Nothing to add on the visual part, but since you asked for code pointers as well... 
I suppose this part is yours:
code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title> Heyyyyy-Ya. </title>
<style type="text/css">
body {
background-color:#0F3C8F;
}
#content {
position:absolute;
left:50%;
top:50%;
width:700px;
height:400px;
/* the width/2 */
margin-left:-350px;
/* the height/2 */
margin-top:-200px;
border:0px dashed #333;
background-color:#B8D0E8;
text-align:left;
font:11px verdana;
}
#bottom {
position:absolute;
left:50%;
top:50%;
/* the width/2 */
margin-left:-350px;
/* the height/2 */
margin-top:186px;
}
#menu {
width:700px;
text-align:center;
}
.mage {
padding: 0px 15px;
}
.main {
width:670px;
height:274px;
text-align:left;
margin-left:15px;
margin-top:0px;
background-color:#B8D0E8;
}
.left {
float: left;
margin: 20px 0px 20px 20px;
display: inline;
}
.right {
float: right;
margin: 20px;
display: inline;
}
.contents {
width:440px;
height:242px;
overflow: auto;
border:2px dashed #CCFFFF;
}
P {
text-indent: 20px;
padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px;
}
H4 {
padding: 15px 15px 0px 15px;
}
</style>
<META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>
<body>
<div id="content">
<img src="drc3.gif" alt="Bla">
<div id="menu">
<img src="dentistsbutton.gif" class="mage" alt="Bla">
<img src="aboutbutton.gif" class="mage" alt="Bla">
<img src="servicesbutton.gif" class="mage" alt="Bla">
<img src="hoursbutton.gif" class="mage" alt="Bla">
<img src="contactbutton.gif" class="image" alt="Bla">
</div>
<div class="main">
<div class="left"> <img src="outside2.jpg"> </div>
<div class="right contents"><h4>Welcome to our dental practice.</h4>
<p>We are interested in providing the highest quality dental care with service and prices that will keep you smiling.
<br><br> Start from Scratch Attempt. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="bottom">
<img src="bottom.gif" alt="bla">
</div>
</body>
</html>
Which seems quite ok at a glance.
But WTF is the rest?!?!?!?
If the code above and below is inserted by your current host... Sigh!
They are tagging you site with their keywords for searchengines at the top, they add a table with outdated font-tags at the bottom, as far as I can see there are even closing tags that aren't opened... there is a form in there that doesn't show up on the page...
And to top it of, IT'S ALL OUTSIDE THE <HTML></HTML> TAGS!!!
Sorry for shouting and ranting and it's not your fault, but please for the love of the web, LOSE THAT HOST! Any host that destroys you pages in this manner should be banned from the internet!
Oh what the heck, I'll have a go at the visual as well
The general feel of it is very cold and clinical to me, this most certainly comes from the "all-blue-theme" choice. Most often blue is associated with trustworthy and professional (that's why a lot of the big boys such as banks, IBM and more use it).
My personal feeling of this is that since I'm not a big fan of visiting dentists (not many are) I think you could make it a bit warmer colorwise, try to create a personal connection between the clients and the office in the whole concept of the site. You want to make this inviting and pleasing, not just clean and professional (it's a dentist, the things they do hurts... ).
Take a look at the actual office if you have access to it, note the colors used there and see if it's something you can pick up in the design. That way the clients will recognize the look and feel once they visit, makes it a bit more personal.
All in all, decent start, and you have some good advice from here, use it and it'll get even better.
/Dan
{cell 260}
-{ a vibration is a movement that doesn't know which way to go }-
[This message has been edited by DmS (edited 03-22-2004).]
posted 02-19-2004 21:34
