My business's website

[lulzkiller]

Since is my first post, allow me to introduce myself. My name's Matt, and I frequent the Stompfest TF2 short respawn time server. Some of you may know me, but for those that don't, hai2u.

Anyway, I run a small business in Manhattan and business has been pretty well for the past few years, so it just hit me that my business should have a website. My partner and I were looking at web design companies but they were either "not what we're looking for" or they were too expensive.

My partner gave me this week off to learn CSS/Frames to see if I could come up with something. Well, I came up with this:

http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=websiteob4.jpg

I don't have a web server so I can just screencap the page, but this will be the main template. I'm trying to aim for something simple and easy to read, and not at all too flashy.

Please be incredibly brutal. I can take anything.

TL;DR: Rate my website: http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=websiteob4.jpg

oh oops photobucket shrunk it. let me reupload it to imageshack.

By the way, I don't run any business that has to do with food. I was just really hungry for Chinese at the time. And just for shits and giggles, my desktop: http://img403.imageshack.us/my.php?image=desktopql3.jpg

[eclyps]

I think one of our long time CSSers does some web design. He may be able to help you out fairly cheap. I know we have a TON of Computer Graphic Artists on here, so surely someone will be able to offer some advice/help :)

welcome to the forums, btw. I trust you read the news about the server switch?

[lulzkiller]

I think one of our long time CSSers does some web design. He may be able to help you out fairly cheap. I know we have a TON of Computer Graphic Artists on here, so surely someone will be able to offer some advice/help :)

welcome to the forums, btw. I trust you read the news about the server switch?

Oh man, that'd be amazing. If I don't get some ideas or find a cheap Web Designer by Monday, I'm going to have to submit this to my partner and it'll be the website.

[Prosthetics]

I'm sure if we spent time on something eric and I could team up and do something...right eric? <3

[ikem1223]

i could help also, for some of the grafix part of it... maybe lol

[pancakes? c'est charmant!]

sounds like the other one is the dominant partner?

[lulzkiller]

sounds like the other one is the dominant partner?

We're both dominant in our respective positions. A man with a BS in engineering can't run a business, and a man with a BS in business administration doesn't know shit about the inventory.

[Herron]

Recommendations

Full justification on the text
Some kind of sans-serif font (like verdana or arial -- arial's probably more standard than verdana)
Change it so the text and horizontal lines don't extend beyond the top banner. Normally I wouldn't suggest any kind of limitation like that, but since it's already so close, you may as well go the extra step and make them line up.
Move the text up (or the image down) so the top of the text is inline with the top of the picture and the bottoms are also inline. Also see if you can do anything about possibly shrinking the distance between the bottom of the picture and the text underneath it.
Personally, I like black text, but if you're doing this for a business you may want the name to stand out a little bit more. It's also kind of hard to read the home/link1/link2/etc. in the top banner (whether it be from the fact that it's bold or because it's black as well, I couldn't tell ya.)
Buy me some chinese food. KTHNX!


Looks pretty clean in general though, and it's definitely a good template design that you can adapt to lots of stuff.

[lulzkiller]

Recommendations
Full justification on the text
Some kind of sans-serif font (like verdana or arial -- arial's probably more standard than verdana)
Change it so the text and horizontal lines don't extend beyond the top banner. Normally I wouldn't suggest any kind of limitation like that, but since it's already so close, you may as well go the extra step and make them line up.
Move the text up (or the image down) so the top of the text is inline with the top of the picture and the bottoms are also inline. Also see if you can do anything about possibly shrinking the distance between the bottom of the picture and the text underneath it.
Personally, I like black text, but if you're doing this for a business you may want the name to stand out a little bit more. It's also kind of hard to read the home/link1/link2/etc. in the top banner (whether it be from the fact that it's bold or because it's black as well, I couldn't tell ya.)
Buy me some chinese food. KTHNX!
Looks pretty clean in general though, and it's definitely a good template design that you can adapt to lots of stuff.

1. What do you mean by "justification?"
2-5. Done. I'll post updated website soon.
6. BUY YOUR OWN LOLOLOL

[shaej]

We're both dominant in our respective positions. A man with a BS in engineering can't run a business, and a man with a BS in business administration doesn't know shit about the inventory.

I run a business, and I'm a history major working on finishing a masters degree in public administration.

Things just work out weirdly sometimes :)

[CodeZero]

Toss the entire thing...

Get a web hosting account somewhere like say http://www.geekstorage.com/

Then download Joomla! 1.5 www.joomla.org

Pay for a subscription to RocketTheme - www.rockettheme.com

Download a good business template like HiveMind, MediaMogul, or Chromatophore

(You can see all their demos here, use the drop at the top to select)- http://demo.rockettheme.com/

And then start plugging in content...

Joomla is much like Wordpress and the like except it's highly customizeable and you can drop in content from pretty much anywhere since it's web-based.

As for security, it's about as secure as they come even for being OpenSource if you take the proper precautions and don't leave yourself open (which goes for any website).

I'm finishing up a Joomla! site right now, www.nightparanormal.com - The base design was actually Synapse as you can see from the demo linkie above.

[CodeZero]

Things just work out weirdly sometimes :)

I went from running my own PC Repair and Web Design company to working as a office assistant for my sister while I finish up my MCSA/MCSE certifications so I can definitely agree to that statement.

[lulzkiller]

Toss the entire thing...

Get a web hosting account somewhere like say http://www.geekstorage.com/

Then download Joomla! 1.5 www.joomla.org (http://www.joomla.org)

Pay for a subscription to RocketTheme - www.rockettheme.com (http://www.rockettheme.com)

Download a good business template like HiveMind, MediaMogul, or Chromatophore

(You can see all their demos here, use the drop at the top to select)- http://demo.rockettheme.com/

And then start plugging in content...

Joomla is much like Wordpress and the like except it's highly customizeable and you can drop in content from pretty much anywhere since it's web-based.

As for security, it's about as secure as they come even for being OpenSource if you take the proper precautions and don't leave yourself open (which goes for any website).

I'm finishing up a Joomla! site right now, www.nightparanormal.com (http://www.nightparanormal.com) - The base design was actually Synapse as you can see from the demo linkie above.

The thing is this isn't what we're aiming for...my partner and I are looking for something that looks homemade; not a run-of-the-mill template. We want something that looks like we worked on it and something incredibly simple, because nobody's going to be visiting our website unless they want to contact me, or store hours.

[*dianne*]

Toss the entire thing...

Get a web hosting account somewhere like say http://www.geekstorage.com/

Then download Joomla! 1.5 www.joomla.org

Pay for a subscription to RocketTheme - www.rockettheme.com

Download a good business template like HiveMind, MediaMogul, or Chromatophore

(You can see all their demos here, use the drop at the top to select)- http://demo.rockettheme.com/

And then start plugging in content...

Joomla is much like Wordpress and the like except it's highly customizeable and you can drop in content from pretty much anywhere since it's web-based.

As for security, it's about as secure as they come even for being OpenSource if you take the proper precautions and don't leave yourself open (which goes for any website).

I'm finishing up a Joomla! site right now, www.nightparanormal.com - The base design was actually Synapse as you can see from the demo linkie above.

You can get free templates from siteground.com they only have a few but they are nice :P I just got joomla last week and have been tinkering with it, I'm learning far too much about computer related stuff for my taste :D

[*dianne*]

The thing is this isn't what we're aiming for...my partner and I are looking for something that looks homemade; not a run-of-the-mill template. We want something that looks like we worked on it and something incredibly simple, because nobody's going to be visiting our website unless they want to contact me, or store hours.

Shoot i could do that!! :P i know basic enough html to make a site look "homemade" hehe

[Herron]

Full justification: http://www.finamoredesign.com/FinaBlog/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/align.jpg

HTML/CSS code for full justification: http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/linepar/index_famsupp_153.html

[mgz]

Here is how you should look at it...

You want your website to represent your business and help you make money. When people visit your site you want them to think "Wow this is nice, must be a good business, etc" not "Wow they made one of their in house guys make a website in ms paint, business must suck" because thats the feeling I get when I look at that website.

You need to hire a professional designer rather they be more expensive for your taste or not, because in the end I can gaurentee you it will pay off.

You should stop wasting your time trying to design the site yourself and find someone to do it for you and not be so tight on the budget. I mean you could even search through monster.com and find a decent template you can modify to be yours.

[lulzkiller]

Here is how you should look at it...

You want your website to represent your business and help you make money. When people visit your site you want them to think "Wow this is nice, must be a good business, etc" not "Wow they made one of their in house guys make a website in ms paint, business must suck" because thats the feeling I get when I look at that website.

You need to hire a professional designer rather they be more expensive for your taste or not, because in the end I can gaurentee you it will pay off.

You should stop wasting your time trying to design the site yourself and find someone to do it for you and not be so tight on the budget. I mean you could even search through monster.com and find a decent template you can modify to be yours.

Fair enough, but now since I learned at least some basic CSS/Frames I may be able to manipulate a template myself. It has to be cheap though. Zoning regulations caused my rent to skyrocket, I took a huge hit when Bear collapsed (I reinvested most of the money in JPMorgan Chase though so I think I'm alright), and since we're working with a contractor about expansions in Queens, I think about 80% of net income is poured back into the business, including payroll and taxes.

[mgz]

Yeah, monster.com templates are generally in the $40 - %60 range and pretty good quality. I would go that route if your tight on funding.

[CodeZero]

My big point in using a Joomla! template is that they're incredibly customizable and it won't look "generic" and/or like it's been used all over the internet.

I'd offer up the time to show you how what you can do with the site but time is so tight right now. I'm kind of with mgz though in that professionalism comes with your image, both online and off. If you're shopping for arts and crafts, a homemade site looks good. If you're looking to sell products and don't want people thinking you're a fly by night business then it has to look like you either a.) spent the money for it or b.) spent the time making it look mad sexy.

You wanted our opinion though, and that's just my thoughts on it. I definitely don't want to come off being cocky or anything, this is just coming from someone who's been designing websites since 1993.

[CodeZero]

Yeah, monster.com templates are generally in the $40 - %60 range and pretty good quality. I would go that route if your tight on funding.

I hate using those templates because they're so hard to really change "huge" chunks of the site without a lot of additional coding. RT templates aren't THAT much different but Joomla!'s dynamic ability to move tables and placements around takes some of the work out of it.

[Timmah!]

Fair enough, but now since I learned at least some basic CSS/Frames I may be able to manipulate a template myself.

For the love of all that is good, don't use frames. CSS is definitely good to use. In place of using frames (for recycling code across all pages), just use .jsp files (with simple document.write instructions). In other words, you only need to learn a couple JavaScript commands, and it makes it very easy to insert things like your navigation across all pages. And like frames, then you don't need to update multiple pages to change one thing. Repeat after me: "Frames bad, JSP good".

[Otis]

For the love of all that is good, don't use frames.

AMEN. Nothing says I don't have a f-in clue more then using frames. Not only that, accessibility goes all to hell with frames, which could potentially have legal ramifications. That's the new trend, sue companies for accessibility issues, just ask Target