Hello all,

 

I know nothing about website building or design, but have made

a website for my friend's small holiday lettings business.

 

It's not a professional venture - we just wanted to get something out

there to see if it would help streamline our inefficient admin processes.

 

The problem:

There are 4 apartments.

We get hundreds of email enquiries for the busy summer months.

If one flat is busy, we manually type out links to our others, which sit on directory sites (rovinj.info is the most popular).

 

The intended solution

We needed an idiot proof site that would automatically cross refer and show availability for all 4 apartments.

 

For now, traffic will come from us redirecting people.

In the future, SEO is an option.

 

I'd love to know what you thought - if I've broken any major rules, what's rubbish, what's better than rubbish etc.

 

I cobbled the code together using tables which i've been told was stupid, but it's all I could do, (and meant we didn't spend money on a designer/coder).

 

Here she is -

 

Rovinj-Apartment.com

 

Thanks for your help, and for having me on the forum.

 

Sam

I like the design and the colours. It's clean and takes the eye straight to the best selling points, the views.

 

If I were to change anything I'd make all of the text into actual text, not images. It will look cleaner, search engines will actually read it and the page will load faster (if this is still an issue in the age of broadband).

 

Otherwise I think the site is really clean, professional and instills the right kind of feeling in anyone looking to stay in those areas. Good job.

 

p.s. Try to remove the iframe on the FAQ page. It is ugly.

After just a quick look, (and without looking at the code, I must say it is a very nice design for your first site).

 

One point, all the text as far as I can see is as images. This will affect your search engine ranking, because Google cannot 'see' images. You would be better to replace that with text, it is also a little hard to read (too thin, or not black enough?). Also text as images is not accessible. There are issues with the contrast of some elements (white on light grey on white is not very easy to read).

 

Does the language translation element work? If not, maybe best to remove it?

 

Other than that, I like it. It is simple and to the point.

I disagree with the use of the iFrame.

 

As with most hidious and tidious HTML elements from 1996 () they're OK in some small, limited use, occassionaly used, once every 12.5 years.

 

As such, It doesn't look THAT bad, it fit's in OK I think. But It is generally considered ugly to use them.

Hello,

 

Thanks.

 

Digital Suit - know what you're saying about everything being an image.

was a tradeoff between my typeface and google readability.

I'll probably change this. Trouble is, every new thing takes

me hours to figure out at the moment

 

Calum - Will darken the text and rethink it a bit.

Have set up google analytics on the site.

Language thing is a bit of a test.

IF lots of people click on the flags, I'll pay someone to

translate into that language. if not, I won't.

 

 

SLGWN2P - Hmm. Yeah, hadn't realised Iframes were old school.

Was just looking for a way to display the content without

breaking the design.

 

Do you think it's a total turnoff for the average punter?

Will they care?

 

Thank you all for your help,

 

Sam

Not at all, One iFrame isn't going to put anyone off. Only Us! But we shouldn't care should we

Over all its a nice clean, comfortable design.

 

I would stress the point of having so text based content on there too as google and other search engines will rank you better.

 

But overall I think you've done a great job

 

Mike

I think it's bloomin' awesome and am, even as I type, looking at the Baron Gautsch wreck to consider whether I should spend some time in Rovinj!

It's probably a fair bet that I've spent more time than anyone else on travel sites and booking overseas accommodation so if I like it then it really is amazing!

Sure 'design' and SEO-wise it needs text not images but these sites are always 90% referrals from other travel sites, travel blogs, forums and directories so I shouldn't worry too much.

 

Concentrate on making the availability a little easier to see (and for you to process) and if you can offer online booking then it's something I'm always looking for.

 

Very nice site - nicest one I've seen in a fair while actually.

Over all its a nice clean, comfortable design.

 

I would stress the point of having so text based content on there too as google and other search engines will rank you better.

 

But overall I think you've done a great job

 

Mike

 

I agree with MikeHIbbert.. Your site is good. So optimize it. Just try to use some formal font.. your site is already nice. you don't need to use a bit exaggerated fonts. You’ve done great! Doesn’t look that it was done by an amateur actually.

Wow - thanks so much.

 

I was expecting it to be torn apart.

 

Seems like the number 1 I need to use real text instead of an image.

 

I'll get to work on that and see if I can get a google ranking.

 

Not showing up at all at the moment.

 

Thanks again all.

It is very impressive for a first website.

 

I agree with what pretty much everyone else has said - your first job now is to get some real text content on there.

Then it's trying to make the check availability thing a little easier to read/understand.

 

The design is excellent, you've done really, really well for your first site. Although lacking in technical know-how, you clearly know how to communicate and how to sell, which many folks with the technical know-how lack.

 

You're not getting slated because despite the tabled + image only design which you've understood isn't what web-designery-folk consider "good practice" you HAVE built a site which serves a purpose and serves it well - which would be the point. So well done!

Wow - thanks so much.

 

I was expecting it to be torn apart.

 

Seems like the number 1 I need to use real text instead of an image.

 

I'll get to work on that and see if I can get a google ranking.

 

Not showing up at all at the moment.

 

Thanks again all.

 

Well you can do a trick I learned where you use CSS to put text in the same page div and set it text-indent to something like -9000em

 

like so:

<div style="text-indent: -9000em">
<p>some text about your picture or the product</p>
<img src="your picture.jpg">
</div>

 

The picture will show but you wont see the text, however, when google comes along it will only see your text as it doesn't take any notice of the CSS

 

Mike