Find us elsewhere
Join Now Member Login

Looking for Professional Critiques

 
New Topic
Post Reply
Follow Topic
Page of 2 Next »
  • Author
  • Message
 
AdsMaster

posts: 22

Feb 26, 2008 12:41 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
Hi all

I am looking for some honest professional critiques of my site "DinoAds.com". It`s a site that has been up for a year now and includes free classifieds, articles and link directories. I am not trying to compete with CL but rather trying to bring together three popular forms of free SEO and link distribution. Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

Thanks...


-------------------------

AdsMaster
DinoAds.com - Free Classified Ads | Article Directory | Link Directory
CraigL

posts: 9051

Feb 26, 2008 1:10 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
The site`s taking a very long time to load (FireFox 1.x, DSL, Windows). When it did load, I didn`t see anything immediately that would get me interested in pursuing "yet another" advertising site, y`know? It`s not "compelling," particularly when so many of us now are familiar with Craig`s List, eBay, etc.
Webline

posts: 687

Feb 26, 2008 4:41 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
3 things I notice.

1. The first page immediately turned me off because of all the Google ads. My impression is that is isn`t substance, just a page for easy click through revenue. It also has a Google "look" to it in the title and menu. 6 different ad areas. Just my opinion, but it looks cheap.

2. Inconsistent. No nav bar on every page that matches your index page. And using different types of programs, you have different looks throughout the site.

3. Localization. I don`t see anything in the Classifieds that tells me if these are for certain geographic areas, national ads, etc. No sense of who the actual market is. I also don`t know, before placing an ad, it its free or not.




-------------------------

M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons


AdsMaster

posts: 22

Feb 26, 2008 8:51 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
Thank you Craig,

How do I speed up the load time for my index page for different browser`s? Should I just remove as many images as I can and use more text? 

Please advise.....

Thanks


-------------------------

AdsMaster
DinoAds.com - Free Classified Ads | Article Directory | Link Directory
AdsMaster

posts: 22

Feb 26, 2008 8:57 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
Thank you Webline,

I have been trying to find different PHP software templates or programs that are easy enough for me to edit so i can achieve the same look and feel through out the site. I am also working on menu`s that are not image based. Hopefully that will improve load time as well. 

I have battled with index page content for a while. Do you have recommendations for better index content?

I appreciate your time and knowledge.

Thanks,

AdsMaster


-------------------------

AdsMaster
DinoAds.com - Free Classified Ads | Article Directory | Link Directory
CraigL

posts: 9051

Feb 26, 2008 9:57 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
I have no idea how to speed up pages, in general or specifically for browsers. I`m not a developer, just an objective viewer. My interest in these critiques has much more to do with watching an idea and its logic as it unfolds into reality. Contrary to most philosophers, these days, I hold that ideas are independent entities, and our mind "perceives" them to more or less clarity. What`s interesting to me, then, is to see the real-world results, and compare them with the internal logic of the idea itself.

In other words, I say that a song has a logic of its own, separate from what the songwriter thinks is that logic. The resulting, actual song then either agrees with the idea of the song, or "interferes" with the idea of the song. When the idea of the song and the implementation---the actual writing---of the song agree, that`s a "hit."

So too, a business idea or any other idea has its own internal logic. The people who decide to put that idea into existence understand more or less of that internal logic. The closer their implementation to the internal logic, the more successful the business.

From what I`m seeing at the moment, this is an idea that`s been done so many times it`s going to be very hard to make it "different"---enough so that people will see it as something new. So that`s my question: Do you intend to make it seem new, or will you go after a very tight target market? If so, what`s that target market niche?
AdsMaster

posts: 22

Feb 26, 2008 10:38 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
Craig,

My niche is the SEO advertising community. I aim to provide the opportunity for advertiser`s of all sorts to advertise their service, product, article or links through the DinoAds.com site.

I am trying to make something different, maybe not new but, different. I do also agree with the idea of possibly targeting this to a local audience. My main goal is to adapt this site to provide the services that a specific group of user`s need (Free SEO). Hopefully overtime I will be able to find that exact look and feel that will make this site different from the rest. 

Thank you for the time you took to review my site.


-------------------------

AdsMaster
DinoAds.com - Free Classified Ads | Article Directory | Link Directory
ryanwithanr

posts: 18

Feb 26, 2008 11:37 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
The site is visually frustrating as far as where my eyes are drawn to. There`s no real "flow". It`s jam packed with Google Adwords and looks gimmicky. I understand you`re trying to advertise, but most of your visitors are probably looking at that home page and clicking their `back` button. I`ve always liked how sites like Digg use adwords. One div or section and that`s it. Most visitors are turned off by large amounts of ads. You`re whole site is basically blocked in by google and google adwords.

I would clean your page up a bit, and give people a clear idea of what`s going on. I personally don`t care for the Google color scheme. But that`s just my opinion.



-------------------------

HYBRID Digital Media
"Providing High Quality Design Solutions"
http://www.hybriddigitalmedia.com
AdsMaster

posts: 22

Feb 27, 2008 12:00 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
Feedback well taken. 

I am going to try some new google placements and have them be less intrusive on the user. Will also be working on adding some new content on the home page. 

Thanks for your review.


-------------------------

AdsMaster
DinoAds.com - Free Classified Ads | Article Directory | Link Directory
Videography

posts: 672

Feb 27, 2008 11:49 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
How do I speed up the load time for my index page for different browser`s? Should I just remove as many images as I can and use more text? 


I see that your website is hosted on 1&1, and the server may be hosting dozens or even hundreds of other sites.   (This is how they keep prices low).  You would have to pay for a dedicated server to make it respond faster.

I also agree with the other reviews - all I see is a page of Google ads.


-------------------------

Steve Mann
Internet Videographer
MannMade Digital Video
My Email


Page of 2 Next »
Post Reply
 
.
Advertisement

Keep the Community Clean!

  • StartupNation forums should be used as a platform to learn, educate others, share stories, tips & tricks and to provide constructive feedback.
  • Please do not use the Forums for advertising & blatant self-promotion.
  • Please be respectful to other members and refrain from personal attacks and vulgar language.
  • StartupNation reserves the right to delete any message, reply, and/or member who violates our terms of use.
Read full terms of use
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement