Topic: Site Review

I'd like a review of my site so I may make changes to improve it..
I know about the jaggies around the corners of the buttons on the image map. Just noticed those after I posted this message..

http://bennieshepherd.com




[This message has been edited by MIDI (edited 12-05-2002).]

[This message has been edited by MIDI (edited 12-05-2002).]

[This message has been edited by MIDI (edited 12-05-2002).]

[This message has been edited by MIDI (edited 12-05-2002).]

Well, right off the bat, you've got to get rid of that dissolve fade between pages. It might be cool for about the first .05 seconds of the first fade, but after that it gets annoying. Why should the user have to sit there and wait for the page to dissolve out and then back in?

I also think it's kind of odd that you link to a page on another site for "help." Not only is the design shift a bit jarring, but the user is expecting your content, not someone else's. How about providing your own version on-site.

I would recommend whipping something up for the e-mail as well, rather than linking to an outside source. You don't really have much of a choice with the forums, though, since those are a bit more complex.

Well, that should get you started, I suppose. Oh, and fix those jaggies.

Suho...
Think I actually did everyting you recommended.
Got anymore recommendations?
Take care...


http://bennieshepherd.com



[This message has been edited by MIDI (edited 12-06-2002).]

Why not have a few paragraphs on the Home page explaining what the site is and how to use it? At first glance, it's not particularly inviting. Once I glance around and click a few links, the site's purpose becomes clear, of course.

The spacing between the song links seems a bit large -- a lot of scrolling is necessary to get to the bottom of the list. Also, the two-column format doesn't work well if the list stretches further than one screen-height. A layout where a single block of content is held in multiple columns works best on the printed page. For the web, the only really good reason to use multiple columns is if you have different types of content in each one.

I'd suggest tightening up the space between song titles, putting them all in one column, and then perhaps breaking up the list by first letter. You could even provide navigation at the top and bottom of each page that lets users jump to a specific letter. (Look up the "name" attribute of the anchor tag.)

The raised effect of your navigational interface is a bit too subtle. On my monitor -- which admittedly is pretty subjective, since everyone on the internet has their monitor set differently -- it looks dim and flat. The pink buttons are a bit too pretty and candy-like to go with the murky background (or the background is too dim and murky to go with the pretty buttons).

Thunder,
Took some of your advice.. Changed the button colors, added a small comment, and cut the spacing in half between the song titles. As for now I want to keep the two colum setup. The bevel for the image map is also staying "just made that map to day and not in the mood to change it already".
Thanks for the help.

http://bennieshepherd.com



[This message has been edited by MIDI (edited 12-06-2002).]

The tighter spacing looks much cleaner, and is much easier to navigate. And the introductory paragraph already makes the site more inviting.

Yes, it does look much better. Good calls there, PT. And good work on the improvements, MIDI.

Thanks guys for the help...