Website Review and Suggestions

**roland** · 04-17-2007, 05:32 AM

Hello everyone,
I've made a website but i'dd like to check it by other people.
This site is changing on almost every resolution (except 800x600 and lower).
I'm not a very good webdesigner but i'm trying. This is my first PHP website.
There is used some PHP (for the news system).

Subject: Games, computer: hardware/software, gamebuilding
http://www.gaminggear.info

Short discription:
Gaming GEAR is a community about games/gamebuilding, news, computers and all other stuff are discussed on the forum.

I hope that people like it.

And i've got a second question:
I'm filling the site up with news and reviews but I don't have much visitors. Google is already finding 230 pages from my website. I've got already some banner and link exchange. I hope someone could help me or have nice ideas!

**grammapecos** · 04-17-2007, 09:16 AM

keep working on it
the left side (partners) is not good-move them

it just doesn't look like a gaming site to me

**wogazm** · 04-17-2007, 09:59 AM

maybe invest in a professional gaming template if you want to be taken seriously.

also a press release will help get the word out on your site.

**roland** · 11:16 AM

I know it's not a very look-a-like game website.

That is because:
I don't want to make it very heavy with all pictures because it still is a news site for computers and games. And a newssite shoult be good to read. Most templates aren't. And most gaming templates are full of pictures and that is not good for the bandwith.

But thank you for your comments. Because you both are right. Even I know it is a bit less graphics (with game pictures) than you should expect, I will try to make it a bit more game-style!

**Nano** · 04-18-2007, 12:02 AM

I tend to agree with the others. Re-arrange the different layout objects, and keep the entire width of your page as big as your top banner.

**roland** · 04-18-2007, 03:41 AM

NanoSafeguard,

I don't fully agree with you. I've tried that before but then i'll get messages that the news site does not fit on resolutions like 1680x1050 and 1600x1200. And that is even worse than it is now.
The news site need to fit most resolutions as possible. And if i'm going to set the size on the banner width then it isn't very good optimized for the higher resolutions.

**roland** · 01-16-2008, 02:54 AM

Hello, sorry that I've been gone for a while from this forum. I totally forgot...

Anyway, I've updated the website.

How do you think about it now?

With kind regards,
Roland

**andyp** · 01-16-2008, 03:18 PM

Its alright, maybe change the colour theme tae something a brighter

**CrankGames.com** · 01-16-2008, 03:44 PM

I like it...the only thing is the main part down the middle seems a little....awkward...just clean it up a little and you should be good

**roland** · 01-17-2008, 03:02 AM

To Andyp:
Thank you for your feedback! I will set it brighter.

To CrankGames.com:
Thanks for your feedback but I have a strange bug.

I will tell it to you the problem:

I've used one table to seperate the menu, banners and mainpage because the PHP script won't work. Div's isn't the bright solution.

My idea is to fill the whole page with the website. And If I don't set the height of the table in the script, it will be dynamic. The more text/stuff in it, the heigher it is. So, small pages like the contact page will show ~ 80% of the bage. The other 20% down is the background color I've used.

So, that's not the best solution. But if I set the height to 90% (of the table) then it will be dynamic too. So, the more information, the heigher the page.
And it will fill up the page.
The disadvantage of this idea is that it will show always a scrollbar and doesn't centralize vertically well.

So it is:
Fullsize + scrollbar + less good centralize

or

Small pages not fullscreen + better centralized

Personally, I think it looks better if all pages are full sized. But I didn't managed to get that working...

But I managed to improve the centralizing. Not for 100% but it works.

I hope you understand my problem. Else I will upload examples to show it to you.

**AlienFarmer** · 01-17-2008, 04:03 AM

**** son, your site so ugly I just slapped my momma! Ouch bro, you should seriously look into a template or designer or a priest for this. If your not looking to be taken seriously and just want a website for your friends and fun than more power to you. But if you want a serious game site you'll need a new logo and website design. I can't code worth a **** so at least you got that going for you.

Peace,
AlienFarmer

**roland** · 05:04 AM

To AlienFarmer:

This is just a good example about spam. I mean, you tell me that it is ugly.
and you won't tell what you don't like about the website.
So I can't do anything with your post.

So I give you a tip: if you have comments or criticism about something, tell the people what you did not like and what is good.
People can focus themselves better to the problem on this way.

But the people above liked it. And it is still a newssite, so not to colored banners etc...
And don't worry about the power etc...
Of course, taste is differend. I like this style much.

Quote:

But if you want a serious game site you'll need a new logo and website design.

I won't redesign it. Some webdesigners have already raten it. The design works good in The Netherlands. News is good readable,
menu is good visible, not to many links and works with every browser. Everything is sorted well and the colors/style is just an opinion.
The logo is very clear and has the colors that are in the website itself.
The website self is dynamic and can take from 1024x768 up to almost every resolution possible (even above the 1600x1200).
The only bug is described above but isn't very bad. I've already improved that.

So I won't agree with your comments and criticism. And I can't do anything with it until you tell me how and what's bad about the website.

**AlienFarmer** · 01-17-2008, 01:06 PM

I may have been a little harsh before so let me be more specific for you. Your site just strikes me as plain and boring looking. The colors don't excite me and theirs not enough graphics on the sidebars. On second review your logo is actually pretty cool but I think the blue background makes the graphic its on look cheap and tacky. I would like to see a black header background so your graphic just fades into it. Maby even a flash header. The roll over on the side bar text is cool, I like your navigation as it is easy to get around. But again, even your navigation is somewhat boring. Why not add sound and flash here too? I really hate the gray bar that splits the header from the body. It looks like a template. If you built your website from scratch you did a pretty good job as far as structure goes. With all the free CMS software out their why not just use wordpress or something and go from there? Anyway good luck and I hope my review helps!

Cheers,
AlienFarmer

**roland** · 04:02 PM

Quote:

I may have been a little harsh before so let me be more specific for you.

Do you think that I will take you serious if you say things like this?

Quote:

**** son, your site so ugly I just slapped my momma! Ouch bro, you should seriously look into a template or designer or a priest for this.

I don't think so.

Quote:

Your site just strikes me as plain and boring looking.
The colors don't excite me and theirs not enough graphics on the sidebars.

Taste is diffend.

Quote:

On second review your logo is actually pretty cool but I think the blue background makes the graphic its on look cheap and tacky.

First more positive post, yeey.

Quote:

I would like to see a black header background so your graphic just fades into it. Maby even a flash header.

For a newssite? It's a game/computer newssite. That could make it to busy for your eyes that people won't read the articles anymore.
A dynamic website isn't an animated pictured website.
Anyway, I could give it a try.

Quote:

I like your navigation as it is easy to get around.

Okay, that's a good point.

Quote:

But again, even your navigation is somewhat boring.

I don't want to give a website where news is provided, a hyper hyper look that attrackt to much.

Quote:

Why not add sound and flash here too?

The reason why I don't use flash is because I don't have any flash skills. So I need to build something with other type of material where I can use my skills.
And sounds can get easily irritating.

Quote:

I really hate the gray bar that splits the header from the body.

I can try to give it a color. But this is a neutral and not too distracting way to split it up.

Quote:

It looks like a template.

Another thing that I disagree. But it's your opinion.

Quote:

If you built your website from scratch you did a pretty good job as far as structure goes.

Okay.

Quote:

With all the free CMS software out their why not just use wordpress or something and go from there?

The reason I don't use an existing CMS is because there is always loads of stuff that I won't never use. I use my own scripts. Of course I will check if it is secure and spam prevented.
That way is much more efficient and faster to load for a person.

Quote:

Anyway good luck and I hope my review helps!

Thanks for the review (even when I disagree with some stuff).