New site, looking for tips and suggestions!

**Twirp54** · 10-10-2008, 06:38 PM

www. unitedissues .com

I designed it my self, logo and all, hired someone I knew for coding.

Has an ACP. So everything is 100% customizable, for even me, who knows very little HTML and other coding languages. How much do you think its worth? Its not for sale, but with the design, coding, and time put in it makes me curious for how much its worth.

Also, what're the best most efficient ways you guys have gotten hits on your site? I've researched a lot, but found that asking people directly is the best way to get a good answer.

**Twirp54** · 10-11-2008, 04:36 PM

anything? anyone?

**TwistedMethod** · 10-11-2008, 07:05 PM

Hi Twirp54,

I've had a look at your site and here are my thoughts:

I see you've used two fonts on your site, is it Arial and Times New Roman? I don't think there's anything wrong with using two fonts, however i do think there should be some consistency. At the moment you're using Arial for the links and they look out of place. I would recommend using the same font you used in the logo for these links. Then further down the page when it comes to the actual content you have your titles (e.g "Top Story") in a different font to the actual text. I would match the "Top Story" font to the main content font so it all flows together better.
What is the idea behind the dark grey area containing the login box? It doesn't appear on any of the other pages. This could be a problem on a screen with a smaller resolution as you can't actually see any of the top story without scrolling down. Do you plan to have an image there? I think reducing the height of this box and putting the donate box on the same line as the join and contact buttons would benefit you. The login boxes would look better in the top box on the right hand side, level with the logo.

Those are the only two things I wasn't keen on about your site design, the rest is very clean and your logo is very well suited to the theme of your website. Good job.

Let me know what you think about my feedback.

TwistedMethod

**Twirp54** · 10-12-2008, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwistedMethod

Hi Twirp54,

I've had a look at your site and here are my thoughts:

I see you've used two fonts on your site, is it Arial and Times New Roman? I don't think there's anything wrong with using two fonts, however i do think there should be some consistency. At the moment you're using Arial for the links and they look out of place. I would recommend using the same font you used in the logo for these links. Then further down the page when it comes to the actual content you have your titles (e.g "Top Story") in a different font to the actual text. I would match the "Top Story" font to the main content font so it all flows together better.
What is the idea behind the dark grey area containing the login box? It doesn't appear on any of the other pages. This could be a problem on a screen with a smaller resolution as you can't actually see any of the top story without scrolling down. Do you plan to have an image there? I think reducing the height of this box and putting the donate box on the same line as the join and contact buttons would benefit you. The login boxes would look better in the top box on the right hand side, level with the logo.

Those are the only two things I wasn't keen on about your site design, the rest is very clean and your logo is very well suited to the theme of your website. Good job.

Let me know what you think about my feedback.

TwistedMethod

Hey you're good! Yup, Arial and Times New Roman. If I understood what you said about the consistency, the reason we did the Arial font for titles (like in the section that says "Top Story"), is so we can separate the title and the article. I think I might change the images with the Arial font to times new roman, that may help witht he consistancy?

Hmm, I kinda like the grey, but its all personal preference.

I really appercieate the feedback. Thank you! I'm going to give the font change on the right side a chance.

**TwistedMethod** · 10-12-2008, 07:19 AM

No problem for the feedback, I plan to post some of my work on here in the future and it would be great if you could give me some feedback too.

The only reason I suggested keeping the font the same for the "Top Story" and the content of each post is because you have boxed the titles anyway, or are you referring to the "Biden vs Palin" bit?

Sometimes just using subtle changes like making some bits bold can help. Let me know what you think of this:

Top Story (In it's box and in Arial)

Biden vs Palin (In bold and in Arial)

October 2nd, 2008 Sarah Palin... - (In Arial, as it is already)

Just a thought, but let me know what you think.

TwistedMethod

**herath** · 10-12-2008, 09:18 AM

nice web site,
nice designs.

**Twirp54** · 10-14-2008, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwistedMethod

No problem for the feedback, I plan to post some of my work on here in the future and it would be great if you could give me some feedback too.

The only reason I suggested keeping the font the same for the "Top Story" and the content of each post is because you have boxed the titles anyway, or are you referring to the "Biden vs Palin" bit?

Sometimes just using subtle changes like making some bits bold can help. Let me know what you think of this:

Top Story (In it's box and in Arial)

Biden vs Palin (In bold and in Arial)

October 2nd, 2008 Sarah Palin... - (In Arial, as it is already)

Just a thought, but let me know what you think.

TwistedMethod

Oh, I see what your saying... because I already have them separated change them a bit? I'll see what I can do, personally I like it, but I'm always open to suggestions

Thank you for the feedback! Whenever you post your site, please PM me so I can help you out too!

Thank you herath!

**TopherX** · 10-14-2008, 01:09 AM

I don't know, my business partner wants me to code pages like this where there isn't anything really happening above the fold. But people don't necessarily scroll down. They need everything right away. I come to your page and I have no idea what I'm looking at. Maybe a by-line under your title. All I know is that you want me to donate...but for what? Tell me what you do in one sentence then put it somewhere that is easy to find.

Check out my sites (I know they are very different in content from yours), above the fold. They are video sites so all the video and navigation for those videos are right there when you arrive on the site.

Anyway, that's my two cents...

**carol123** · 10-14-2008, 03:16 AM

your website design is already is very search engine friendly.

**Twirp54** · 10-15-2008, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopherX

I don't know, my business partner wants me to code pages like this where there isn't anything really happening above the fold. But people don't necessarily scroll down. They need everything right away. I come to your page and I have no idea what I'm looking at. Maybe a by-line under your title. All I know is that you want me to donate...but for what? Tell me what you do in one sentence then put it somewhere that is easy to find.

Check out my sites (I know they are very different in content from yours), above the fold. They are video sites so all the video and navigation for those videos are right there when you arrive on the site.

Anyway, that's my two cents...

I appreciate your feedback and commenting, but the people that only want info right away aren't the people I want in my website. If they want to know about our cause and what we do, they should click around.

Now the thing about your site is too much is going on, I know exactly what the site's about right when it loads up, but there's a lot going on... I appreciate the feedback though, I'm going to change the main banner by Sunday.

Thank you very much carol123.

**IG88** · 10-17-2008, 02:34 PM

What CMS are you using?

**Brian07002** · 05:04 PM

Those two side boxes >> UPDATES & R.A.P should be hand coded, NOT graphics, and you site wouldn't be to bad...I don't understand the donate button..(Speaking of the donate button, could be abit smaller, ya think?) What or shall I say who is that site for, you or an organization, and what one if an org? Did I miss something here? Maybe?

Pricing it, get a good page rank in Google, first. Then others will consider the name...But from experience from an older site of mine, most people don't really care of the design, they're more interested in the name itself and it's rank in the search engines, which by the way takes quite some time / patience...It's extremely hard -- and I mean EXTREMELY HARD to get even $20 for a good domain, never mind more, and that's for some pretty big names...That's because people these days are expecting to get by cheap when it comes to websites. Unless you have that ULTIMATE package...Small ( easy to remember TLD ) Easily updated-able design, and full of sales kind of site, you can expect didly squat, from what ever you got.

As for getting 'hits' on your site, first you need to be found in the search engines online. I know word of mouth will work to a degree, but don't count on that alone, especially in these times, you need to be lucky to have internet access which brings me to the point, find your visitors where you KNOW FOR SURE THEY WILL BE AT.

Hth