does it have what it takes?

[LiviLou]

How can you tell if your site has what it takes? Most of the terms used, I have no idea what they mean or how they relate to a web page. I want my site to do well, but not for my sake. What advice would you give me?

[malcolm]

I'm sure lots of people here would love to help but we'd all need a bit more info:

Have what it takes to do what, what's the objective ?

Defining "doing well". What would success look like to you. Does your site sell something ?

If not for your sake then for who's sake is it ?

Post the url of the site ?

Cheers

Malc

[janeth]

When I come to your web site it is because I need your web site to fill a need. I either need to find some information or purchase a product. Now days it seems the web site designers are more interested in showing the world what they can do than to build a web site design that will make money.

Your web site design should be clean. I would never put any banners to another company on my front page, but if you feel the need, then one banner at the bottom of the home page is OK. You have no idea how many sites I see with banners at the top of the page. I feel like they're trying to get rid of me before I ever get to see their site. The other thing I really dislike in a web site design is when I have to click on five different pages before I find out what the web site is about. I guess they want to see how serious the customer is before they try and sell him anything.
I think you should have at least 250 words of good text about your business on your main page a nice looking logo, easy to use nav bars and I should know what your website is about in less then 5 seconds.

[Brittany]

Most of the terms used, I have no idea what they mean or how they relate to a web page.

Why don't you post some of the terms you're referring to, so that one your fellow members can help answer your questions?

Also, we've started a Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations here at WebProWorld, which might help cure some of the confusion:

http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=2597

[carbonize]

Best way to see if a site has "what it takes" is to give it a month and see what sort of business you get. You can never really tell what the public will think of anything as they are a fickle bunch.

[httpman]

Originally Posted by ImaDunce

How can you tell if your site has what it takes

[preliminary : you don't have an idea what the terms mean. And I'm french and I'm not sure I understood your question... -> if my answer is out, I apologise just ignore it]

Well, whatever is the purpose of your website its success is probably the right answer to your question. If it brings you back what you expected, things are correct.

Did you think about the "www" link of your profile (http://webpages.charter.net/onepageatatime/) when you wrote this post ? If yes, although this website is very specific its success is easy to measure, via the number of donations and encouragement or support your get.

Does it have what it takes ? You could give a little more to people supporting you. What about pictures of children smiling with a card or letter in hands, or whatever you sent them ? Don't misunderstand me: I do not mean that you should make some kind of "sales" marketing, but if people give you money and support, you should give them back something - samples of the result you (they) reach.

This would loop the loop, and looks like a good way for doing things on the net or in the real world. To sum up : take, give, measure the result and act.


JP

-- just my two cents worth

[carbonize]

You don't use cents in France :op

[Defty]

i think they do now!

[httpman]

Originally Posted by carbonize

You don't use cents in France :op

Hello carbonize. Nice to meet you online.
Yes we do !! Although we can still call them "centimes", the Euro (€ <- this is the symbol for 'euro', I was wondering how it could display in this forum ?) the Euro now ask us to call 1/100th of an euro a "cent". But obviously, it will take a few generations before anybody here say "cent" - at present we say "centimes d'euros = euro cents" instead.

Changing mentalities takes time.
But to answer you : most people here now can use "cent", and moreover now know what it means !

defty. Very nice site indeed ! Very strong design.

JP

[vwebworld]

You know, your question is the one question
we all ask (in one way or another).

What's success? Is my site good? etc...

Most of the posts (reviews) deal with the appearance,
function, and how a website "feels" or how it touches
us.

But to answer your question... I have a question for you:
What do you want from your site? What is it's
purpose? What do you hope for it to "accomplish?
This is the measure by which you can tell if your
site has what it takes.

For example: if all you want from your site is to
be a good source of additional information to your
customers...
...then ask your customers if it does that.



~Roland

[carbonize]

httpman I'm British so know what the Euro (€) is. It's the thing we refuse to use lol. Just never realised that the smaller denomination was refered to as a cent. What next, the United States of Europe?

[httpman]

Originally Posted by carbonize

What next, the United States of Europe?

Hooo, I'm not sure this is the place to talk about Europe - I'm an Europe enthusiast, and probably this will not sound good to you highlander (highlander as a reference to a french movie called Highlander, staring Christophe Lambert and my favourite heroe Sean Connery >> Both are born and live to fight, just like you UK do by now !!)

The aim of the europe is - from my point of vue : "different people with different mind trying to go ahead together, while preserving their differences"... Preserving our differences is the key point, as opposed to what one could see in the USA = "different people having to go together on the same way, because this way is the best and only one".

OK, they are many americans who are wonderful, whatever their politics are, are probably even in the UK we could find friendly people ;).

The future of the world is maybe what we are doing here today : an open discussion for open minded people, wherever they live ?

(hey, after all I have read on your site - the CSS page - how to put a slashed style, and I applied it to the <a> class in my CSS stylesheet. Great !)

JP

-- Juste ma contibution à 2 centimes d'euros

[mdaiah]

hello ImaDunce,
I followed httpman's lead to visit your site (his English is damn good eh? wish I spoke French that well) and liked it. Nice soft pastel colours; good clear message about your purpose. Uncluttered and clear. Nice work.
One thought I had is the use of personal pronoun "I".
Don't know about your part of the world but there's a lot of suspicion about charities which use a front to get money. Build a team, tell us about yourselves, get a well known person (doctor, head of hospital etc) to write a brief reference so we know you are who you claim to be.
Good luck on a wonderful project - we have a strong progam here for that purpose and it is gratifying to see. Perhaps look at some of the Aussi groups who lookk after kids in hospital. Sorry can't think of all the names but you'll find them in searches.

Final suggestion - approach McDonald's for sponsorship - they run Ronald McDonald houses here at hospitals so parents can stay cheaply on site when their kid is in a ward.it's a great service.
Michael
www.humanecology.com.au

[LiviLou]

Some of the suggestions, I was already putting into effect. I just posted a page of letters from a couple places that I send to. I also have a link to a children's hospital. I hope to add more, and yes, they are at the bottom. I'm glad you like the site, Karen put alot of work into fixing it for me. The one I had before was pretty pathetic compared to this one.

I also want to apologize for not posting the site address. To whomever fixed that for me. Thank you.

I really want to make this program a national program, and when I can plan to go non-profit as soon as I can come up with the $. I guess my idea of success would be to have this happen. I can only imagine what it's like to lay in a hospital bed with only four walls to look at.

Should I really put personal info on it? Does that really have anything to do about what I want to accomplish? What do you think? Any comment is greatly appreciated.

[drmccoy]

I have wondered also, how do others define or judge my site? I would really like to know. My site is www.police-stress.com
This is a very new venture and I would be thrilled if it took off...
Dr. Dorothy McCoy

[carbonize]

Off topic I know but drmccoy I suggest you download Mozilla or Mozilla Firebird and take a look at your site in it.

The ticker script degrades reasonably well on Firebird but the bold on hover makes your page jump. On opera the script just falls flat on it's face.

The image rotation doesn't work on Opera nor Firebird neither although thats not really a problem.

The big problem is your menu on Firebird, it's slow to react and is half on hlf off the orange bar. On Opera the orange bar is about three times the height of the menu bar.

I can supply you with screen shots if you wish.

[httpman]

Originally Posted by ImaDunce

Should I really put personal info on it? Does that really have anything to do about what I want to accomplish?

You are the only one who can answer that question. For some website it could be good, for others it would not. There is not only one way to do things, a so called best way, or we would all use the same menus, the same page content, the same site structure...

Of course there are general rules to work with : don't put too much text, make it readable, don't put too much flashy animations, make your navigation easy etc... but about the site content, there is a lot of room for creativity.

A guideline could be : if your visitors or people off-line often ask you about more personal information, therefore yes it would be good to put it on your site. If they don't, It might be good anyway, start with few information and then see how they react.

But do what you feel you should, don't just copy but create your own way to talk, to show and to communicate instead - and then, check the results. Good results ? You have probably taken an advantage over your competitors, now they will have to copy ! Bad or no results ? Try to understand why, react to correct, try something else.


Jean-Pierre

[mdaiah]

hi Doc,
In MSIE site looks good. My comment would be (and I am wrestling with exactly the same problem) that you overestimate the average intelligence of viewers.(Let's face it Cops aren't the brightest lads in the world). So dumb it down a bit - be more direct. Show the benefits of your service early in the site.
Good luck,
Michael
www.humanecology.com.au

[LiviLou]

I went on and put a couple of pics of my boys on there, as well as updated a few other things as well.

And Doc, I was glad to hear that I was not the only one with fears about doing something new. This is my first site also. You will find that the people in this forum are very friendly and helpful. My site would not be what it is now if it weren't for them.

To every one else, THANK YOU.

I hope everyone "heard" that.