A site redesign - 100%!

Graf1771 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 06:33 AM

Hi,

It's been a long time since I last added anything to this forum so it's probably a bit cheeky to jump straight in with a site review... oh well!

I've been redesigning this site over the last couple of months:

100% People - Plus size clothing, online chat & community website

It's a blog / community / forum for "larger than average" people. It's run mostly using WordPress and bespoke directory software although we're hoping to transfer it all over to Joomla or Drupal in the near future to take advantage of their community software.

At the moment they don't have a lot of money to pay for SEM but if anyone can see any ways to help the SEO that I've missed, please let me know.

Thanks!

cnx-s · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 09:55 AM

Hi

Site looks great - you might want to put some of the generic page data into some includes files and call them with PHP, this reduces the on page code making the pages load quicker and the content more prominent. Also more competitive key phrases in the title tags wouldn't hurt.

kgun · #3 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 10:36 AM

Fast remarks in order of priority:

Why do you include this statment? "Further information about web accessibility" in your accessibility statement at the bottom of the home page? Why do you include the three links? Do you mean that your site is accessible compared to those sites or is it only general information about accessibility to the surfer?
To many colours, sections and fonts?
Some subpages load slowly, but that may be a coincidence.

Graf1771 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgun

Fast remarks in order of priority:

Why do you include this statment? "Further information about web accessibility" in your accessibility statement at the bottom of the home page? Why do you include the three links? Do you mean that your site is accessible compared to those sites or is it only general information about accessibility to the surfer?
To many colours, sections and fonts?
Some subpages load slowly, but that may be a coincidence.

Thanks for your comments. I'll try and reply to each of them:

1) The accessibility statement includes those links as more information about web accessibility in general - we need to add a bit more text to that page I think to say what we've done on the site to help access.

2) The colours and fonts were chosen to promote a modern and clean feel to the site. It is a bit busier than I might have liked but the clients wanted that look.

3) The site is a little slow, we're trying to work out why but think it's the server the clients are using - as traffic increases we'll be upgrading, hopefully soon!

At the moment we're trying to promote the content side of the site and push the community/forum. It's quite hard to get a forum as busy as this one!

kgun · #5 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 12:14 PM

The links are very good. But are they related directly to content on your site?
Modern design?

Graf1771 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgun

The links are very good. But are they related directly to content on your site?
Modern design?

1) The links are related to accessibility and contain more information about how website accessibility works.

2) I'm not sure what you mean. Looking at the article you linked to "Web 2.0 design" had nothing in there about modern design just the Web 2.0 aesthetic (so 2006!). The design takes into account access, vaild xHTML, usability and colour schemes derived from the logo and the clients own personal taste.

johngroup · #7 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 10:26 PM

I like the design scheme very much.

BSmithTTS · #8 (**permalink**) 04-15-2008, 01:26 AM

I think it looks nice, but as a married overweight person I am put-off by the logo right out of the gate.

1. "because nobody's perfect" (I get the pun "No Body") but I'd rather see a statement that is uplifiting instead of degrading. "Its ok to be a fatty, everyone else has something wrong with them too" implies that I hate my weight... maybe I don't see anything wrong with me.

2. The wedding bells... even on the health-beauty/nutrition/ page... all the pages. It might be nice if that changed with the area of the site. That's just me.

Overall I think the site looks very nice. But you might mention those things to your client. (ie, I don't see anything wrong with myself and I'm not here to get married or find a mate, so I may not stick around long enough to make it to the men's clothing directory, etc)

KingArthur · #9 (**permalink**) 04-15-2008, 08:55 AM

Very good work, it is almost perfect, you might want to subtract about 10% black and it will look perfect! Love the pink.