Site check before launch

Simple, clean, professional. Perhaps a bit too plain, but that would be really picking nits. It looks good. I won't go into the political rants that are trying to burst out my fingers after viewing the content....

The big thing that sticks out when viewing the site is not your content or graphics- it's the background!! I found it very distracting. I would definitely recommend killing the red background and perhaps throwing a subtle border around your #pagewidth div.

As for the products page....it looks good, very little to distract from the items, which is what you want, but I think the client would be better served if each image were a link to a separate product info page. I can't imagin users would prefer to read product specs from the divs that appear onMouseOver instead of a full page.

You could if you want. I'm prepared. I figure the site will be blocked to some due to the content. I didn't put a warning up due to the name in the URL.

I'll change it up and offer it to the client and see what he says.

The CMS allows for links to external pages but I left it up to the client to create the text on the linked pages. As of now the specs are so short (dimensions and weights) that I an not sure that a separate page per item is needed. Of course I will mention this to the client.

Thank you.

I definitely think you need something cos you've got no fallback for those who have js switched off as it is currently.

I don't think not knowing the weights and measures of the items is going to make or break the sale. It fails gracefully by being nonessential.

Those are just test items. When the client installs the in stock items he will add the link (unless he finds it unnecessary). It's all up to him now.

I agree. I think with those "products" a buyer already should have sufficient knowledge about them anyway.

Just one thing about the background color though-- isn't it too red?

--Edit---

Another thing: in the other pages, perhaps more white space between the text and the right edge of the page? Maybe 15px more just so when the viewer scrolls down to the parts where the navigation is no longer visible, there'd still be some kind of balance between text and background.

Good job, cheers!

While I don't have much knowledge (anymore, since I got smart ) of the market for these items, I think assuming a consumer/web site visitor knows anything at all about your product is a sure-fire way to lose a certain amount of business.

More and more shopping occurs online every day. Not buying and selling- shopping. Users come to the web to research and learn about products and then make their choices. They browse various companies and your site needs to give them what they want or they will move on. I always do my best to make very few assumptions about how much a user knows. I think it a far smarter practice, from a business point of view, to give the user too much info but packaged in such a way that they can choose which information they really want to read.

So, now that this is going to become a political debate, let's just stop this thread. There are places for that and this is not one of them.

Thanks to everyone that offered constructive ideas.

Other than my tongue-in-cheek comment in parentheses, nothing about my post was political. I thought it was quite obviously an aside and had no bearing on the substance of my post.

My comments apply to guns, toothpaste, MP3 players....anything that can be bought on the 'net. It makes good business sense to give the shopper all the info available, imho.

I just want to nip it in the bud before it does happen. Thanks. Personally, I don't want to argue about it.

Absolutely, thanks for noticing.

Actually, that was the clients choice in colors. I must admit that I like it.

I thought it said, "site check before lunch", its before lunch now , so here's some quick thoughts. My viewing was done in FF/Win 1.0.7.

• I thought there could be more white space. Many of the pages look crowded. In particular, right margin and space above headings.
• On the above theme, contact page & conditions of use page were particularly crowded.
• I found the font-size on the popup info box too small.
• I'd go with a note on the products page saying something along the lines of hover over an image to see the specs and that javascript must be enabled for that to work. You may want to add a click to close spec window (as well as the move cursor off the image). Also there didn't appear to be any alternative for those without javascript.
• I found the ribbon image at the bottom odd looking. Especially all the space surrounding it when there was little extra space above. Would it work if the ribbon was moved to the bottom of the left sidebar and the text allowed to continue down (at least some way) along side it?
• I thinks its better if you can hide the ".php" from the page. Its probably irrelevant, but if your server can find the ".php" page without being given the extension you can name the pages simple transfer, products, etc. Maybe this is just my personal taste.

I didn't find the red background distracting, but I have my browser viewport narrower than most. I can see why the red is there, maybe you could soften things by extending the faded flag motif you use in your banner for the whole outer background in some way.

All in all a neat well prepared site.

I'd also like to reiterate, Triumph's point. People bring sites here for sensible critiques from a web design point of view. The content is immaterial (as long as its not illegal, obscene or pornographic). If the content of the site affects you or is likely to colour your criticism don't participate in that particular review.

Now that's worked up an appetite.

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Of course there was that one model's site that was almost one of those. I think it was actually well appreciated.

One other thing. The site doesn't have a themed 404 page not found page - something to direct them to the site proper even though they have a bad link.

Oh, yes. Good call.

I'll get on that.

*edit* Done.

Not to overly belabour a point that is quickly becoming a "non-point"

If I thought I could not objectively comment on the site, I wouldn't. I think my comments were very constructive. Whether they were "good" comments of not is another matter. I am ofiicialy dropping the point now......(the crowd roars approval)

Yes, velo, your comments were appreciated. I thank you.

Like the site. I've found from experience that when working with red white and blue best to lay off the red anc pour on the blue and white. But otherwise well done! Good jorb!

I took all of your suggestions to heart and implemented a separate page for the specifications of each item.

Thanks for the input. (Uh, by the way, the red is staying! )

Good for you, Tri and Steven, you stick to your err... guns.
(Sorry, couldn't resist - absolutely no political or personal implications should be attached to the above, by anyone, whatsoever, wheresoever, howsoever - I really should get a lawyer )

PS my final average at Bisley (22 rifle) was 99.98 - pretty useless - so I gave up but I do so love a sport that you can practice err... lying down - careful you lot

PS my final average at Bisley (22 rifle) was 99.98 - pretty useless - so I gave up but I do so love a sport that you can practice err... lying down - careful you lot I'm not going to say one single word.

Site looks clear and professional... but i really have to ask. If you take design into consideration.. what makes this website good?

It's just something i'm trying to figure out, what makes designs good and so. So, don't take it the wrong way...

From my point of view, it's fast loading, it's usable, it contains some accessibility technigues, it works cross-browser etc. It may look calm and contained on the surface, but there is a great deal of very good stuff going on beneath. Take a long hard peek at the code.

Visual aspects are highly subjective. They are unlikely to be pleasing to everyone - some visitors like "sock it to 'em" graphics, flash and the like, others go for a more relaxed look that does not distract them from the information. It depends on what the site is trying to convey.

And not everybody has bright red in their national flag, which in this case tends to dictate the colour scheme, for better or for worse

Stand easy.
At least I can fall back on the Flag of Saint George.

Wait, wait, wait! Doesn't your flag has the exact same colors (colours).

How VERY dare you
I am English, not just British.
In fact, I can also claim Cornish Ancestry from way back so maybe my preference for monochrome has an historical precedence

I was just going by this -> Location: UK

I didn't mean to offend.

I know... and it took me ages to work out where Pennsyltucky could be :?

Here it is.

Thanks Tri!
I clocked the Pennsylvania bit, but puzzled over what I thought was a Kentucky bit. That is, until Google came to my aid :oops: