need opinions please

[DKSuddeth]

below is the link for my wifes small business website that I helped her build. If anyone has comments or suggestions, please give them to me.

Thanks for taking a look.

http://members.aol.com/lanyce33/SeasonGreetingIndex2003index.html

should have added this also, this is the december newsletter she is putting together for it.

http://hometown.aol.com/_ht_a/lanyce33/Newsletter1.html

 

[jimnyc]

First the negatives

1- Run from AOL!! You can get a professional site hosted for less than 10 bucks a month that should be able to handle your needs. You can register a domain for less than $15 and then have it hosted professionally. If you're interested I can give you some good referals.

2- Lose the javascript. It'll bog down too many browsers and it's prompting me to install quicktime plugins. You can get some decent wav files to loop on the page and be less intrusive. A nice mellow tune looping in the background would be nice.

Other than that I like it. That's one hell of a collection. I like the layout as well. The banner is awesome, but just a little fuzzy. Do you have any graphic programs where you can maybe touch it up a little bit?

I think the individual galleries came out great. The pictures aren't too large, but large enough with exceptional clarity. What kind of camera did you guys use?

I'm sure Eric and Creek can give some great advice as well, they both have been very helpful when I sought advice in the past.

 

[jimnyc]

BTW - tell her best of luck with both her business and the site!

 

[Moi]

Congrats and good luck on the site. I enjoyed looking at it. Only one comment that the smaller fonts were hard to see for my old eyes.

I loved the photos though. They were so cheery it almost makes me wish I wasn't a humbug.

 

[5stringJeff]

I liked the pages overall - very wintery!

Here are my suggestions:
1. I have been shopping for this kind of stuff online. I like to compare prices on a cost per unit basis. So I think it would be helpful to put the weights of the soap bars/candles/oils in the product descriptions. Some of the stuff seemed to have it, but some didn't.
2. Consider putting an extra line of space between the paragraphs on top, especially when they are centered like that.
3. I opened the page in a 1200x1060 resoultion, but it looks like the page still stuck to an 800x600 resolution setting. Any way to fix that?
4. I couldn't actually figure out how to order the stuff online. Is it an online ordering page? If not, how do I contact someone to order a basket?

Overall, a neat page, very organized and easy to find the info. BTW - is there any plumeria stuff? I didn't see any, but if you have some please let me know - my wife and I both love the stuff.

Jeff

 

[DKSuddeth]

Originally posted by jimnyc
First the negatives

1- Run from AOL!! You can get a professional site hosted for less than 10 bucks a month that should be able to handle your needs. You can register a domain for less than $15 and then have it hosted professionally. If you're interested I can give you some good referals.

working on getting her own domain name as we speak. I'll take any referrals you have.

2- Lose the javascript. It'll bog down too many browsers and it's prompting me to install quicktime plugins. You can get some decent wav files to loop on the page and be less intrusive. A nice mellow tune looping in the background would be nice.

quicktime plugins? odd, Thats not happened on any of my machines here, is it the midi thats doing that?

Other than that I like it. That's one hell of a collection. I like the layout as well. The banner is awesome, but just a little fuzzy. Do you have any graphic programs where you can maybe touch it up a little bit?

I thank you for the banner comment. I created that all by myself with photoshop. The reason its fuzzy is that the wife uses that easy designer crap from aol and she stretched it out. In the pages that I've created with the banner (using dreamweaver) its normal size and looks alot better.

I think the individual galleries came out great. The pictures aren't too large, but large enough with exceptional clarity. What kind of camera did you guys use?

We've got an older epson 750Z.

I'm sure Eric and Creek can give some great advice as well, they both have been very helpful when I sought advice in the past.

thanks for the input jim.

 

[DKSuddeth]

Originally posted by gop_jeff
I liked the pages overall - very wintery!

Here are my suggestions:
1. I have been shopping for this kind of stuff online. I like to compare prices on a cost per unit basis. So I think it would be helpful to put the weights of the soap bars/candles/oils in the product descriptions. Some of the stuff seemed to have it, but some didn't.
2. Consider putting an extra line of space between the paragraphs on top, especially when they are centered like that.
3. I opened the page in a 1200x1060 resoultion, but it looks like the page still stuck to an 800x600 resolution setting. Any way to fix that?
4. I couldn't actually figure out how to order the stuff online. Is it an online ordering page? If not, how do I contact someone to order a basket?

Overall, a neat page, very organized and easy to find the info. BTW - is there any plumeria stuff? I didn't see any, but if you have some please let me know - my wife and I both love the stuff.

Jeff

Jeff, I'll pass the advice about cost per units and stuff like that to her, as well as the space between paragraphs.

The 800x600 issue I can't really do anything about yet. Since she's on aol she uses that easy designer PoS web page builder and thats what its stuck at. When we get to our own domain name (whether I host the site off my own server or use a sitehost) the pages will get rebuilt using dreamweaver and the sizing issue should vanish.

For the xmas specials all anyone needs to do is email my wife at [email protected] and she'll communicate with you directly. The other galleries that have been up for awhile currently use the paypal shopping cart until I can figure out how to make my own.

She does have some plumeria although she doesn't particularly care for it. Just email her with what you might want from it (oils, bath salts, etc) and she'll help you out.

thanks for the input

 

[Creek]

Some webhost have a shopping cart they can set up..for a very small fee extra......No big deal if you wana avoid having a pre installed shopping cart...You can make everything beautifuly in a table..and have your pay pal/merchant acct whatever in it's place....

I've built website that have had alot of merchandice...in the past..It's alot of work,so I know how you feel...

I'd first of..get a domain...a website...The addy alone can hurt a small business..get lanyce-creations.com...or something..

Then set up a table.....and have your wording to the right,and your merchandice to the left in a colum....Keep everything so even the smallest monitor can see it..instead of having to scroll over...

Paintshop pro is the best for doing images etc.......

Done right...it would look beautiful..and they can click..and shop..

Pay pal has a shoping cart type sytem..that works pretty good....It's FREE!!..I just made my own pages..that looked better than there cart...whatever works best for you..

All the different type of stuff you got..would be good keywords also for the engines...More pages..the more visitors you can get...

I'd be happy to offer my services free of charge..soon as I finish the missing childrens section of the site....All I ask in exchange is a link back here...

You did a great job...that's my advice...and it's tough building sites from scratch....more of a time thing..

Look around at some websites that you like the layout of...and go from there...Grab the source code..and adapt it to your preferences....Easy....and nothing to worry about...I'll help you...if you need a hand....

Creek

 

[DKSuddeth]

Thanks creek, all good advice. I usually try to resolve the web issues on my own, best way to learn, but if I come across something I just can't figure out I'll drop you a line.

 

[Creek]

That's how I learned too...Mostly taking other peoples ideas,and html source codes..and adapting.......You can do it...I can tell you're a go getter...

Odds are..if you can't figure it out...neither can I...LOL!!!....I feel the same way buddy.......It's nice to have an online business...If I had a product...ooh man..I'd kick some a__!!!

Good luck buddy...

 

[jimnyc]

DK, try Lunarpages

http://www.lunarpages.com/index.htm

They have a %7.95 monthly plan that has 500meg of storage and 20 gig of transfer. MySql, Dreamweaver compatible, 800 number for support, unlimited email accoounts. They also have a great record for reliability and support.

If this doesn't have what you're looking for, let me know and I can throw a few more your way if you tell me what you're looking for.