I have gotten some great help on my other sites. I hope for some more help with this Santa site.
Before anyone fusses, I am not late for the season. I am just hoping to have traffic before 2006 holiday season begins.
Anyway, the home page and shopping links represent my first attempt at hand coding, so please don't expect too much. I did cheat a bit by using an html editor but then hand editing the results a bit further.
The real purpose is the forum.
I created the site for 2 reasons: to practice html and because I know a couple of Santas who are always anxious to meet or talk to other Santas.
Thanks for your help,
CiCi

__________________
Richmond, Virginia Real Estate
Please Review My Site

Hi.
Firstly, you need to get some content onto the site. What is the purpose of the site? Do you make the costumes that you sell?? Who has created the site? and why? These things would help you towards filling the site up. The two links go to empty forums. You should ask family and friends to help you get the forums started. Nobody likes to sign up to an empty forum. Format the text throughout the site, Times New Roman is a little outdated.

I know you haven't completed the site yet re-open this post when you have added your content and we can help you further.

Good Luck.

__________________
Spain Forum
Yecla

No content, gaudy colors, jaggy un-anti-alisiased text image.
Jobs? empty. Forum? empty. Shopping? "eBay - Results of search for "Santa suit" "

Is any of this worth a visit to the site?

__________________
Paul Bilton design services ~ Sites not Sights

The snow-covered words seem jammed too close together. You have horizontal room to widen the Meet Mr. Clause hrase. Also smooth out the letters to make them look like they have real snow on them. The font you're using almost looks like it could be used just as easily on a scary, halloween site.


Your "Santa" photo... He looks bored to tears. Also his posture looks sloppy. He could at least smile. Sure you can't see his mouth under all that hair but a smile isn't just about the mouth. A smile alters the mood of the whole face. This Santa looks like he could sap a party not enliven one.

"Looking for Real Bearded or other Santas for an upcoming event or for the 2006 season?"

Too many words. Hard to read.

Use short, sweet sentences to get your message across fast.
"Need a Santa for 2006?

"Look no further!"

"Many of our Santa's come with real beards!"

You only have 10 seconds to impress anyone and between the hard to read title, the bored santa and long sentences - you've virtually shut your own door.

Snowflakegirl
http://www.papersnowflakes.com

"Re: Please Be Gentle - meetmrclaus.com"

--> No.

<div></div>
<div>This site is currently under construction. Check back daily for improved content.</div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>


Aaaargh.
Add malus for no character encoding.

And I second snowflakegirl: This is one of the worst photos of santa I ever encountered on a website.

"I created the site for 2 reasons: to practice html [...]"

Thats exactly how it looks.


faglork

My first thought was, "Is this a parody site?"

That Santa Claus gives me the heebie-jeebies and the red tone is much too orange (it feels more like Halloween than Christmas). Try creating a fun, clean layout with holiday colors.

__________________
Marcie Wolf
AlphaGeek Web Design | MarcieWolf.com

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to give me feedback. I got into it and then wasn't sure which way to go first. I agree with randelld that I should post it again when I have worked on it a bit. Actually I agree with basically everything that all 4 of you said!
Sure, it looks like I am using it for practice, but there is only one way to learn, right? I'll get better eventually. (Maybe by Christmas 2009?!)
Special thanks to randelld and snowflakegirl for offering some improvements to help me get started.
CiCi

__________________
Richmond, Virginia Real Estate
Please Review My Site

The red looks okay on my screen, but maybe I should check it out on my daughter's laptop since her colors often look pretty different. If anyone wants to suggest a better red, I'd appreciate it.
Before you guys get to harsh on my Santa - I will change the big picture, but keep him on the little picture on the forum for sentimental reasons. I should tell you that is my late grandfather hiding in there. OK, I get the idea, obviously I see the picture through a different lens than the rest of you.
CiCi

__________________
Richmond, Virginia Real Estate
Please Review My Site

OK.
Red-gone
Grandpa-(mostly)gone
Snow text - better, will work on the anti-aliasing bit but I'm not sure my old Printshop can do it, even manually
Sentences-shortened
Character encoding - added on index page, am still working on shopping page

Have to admit to googling a couple of your criticisms, as some of it was over my head. I am really taking baby steps, but how else can I learn?

Now for some content!!
CiCi

__________________
Richmond, Virginia Real Estate
Please Review My Site

I'm sorry but I find posting an empty shell, and a rather poor empty shell at that, and then making minor chnages and reposting a waste of reveiwers' time and an abuse of this forum's space.

IMO you need to go away and produce a site with some point to it and material in it before asking for a review...

__________________
Paul Bilton design services ~ Sites not Sights

Paul B - having a bad day?

I disagree with your contention that this person is wasting our time and abusing the forum. I don't recall seeing any "professional designers only" signs when I signed up to this forum.

If you don't want to help you are free to go on to the next review in line.

Personally, I think ccera is sincere in wanting help designing the site. I don't mind helping. Please tell me where else should he or she go for help if not here?

Thank you, snowflakegirl. It is certainly not my intention to offend anyone with my ignorance. I would suggest that if Paul B or anyone out there feels I am wasting their time, they simply ignore the thread!
It would be useless to add a great deal of content until I at least get a basic workable design. I wouldn't even ask or expect ANYONE to post in my forum (which is the real "point" of the site, BTW) until I can produce a home page which is at the least inoffensive.
Perhaps I could have asked for advice in the Graphics & Design Forum instead of here, but I have gotten very useful feedback here in the past. Also, at the time of my first post in this thread, I wouldn't have even known what questions to ask in the G&D.
Thanks,
CiCi

__________________
Richmond, Virginia Real Estate
Please Review My Site

ccera,

It is my opinion, that you have come to the right forum. I have NO formal training when it comes to webdesign or the likes, but found this site and forum to be extremely helpful in learning from many others with lots of experience and knowledge.

Your site is definitely in need of some help, but that's what learning is all about. I can only speak for myself here, but I would say try not to take the critisisms too hard.

Your site does lack overall warmth, probably due to the lack of additional color in the background. Too much white in any environment causes it to look cold and uninviting. Remember, Santa is supposed to represent someone full of cheer and warmth.

What was the purpose of your site, once again? There doesn't seem to be any clear-cut information letting people know exactly why they're at your website. Kind of confusing.

All things considering, if this is the first time you've created a website from bottom up, then I think you've done an outstanding job! Perfection only comes through practice, practice, practice.

Good luck!
www.majesticoncall.com

Thanks, Karen!
Funny you should mention the white...when I first posted it was a bright red background with white tables, but I got slammed for the red. I went all white until I can find a better red or more appropriate balance.
The only real "point" is the forum. I need to write some good copy for the home page or just scrap it all together.
Unfortunately, right now I've got other fish to fry. I tried to move my Real Estate site to another host, and now it is DOWN. That is my bread and butter, so I have to fix it before I can work on Mr. Claus. Otherwise, it will be a very blue Christmas indeed!!
CiCi

__________________
Richmond, Virginia Real Estate
Please Review My Site

ccera,
Sorry to hear about your Real Estate site. I hope you get that taken care of soon. I think you should keep working on Mr. Claus as time permits. Didn't you say that you were looking to have him ready to go for Christmas 2006? Seems to me that you'll have more than enough time to make the necessary changes before that time rolls around.

Don't give up hope...the new year is just around the corner. By this time next year, you'll probably be sitting back with your feet propped up laughing at how successful your Santa website has become.

Merry Christmas!
Karen
www.majesticoncall.com