Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Ummm ... wow.

You have 2 head sections, which is a big no-no. I`m not even looking at the code beyond that; I can imagine already ....

Some content looks centered, some is all the way to the left. You also have to scroll wayyyyyyyyyy to the right to see something else. The structure is very poor.

The "Custom Design" text is almost impossible to read. Plus, the link doesn`t work.

The large video box in the middle is very non attractive. You should have some type of content here instead; you announce that it`s an e-shop, so put product and information here, not a huge empty box. Put it on a single page. if you`re selling products, then show the products first and foremost.

You need a template that is effective, and used for every page. Focus visitors on the product. Make it attractive and easy to navigate.





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

M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

Thanks. I began with a Cafe Press template and then tried to alter it. I ended up with something hybrid that needs help. The problem is that I don`t know what I don`t know, of course. I work on this constantly, but doing it all myself, I am busier than a one-armed donkeyminder! I`ll start with what you offered and try to bring it up to snuff. It`s doing pretty well business wise, but this is such a busy time to make a big change. It will take me a while to do it (slow learner!). Thanks again for your critique. Mary:^)

My 2yo thought the video was funny but it adds nothing to the site and actually pushes the real purpose of the site (the sales) down below the fold. The donkey picture is an odd angle and it takes your viewers a moment to figure out what it is ... not good. I would remove the whole movie and push the sales portion of this site.

"Just GOOGLE laughingdonkey.net" doesn`t make sense. Why would you Google it instead of just typing it in? The actual link on that image doesn`t work.

Drop all the rings and icons at the bottom unless it`s doing something for you.

The video didn`t work for me at all, on Firefox 1.x with no plug-ins. The font size is huge, which is great for me, on a 1280x1024 resolution, but likely will be a drag on more typical monitors. Part of the right menu required a horizontal scroll.

I`d suggest that you either use something like Nvu to create a much more simple site, or you hire a developer. Yes, you`re "committed to doing it all yourself," but that`s like booking a vacation to Cancun and being committed to flying the plane, building the hotel, and cooking all the food.

So what if you`re committed to doing it all yourself? That`s an intention, not a functional reason to do so. There`s a reason people hire other people: It`s because they have the expertise to actually do something.

Think about how much time you`re currently wasting trying to fix what you don`t know how to fix. Even if you work for $10/hr., it won`t take long before you start to approach the fee you`d spend to get it done quickly through a professional developer.

I am not seeing the same things that others are describing that they see when they go to the site. On my computer, everything looks fine...like in scale. I`m going to call on Cafe Press tech support to help me. I don`t have a lot of $ to put out there, although my products are selling well. Thank you for your advice.

I will make the changes you suggest (with the help of Cafe Press tech support)! The links at the bottom are required for affiliate programs and rings that I belong to. I just live with that part of it. I`ll remove the movie, since it`s been on there for a while now. Some of the things that others criticize are news to me, since I am not getting the same view for some reason. I don`t see HUGE lettering anywhere. Everything looks in proportion. Thank you very much for your advice. I`ll keep working on it.

Just my opinion ..... you aren`t being criticized in any way. We are just bringing things to your attention that we see in your site .... that is what a critique is for. Many here would be willing to help out if you asked; and in actuality, they have by offering opinions of your site.

Perhaps your browser or something else is showing you something different that what we have pointed out to you. Or perhaps our perspective is different, as it is " new eyes " seeing it. We see layout issues, coding issues, and other things that could make a difference for you.





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

M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

I don`t mean to sound defensive! I need help. Today, I made the jibjab smaller, less prominent, but the site is still not looking right. I`m closing for the night. Too much work makes me dull! Thanks very much. I`ll try again tomorrow! M

P.S., Does anybody else use Cafe Press? I`m kind of bungling through their "instructions," and it isn`t easy to understand. Thanks. Mary (Isadora Donkey)!