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jamesray50
12-07-2010, 05:02 AM
I have put my twitter feed on my home page. I have also moved some things around and changed the first paragraph into several sentences. I hate to ask this again, but could I get another review? I don't think I am going to make any more changes until I switch over to a more professional site. I'm going to hire someone to design one for me in January, but for now I'd like this one to look as good as it can.

Thank you so much.

Harold Mansfield
12-07-2010, 08:30 AM
It looks much better than what you started with. I think using the side area for supplemental information is a good call, rather using that area to double that amount of text that needs to be read.
Interesting enough, I can't see the Twitter Feed in Ff, but it does show up in IE.

Spider
12-07-2010, 09:01 AM
I think the first paragraph reads better now.

Overall review; Going on memory, of course, but I think I prefer the way it looked at the beginning. Before, it looked neater, more bookkeeper-ish, more professional. Now, it looks like - well, it just looks like a million other websites. To me, it looks crowded and a little undignified - more like the sales department than the accounting department, if you know what I mean.

Frankly, I don't see how the Twitter feed is helping your clients or helping you sell your services. I would put the Holiday calendar where you have the Twitter feed and find something more useful to go above it. Very often, the righthand column is used for advertising, so you might have something about how good Quickbooks is and why you use it, with a suitable graphic.

I am not a fan of your new logo - it looks to me more suitable for "Top Notch BodyBuilders" or "Top Notch Fitness Centers." But I think it would look better if it was centered on the page.

Best of it, though, is that you have learned about building a website and, by trial and error, discovered what you like and what you want. Biggest lesson is probably, that you can't please all the people all the time!

Harold Mansfield
12-07-2010, 09:27 AM
Biggest lesson is probably, that you can't please all the people all the time!

Interesting and so true.
I have a philosophy on that when it comes to business websites. You can't predict everyone's taste. The best you can do is not to turn anyone off. I don't strive to please people or get them to "love" the website from a standpoint of their personal style preferences..after all it's not a fashion site.

What I want for my business website(s) is their attention, their respect, and their confidence in me as a professional. Those things will create a call to action.
Anything else is a bonus and just icing on the cake.

I used to want people to say, "That's so cool", now I am pleased when I hear "professional".
My music site is a whole 'nother story and warrants a completely different approach.

KristineS
12-07-2010, 01:58 PM
I think it looks better. The text does sell you better. Too me it does look more like a "professional" website, which may mean it looks a bit more like everyone else's web site, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

jamesray50
12-08-2010, 10:53 PM
Once again I have made some changes to my website. What do you all think? Everytime I say I'm not going to do anything more to it, I do something else. I don't know if I am making it worse or better. Thanks for your help, suggestions, criticisms, observations and support.

P.S. I can't wait until I can get a professional website done and all I have to do is write my blog!

Spider
12-08-2010, 11:37 PM
I like the inclusion of the icons and Quickbooks blurb - it's enough and not too much.

Noticed a typo, though, from moving the 2011 calendar -- 2011 FEDERAL FESERVE HOLIDAYS

jamesray50
12-08-2010, 11:51 PM
Fixed it, thanks for catching that.

vangogh
12-09-2010, 11:20 AM
It looks fine. I won't tell you it's the greatest site I've ever seen, but it's certainly above the point where it would be considered a professional look. If you're hiring someone to redesign the site next month I wouldn't worry too much about things since there's going to change pretty soon anyway.

The Twitter integration came out nice by the way. Wait. I just looked in Firefox (on a Mac) and the Twitter feed isn't showing up at all. I see just a tiny bit of the greeb background behind the heading and then there's an empty space where I know it should be. It looks good in Safari though.

One thing I would do is add a little more space around the text so it doesn't bump up against the edge of the colored background behind it. You have space above and below the text blocks, but nothing on the sides. I would add a little padding on the left and right of the text.

The search box looks out of place to me above your logo and to the left. I better place would be to the right of the logo inside the header area. Maybe near where the dotted line is located.