Hey all. I thought I would take the plunge in at the deep end and offer my website up for critique. (lol)

 

Anyhoo, some info... I know the content is lacking as I'm currently working on that offline. What I really need help with is the design aspect - I have NO design skills at all and everything I read about what to use, not to use, what I could/should/must have/not have is just very confusing for one with no graphical abilities.

 

The site started out as just plain html, and now I have managed to learn some CSS and use that. I am also going to convert the site over to PHP. It will still be basic to begin with, but I thought that it would be a good idea to start as I mean to go on. It hopefully will make it easier in the future to develop the site further.

 

The site is also earning a little money. Nothing to get excited about (well, I do) but it's certainly going in the right direction. And I know it doesn't actually mean anything, but my Alexa ranking as gone from over 15,000,000 to 3,500,000 which is more for giving me a nice warm feeling inside than taking it as important. Unless it is?

 

Without further ado...

 

Top DVD Store

I am also going to convert the site over to PHP.

 

You don't 'convert' a site to PHP. You're still going to be using HTML and CSS.

 

As far as the design goes, it's rather... plain. And it doesn't work entirely correctly in IE6.

 

However, Breathing Room looks like a film I definitely want to see!

Google adverts breaks in FF3 loads of errors and warnings.

 

Site a little bland and spacing needs to be addressed.

has amazon given you the right to use their graphics?

Thank you for your comments! It looks like I'm gonna have to switch over to windows for a bit and test these things out. I keep forgetting about testing in different browsers.

 

I shall certainly take a look at the errors and spacing and then see if I can improve the design to make it look a bit less bland.

 

Dizi, yes I have the right to use Amazon's graphics. I'm an associate member which allows me to use them - they even tell you how to place it on your own site However, you have given me food for thought. I am almost 100% certain I am doing everything they ask, but it wouldn't hurt to go over their terms and conditions again, I'm sure.

 

Thanks again. I'll post once I've done some more to it, but still open for critics in the meantime

Uhm. I have just got around to looking at the issues relating to my website, but I have no idea how to begin! Is there somewhere where I can learn how to review errors and such and begin dealing with these? Or can anyone offer any tips, guidance or links that may help? TIA

Your site works ok and is very straightforward to buy from, but the design looks like it is stuck in the 90's. Firstly, get rid of all the adverts on your site. If you look on every major ecommerce site, none will have adverts (or if they do, they will be discreet). Also, when I was browsing, there were adverts next to your products which looked like they were from your store but when I clicked on them, they took me to another site.

For your site to work, you need to offer something that amazon doesn't, because your prices are the same and so are your shopping costs. An idea would be revenue sharing. (You give your customers 50% of the money you make or similar)

 

As far as the design goes, it works but its fairly basic. Try adding more colours, adding a background etc...

Right. I have been working on the spacing/code issues and I'm also trying to work on the design of the site, but I'm a bit stuck. You can compare the sites. Currently using;

 

http://www.topdvdstore.info

 

and the one I'm working on is;

 

http://www.topdvdstore.info/tempy/

 

I'm trying to find some colours that compliment each other, but without making it too dark. I have been searching online with the different colour maps and colour scheme creators, but I'm at a loss as I don't particular like the colours they suggest as they are too dark and I don't even know where to use them! Anyhoo, I have tried changing the colour of the menu on the left to compliment the filmstrip. The logo hasn't been touched yet as I don't even know what to do with that.

 

Any advice would greatly appreciated!