Long weekend........was it worth it?

[Loony Moo]

After starting on Thursday designing a site for the first time, I have spent all weekend tinkering around with it, and I now have a finished product.

Any comments please?!!

www.sundiva.co.uk

Loony Moo

[davidundalicia]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Thats a BIG YES, it was well worth your effort.......great improvement.

2 things though:

Love your gallery, but hate the fact that when you click on a photo, you are taken away from your site to the flash site.................
Can you not use _self property on the link to keep on your own site?

Why not include a small contact form on your contacts page so that clients can ask quick questions or leave you comments.
This would also help you to build up a clients email list for the future.

Apart from those 2 items, all your links work and I like the improvements.

[karel]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

I love the feel and look of the site, just one thing and this maybe just me. Could you not make it little bigger or a different colour text where people click on to enter the site, took me a while to see it.

Paul

[Bethers]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

I dislike entry pages for this reason. You really don't need it - it's an extra page for people to go through - and considering you'll lose most people in the first 3-8 seconds on your site - and without them ever going to another page - wouldn't it be better if they had a clue what you're about before they click off? Since I didn't know from that page what you do or that you have products, I never would have found out (as I'm one who would have clicked off).

I also found the "bubbles" in the navigation a bit too much for me - maybe if you at least slowed them down? But they kept attracting my eyes - making it hard for me to look at anything else on the page.

None of your links worked unless I clicked on them twice - so I thought they weren't working at first. I'm also not sure (as I didn't look at the source) what method you're using for those bubbles and navigation - but there's a very good chance from the looks of it - that they won't be readable to se's - and therefore it can hurt you in the spidering of the site. Again, I didn't look, so maybe I'm wrong there- but if it's input as an image - they won't see those links.

I'm also not sure what font you're using for your text, but I'm sure it's not a web-friendly font - which means many people's computers are going to change it to something else entirely - and they won't see the page as you do.

I like the feel of the site and the colors - you've worked hard and it shows - but you need to look at what you need the site to do for you. If you need or want it to bring you more business, you'll need to rethink some of what you've done.

[davidundalicia]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Further to Beth´s comments, your links worked for me, but the links are NOT showing up for the s.e´s. on all your pages except for the products page where they ARE showing................
Try creating some small texts links and then hide them behind the menu(send to back) then they will show for the s.e.´s
I have used this technique in the past with no detriment from the s.e.´s

[planet777]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

On the +ve side... nice site! Got a good feel for it - was intrigued to find out what "sundiva" was, and wasn't disappointed... lol.

I had the same -ve reaction tho as Bethers for the entry page - unnecessary - HOWEVER, I quite liked the bubbles. Listen to Bethers tho - esp. for seo - she is tops for that, and if bubbles hinder spidering then rethink it etc.

good stuff - well done.

Will

[Bethers]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

David - if and when the se's discover your technique of hiding it behind - they will ban you for it - as that is a NO NO and a definite against their rules. Even if in this case you're doing it for good, I would never ever recommend doing it.

[davidundalicia]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Beth, I value your opinion very highly, but moving an item or items to the back are not penalised. If that were the case, everytime you moved something to the back we would all be in trouble.
When you use a html box, that is usually moved to the back(doesnt show)
and my site has gone from 0 to 3

I believe There is a difference in hiding something to gain se status and providing the relevent links for the s.e.´s

The textual links behind a header or a table are relevent to the page contents.

[Bethers]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

David, moving something behind something else where it will not show is entirely different from moving element forward or backwards. And putting that in for the se's IS to gain status - it is not for the value of your visitors. If you aren't using a link system they can read - then do links in the footer - but I stand by my ground that Hiding the links is HIDING and is a NO - NO. And links behind a table are for what purpose? If you want the items in the table linked, they should BE links.

[Karen Mac]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Is the navagation in java script or something thats not read by the SE? If it is, I would suggest footer links for the SE. Im not sure about hiding links, but I do know if they determine its hidden it can be bad. ALSO, You can TITLE a link, and that is techinically hidden from the public, but is read by the SE and by programs for the seeing impaired. Might look into adding Titles as opposed to hiding the links, or making sure your ALT tags on the menu is specific.

Karen

[Bethers]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Another comment - hiding the link is no different than what people were previously doing by using the same color text as the background - so the links were there for se's. They might not find it right away - but they have approved methods for doing things - and when they find the ones that are not so right - they do, eventually penalize.

Using the methods Karen has stated, would be the appropriate way.

It's also why for years all the templates using javascript navigation have had footer links. That was the legitimate method for dealing with something se's can't see - and it also actually helped the visitor.

[Loony Moo]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Hmmm, all sounds very interesting, however I have no idea what is meant by "the se's". Search Engine maybe??

like I said I am very new to all of this.

ta

Mooo

[Bethers]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Yes, se is an abbreviation for search engines - and I apologize that we somewhat stole your thread. Good luck and ask anything else we can help with.

[Loony Moo]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Ok, so is there any advice on how to get my site picked up by the se's?? And how and why would they penalize people for hiding elements on there site, and who does it??

ta

[Bethers]

Re: Long weekend........was it worth it?

Because your site is always supposed to be being built for the user - if you are hiding something from the user - that means you are simply trying to "fool" the se's - and they don't like that.

The best way to be picked up by se's is to have links to your site. (like the one in your first post here).

If this is your first site with VH - you can send in a support ticket for them to submit it to all the se's for you - one time only.