Website - I want opinions

[roborobs computer repair]

I'm looking for some ideas on my site. I have taken some of the advice given on the forums before as to how to better my site and my clients sites. I originally had my site hosted at Officelive and closed officelive by doing so I lost my website. so I ended up going with GoDaddy for my hosting. So, I am completely redoing my website from the ground up. If you have any pointers or suggestions. Please don't be rude in your responses but be honest. I know not all of the pages are complete yet as some will come up blank. Please ignore this during your overview of the site.
www.roborobscomputers.com (Best Viewed in Firefox)

Again Thank you for your advice as it is well appreciated.

 

[tf76]

Rob please don't align the text in the middle.

It's not fair on my eyes

Use the italic text for what you want to highlight.

I'm not sure about "best viewed in ...."




Regards,

 

[technetnerd]

i think maybe you should go with a white background so it blends in with your logo across the top and maybe replace the gray with something like this #e5eefc, brighten it up to welcome people although we think its cool and the younger generation may think its cool you have to also consider 50 y/o grandma looking at your site as well.

 

[roborobs computer repair]

Thank you for your advice I'm working on implementing some of the suggestions

 

[technetnerd]

no problem, just keep in mind brighter is better. i really think your site will look more inviting and professional without the dark colors.

 

[PCX]

As mentioned in the past, don't use dark backgrounds unless you know how to use the colors. Also, I highly suggest learning PHP and or using a Wordpress template. Finally, if you can't do graphics design, maybe you should hand that torch to someone else and concentrate on learning how to code . . . maybe you should just sub this out . . . webdesign in general just may not be your thing.

BTW, not trying to be rude by any means, just trying to be honest. I do not know how else to get the point across without beating around the bush and giving you advice that really will not help you in the long run.

 

[texastech]

^ Darn dude, I'd not like to see your postings/replies when you ARE rude.

 

[16k_zx81]

There's a subtle but important distinction between being direct and being rude.

I know from some of the other critiques OP's requested on here that he's far from likely to break down in tears from what PCX had to say

 

[rjframe]

I agree with everybody else on the colors. I can't read it very well. Light on dark belongs on Powerpoint presentations, not websites.

Placing a contact form on the front page makes the contact page a bit redundant and increases clutter at home. Get rid of the form and you have a perfect place for testimonials though. If you're feeling brave, you could even try putting the Facebook wall thing there (I am personally too fearful) with the caption asking people what they think of you, then your testimonials show up on your site and Facebook in real-time.

When you say it's best in Firefox, does that mean you've had issues with other browsers but don't care enough to fix them or you've only checked the site in Firefox? It's fine in Opera.

 

[roborobs computer repair]

I've tested it in Firefox, IE, and Google Chrome. I know there are some kinks I'm still trying to work out on the other browsers. - That is something I'd like some help on is cross-browser errors such as CSS not showing correctly.

 

[jay_m]

I agree with the lighter background. In general it just always seems better.

I would also add
- Remove the scrolling text, a customer is not going to sit on your page long enough to see that text
- Add some :hover style to your links in the menu bar. There should always be some distinction between a link and everything else.
- Change the italic text. Maybe a larger font would work but it is hard to read as is.
- Format the page consistently. When switching from the home page to another, the header moves. The header portion of your page should appear fixed.

Just one mans opinion.

 

[frodo7200]

have to agree with the others here. personally i dont like the black background. go with white, lokks more professional. the scrolling is really slow on my connection and when it first loads it overwrites in middle of page. also its not set for auto resizing. im still on an old monitor (not wide screen) and some of the page needs scrolling to see. people scanning sites quickly would miss some of your info. get some icons on the front page to show different aspects of your business.
theres some really nice sites other members have on here (got some really good ideas might use myself!).go through some posts and check out their signature sites.
get some analytics on it then you can see how the general public react and tweak sections/styles as needed.

 

[roborobs computer repair]

well guys I've taken some of your advice and altered the site - please take another look and tell me what you think.

 

[technetnerd]

well guys I've taken some of your advice and altered the site - please take another look and tell me what you think.

its getting there.. i would still like to see a white background, i dont know about the white text on the light gray, i would do a darker text on the light gray. also something i missed before is the social icons, they are hard to read you should get other ones. here is another example of how you should implement changes to your website, these are merely guidelines but so you get the idea.

 

[roborobs computer repair]

Ok, the dead honest reason I don't use a white background is I feel it draws your attention away from the content of the site. I have also been told the same thing by a marketing specialist so I stick with the black because it is in my logo. I will see if I can find better social icons as well.

 

[technetnerd]

i mean it would look alright if you had a transparent background on your logo i guess, but what stands out on your site is a logo with a white background on top of a black background, it looks cheap. i dont mean to insult you or your site im just giving my honest opinion...i dont think a white background is going to 'draw' your attention away from the content, i mean lets be honest people arnt going to your site to look at a white background.

 

[PCX]

its getting there.. i would still like to see a white background, i dont know about the white text on the light gray, i would do a darker text on the light gray. also something i missed before is the social icons, they are hard to read you should get other ones. here is another example of how you should implement changes to your website, these are merely guidelines but so you get the idea.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ while not perfect by any means, is 100% better than what you currently have

Ok, the dead honest reason I don't use a white background is I feel it draws your attention away from the content of the site. I have also been told the same thing by a marketing specialist so I stick with the black because it is in my logo. I will see if I can find better social icons as well.

Sorry, but they are idiots. Again, unless you know how to use dark colors, it's not going to help you. As mentioned before, people are not going to your site to see the pretty white or black background. I am pretty sure most people know what content is and what it is there for.

Also, no offense, but you have a great logo, why would you take away from that by making the rest of your site look like crap?

 

[Lone99star]

Replace the header with your logo banner, move the navigation menu to the left(vertical) and ignore the dude that has watched too many episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

 

[Synergy Computer Repair]

I don't really know where to start mate.

I would seriously look at getting a Wordpress theme if you don't feel comfortable with design. I think you would be better off altering a theme that has a good balance of colour and scale and putting your stamp on it.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

its getting there.. i would still like to see a white background, i dont know about the white text on the light gray, i would do a darker text on the light gray. also something i missed before is the social icons, they are hard to read you should get other ones. here is another example of how you should implement changes to your website, these are merely guidelines but so you get the idea.

I agree, this ^^ is much better than all that black with it's doom'n'gloom

I really love your logo btw - not sure about the strapline though, I'd prefer "Professional Service with Home Town Values"