Site Under Construction: Need opinions & suggestions

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-13-2008, 07:16 AM

Hello everybody.....

Currently I am working for an Indian client who needs a website to be developed for an 3-day sports event. I have designed the two major pages( home & events ) and in a way the base layout.....
The site needs to be delivered this weekend, so can u all please review the cuurrently working pages....and give your suggestions!! Will implement them on these and the upcoming pages....

http://www.icthalon.com

Waiting for replies, thank you!!

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-14-2008, 01:14 AM

hello...everybody....
No replies yet...which is a bit disappointing.....
But please....if you all can give some feedback, it would be helpful

**kids** · 03-14-2008, 11:08 AM

It's a colorful site with some ajax. Is that right? I think there's something with iframe. I know you are designing a fixed width site, but h/v scroll in iframe can make me don't like it a bit.

**aldor** · 03-14-2008, 01:56 PM

Your home page takes far too long to load even with a fast connection, and when it has loaded there is too much going on to see easily what the site is about.
Remember that sites have to grab the attention of the visitor right away or that visitor will go some place else.
You obviously are technically sound, but don't use various technologies just because you can, they should be used to help communuucation not get in the way.

**sandyk3** · 03-14-2008, 11:43 PM

Hi,
Please remember this is just my opinion but I have to say it.

I think the home page picture is too heavy and very busy. Too many different places to click on for a link and the scroll on the left - way too much.

The links on the left on the events page jump too much when I hover on the link. Try to keep the same text size with all of the styles of links to avoid the jumpiness. I don't like the frame, I think you could create a #content area that will be flexible and expand as more text is added to the area.

The colors of your background picture - too much. I also noticed that while waiting for the home page to load a different picture came up. I would suggest just putting a solid color for your background.

I analyzed your site, here are your results. http://www.websiteoptimization.com/s...nalyze/wso.php

Also when I validated your site you had 254 HTML errors but no CSS errors. You can validate your HTML code here: http://validator.w3.org/

Again, this is just a reflection of my opinion.

**shapeandlight** · 03-15-2008, 07:52 AM

The page does take too long to load, I almost navigated away from it because of this, and most visiters will too. I don't know, but your off to a good start and maybe you should relax the hot pink, but then again maybe your vision is different from mine.

Good luck

**AskGary** · 03-16-2008, 01:19 AM

Also, to add to some of the other points, a webmaster should never display a link to his name or personal website. The client is paying you for a portal to their event, not a marketing advertisement for you.

**mork29** · 03-16-2008, 09:25 AM

Make sure when you're working on your site, you view it from alot of different resolutions. I'm viewing it at 1280 x 800 and have a whole bunch of pink at the right of my screen. It's a harsh and unpleasent thing. At least try and center everything that the user will see, and perhaps choose a new background color.

The images and layout are way way to busy. It's "impressive", but it looks like your trying to show off. A website that uses lots of tricks is not good. A website that makes it easy for a user to get at the content they want to see while not hurting their eyes is good.

Unless you're doing this site for free, remove your advertisement at the bottom.

Scrolling text was a great novetly in the mid-90s. Most of us have since learned that it's a bad idea, espcially when there are 2 scrolling items going different directions within a few inches of each other on the screen.

Also, the nav menu in the bottom right looks like it was put in as an averthought. You have 4 different places on that page where users can get to important items. Try and perhaps integrate more of the menus into 1 clean navigation menu. Perhaps a larger version of the one that has the paper background.

Although this site is "impressive", it is also an assault on the eyes. Your hitting the user with to much to quickly. It seems like you have alot of development type skills that you want to show off, but look at it more from the uesrs perspective. What do they want? Do they want to see how good you are, or do they want to find out how to reigster a team?

**MCS** · 03-16-2008, 08:55 PM

It looks like the whole footer is your advertisement. If you are being paid to do the site, that may be a problem.

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-17-2008, 01:58 AM

Thank You everybody 4 ur comments, compliments and suggestions!!

The time you devoted in reviewing the site wont be wasted.

First of all, I know the footer seems more like an advertisement...and it should not be there if the client is paying. But here in this case, the website has been made free of cost, the client has only paid for the webspace and domain name. So, adding the footer i think you all will agree is valid!!

@kids - No its not AJAX, its simple JAVA scripting. I know the H/V scroll is a bit depressing but, the client increased the content later....and because of the time frame, redisgning the page could not be considered...

@aldor - Point noted. I know the site is a bit heavy, but this is the lightest i could make it...I tested on some connections here...its opening at a tolerable speed. But still, will take care not to make a website so image rich next time.

@Sandyk3 - Thanks a lot man for ya honesty. You stated quite a few valid points. The site is little bit heavy because it is all mainly graphics. The website has been designed taking in consideration resolution 1024x768. Anything less than that will require you to scroll.
Jumpiness of the links would be corrected. I thought it would be visually appealing but it surely hav not appealed to most, so will remove that. For the time being i wont be removing the frame. But can u explain what you meant by #content??? I mean i need to have a fixed window frame here...so keeping that in mind do i have an alternative to frame?? Will change the color to the background. I checked out the validator, will try to minimize those errors as soon as possible. The errors are a result of strict time constraints.

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-17-2008, 02:13 AM

@shapeandlight - thanks for ya remarks. The hot pink seemed vibrant to me, and its also in a way theme color to the fest...so cant change it. How can i decrese the load time for the site is somethin i need to ponder upon!!

@AskGary - As i mentioned it above....clients not paying..The site has been made without taking a single penny...

@mork29 - Yeah, thats a valid point...i only viewed the site at 1024x768... Will change the background color. I tried centering the website but did not suceed. If you have any idea, how to go about it, i wud be very thankful.
The images and busyness of the website was not to show off my skills, actulally the client wanted the site to be visually very appealing, expressing the joy and energy of the event...to which i came up with the design. Dont knw how I can decrease the load time any further.
Done this site for free....so the footer has been placed!!

The nav menu has been totally redone...not updated online yet...but will be by tuesday!! Yeah...two scrolling texts did seem awkward on the website and i am not sure if its considered as a bad practice. Will remove the bottom right scrolling i guess. Will also be deceasing the access points to a link...
Points considered...will make all possible changes in the very little time i am left with to make it more user friendly...Thanx a lot....if u have any more suggestions, please do post it....if not in this site will surely consider it for my future sites!!

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-17-2008, 02:16 AM

@MCS - Nopes man....not being paid anything for the site as a result the footer...

Thank you everybody for your comments, suggestions and compliments. will be making few changes and updatig them by Tuesday which my submission date for the site. In case any more suggestions....keep it posted here!!

**mork29** · 03-17-2008, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onlyyourspiyu

@mork29 - Yeah, thats a valid point...i only viewed the site at 1024x768... Will change the background color. I tried centering the website but did not suceed. If you have any idea, how to go about it, i wud be very thankful.
The images and busyness of the website was not to show off my skills, actulally the client wanted the site to be visually very appealing, expressing the joy and energy of the event...to which i came up with the design. Dont knw how I can decrease the load time any further.
Done this site for free....so the footer has been placed!!

The nav menu has been totally redone...not updated online yet...but will be by tuesday!! Yeah...two scrolling texts did seem awkward on the website and i am not sure if its considered as a bad practice. Will remove the bottom right scrolling i guess. Will also be deceasing the access points to a link...
Points considered...will make all possible changes in the very little time i am left with to make it more user friendly...Thanx a lot....if u have any more suggestions, please do post it....if not in this site will surely consider it for my future sites!!

Thank you for taking my critique so well. I can be a bit harsh some times

If you're doing the site for free, then don't feel bad about your little ad at the bottom. It looks like your in the process of updating the site right now, so I'll try and take a look again later after you finish the updates, and see if I can help you with the centering issue when it's all back up. If you re-do the nav menu and clean things up like you're saying, then I think your client will be very pleased, especially with the price you're chargring...lol

Keep up the good work.

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-18-2008, 07:54 AM

Hello everybody....specially mork29 :P

Have updated the site and made some changes...specially have changed the navigation menu and added pages like downloads, contact us, flashback...

Did more image slicing to make the site load faster but hw fast it is now, only you guys can tell me

Din not decrease the busyness of teh site much coz the client wanted it to stay this way, though decreased the scrolling txt number from 2 to 1....

Also worked on the look of events page...

Hope the site looks and feels better than what it was previously...

The website has been delivered so wont be able to make much changes...
Give your comments and suggestions which i will keep in mind next time I develop a site...

**onlyyourspiyu** · 03-19-2008, 02:30 AM

Made some more last minute changes.....
Reviews appreciated...

www.icthalon.com