feedback

[Ninjakreborn]

http://www.freelancebusinessmannetwork.com/

 

What do you think of the design?

[TheFilmGod]

Very plain. Change the background images to be more interesting. Create a border around your page. Center the footer. Move the text more to the right - so there is a space between the left side and the text. If you change those things, then it'll make u look like a pro and make the site look interesting.

[redbullmarky]

1, paragraphs

 

2, padding. the text sits right on the edge of the box, which is made even worse by the fact that the rest of the page is empty.

 

3, grammar (they're instead of there), punctuation, etc.

 

4, how many times do you need to say the same thing in various different ways? most people, even those that aren't coders, know what a network is, even in its non-technical sense, so it just kinda seems a little bit patronising - but ultimately seems like you saw some space to fill and sure as hell tried to fill it. this is the same problem as your main business site.

 

5, couldnt you have chosen a shorter domain name? most of your clients will be pushing up the daisies by the time they've finished typing it. it's ok for us, cos you've provided a link for us to click on. but if you came up to me and said "go visit freelancebusinessmannetwork dot com", you'd never get any visits from me.

 

6, you seem to be a fan of large fonts, but maybe you should try notching it down a little bit. ok, so big text takes up more space and fills things up a bit - but it just looks bland.

 

 

the design itself looks ok, but the way you've used it (ie, my points above) have just kinda ruined it. but here's a few thoughts:

1, you admit yourself you suck at design

2, you're fine with using templates

3, you like to type lots

 

If I was you, personally I wouldn't see any shame in downloading a copy of WordPress or Serendipity. The designs look good (and professional), and then you can just concentrate on knocking yourself out with writing stuff. There's space for 'About Me' pages, download pages, the lot. And it's becoming more common for coders who could possibly write one of these systems for their own needs standing on their heads to use them anyway.

 

Personally, because I'm lazy and I also suck at design, I might even look at using on of them myself when I eventually realease my own code/framework. I'd rather see a freelancer site coded in one of these babies and look good, rather than one that looks a bit dodgy.

 

Cheers

[Ninjakreborn]

My design sucks.

That's what my graphic designer is for.  MY design sucks, my coding doesn't. She gives me layouts, I code them.  This one I told her very plain.  You all made very valid points, I will fix all of those, and post again.

[Ninjakreborn]

www.freelancebusinessmannetwork.com

www.joyels-network.com

www.thefreelancebusinessmannetwork.com

www.fbn-network.com

 

Those are the domains I have, I am going to start using the fbn-network.com which I just got, once it's cleared I will start using that, that will shorten the domain name.

I will go ahead and try all the other suggestions here, and see what you think.

[jcombs_31]

The graphics look pretty terrible. You need to increase the quality of the gradients.  The entire right side is empty. Your text needs padding and line-spacing.  There is really no point as I see it.  You want this just to be a collection of links?  No menu, not content? 

[Daniel0]

Too long URL. You need some padding on the text. The gradients are horrible, as jcombs said, they need better quality. You should separate the content into multiple pages. The "Contact Me"-link at the bottom is broken.

[Ninjakreborn]

I will do those changes (I was only finished with the first page).

I will do that advice, and repost and say when it's complete, plus rework some of the gradients, and see what you think.

[Ninjakreborn]

Thanks for all the advice I did everything but 2 things

1. Replace the gradients (I am asking my graphic designer today)

2. Border around the site (because I can't think of a decent color)

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[Orio]

2. Border around the site (because I can't think of a decent color)

 

So use something like #00537e, it's much better than black. If you want to experiment colors, create a css file with this line in it (on your machine):

body {background-color: #00537e;}

Then in the web-developer extension for FF (I know you got it ) click CSS -> "Add User Style Sheet" and choose the file you created. You'll see the bgcolor will change. Not satisfied? Change the color in the CSS and try again until you reach a result you like. I recommend using a hex color picker (built-in in lots of programs) to choose the colors.

 

Hope you like #00537e

 

Orio.

[Daniel0]

How can this be solved? What if people have more suggestions. For example: validate your CSS.

[Ninjakreborn]

I validated the CSS (I mistyped a character, so it threw up errors, it was validated before I did that.)

I went ahead and tried that background color, your right it does look better than black. I do, dreamweaver when I am typing the colors, it comes up with a pallete and let's me see them.  I am not too good visually, so I mostly rely on my graphic designer for the graphics, and I use my best judgement (and advice here) for the rest.  I made those changes, I think it looks a lot better.  After looking at the gradients, I see the lines you mentioned, I am goign to see if my graphic designer can rework those and make those necessary changes, thanks for all the advice.  I also went ahead and decreased the font size, and put in padding, and centered the footer.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[Ninjakreborn]

I also got a shorter domain name, like was suggested.

http://www.fbn-network.com/

[steelmanronald06]

Why did you change your design?  The site was just starting to look good.  Honestly, not trying to be mean, but you just jumped back down five stairs on that stairwell to perfection.

[cmgmyr]

I agree with ron...Why don't you keep the same site design as your main site? Usually if you make a "network" of sites they should all have the same flavor. I would say stay with your current main website design.

[Ninjakreborn]

www.freelancebusinessman.com

I didn't change my design.

But I am going to, that one I have up there is just my network site (separate site all together).

I am going to be redoing my main site shortly, I only used a template for that, and only temporarily while I got some time to rebuild it.  I just replaced the graphics on the network site.  After I am done with the netwrok site I am redoing my site, and ppassistant.com to both be custom (like I originally wanted but lacked the time), I am redoing them now.

 

What do you think of the network site now, I have done all the suggested changes.

[cmgmyr]

I'm not really fond of the network site. I think your PPA site has a lot more potential. The PPA site needs a little modification but I think it's doable. Your current network site just doesn't work, it looks pretty unprofessional and I think you will have a hard time attracting clients with it. Just my opinion

[Ninjakreborn]

Personal Programmer Assistant is also getting redone.  I want all my personal sites to be custom built when I have time, I am redoing freelancebusinessman.com and ppassistant.com

The idea behind the network site was partially for me, and partially to keep my site's connected easily.  I wanted something simple, something (non-professional necessarily), just something that is a network.  Nothing really special, I just didn't want to do it on a plain white page, which was what I was originally going to do, until I wanted to pour slightly more time into it.

[redbullmarky]

*sigh*

3 sites.

 

1, freelancebusinessman. looks fairly good, albeit with a 3rd party template (yet STILL uncredited, and that is starting to grind me a bit). lots and lots (and lots) of text, mostly stuff that could be snipped.

2, ppassistant. as with 1 above, but at least it comes with credits

3, the penny has just dropped that this design is the design you've been raving about that's gonna be the dogs nads. it's not bad, but i'm hoping you never paid good (any) money for it.

 

it just seems sometimes that you're not that fussy. given the choice of a couple or 3 really shite designs, you'll pick one of them and use it - rather than just saying "hold on, NONE of these are great - forget them all! I can wait, thank you very much."

 

I just seriously can't believe you find the time to do anything for clients when so much time must be absorbed registering obscure domain names and redesigning your sites over and over and over (god knows how many licks of paint your main site has had)

 

you've registered domain names without thinking about it first, you've thrown out sites without thinking first, you've filled your sites with lots and lots of text without thinking first, you've asked many a question without thinking first.

 

for the 1,000,000 and final time, slow the feck down and think about what you're doing/saying, else we're gonna be churning out the same old crap and walking down the same old road until the worms are eating us.

 

and finally i wish to pre-empt things, just to push you down another road of thought:

1, This is Website critique. Do not mark this topic as solved. Art/design/taste, etc is unsolvable.

2, Please do NOT say "thanks for the advice. I will take it in and now I will...{list 4,000 goals and tasks here}"

3, This is NOT a personal attack.

4, We each were born with 2 ears and just 1 mouth. Use them in that order, and listen (ie, take it in - dont pretend/push under carpet, either)

 

apologies if it's slightly off topic, only I DO want to continue to help and advise, but rather just do it in a single topic rather than chase all your other related topics scattered around the forum.

 

Cheers