http://bearsystems.com/

MikeSzyszka · #1 (**permalink**) 04-22-2004, 10:26 AM

Always looking for improvement, please review my site. It has been active since 1995. It seems that I am always updating it, kinda like a child!
http://bearsystems.com/

[EDIT: Moved to the Site Review forum - Brittany, Forum Host]

<edited to comply with rule #1 - ghstdrgns>

masterpeace · #2 (**permalink**) 05-09-2004, 06:32 AM

Maybe I am a dill at times but I still find it odd when a domain name doesn't match the title of a site.

It might just be me, but I feel that if a sites title doesn't reflect the domain, then placing the domain name on the page somewhere near the title help peole to remember it in case they want to return in future...

A nice graphic header with a blend of "local" photos that say something about the region/towns etc might be a nice addition to set a bit of "mood" for the site...

Another point I found disconcerting was the side links which go a long way down the page. While there are some links at the top of the page, a lot of the site content links are listed down the sides of the page and it is a job just to scroll to see them. There is a large amount of space above and below each link which at lest could be condensed to start, but I would have a think about other ways of laying out the page and keeping the links closer to the top and making the navigation a bit more intuitive. At present it isn't as userfriendly as it could be.

Overall the sites is nice for a non-commercial info site, and it is refreshing to see you haven't resorted to selling ad space to cover site costs. Any info site that opperates ad free has at least one big tick from me just for that!

dateablescotty · #3 (**permalink**) 05-09-2004, 09:43 AM

Hi

I have to agree with the comments above. Seems odd that your site does'nt correspond with your domain name, nor is there either a mention of the domain name with a logo etc on your homepage. Quite a few people visiting the site will probably question the same thing.

I found the left bar navigation extremely long. I found myself scrolling way beyond the homepage text (where this is a lot of wasted space). Is there a way where you can may be simplify this a bit, so that it's not so long winded. They way it is at present, may put people off.

The overall colour of your site could do with blending a bit. May be having a pastel colour for your left navigation bar, and a white or pale backgrond on the rest might appeal more?

On the 'List your business' page. Again, quite a bit of wasted space on the left hand side of the page. May be you could move some of the graphics that you have at the bottom of the page, to underneath the Free Listing, and so eliminate the wasted space.

On your Towns page, right at the bottom, one of your pictures is not loading properly.

Overall, not a bad site. You just need to work on the wasted space on all the pages, and blend the colour on all the pages a bit more.

I hope this helps, and good luck with your site.

kathiefreeman · #4 (**permalink**) 05-09-2004, 01:48 PM

A very nice information site, lots to see. Would it be possible to divide the navigation into categories so they don't take up so much space? I kept expecting more images or text to appear in the main column to match the nav bar. Also, this is just a personal preference, but I get iritated when the page is wider than my screen and I have to go back and forth to see it all. Overall, a good site.