Lyrics and Quotes Site

[recset]

I have a new site, and I need some competent and helpful critiques. The site is on lyrics and quotes from pop/hip hop music artists.

Also, any advice on how to generate traffic? exposure?

[b][url=http://www.vacantlot.org]http://www.vacantlot.org[/url][/b]
[img]http://www.vacantlot.org/elements/vlotlong.jpg[/img]

[recset]

Wow, no comments huh?? I guess I must have a great site ... thanks  :o

[redbullmarky]

the hard lines and the over-use of blue don't do it for me. it needs softening up a touch, as it causes the site to seem too busy and not immediately straightforward.

the 'contact us' link as a mailto is a no-no too. for those of us that sometimes dont have their email program open, it can be a pain when it launches. you could do with a proper contact form - both for users benefit, and for yours (spam).

it's not terrible, and the layout itself seems fine, but it does have some styling issues that need to be address just to to make things a little clearer.

cheers
Mark

[SharkBait]

I dont like the top navigation links //This Link\\ ?? 

If the header is 100% across the page, why doesn't the main content match or centered perhaps in the middle?

There is a lot of blue and boxes.  Its alot for my eyes to take in, perhaps a bit crowded?

[steelmanronald06]

LIke all lyric sites, to cluttered, no structure, to many ads, and no basic design.  REDO!

[Philip]

I have some of the same feelings as above:

- The blue is too harsh, needs a lighter. This may not be what you want, but I like the blue on the "Quick Reply" box here on this forum. I feel that could fit your site better... keep the gradients though.

- Simplicity is key. The easier it is to navigate, the better. The // TITLE \\ links are hard to read and I feel it should all be kept (as much as possible) on one line, and not broken into 2. If you have this many links, then you need to sit down and figure out how you can break them down even better. Maybe use even more general Main categories and then use sub-cats.

-The main bar ( // LITERARY DEVICES  // ABOUT // LINKS // CONTACT // BLOG ) the font is too obnoxious. Don't use all caps, italicization and a bigger font all in one shot.

- Too much info on the front page. Narrow it down to less than 4 quotes, and make them smaller.

- Your introduction (Welcome to Vacant Lot - the site that aims to put hip-hop quotables in a modern context...) to the site is at the bottom. Why? That should be at the top, above everything else. After that put like one or two sections with a quote of the week or what not.

Now to move onto to an actual page from your site... (I'm just going to use examples from the "Freedom & Self-Fulfillment  " section)

- 2 Menus? One up top and then one off to the side... that's really confusing. Make it simpler for the user.

- I'm not a big fan of the table outline for the main content area.

- Speaking of frames... Try using CSS, it makes everything easier to update later on. I used to love tables, but as soon as I started to use CSS, I changed. It might take a little longer to get it perfect, but thats a small price to get more visitors... Just some advice.

This might come out a little harsh but, your site does need some work if you want to keep a large number of visitors coming to it.


[i]"Also, any advice on how to generate traffic? exposure?"[/i]
- Work on your layout for a while, make it just right.. don't slap it together and expect everyone to flock to your site. If you can make them go "WOW, this site looks awesome" and make it mostly functional you will keep them coming back, and word of mouth will do all the work for you. You'll just have to try different things to start it off.


--Remember, none of this advice is here to offend you. It's to help you succeed.