Revamped site

[parttimetechie]

Need an opinion on how to make the site more professional. I like the colors and the bubble text I have, so not really willing to change that.

Please provide constructive criticism

Also, my Appointments form is not sending me the required emial, if someone could help me out with that I would appreciate it.

www.techwork.wadsley.us

 

[Martyn]

I don't like it at all, like you say you need to give a professional image. Why don't you just go for a Joomla or Wordpress template like a lot of others on here? When you choose the template you get the 'professional' look straight away and just have to add the content. The site with your prices give out the wrong message to me. Sorry to be blunt.

 

[TLE]

It's clean and simple which is good, but it looks very outdated.

Have you considered using Joomla or Wordpress to develop a site? You can very easily create a nice looking website which is easy to maintain and update with new content.

Martyn beat me to it..lol I revised what I'd written as it seemed harsh :0)

 

[parttimetechie]

The reason it looks simple is b/c I do all the coding by hand. Wordpress iirc is like dreamweaver and I have never heard of Joomla .

 

[TLE]

Joomla is very simliar to Wordpress in that it's a CMS based website.

Whilst coding is very admirable, it isn't going to produce the desired results unless you are experienced in it and incorporate PHP or ASP. You don't need any coding experience for either Joomla or Wordpress.

Might also be worth having a look at this thread http://www.technibble.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23507 This will allow you to install either Joomla or Wordpress on your own PC which means you can play with it until your are confident.

Search the forums for Joomla and Wordpress as there are plenty of threads out there on the subject. Search google for either 'Woredpress templates' or 'Joomla Templates'.

Your host will also need to support PHP and MySQL.

 

[parttimetechie]

The host supports PHP and MSQL but aparently does not support Wordpress Apps.

What was meant when someone said the pricing gives the wrong impression? How so?

What could I do with coding to make my site look more professional? I wasn't looking to change medium, I only wanted to spruce up what I had wiht more coding

 

[TLE]

If you want to stick with plain HTML, have a seach for HTML templates like these. It's what I originally started out with.

http://www.freewebtemplates.com/templates/html

You can edit these top suit your needs.

But..If I was you I would check out Joomla, install on your own PC and see what you can create. If your host supports Wordpress and PHP, it must support the addins as they are PHP just like the site.

 

[parttimetechie]

I'm actually installing the Microsoft package you talked about in another thread. Will that be stand alone, or will I need Joomla for it?

 

[TLE]

It's standalone, but you have the option to install Joomla once WebMatrix is installed.

 

[Fixedathome.com]

The reason it looks simple is b/c I do all the coding by hand. Wordpress iirc is like dreamweaver and I have never heard of Joomla .

Dreamweaver is a web design program. Joomla and Wordpress are pre-made websites that allow you to easily add and update content as well as being highly customisable with templates and plugins.

 

[parttimetechie]

How would I go about getting the top blue area out of there so my links are at the very top of the page?

 

[TLE]

I'm not sure to be honest. You'll need to log into the website to make changes. So it would be something like http://localhost/administrator.

It may also be worth you checking out Artisteer http://www.artisteer.com/. I bought it and used it to design my template layout.

 

[16k_zx81]

No offense, but my best advice would be to start again from scratch.

+1 to go the Wordpress route

Templates are free and you can get speccy ones for about $30

Check out this site for examples if this is of interest

Decent hosting can be had for $5 PM.

Its really nothing to invest if you are using the site for advertising. If its just for existing customers, then doesnt matter at all what your site looks like. To attract new business it needs to look the part. (not speculation: Ive been through 5 complete rebuilds in the last 18 months and finally have a the beginnings of a site that performing well).