How Do You Build A Web Page?

[Soapy Sam]

Opinion of non specialist internet user, for what it's worth.

A website should be easily found and should contain the information I want to find there. It should be simple to use and easy to understand.

That's it.

I have no interest at all in whether it runs on low pressure steam or matter-antimatter conversion. I care only about being able to find, understand and use it.

I suspect I'm not alone.

I specifically detest clicking a link which says "To Free Dirty Picture of Comely Wench" only to find myself either at another page listing six variations on the previous, or on a page of another site altogether.

I do not need, like, or want to see colored buttons, flashing lights or movies. This is eye candy for kiddies.

Clear text links. Clear text. Clear content. Thank you.

As for Ian's site, I too would reduce the font size and replace the green with white or pale grey. Black ink on white paper did fine for centuries. It still does. The buttons are OK and the navigability of the site seems OK. Clear explanation right there on page 1.There are no back link loops to get lost in; all controls are in one place on the home page.

Ian is interested in words. His content will be purely verbal. He needs no ornamentation.

I don't know if the site is readable in a text only browser; it ought to be.

I think it's perfectly acceptable for his purposes. Sure, if he becomes a cult guru he will need to upgrade it, but he'll have the money to hire Claus then.

The actual URL needs to be swapped for something specific to the site.

 

[Traveller]

The point surely is that Luke's friend wants to do it himself, not hire a professional web site designer.

And it can be done; with no knowledge of web building I used a package called Net Objects Fusion and built a site which I liked in a evening. I'm sure CFLarsen could have done it better but what I have done works for me (and for other people too, judging by the responses I have had), I had fun doing it and didn't have to wait to get it up and running.

But like Ian, if anyone wants to give me any advice on how to improve it I would be only too pleased. It's about my garden at Arrow Cottage

 

[CFLarsen]

But like Ian, if anyone wants to give me any advice on how to improve it I would be only too pleased. It's about my garden at Arrow Cottage

There are different font sizes and different font colors. Use one size, black.

Lose the NetFusions logo.

"Opening Times" page: Don't use centered text.

"Gallery" page: The right-most image is further to the right than the top image. It should align.

I want to see bigger images. The images are also not resampled correctly.

Otherwise, it looks OK.

 

[ingoa]

One of my pet peeves....

Many, many websites are just insulting to the eye. Ian, your's is not sooo bad, but definitely it could be improved. CFL said it almost all... (The green tiled background is really... Yuck! Especially with the standard settings of many browsers.)

If I read the OP correctly it is one of the times where people don't care about appearence or usability. The just want to get started. It even might work, if you address a closed and homogeneous community. In this case content MIGHT be the only issue and all the more sophisticated things (like color schemes) MIGHT be irrelevant.

I have looked at e107.design.info and the homepage is really dreadful. One doesn't want to stay for a week on a web-site in order to figure out what it is about. Mixed languages... Baaaaad... Although I speak English and German. Color scheme... Well, not my taste.

There are two kinds of web-sites. Good ones, ugly ones and the rest...

Web-site design is a tricky issue. I understand that most people don't care. It looks good for them and they are proud of it. So be it. But please don't expect people outside your circle of friends to return. If you want to attract more people (not to mention customers) please, please, seek professional help or at least read a book. The people haven't done that.... http://www.atlasgrid.bnl.gov/mapcenter/ Where is a throwup icon when you need it?

At least I don't work for that outfit anymore.... The information provided by that site is good. But... One dies every time looking at it...

- It's easy to start a web-site. It is difficult to maintain it.
- A forum is somethings that you want only, if you have a lot (really a lot) of spare time. Or if you have a nerd lover...
- There are rules for colors and their combination. Be aware that not everyvody is color-blind.
- The essentials of a page MUST be recognizable within a few seconds. Not the contents, but what it is about.
- It must be clear where you are and where you can go. Ian, bad boy on the first part....

Well... I really hate badly done web-sites. I guess it means I hate the Internet ....

 

[sophia8]

But like Ian, if anyone wants to give me any advice on how to improve it I would be only too pleased. It's about my garden at Arrow Cottage

The pictures need alt tags on them. And more info about where Arrow Cottage actually is would be useful. It's only when you get to the contact page that you find it's in Hereford in the UK.
Oh, and if you want search engines to rank your site, put in metatags.

Also, in common with thousands of amatuer (and some professional) web designers in the UK, you seem to be unaware that your site, as a website offering a service, needs to comply with disability legislation. There's more info on the RNIB site

 

[sophia8]

Don't just say "no comment". I honestly think it's very good. So do a couple of people who have commented upon it. However, if anyone who has more experience than I think the site is defective in any way, then let me know and I'll make the appropriate modifications should the recommendations have any merit.

Try looking at it in 800 x 600 resolution. Try finding somebody with a degree of colour-blindness to look at it. Try finding somebody who is blind to look at it. Try finding a design that doesn't include frames.
At the moment it looks horrid, and certainly doesn't make me want to read any of it.

 

[Interesting Ian]

Try looking at it in 800 x 600 resolution. Try finding somebody with a degree of colour-blindness to look at it. Try finding somebody who is blind to look at it. Try finding a design that doesn't include frames.
At the moment it looks horrid, and certainly doesn't make me want to read any of it.

I'm going to have to give up on people who are blind I'm afraid Also I think that people who are colour blind will still be able to distinguish black text on a white background. Again, if they cannot, then they are effectively blind, and I cannot help them. Also I do not see that frames will encourage people to immediately go away. And I have tried looking at it at 800 by 600, and thought it looked absolutely fine.

However, I agree that I haven't got a clue what other people will find pleasing to the eye. But simply saying it looks horrid and giving rather stupid reasons such as blind people not being able to read it, is scarcely helpful since blind people by necessity will not be able to read any website whatsoever.

So some constructive comments please.

 

[Interesting Ian]

One of my pet peeves....

Many, many websites are just insulting to the eye. Ian, your's is not sooo bad, but definitely it could be improved. CFL said it almost all... (The green tiled background is really... Yuck! Especially with the standard settings of many browsers.)

I intend to. Actually, I was going to dispense with the tiled background anyway, and also the font size obviously. However, if people think I should just design it from scratch again, then that's absolutely fine. It will only take a very small percentage of my time compared to the actual content! However, I basically have no idea what will entice people to actually attempt to read anything. On the other hand, for such individuals I wonder if there's any point in trying to reach them anyway. Philosophy is not easy and if they can't even be bothered to read a single word then . . . .

But anyway, do you feel I should just start again?

Web-site design is a tricky issue. I understand that most people don't care. It looks good for them and they are proud of it. So be it. But please don't expect people outside your circle of friends to return.

No need for them to return; they only need to read it once and take it in

If you want to attract more people (not to mention customers) please, please, seek professional help or at least read a book.

I did read a book on website design. I agreed with all the points made and, so far as I am able to recall, complied with all the recommendations apart from the frames. Actually my website would have looked no different if I hadn't picked up the book in the first place since his recommendations, in the main, were so obvious.

- It must be clear where you are and where you can go. Ian, bad boy on the first part....

Huh?? I could have scarcely made it more obvious! Just click on the link to the left and bob's ya uncle. But that is what I find frustrating about many websites - not knowing where you are. Also I find it frustrating not being able to read the text because its too small and/or it's not black against white, and a load of irrelevant distractions on the page. It seems to me I've avoided them. I'm willing to completely redo it, but I wouldn't want to introduce any of them defects.

Well... I really hate badly done web-sites. I guess it means I hate the Internet ....

So do I, but I'm clueless as to why people think mine's bad - well apart from the font being too large and the tiled background, and the green being a bit too bright, but they're trivial details and easily rectified.