The Bakers Arms Pub - Droxford

[cordery7@aol.com]

I can open all the links in my website www.thebakersarmsdroxford.com , but often have customers who phone to tell me they have problems viewing pages, entering the site etc. The last person who called sounded like he was fairly computer literate and had tried different computers, phones and platforms all to no avail. I always check for problems as soon as I receive a call like this and still could find no problem. Please could someone take a look and suggest what might be the problem. Thank you

[Vasili]

Re: The Bakers Arms Pub - Droxford

There is nothing wrong with "accessing" your site, but there is a serious issue with how different browsers display the page due to the improper layout standards. If some people can't access it or view it properly, it may simply be a browser issue on their end.

I question the aspect of designing your site with a "landing" page or "Portal" effect when clearly it is not only unnecessary, but highly irregular as far as website standards are concerned, as this effectively wipes out any value of the most important page of the website altogether: the "index" page, like a book, is the single-most important page both visitors and Search Engines alike use to determine the value of their visit, the depth of the site, and the manner in which navigation is established (if there is to be a continued visit and drilling-in to other pages).

*The "index" page also is the page you supposed to have the most compelling, tightly composed and "optimized" Content, as it sets forth the premise, the purpose of the website as a whole ... without this critical "introductory" Content on the page, again, it becomes useless with regard to forming any relevancy for visitors or Search Engines and will not only score far below any worthy SE valuations, but may also risk the site being flagged as entirely 'non-compliant' and be ignored completely (if not outright sanctioned).
*Even if you don't have much to say, at least you could have a larger picture of the place that would be "inviting" and "telling" of what is to be found inside the site .... something to serve as an invitation and a "Welcome" both, even is only a paragraph to greet another human being in a normally expected fashion! Who wants to make their way to a Pub that has a website (which is the easiest thing to use to put their best presentation forth with) that is cold, bland, and overly pompous with self-importance that they have to jump through hoops to get in only to find not much to please the eyes, pique their interest, or compel them to visit? Likely visitors that actually do enter the site will not enter the Pub, unless the site is intended to appease only the regulars.

You need to develop Content on the different pages to a much more serious and professional degree. Content is the single-most core element that drives websites, and without it, not only is it impossible for visitors to know what you are all about, it is impossible to give the website any relevance when comparing to other websites and ranking them accordingly. This is THE place you can tell your story your way, and include all the things that make you unique and different from your competition. This is WHY people visit websites, and why businesses HAVE websites ... to put this information in front of the public in the manner that is most beneficial to the site owner, and to continue to add to it as a demonstration of constant evolution and awareness of reality (responding to consumers, to consumers needs, business developments, etc.).

LAYOUT PARTICULARS
Your site is much too wide (should be no wider than 982 pixels), your Ad Banner Rotator device not proportionately placed (and not using same-sized images), your Guestbook is overlapping your Twitter Dialog, page centering is "off" page-to-page, etc. Very noticeable is the fact your pages are not precisely 'registered' alike, and visibly "jostle" when transitioning page to page. This may be due you not having the page to the furthest left position in the Workpane along the page Rule, and by not copying or cloning the pages to edit specifically with new content before saving (as if you manually re-created the pages rather than used COPY+PASTE or CLONE).
The pages lack a real cohesive balance and presentation overall, and this makes it difficult to spend any time on it, actually. You may accomplish much by establishing an actual page, either by placing a shape under everything to act as a piece of paper would appear, in order to give the dimensional appearance of a page with margins and definitive form (rather than nearly copy the unflattering and rudimentary design of the Bowman Ales site).
> The best defined and normal looking page you have on your site seems to be your "Contact" page, and I think you can tell the difference in how it presents as more a page format when compared to the others ... even your "Success" page is more like what you can do as an "index" page, to show what you are all about, if you can understand my reference.
It is like looking over someone's shoulder at work while it is in progress, afraid to suggest anything or point out any errors ...

I think you yourself need to view your site using a couple different browsers to see the issues you must contend with as you refine your overall page layout, now that BV12 is much stricter about how it codes positions for your page elements.
And, reviewing some of your peer's websites in this very forum to compare layouts, design, and basic form might better illustrate my mention of layout 'balance' and 'flow' you might attempt yourself as you refine your website evolution.

IMO

[cordery7@aol.com]

Re: The Bakers Arms Pub - Droxford

Thank you for your honest and comprehensive appraisal. It is good to hear the view of someone who sounds like they know what they are talking about. The website has been a bit of a hobby that Ive never been that good at, but I dont think the business it brings the pub justifies the fees of a professional to sort it out. I will take into account your points next time I have a chance to tinker. To answer my original question, do you think its a browser issue at the other users end as I have used Safari and IE on different devices and I can always get the content?

[cordery7@aol.com]

Re: The Bakers Arms Pub - Droxford

I forgot to mention my reasoning for having an 'enter' page was to cut the wheat from the chaf as I was getting hundreds of hits from what were clearly not potential customers so by only counting those that actuually click through to the site I can see what kind of genuine traffic I was receiving. The 'contacts' page was actually how the entire site was designes but I felt it looked a bit clunky and old fashioned, and dare I say homemade.

[Vasili]

Re: The Bakers Arms Pub - Droxford

If you are using multiple browsers without issue, then as I suggested, it is likely an issue with others and their system, choice of browsers, or possibly even the integrity of their connection. Having viewed your site in multiple browsers (Chrome, IE, Opera, Slimbrowser), I can definitely say it is a User-specific issue.

Do not forsake Net compliance regarding your site structure due to an assumed convenience or belittled variable. The proper manner in which you construct your website is not simply for your own benefit, it is so that the site can function and perform as expected, and not be sanctioned due to ambivilence.

Proper 'index' page structure and Content Development is more a requirement than an afterthought. When it comes to layout, design, and visuals, then your personal flair is free to define itself without restriction or fear of compromise (within reason, I suppose, but nonetheless the point is made) ...