Opinions on a new site please

12 years ago

My first recommendation would be to get rid of that grey grid background behind the text. Totally unnecessary and only makes it a strain to read the page. I also find the brick background of the whole site a little distracting when trying to read the text on the page. I think you would do much better with a more simple design.

Remember, the idea of a blog is to get people to read it. If people don't read it then it doesn't matter what it looks like. In most cases a simple and plain design is going to work the best.

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Peter ONeill

12 years ago

Originally Posted by WillR

Totally unnecessary and only makes it a strain to read the page. I also find the brick background of the whole site a little distracting when trying to read the test on the page. I think you would do much better with a more simple design.

I agree... less is more when it comes to design... and to conversions.

Clean and clutter fre is the best

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Vlad Romanov

12 years ago

I get this, so to me it is a terrible sign:

Prepper Ideas | Emergency Preparedness Tips and Information contains content from Blog Directory • Blogarama, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site.
Google has found that malicious software may be installed onto your computer if you proceed. If you've visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it's possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed. Why not try again tomorrow or go somewhere else?
We have already notified Blog Directory • Blogarama that we found malware on the site. For more about the problems found on Blog Directory • Blogarama, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page.

good luck,
vlad

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adsassist

12 years ago

I agree that the blocks for the note pad back ground is distracting.

I think the bricks for the page back ground gives it a nice touch.

Made me feel welcomed.

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Warmful

12 years ago

1st post here

But like whats been said, just ditch the small boxes as a background and just go for a light grey.

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lovboa

Banned 12 years ago

Im using Google Chrome and Google gives me this warning when I go to your page:

Prepper Ideas | Emergency Preparedness Tips and Information contains content from Blog Directory • Blogarama, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site.
Google has found that malicious software may be installed onto your computer if you proceed. If you've visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it's possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed. Why not try again tomorrow or go somewhere else?
We have already notified Blog Directory • Blogarama that we found malware on the site. For more about the problems found on Blog Directory • Blogarama, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page.

Thanks
1 reply

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Michael Motley

12 years ago

Originally Posted by lovboa

Im using Google Chrome and Google gives me this warning when I go to your page:

Prepper Ideas | Emergency Preparedness Tips and Information contains content from Blog Directory • Blogarama, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site.
Google has found that malicious software may be installed onto your computer if you proceed. If you've visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it's possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed. Why not try again tomorrow or go somewhere else?
We have already notified Blog Directory • Blogarama that we found malware on the site. For more about the problems found on Blog Directory • Blogarama, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page.

Yeah, last night I signed up with a few blog networks and then added their link images to the blog afterwards. Apparently one of them, blogorama has had some kind of malware/virus reports to google and even just me putting their link on my blog kicks up that warning. I'm taking it off right now.

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Terra26 12 years ago

I agree with the others that have said to keep it to a clean, simple design. I have one suggestion. Go up to some of the most popular websites (like Amazon) and look at their design. A lot of them just have white backgrounds and the look is fresh. That's just my opinion. Good luck!

Terra
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Ignite the Market

12 years ago

Based on the initial comments it looks like you have already implemented some changes. The site is looking pretty clean. My only suggestion right now would be to make the text bigger. People get annoyed when they have to strain to read small text. I'm looking at it on a 24" monitor and it still seems small

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rosetrees

12 years ago

This may sound silly, but my first impression is that now it is all blue, it looks as if the reader has accidentally hit ctrl+A to highhlight the whole page. The text isn't distinct enough.

I personally don't like dark backgrouns with white text, they kind of make my eyes go funny. Of course, that could just be me.

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jthomason

12 years ago

I am really digging the blue. I do think the text needs to stick out some more though. I am more focused on the cool colors

And sadly, I now realize I have some work to do on my own.

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matt5409

12 years ago

the blue is nice but try to add another colour as it's overbearing. the use of colour enables you to distinguish specific blocks and allows you to add order to content. at present, there is no order in terms of what you want to show as a priority.

until you get advertising, remove the ad blocks - they look all sad and lonely.

get some images up for your blog entries.

stick some dummy comments in to get the ball rolling. again these make the site look dead (0 comment all over).

hope this helps

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hostwindsEvanM

12 years ago

There isnt any content separation. Everything is either white, or blue. I dont know where to look first.

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timbo1973 12 years ago

I'm really struggling to want to stay on a page which is mostly blue.

Maybe the margins could be white so that your eye is drawn to the centre of the page. At the moment all I see is a huge block of blue. I even find my eyes going out of focus with the white text on a blue background.

I'm sure it will look better when the images are added. Best of luck!
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Michael Motley

12 years ago

I don't have anything really on it yet. Only about 5-6 posts. This one actually looks pretty good when its all trimmed out, but that is the problem. The posts now have a main image that is 125x125 for each post on the front page, so that means that i'll have to make a custom image just for that for each post. But once there are pics and some adsense in there in complimenting colors I think it will be broken up pretty well. However I agree, as it is right now..thats a hell of a lot of blue

Thanks
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Michael Motley 12 years ago

Ok, after a few hours of hammering and beating, It's about as done as it's going to get as far as looks go.

Opinions?

Prepper Ideas - Emergency Preparedness Tips and Information
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- MissTerraK 12 years ago
  
  You were right, it does look much better with the added colors as you filled in the blue squares.
  
  Still just a little hard on the eyes with the white print, but my eyes are getting older, lol!
  
  Terra
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Michael Motley 12 years ago
  
  This is the same site, 3 months later.
  Prepper Ideas
  I just changed the previous blue theme with the current one about 2 days ago and I'm just trimming it out right now
  
  Progress
  Facebook with 608+ friends (avg. ~7 a day added)
  Mail list 216 (average gain of 3 a day added)
  Twitter followers 97 (avg. of ~1 a day)
  
  Site Metrics
  Visits 27,519
  Uniques 20,313
  Pageviews 91,024
  Page Visits 3.31
  New visitors 73.84%
  Returning visitor 26.16%
  
  I've only sent one mailing that was clips of posts with links back to the site with affiliate offers sprinkled in. 90% open rate, 70% click rate, 0 sales So far it's generating about $1/day consistently with adsense, and has generated $220 in affiliate sales from the site (none from the mailer).
  
  I'm pretty sure the mailer needs redone so that's my next project.
  
  If there are some wordpress guru's reading this, if you look on the right side, you'll see a category header in the sidebar under the 125x125 ads. I'm pretty sure that is due to the adsense block right below the mailer but I can't track down where it is and its sort of pushing everything down. Any suggestions?
  
  I'm also looking for another affiliate source besides Commission Junction. CJ works fine, just need more affiliate links for pages.
  
  This has also lead to a physical product development for the site that I THINK will do ok.
  
  Any suggestions or critique would be greatly appreciated.
  
  Thanks
  
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Opinions on a new site please

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