

**Sneakyheathen** · 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJM_RDS

Personally I just don't like the whole dark theme that some websites have, I like it bright and with some colour.
The fade you have on your nav items (from the blue to orange) doesn't work in Opera (v9.10b8679). It's blue when you hover and then when you hover over them again it's orange and stays that way.
Also don't like it when there are two navs, some sites need it, but your site repeats some of the nav items.
The logo is so alone up there in the corner.

Otherwise not much to say, the usual layout, and I'm not really sure how much freedom php-fusion gives you since I never tried it myself.

Also I changed the theme to be lighter and will work on the logo..make it bigger or something.

Thanks for the comments.

**emkay** · 02:09 PM

I recommend against .tk or any other free malarkey. I'm definitely sure you have atleast some sort of finance source so I would suggest buying that domain as soon as possible if you want the website to grow even more.

BTW it looks much better now, more readable, but lose the green in the background. And brighten up your header a little with some graphics or something.

Just my 2 cents

**Sneakyheathen** · 04-01-2007, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emkay

I recommend against .tk or any other free malarkey. I'm definitely sure you have atleast some sort of finance source so I would suggest buying that domain as soon as possible if you want the website to grow even more.

BTW it looks much better now, more readable, but lose the green in the background. And brighten up your header a little with some graphics or something.

Just my 2 cents

I'll work on that domain situation. Thank you all for your input! Oh and...everything looks better in green (I like green...)

**MJM_RDS** · 04-01-2007, 08:11 PM

Green is the best colour ever. Yet I'm still not sure why that frame is there instead of just removing it, seeing as your page is liquid anyways. And by God I hate frames, but I can live with them as long as it's not my code, probably forced by php-fusion?
Either way, not to many errors on the page, just two. One where you should've used CSS, one where you forgot the alt attribute on an image.
I noticed you only have one nav now and move the poll, which by the way, is now more visible than before.
Good work on the lighter theme as well.
I'm not sure I like how the seperate posts flow into each other instead of having some kind of visual border. Also I'd recommend splitting that middle column into two once the page is sized too large as to maintain readability. No idea if you can do that with php-fusion. Here's an article from ALA, I used it on my last project, they almost raped me.
http://alistapart.com/articles/switchymclayout

**Sneakyheathen** · 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJM_RDS

Green is the best colour ever. Yet I'm still not sure why that frame is there instead of just removing it, seeing as your page is liquid anyways. And by God I hate frames, but I can live with them as long as it's not my code, probably forced by php-fusion?
Either way, not to many errors on the page, just two. One where you should've used CSS, one where you forgot the alt attribute on an image.
I noticed you only have one nav now and move the poll, which by the way, is now more visible than before.
Good work on the lighter theme as well.
I'm not sure I like how the seperate posts flow into each other instead of having some kind of visual border. Also I'd recommend splitting that middle column into two once the page is sized too large as to maintain readability. No idea if you can do that with php-fusion. Here's an article from ALA, I used it on my last project, they almost raped me.
http://alistapart.com/articles/switchymclayout

I would appreciate it if you would point out those two problems. As far as the liquid layout, I rather like it. I don't split content into two columns as a personal preference, I'll probably end up just displaying the news post for the day. If you're referring to the site border as "that frame you could remove anyways", well if I remove it it makes the content look too floaty for my tastes and I like my pages to be held together. I realize liquid layouts sometimes misplace their elements, but I've tested the site in IE and FF and have seen no problems.

**dent** · 04-02-2007, 01:24 AM

well... my humble opinion

I get confused and look for a logo... and find something small to the left... hmm ok then, a little weird only.
Then I dont like at all the blue frame around the banner that probably is some template thing maybe or what do I know Im a junior stalker :P

I think it is one of those sites that are great because of its content

thx

dent

**topboy** · 04-02-2007, 07:03 AM

nice use of colours, in my opinion i would suggest to make your top menu links stand out better, maybe larger font or differnet colour

you have two simple HTML errors on the page you should remove

but other than that great design

**Sneakyheathen** · 04-02-2007, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topboy

nice use of colours, in my opinion i would suggest to make your top menu links stand out better, maybe larger font or differnet colour

you have two simple HTML errors on the page you should remove

but other than that great design

Yeah I was thinking that the menu was invisible and I will most definitely pump the logo up this morning. People keep mentioning these two errors but can i get a screen shot or something? You haven't said WHAT the errors are.

**reviewsandsuch** · 04-02-2007, 12:59 PM

I like the whole idea of the website, I think that it is ver well organized and everything.

**Sneakyheathen** · 04-02-2007, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sneakyheathen

Yeah I was thinking that the menu was invisible and I will most definitely pump the logo up this morning. People keep mentioning these two errors but can i get a screen shot or something? You haven't said WHAT the errors are.

Thank you very much, I work very hard. :]

**MJM_RDS** · 04-05-2007, 06:10 PM

Dude. http://validator.w3.org/ Seriously. Lol, nah it's alright now anywho.
Nav ain't in one row here, all browsers I got.

**Smoothie** · 04-06-2007, 02:13 AM

The site looks nice. I just didn't like the logo. It seemed to plain and it needs some work. Perhaps have it done professionally. I remember getting a logo made for another site for like $50 from a logo company. I think another person on here just had their site reviewed who was doing logos.

-Smoothie