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Website analysis/critique wanted

by Mark Mallarde
13 replies
Not yet at a point where I can consider ads, but hope to arrive there eventually.

General satirical content with a conservative/un-P.C. bent.

I am looking for design critique or advise. No torching, but useful advise. Also, not needing content criticism -- more layout and design. It is somewhat intended to appear like a stock newspaper to add to the satire.

I had to learn html/CSS from scratch to get it to this point. I use Squarespace for my server and have had mixed experience with it. (An updated sub-page design is under "WORLD" tab.)

I cannot post links yet so just Google the terms, "lightly" and "braised" and "turnip" and you will see it right away.
#analysis or critique #wanted #website
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Baadier Sydow
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      Please get to the point where you're able to include links in a signature. I still have no idea what your site is.
      I think this is his site Randall, LBT Today - Lightly Braised Turnip

      At OP is their a reason why the ads on your site are not clickable? Are they just placeholders in the mean time? From what you have said, are you updating this site manually and not using a database or any CMS?
      Signature
      Baadier Sydow
      Budget Furniture

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      • Profile picture of the author Mark Mallarde
        The ads at this point are all fake ads meant to add to the fun. I could design pages for the ads, I suppose. That is not a bad idea at all. I never even considered that.

        I would like to have ads that move or change view like modern websites. The ads have motion to them, and I'm trying to emulate a newspaper website.

        In response to your question, I am updating the site manually. Since I have no designer, I have learned the coding myself. The service I use provides some WYSIWYG interface -- but I still need to delve into CSS and HTML coding. This is fine because it becomes sort of a hobby and gives me control. Why rely on people for everything?

        I think load times are an issue based on some of the traffic detail I'm seeing. Also, I might convert the subpages to the format I set up for "World" which looks more orderly. Too much content before you get to the article makes the reader not click to get more of the story, I believe.
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        • Profile picture of the author Skywriter
          FWIW, I liked the site.

          I'm not a design expert, but I did feel the homepage looked a bit crowded. I also had to scroll horizontally to see the whole of the right-hand column (admittedly, I use a fairly small monitor by modern standards). I think a bit more white space would help, or even switching from four to three columns. And I tend to agree that the "World" page looks more visually appealing, again perhaps because it doesn't look as content-crammed as the homepage.

          Loved the 'non-ads', btw: "Women Buy Shoes" - classic!

          Nick
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          Check out my homepage at www.mywritingblog.com!

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  • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
    I found the text of the headings hard to read. I think you need a font that is somehow shorter and wider.

    Plus, as Skywriter said, it seems a bit crowded. Use more white space.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Mallarde
      Thanks for all of the input. I think I need to revamp the amount of content per page.

      The front page is supposed to look like the front page of a paper newspaper. As we all know, real newspapers do not publish the same layouts on the web as on paper. And there is a reason for this.

      So maybe I need to abandon the "paper newspaper" look of the main page.

      The headings font changed over time. Now the spaces between the words is smaller, and I cannot figure out why this happened.
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      • Profile picture of the author CreekChub
        I agree with the guys above:

        1) The heading font makes me dizzy, but that could be a personal preference.
        2) More white space

        That said, I like it. Don't throw away the idea of piggybacking on a "real newspaper" look. That could work, and is a good idea. Maybe work in some ripped newspaper graphics. I don't know, just a suggestion. You're definitely barking up the right tree.
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        • Profile picture of the author Mark Mallarde
          Thanks, CreekChub. I really appreciate it. I think other large circulation websites are using that Oswald font to good effect for their headlines. For some reason, it starting laying out more compressed on mine and -- like everyone is saying -- become tough to read. Agreed this could be an issue. (Recent changes might have improved the look of the font.)

          You are dead on about ripping graphics from real newspapers. I, ahem, did this already with my Election 2012 icon on the front-page.

          Changing the layout using HTML tables is taking longer than I thought. I changed the U.S. page (partly) along with the World page. This is not conventional newspaper format, but it is not really a newspaper. Also, I can't pump out the same amount of content.

          Any other comments are appreciated.
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    Hi Mark:
    I got a chuckle, but does the world need an onion.

    What are you trying to sell?

    People need to monetize a website to make it pay.

    Who might want to advertise their product on your web pages?
    Signature
    http://www.seobro.com
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Mallarde
      Originally Posted by seobro View Post

      Hi Mark:
      I got a chuckle, but does the world need an onion.

      What are you trying to sell?

      People need to monetize a website to make it pay.

      Who might want to advertise their product on your web pages?
      Really, no one at this point. I don't think I will be able to monetize unless and until there is enough traffic flow to justify selling ads. At that point it would need to be like The Onion selling ads, or gossip sites, etc. Maybe there would be a target demo. (males between 15-40 years old).

      This does put me at a disadvantage, but the site is what it is. If you limit the subject, you run out of things to parody. I can't have an equestrian parody site, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeatherH
    What niche are you working for with this?
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Mallarde
      Originally Posted by HeatherH View Post

      What niche are you working for with this?
      I think the humor pokes fun at P.C. media and tends to be less obvious satire than The Onion. So "conservative" perhaps. Many, many people do not realize the articles are jokes. They comment about them on message boards or email me complaining that the photos are doctored, etc. Since it is more subtle, I think the readers would be better educated and frequent web-surfers of political content.
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