Completly Updated Website - Opinions Please

[Cabaribeads]

Hi all! I just completely changed my website. It had a black background before but I came to think it was too heavy. What do you think of the new look? How does it affect you when the first page opens? Does it look OK on your monitor? Thanks to all who reply.:wave:

[Cabaribeads]

Everyone hates it? Nobody has said anything.......................... :pout: :sad:

[momoharley]

Hi!
I haven't seen the old site so I may not be the input your looking for. However, the site looks great, very easily navigated,great pictures. I love your work!

Ann

[momoharley]

I went back and took a second look after rereading you question. The blue background really compliments your pictures along the top. Really beautiful pictures, I feel like they are very enticing and makes the viewer want to go farther into the site. Great job!

Good Luck,
Ann

[Cabaribeads]

Oh, great! Thanks for the reply. Is the font too small? Is the home page boring? Do the colors seem warm and inviting? it had a totally black background before with the same pics. And thanks for the compliment on my work.:happy:

[scouncil]

I like it. It is easy to navigate and pictures are good. Are you selling beads on your site (you should and have people directed there from Etsy and Ebay since I used to travel from ebay (didn't know about Etsy when I was a big ebay purchaser) and would always look at (and sometimes buy) things. Never hurts to have them there just incase....

[scouncil]

Front page is NOT boring. I really like the way you can scroll through the section with pictures. That's nice. Colors are neutral. I wouldn't say warm, but the interesting beads are REALLY inviting. Nice work!

[Cabaribeads]

Thanks for the feedback, Susan. Did you mean I should post my website link in my auctions? I have a link on my about me page but not in my auctions.

[ItsMeRoRo]

Hi Patricia - I took a look at your site and see that you are asking for honest opinions... In my experience I have developed several professional sites myself with one having a template over a black background. I happen to think the black (if used properly) will always look good no matter what moniter you have and make photos "pop" without competing with them.

I am also a professional photographer and dabble in graphic design... I found the need to purchase a moniter which could be actually calibrated to sRGB and other digital image files, so I invested into a NEC moniter last year (LOVE IT!) - only about $600. The color is right on! SO Worth it! ;) Your beads are very nice, but I am not sure the grey tones do them any justice - maybe it washes them out? I know that everyone has different styles.

I think the navigation of your page is great. Easy to get around and pleasing to the eye. Maybe it is not too much the grey, but the top bar which connects to the bar on the left... if that was seperate, maybe that would make a difference. I have a site that I have not maintained in quite a while, but I have done all of the graphics and maybe you can see what I am talking about... it may help you with some ideas... www.NailExpressionsofPasoRobles.com

I hope this helps you as I am just trying to be helpful :) Good luck with your website.

Sincerely - Rachelle

[Janine]

I like the site, other than the gray. It does seem to be leaching from your pictures, or just giving me a sense of un-done-ness, if that makes sense.

It is such a challenge, getting all this stuff just perfect!!!

[BarbaraB]

Patricia,
The blue font color is too intense to read on the background.
I suggest that you use a table to keep every thng in good relationship to each other. I'm referring to the list on the left side, the banner, and the frame on the right.

Otherwise I think yu are on the right track.

[Cabaribeads]

Barb, I don't understand what you mean by keeping everything in good relationship to each other. Can you explain more.
BTW, I changed the colors from the beginning of this thread because of what Janie said. I think she was right.

[Ro]

i love your work, very professional! i would like to see the background in black or white though maybe? not sure, gray/purple blue doesn't pop, but also soft to look at so not sure. good luck, its so hard
ro

[Cabaribeads]

Thanks, Ro, for the compliment on my work and the feedback! I used to have a black background and came to think it looked too harsh although the beads and jewelry pics did really pop. I had it white and thought it was too stark so I changed it to dark gray and boy! did it make a difference in how the pics show up. I can't do radiant color with this website program so I am stuck with solid color. I did want to color the font so it is easy on the eyes but wasn't plain white. Hmmm.........what to try?

[nemoutre]

Hi Patricia,
I like your work! Very nice!

Now to your website... I've noticed, you use different html-files for the navigation-frame and the title-frame each time the visitor change the topic. The problem is.. you have 11 navigation-title-combinations and unfortunately they don't have the same codes, so that their appearences are always different (maybe this is also the point Barbara's talked about) and it makes your website appears a bit anxious.

My suggestions:
1. Don't change the title-page (the one @homepage with the pics is nice - so let it stay up there). To give visitors the feedback where they are, you can always start the content-file with the subtitle.
2. Don't change the navi-page.

If you still want them change though, make sure, that all files have the same appearence. That means: all title have to have the same font-face/-size/-style/-color and background. And so do all the navigation-buttons.

I hope I can help a bit. Good luck!
~D

[Cabaribeads]

Yes, it helped alot. I forgot that I had to go back and do all that. Senility and all that. LOL Thanks so much. I hope I fixed it.

[BarbaraB]

I think nemoutre understands what I mean better than I can explain it but I'll try.

1.Banner, the pictures are not staying in a row unless I widen my screen. They double up otherwise.
2. The menu bar is fixed on the far left side and is out of line with the banner.
3. The frame floats and the text isn't always centered.
4. The blue text is too intense. I could read it if I squint but I really don't want to take the time.

You can solve the banner problem by grouping them together and saving as one jpeg.
You can keep everything related by creating a large table and inserting cells.

I can do things easier than tell you how to do it but You can figure it out.

Barbara

[Cabaribeads]

OMG! Thanks, Barb. I deleted one pic - hopefully that will solve the problem with that.

The link on the left are supposed to be lower than the top bar. Are they too low?
I don't know why the center part floats. I'm gonna try to narrow the edges of it.
Thank so much!

[BarbaraB]

That is much better Patricia. Left side links are better and it is much easier to read. You know it is fun to use all those colors but it is pointless if people can't read it.

[Cabaribeads]

I agree. it is so hard to know what things look like on other people's monitors.
I went back and completely changed again.
I lightened it up and simplified. I think the pics stand out OK now.
What do you all think?

[lizskid]

I like it a lot. Very clear, warm, your work stands out beautifully. It is nice.

[BarbaraB]

That is even better. I like the gray spaces a lot.
It's minor but I would put your "welcome" text under "patricia Miller Art..." where it will always be visable.

[nemoutre]

What a difference!! The lighter background shows your work better. I like it!
~D

[Kewee]

Hi! Love your photos - the colors are wonderful. I use a textured black background on my site and I did worry about that, but it's the only color that seems to work ok with every photo. If I were a better photographer, I could go with something much brighter, but I am not, alas...

Barb is suggesting (I think) that you enclose the content of your html document between the body tags in a table and then fix the width of that table so that it cannot resize to fit a user's browser window. This way, your photos will stay on the same line (i.e., the last one won't drop down below the others) when someone reduces the size of their browser window.

So, after the body tag, put a table tag (include a width="600") followed by the row and column tags, then your web content, then the closing tags for the column, row, and table, and then the closing tag for the body. If you view the source of my home page, you will see that I did exactly that, in an unending (and possibly futile) effort to maintain some control over what a user sees when they visit my web site. You might have to fiddle with the width a bit - I guessed at the 600. Hope this makes sense!

Lisa
www.keweebead.com

[Cabaribeads]

Thanks everyone for the comments.
Are the pics still dropping down? I don't work with the html. I have a preset form that I design inside of. I can change text, color and add pics but the basic format is already there. I never learned html so I went with an easy site builder.:oops:

[Carols Glass]

Patricia,
I love your website and your artistic jewelry, especially the dichroic. WOW!
I just wanted to say that I wasn't able to scroll unless I used the clicker and moved the thingamabob on the right, lol instead of the wheel on top of the mouse I'm using. Maybe it's just my mouse?
I added your website to my favorites as I love tutorials!

[Cabaribeads]

Thanks, Carol! for adding me to your faves and your comments.
I went back and changed the font now. I AM gonna stop this....fiddling...I AM gonna stop this.... I am gonna stop.........................................

[Tanja]

Wow!!! You do gorgeous work. I had a hard time reading the type though. Maybe it's just my eyes getting older.

[Cabaribeads]

Thanks for your comment, Tanja. Why was it hard to read - the size of the type or the font?Thanks
Patricia

[Tanja]

Hi Patricia, I hate to criticize because you are such an awesome artist. I just checked again, and to me some parts of the letters look lighter and fade away, so I really have to focus hard to read. Like at the eye doctors' office when you're trying to read the smallest line you can. But like I said, maybe it's my old eyes...lol. No one else commented, so it could just be me.

[Cabaribeads]

No, You are correct. The font does get lighter in some parts of the letters. I wondered if that would be a problem for anyone so I am grateful that you said something to me. I always look for a font that is unique but it also has to be easy to read. I am going to change it . Thanks a lot. :) And thanks for the compliment on my work. That means a lot to me.
patricia

[Tanja]

I know it's a cool font.

[Patti]

Hi Patricia, I just wanted to let you know that I really like the page that you have about the meaning and uses of stones. I will refer to it often. Your site is now bookmarked in my favorites! Your work is awesome!

[Cabaribeads]

Oh, thanks! You are so sweet.:)

[Tanja]

That looks great...I can read it really easy now.

[Cabaribeads]

Great! I changed the font and added little pics on the left of the front page. :)