My Website [critisism wanted]

[van helblaze]

I finished my website, and I was wondering if any one will take a look, this is site vesion 2, and I'm working on version right now.

site:
http://www.darkcrestproductions.filetap.com  or http://www.helblaze.my5gb.com

NOTE: only use the US flag link on the splash page, the other flags lead to my old host, I need to change them to go to my new host.

the links should work, please tell me if they don't I'm having internet troubles at the moment.

 

[djzalzer]

I just have one small criticism.

http://www.cereus-games.com/phpBB2/uplo ... ffffff.PNG[/img]

 

[Despain]

Yeah, same here.

 

[AntRid]

I would personally try and make it look less like a "cant find page" error.

 

[Despain]

Okay, first of all, drop the splash page. Splash pages never add anything to a website and in fact only steer away potential visitors (not to mention the splash page really doesn't look any good).

Once I'm in the actual site, it's a lot nicer than I expected, but there is still lots of room for improvement. Looks like you're using css instead of tables, which is a nice surprise since I wasn't expecting that. However, you have the site set to a fixed width, and when it's so wide, that's a problem. It might look okay for you, but on my monitor (a wide laptop monitor), the column on the right is wider than you intend and the ad banners are next to each other, which looks awkward. Plus, when I make my browser window any smaller (which could also emulate smaller resolutions), the entire layout gets screwed up. To fix that just try using some percentages instead of fixed pixels.

I also have a hard time with the color scheme. Red on black is very common and unfortunately it's also bad, especially with the dark gray text on the black background.  The contrast between the black background of the main content and the glaring bright red background of the gigantic navigation is pretty jarring as well.

That said, it's nice to see that you have some actual pages done with some level of content and aren't trying to advertise some empty forums. Good luck.

 

[van helblaze]

Okay, first of all, drop the splash page. Splash pages never add anything to a website and in fact only steer away potential visitors (not to mention the splash page really doesn't look any good).

Once I'm in the actual site, it's a lot nicer than I expected, but there is still lots of room for improvement. Looks like you're using css instead of tables, which is a nice surprise since I wasn't expecting that. However, you have the site set to a fixed width, and when it's so wide, that's a problem. It might look okay for you, but on my monitor (a wide laptop monitor), the column on the right is wider than you intend and the ad banners are next to each other, which looks awkward. Plus, when I make my browser window any smaller (which could also emulate smaller resolutions), the entire layout gets screwed up. To fix that just try using some percentages instead of fixed pixels.

I also have a hard time with the color scheme. Red on black is very common and unfortunately it's also bad, especially with the dark gray text on the black background.  The contrast between the black background of the main content and the glaring bright red background of the gigantic navigation is pretty jarring as well.

That said, it's nice to see that you have some actual pages done with some level of content and aren't trying to advertise some empty forums. Good luck.

thanks I'll work on fixing those problems on the version I'm working on, the reason I chose the red and black is well it's part of my logo's theme.  I also forgot to mention the site looks a lot better in Internet Explorer that FireFox,  I was using IE when I made the site, and I started to work on the new version (mainly a better CSS) to fix that problem,  I'll post the new version once it's ready.

 

[Despain]

When designing a site you want to test it in Firefox, IE and Opera as you go. At LEAST.

 

[tensuke]

I like it, I don't mind the red/black color scheme as much as Despain but I do think it could use some touching up, maybe slightly less contrast between the two colors. Also, I like the side menu, but the style for visited links doesn't really fit well with nonvisited links. I suggest you use the same for both as it's not important to keep track of which menu links you've been to and it doesn't really look good to have your menu options looking so different(black, white underlined). And the mouseover bits are nice but a little bland. That gray just does not fit at all. I agree about using percentages instead of fixed width.

*I admit it does look a bit better in IE, but you should try to get it looking as similar as possible in all browsers.
Also, it's ad space not add space, and paid not payed(on the about page).
btw, your Bodzo link is messed up in your sig.

 

[Xaixis]

I don't mind splash pages at all =)

 

[Despain]

I don't mind splash pages at all =)

Doesn't matter if you mind them or not. In fact it's not a matter of "minding" them at all. Fact is they up the clicks that visitors make, as well as loading time, without offering any additional content in return, which is bad for a site.

 

[Sabao]

I don't mind splash pages at all =)

Doesn't matter if you mind them or not. In fact it's not a matter of "minding" them at all. Fact is they up the clicks that visitors make, as well as loading time, without offering any additional content in return, which is bad for a site.

Duly noted. D:

 

[$t3v0]

This is how your site looks in IE 6 (The default web browser that comes with XP):

http://bb.xieke.com/files/ietest.jpg[/img]

This browser is still quite commonly used, especially on lower spec pc's so it's something you should definitely look into. The reason it's doing it is because it doesn't support alpha transparency in images, but all you need to do in this case is just put a black background on it. This will also reduce the filesize as you can change the format to .JPG or more internet friendly, .gif.

If you want to keep the format to .png here's a hack to help IE 6 support alpha.

Going off what Despain said I ran your website through Browsershots and the results came back fairly positive. If you see this reply in the next 30 mins you can see for yourself in this link http://browsershots.org/http://www.dark ... letap.com/. If you're not, go to http://browsershots.org/ and put your URL in the submission box.

There isn't much to comment on regarding the content and layout as there isn't really anything there to critique. The bad points have all been covered and you should start making some changes all over.

The final thing I'm going to suggest is also the removal of the splash page. Whilst the majority of people on the planet can read and understand English it's hardly worth a new, unknown website to have a language splash at all! Maybe have it as an option in the header of the actual page? This way it's an option and not something they HAVE TO CLICK.

 

[Prexus]

Powered by ShortURL. Shorten your web address for free.

http://www.darkcrestproductions.filetap.com

If you are going to bother using ShortURL, why is your URL longer then the original and just as complicated?

 

[van helblaze]

Powered by ShortURL. Shorten your web address for free.

http://www.darkcrestproductions.filetap.com

If you are going to bother using ShortURL, why is your URL longer then the original and just as complicated?

My site is dark crest productions, and I don't have a domain name, I just used short url for a quick almost add free way to get dark crest productions, Once I find my CO.NR log in information I'll switch addresses for that to go to this host, right now it goes to my old host which is crazy w/ adds, and messes up my code badly.

 

[$t3v0]

i love it when people ask for crit then ignore the things that they don't want to hear

 

[van helblaze]

i love it when people ask for crit then ignore the things that they don't want to hear

I'm listening to the crit, but I'm just pointing things out,  I'm already implementing the crit

 

[KDawg08]

Site loads too slow.

 

[van helblaze]

Site loads too slow.

I'm working on fixing the load times, but this host loads much faster than my old host.

Edit: it might just have been my host, because right now it loads just fine.

 

[KDawg08]

ok it's loading fine now, I would like to make one suggestion.

The site doesn't look too bad, but i would make the navigation on the left, a dark blood red, instead of that bright red, it stands out a little too much

 

[van helblaze]

ok it's loading fine now, I would like to make one suggestion.

The site doesn't look too bad, but i would make the navigation on the left, a dark blood red, instead of that bright red, it stands out a little too much

When I ported my site over from my old host, the color of red changed, I don't know why, but it was a blood red originaly.  One of my friends could have changed the colors in my CSS page though, I need to download my CSS page to get make some changes anyways.