Durden

I wouldn't say Google are struggling, in fact Google + is growing at a huge rate. I don't see it competing with Facebook as the way it's evolving means it suits different people that use Facebook. I use it more than Facebook now and I really like it. The amount of interesting and intelligent conversations you come across are really good. IMO Facebook has become old and pretty boring. Its good for people using the chat function I suppose, but my wall is just littered with blooming suggested posts. When Facebook was listed and they had cash in the bank, they should have invested it in developing a variety of products that would make them regular money. If only Mark could come up with another idea, instead all he can see is Facebook. IF Google had stuck to being just a Search Engine, then yes they would still be big and make money. They have financed so many projects that are really useful, software and real life hardware.
 
You want to start a social network, go for I say. I don't buy into the whole, Facebook has is sewn up! We need people to challenge what is here already to ensure that the experience people have online grows through those not driven by just shareholders. A social network may need investment and cost good money to run, however always remember "Big things have small beginnings".

OSX is not more secure than Windows. It is simply not attacked as much. That doesn't equate to being more secure - even their own security experts admit that Windows 7/8 are more secure operating systems. And, when you place them side by side with a team of hackers - it's OSX that gets hacked quickest.
 
http://www.dailytech.com/Apples+OS+X+is+First+OS+to+be+Hacked+at+This+Years+Pwn2Own/article21097.htm
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/hack-windows-security-snow-leopard,8704.html
 
Windows is more secure specifically because it gets targeted. I've run three separate installs of Windows 7 and Windows 8 over the last 6 years and I've not had one single virus or malware. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
 
As for market share, I have a copy of Custom PC magazine from 2006 that states OSX's share in the desktop market at about 6%. Apparently it's now 7%, so their market share has barely changed in 7 years. You say Windows has lost 10% but I think that's rubbish, only when you start factoring in mobile devices and iPads can you portray MS as having lost market share. Windows 7 was the biggest and fastest selling OS in history. And Windows 8 has already overtaken Vista and using projected sales Windows 8 alone will be used by more people than OSX by about March/April time.
 
That isn't even the point however. The point is, specifically when it comes to the corporate market. Microsoft have it all sewn up. A few students and young people and trendy businesses adopting Mac OSX isn't going to change that because those are still very small numbers.
 
Take a bank for example. My brother helped build the IT infrastructure for one of the biggest banks in the world. Their entire network and systems and infrastructure runs on Windows, with some Linux on the back end. Their tens of thousands of staff know how to use Windows, and all the software that they use has been coded to only run on Windows.
 
Now are you seriously suggesting that there is a threat to that? Why would they switch to an OS that isn't designed to be used in that manner (OSX is designed for the end user) at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars...only for every single one of their staff to need training at great expense and great loss of revenue and all their software also need to be completely re-written to work on OSX? It would be such a tremendously huge operation for little or no gain.
 
I nearly forgot - you'd have to replace every single computer with Macs. Yeah - it's not going to happen.
 
Sorry, but Apple may make some minor inroads into the consumer desktop PC market, but Microsoft and Linux have the corporate industry sector sewn up so tight it will never switch over to OSX. It would be far, far too expensive and unnecessary. You can get a PC workstation suitable for general use for about £300...cheapest Mac is what...£1000? Come on, use your brain, it's never going to happen.

Durden, I do agree that it is scary to think that, especially during times where incentives are being provided to schools in order to encourage children to interact more with computers and software engineering (the Raspberry Pi is a good example). However, there are more and more methods becoming available to modify Apple products, even down to the hardware so although they aren't as easy to modify as a Windows PC rig, the option is still there except it takes a bit more effort and probably a bit more cash as well.
 
I also agree that Apple's board have no idea what they're doing... okay maybe some idea seeing as though they multi-millionaire investors but that's the problem, they are investors and not necessarily tech experts or innovators. They don't give a toss about innovation as long as the money keeps coming in and when it stops then they'll just sell up and move onto the next phenomenon. It happens to most big PLCs who lose all of their original executives, the ones that wanted the company to succeed and for the consumers to be happy without all the emphasis on profits etc. It seems like a reductionist statement to make but the loss of Steve Jobs seems to be really damaging Apple. I had faith in Tim Cook but he's being whipped so darn hard by the greedy shareholders and directors that he's losing sight of what was important. Steve on the other hand was very stubborn and wouldn't take that sort of crap from the directors - even Wozniak has began publicly showing his concern about Apple's future.
 
Andy, I agree with everything you said and the thought of an Android desktop/laptop OS sounds intriguing and very likely in the coming years as well. Google know that it wouldn't be easy to steal Microsoft's market share but if Apple are able to take a big chunk then I think Google would try and take it from Apple instead.

You're right - more companies have started offering Mac compatible upgrades. Apple's response? Start soldering previously swappable parts to the motherboard - making it literally impossible to upgrade components within certain Macs. I kid you not. I'm not sure what their argument is for making this move...but I can't imagine it being a strong one. It's disappointing. Silently locking customers into buying a new Mac in the not-too-distant future when they're told, "Oh no, sir, you can't swap your RAM sticks, or hard drive - it's all soldered to the motherboard...this was mentioned in small print on the website at the time of purchase.".
 
It's this behaviour from Apple that grinds my gears. Really, really gets to me. I don't know enough about their supposed reasoning for this to make any judgements as to whether it's morally incorrect, but I have my worries. I'm just glad I've read about this before buying the new MacBook I'll be forking out for soon - I'd be a little cheesed off if I'd bought with the intention of upgrading later, only to find I've royally screwed myself over courtesy of small print.
 
It would indeed be interesting to see what Google could do in that market...and I'm sure they've got some plans going, what with Chrome OS being pushed a little more with the launch of the new GoogleBook Pro Chromebook Pixel.
 
@Durden, do many people know how a computer works now? I mean, how a computer really works - not just the basics. I would say no, but perhaps I'm being a little negative about it?

I would say a fair few people know how they really work. However I worry for the generation that is younger than myself (and I'm only 28) that they won't know how they work or be truly inspired to do great things with them. There is a new school being built where I live and every child will be giving a free Ipad! Buy in a load of Raspberry PI's and inspire kids with small projects that will show them the potential of technology. If kids in this country were inspired the right way in school then our computer industry might actually be good in this country in a decade or so.
 
As far as I am aware schools and universities get massive discounts from Apple and call me cynical, but it's a clever tactic by Apple. Have the kids using thei stuff at school and their parents and themselves will be future customers.
 
At the end of day Apple will probably never let customers tinkle with the hardware. That sort of thing is not Apple's strong selling point...theirs is the brand.
 
@Alluziion You are so right about the board. Jobs didn't create much for the products, but he knew what customers would buy and how to be able to charge a premium for the product and get the customer to still feel grateful. The man was a genius of business. Cook on the other hand is a numbers man, not a visionary.

I must say I this is quite a statement " Apple has gripped the next generation of computer users"! When I was quite a bit younger I was exposed to Windows and Macs at the same time. Macs were quite fun, but no use as I couldn't pull them to apart! My own windows machine (95) was slow by todays standards. However it inspired me to become quite obsessed with PC's. I took it to pieces, put it back together and it worked! I broke Windows so many times but at the same time discovered things that others around me didn't know. The idea of what you imply with your statement actually scares the crap out of me. Sure kids will know how to do cool stuff with software (great you can do that with windows and linux too). My concern is they won't know how their computers work, they won't even think about it and if your statement became true then they would be as locked to Apple as the hardware and software is.
 
I don't think Apple are bad, they have done some good things, however even investors are getting nervous that they will be unable to keep the gravy train flowing. I'm sure Apple has some amazingly talented people working for them, however if the people at the top can't see the big picture...well we all know what happened in the 90's.

I must say I this is quite a statement " Apple has gripped the next generation of computer users"! When I was quite a bit younger I was exposed to Windows and Macs at the same time. Macs were quite fun, but no use as I couldn't pull them to apart! My own windows machine (95) was slow by todays standards. However it inspired me to become quite obsessed with PC's. I took it to pieces, put it back together and it worked! I broke Windows so many times but at the same time discovered things that others around me didn't know. The idea of what you imply with your statement actually scares the crap out of me. Sure kids will know how to do cool stuff with software (great you can do that with windows and linux too). My concern is they won't know how their computers work, they won't even think about it and if your statement became true then they would be as locked to Apple as the hardware and software is.
 
I don't think Apple are bad, they have done some good things, however even investors are getting nervous that they will be unable to keep the gravy train flowing. I'm sure Apple has some amazingly talented people working for them, however if the people at the top can't see the big picture...well we all know what happened in the 90's.

I am finishing my computer science degree at the moment. The module choice has been quite varied and on the most part interesting. A big part of it is programming, especially related to wed development. Last year was C++ with this year having a focus on PHP and Javascript. Throw in Systems Design and Analysis (Agile), CIsco Networking, Database Development (SQL), work based project and even some psychology (ICT in society) and I've learnt quite a bit.
 
PC for me, Apple (products) are of a good standard, I just prefer how Windows work. Plus I prefer to build my own machine as I've not built an unreliable one yet...Apple obviously doesn't let you do this.

I'm not saying that I'm correct but if I were a potential client reading this I would just assume that you know very little about HTML, CSS and Web Design and only use WP because you're unable to make professional looking websites without it - after all, you're very own portfolio site uses a theme made by someone else...

It depends what you consider to be too much. To be honest 70 quid doesn't get you much, that would only be what 3 hours of my time. Its not right to charge by the page, it's how much time goes into a project and the overall quality of that work. For 70 quid the design work will be very minimal as will the functionality of the website. A CMS site works pretty much the same, (Anee), it can be set up in no time at all, however it comes down to the details of where the design came from. Too many people sell a CMS site with a cut up theme that they purchased for next to nothing. To have a custom built design for a CMS tends to cost in the thousands range, and for good reason.
 
The only reason to charge more is if you are good at what you do. Skill set and experience are key.
 
Back to the original question by teodora, I think for a family friend that is probably still a little cheap. You should charge them a reduced rate per hour, show that reduced rate on a quote and they will know they are getting a good deal from you.
 
 
Stevo!

Well you're doing it for a relative so price will be influenced by this, what price would you be happy with? Personally, if a close family member approached me for a website then it would be free, especially a 4-page website that could be made in a day or two; a not-so-close relative would receive a hefty discount on my hourly rate.
 
I disagree Anee, I charge less for WordPress unless I'm making a custom theme or a page with my own plugins etc. I'm sick of seeing "Web Designers" think they can charge excessive amounts by buying a cheap WP theme (or even free), adding a load of free or cheap plugins and claiming that it was difficult to make. A website made from scratch can also have a CMS coded into it.

Anee, Sorry I don't agree with one thing you are saying - using Wordpress is a technique to charge more.
I don't think designers build CMS powered sites, simply for the sake of charging more. If you build a HTML/CSS only site, you can charge a maintenance fee.
 
You may have not meant that, but think what if someone out of the web community reads your post - they will think every designer who suggest using Wordpress / CMS is simply trying to charge more, which is not true.

But others do, folk like you do jobs for nothing and then people expect jobs done for nothing in the future....it simply devalues the service that is provided to the customer.
 
On a separate note, you tone and wording in posts is fairly arrogant...rather than taking work off people...get back to your supposed successful business....

The layout seems ok, however I do think the site in general is a little dark, the navigation is dark grey, and your background is black, not very appealing. In terms of the market you are trying to reach and products you are selling I perhaps try a design that is more lively and has some fun colours. After all is that not what you are selling, tools for fun if you like.
 
Hope this helps in a way.
 
Stevo!

Web design is alot more than good coding practices, which can be easily learnt. Design however is something that you will be learning every day, no matter how long you spend at it....good job it's lots of fun!
 
All that green on black is pretty tough on the eyes, takes me back to a job that had computer systems that displayed everything in green on black..after 3 years of using them, the result is now glasses! You site will be a solid first attempt if you can tone done the colours. Check out some websites online for more modern design looks, http://designshack.net/articles/inspiration/the-30-best-web-design-gallery-picks-of-2012/ These it can be a plus to space content out so everything is not so cramped on the screen.
 
Good luck on the never ending twisting road of web design!
 
Stevo!

I've been monitoring this thread for a while, but I've stopped myself from replying because I couldn't figure out a way to not seem rude. You seem to want a specific reason as to "what's wrong with your page" and it's difficult because it's a combination of design violations, but I will attempt to shed some light on the matter.
 
Here's a gigantic essay for you. It was actually much longer than this, but I trimmed it
 
 
Typography
 
This website overuses "Arial", which is one of the most generic looking fonts in my opinion. When you view other websites, you'll notice a font palette containing a variety of attractive looking fonts and you'd be surprised how much this can affect the overall "feel" of your page.
 
You should be aware of the fact that "...human beings don't like to do unnecessary reading..." and "...don't like to read long lines of text".. Not many people want to sit down and read those 3 paragraphs you have on your home page. Blogs or "about us" pages would warrant that kind of massive text, but not on your home page where you're trying to capture the viewers attention to your product/company. Essentially, home page design is the art of trying to communicate as much information with the least amount of words. As an example, take a look at the following websites:
 
http://builtwithmomentum.com/
http://www.bluebubblecreative.com/ (this is the website of a WDF member here, but I can't remember which)
 
Notice the layout of the builtwithmomentum page. It's simple and effective. I'm not saying you should design your website to match these two, but they demonstrate the concepts that I'm trying to get across.
 
 
Layout
 
Your home page is the most important page on your website because it's what needs to capture the viewer's attention otherwise they'll close the tab and move on. Aside from the services you offer (which are in small text), there is nothing on your home page that remotely interests me (I also don't want to read all that text). What kind of website design services do you offer? Do you have samples of your previous work? (This is what could replace that random puzzle piece "thing" you have on your home page), etc etc.
 
From what I could see, all of your pages have the same basic structure and layout; there's nothing really unique about each page unless you want to count the different images. This should not be as it gives your website a serious "Hey, I'm a template" look.
 
One thing your layout does need is "White space" or "room to breathe". It's congested and this is the quickest way to ruin a website.
 
 
Color
 
The color is not very pleasing to the eye. The heavy gradients, the highly saturated green, the pure black foreground on pure white background... it's too much and it doesn't work. Unfortunately, this is not something I can't explain very well. An "art course" would do wonders in your situation. I quoted the words "art course" because there are some who are formally educated in a school and there are others who sit down with a copy of "The Principles of Beautiful Web Design" accompanied with an open tab of dribbble.com. I'm the latter
 
Whether you educate yourself or go to school is your choice, but learning the basics of color theory and the fundamentals of design is essential.
 
 
Other Comments
 
I'm afraid I've only touched the basic issues when it comes to your website. Here are just a few more things I've noticed so I can wrap up this essay:
The bouncing slideshow you have on some pages is very annoying. These effects look cool when you first see them, but when it comes time to actually use them.... no.
I notice you're using "mailto:" on your email link. Unless you've set yourself up to deal with spam, I wouldn't place your email address anywhere on your website or in the visible source code. Instead, use a contact us form that employs mailing on the server side.

To be honest, I think you just need to sit down and carefully plan what you want to have on each page, keeping what I've said above in mind. Draw each page of your website (most beginners often undervalue a pencil and paper) and then move from there. Research and discover other web design companies and observe the layouts they have.
 
I really hope I helped.
 
Kind Regards.
 
Edit: Fixed a few grammatical errors

Ok everyone, let's keep critique quantifiable, actionable and aimed at the design, not the designer.
 
 
 
Let's back up a sec here - Dreamweaver is an IDE, WordPress, Drupal and Joomla are content management systems. They do totally different things, don't lump them all in the same bucket.
 
Edit: I'd also add that I've never found a visual design tool (that includes Dreamweaver's Design View) that produces clean HTML to a professional standard.

There's giving constructive criticism and then there's telling someone there work is "crap"! I'm getting so tired of hearing folk go on and on about people using templates! The comments they receive on this basis must make them think...Why would I want to get any better at what I do because I may turn in to the same folk that basically have a go at me.
 
Peoples work will always have flaws, small and major ones. For the industry as a whole its important to encourage people in a way that you are not just putting your own personal feelings down. If they think people in this industry are not nice then they may pick another career.
 
You all know who you are, try getting of that pedestal that you have put yourself on and make this forum a warmer place.
 
Stevo!

"Crap" isn't constructive.
 
 
Scrap your critique, start again but follow these guidelines: http://www.webdesignerforum.co.uk/topic/32744-read-this-before-reviewing-someones-work/

Can i just add i have worked in the IT industry for years and remote support was my main line of business (contract and full time employment)- a majority of computer related issues ARE fixed over the internet- its that simple.....i'm sorry if you find this hard to believe....
 
In my experience from a work/contract related point of view, if i was unable to resolve a computer problem remotely, then i would lose that customer and my job..its that simple
 
There are many tools and skills to be had to resolve a computer problem over the internet- this saves both time and money.
 
Now saying that, rebuilding a computer cannot be done over the internet! (microsoft and acronis image deployment for example can be done but not for the home user!) ...sometimes a computer rebuild is necessary and this is where the customer would need to seek help eslewhere.

Pretty much what has been said, how do people pay and what do you accept? Is it a secure checkout, reassure people of the fact.
 
Feature a few products (best sellers, offers etc) at the top/fold perhaps in a slider or similar.
 
USP and selling points, highlight them, you're already doing that with the Free Delivery but add interest, for example is your returns policy or quality worth shouting about?

Thank you for the feedback. I am by no means an expert web designer. I joined this forum to find help but as always I do expect to find people like you in a forum.

Youtube video - took about 10 seconds to make with windows movie maker. Im aware it is not worthy of the television.
Content area needs some padding - thanks for the advise
the templates are free, look like something from 15 years ago. - these templates have been discarded on my harddrive for 5 years, I have not advertised them as premium.
Footer is totally blank - If you read through this post you will see i commented "The footer ive left blank until I decide what to do with it."

Our site is a work in progress. We dont offer clients templates, I want somewhere to store designs a clients has rejected. We offer a FREE service and FREE hosting. Learning web design and management is a hobby of mine only. I havent been to UNI or ever had a lesson. So pick at the code if you wish but keep your comments off my topics.

For the basics of positioning everything on your site, you could read through this from css tricks http://css-tricks.com/the-css-box-model/ Once you understand this it will help a massive amount and allow you to come up with the idea of a layout.
 
Try starting of by doing a low fidelity wireframe. Do this by sitting down with paper and a pencil. You can use this to draw the basic layout of a page. No details need to be added, just how the different elements (ie, header, content, footer etc) will sit on the page. I find this early stage of the process is great for giving me ideas for the design and feel of the website.
 
After this you can use something like https://gomockingbird.com/ which is free to use and you can create a high fidelity wireframe. This is where you can add details like Font, exact spacing between elements etc, etc.
 
Depending on how you work, you can then use Gimp, photoshop or the like to create a quality graphical mockup of what the page will look like. You certainly do not need to think of this as the final look of the site. When coding the site, try to use CSS3 for the graphics as much as possible as it will keep the speed of your site up.
 
You already have content which is great, because you should never really design before having content. The design is very important, how the content is KING as it's what you are wishing to communicate with the user. With regards to your content on the main page, make it simple and to the point, tell the user who is a potential customer exactly what you will do for them. Remember that you are the solution to a problem that the customer already has. I wouldn't go too much into the methods that you use as they may not care. Try to look at it from the point of what they do care about?...which is themselves and their own business.
 
Starting with a bit of paper and a pencil will seem like taking a massive leap back, however it is very worthwhile and I'm sure you will get plenty out of it. You never want to over plan a website, but these sort of steps will help you create your own development process. When putting together a quote for a potential client, including information on a structured development process informs them more what they are paying for...and in the end will help you to beat of the competition.
 
I hope some of this helps you and I wish you the very best success with everything!
 
Stevo!

Fascinating.