New business - website commets appreciated

[hoppo]

Ok, i am a driving instructor who has designed sites for friends and my own from my driving school. thinking about going in to web design.

Would apprciate some honest veiws on the site and wether you think i am doing the right thing.

Be gentle :)

[DuaneJackson]

Hi Martin,

You can't ask fro honest reviews and then ask us to be gentle! You'll get some savge but contructive reviews if you really want them (or not) from some people here.

I'd say the sites are OK. Certainly nothing to write home about.

Welcome to UKBF, I hope you find it useful.

[Mac Yeti]

Hello Martin

I have taken a look at the two sites in your sig, I hope that's the ones you wanted critiqued, otherwise, eek :? :)

Anyway so my opinion for what it's worth of the first site is that it's quite dated, for example the scrolling marquee text - nobody does that anymore :)

The header with the wood effect is very amateurish and the colours are a bit, um, not very nice. I think it needs more of a structure and better alignment of everything.

I'm not sure of the message you're trying to get across with the child in the top left, but I don't think it works, and the text on the picture needs fixing (anti-aliasing, alignment etc)

Also not sure if this is adding any value:
http://www.mphwebdesign.co.uk/_borders/water2.gif

Take a look at this, you're missing some quite important things that you could have a go at addressing:
http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mphwebdesign.co.uk

This link might also be of help
http://cgi.w3.org/cgi-bin/tidy

I feel the same about the second site, www.martinhopkinssom.co.uk
It's just a little cheesy, unstructured, and I don't like the choice of colours and text.

Having said all that - don't give up, the most important thing is that you do something you enjoy, and if people see your portfolio and want to give you money for a site, then it's cool.

I would suggest you read up on design principles in general, xhtml, css, and web design.

Good luck 8)

[Mac Yeti]

I want to just add that I hate comic sans. It has no place anywhere and it's not funny.

[creospace]

Martin, Welcome to the forum.

Stick to teaching people to drive. They are not professions that lend themsevles together.

It's great that you've had a go at making your own website but as a profession as it stands I don't think it's for you.

Gary

[Rob Holmes]

Martin,

Can I be brutal?

Go on a web design course.

At the moment you would not be making the right move.

Sorry - but I'm probably saving you from making a big mistake.

Rob

[Coding Monkey]

You can't ask fro honest reviews and then ask us to be gentle! You'll get some savge but contructive reviews if you really want them (or not) from some people here.


Duane, would I? Really? ;)

Your awareness of coding, design and graphics is poor, yet your prices are low, so obviously you understand this. However, your prices are so low that you may find people would be more willing to buy a template and install it themselves, than see any value in what you're offering.

Stick to the day job

[creacom]

Hi Martin,

I agree with all that has been said above, dont try and design as a profession. But if you really enjoy it then do a lot of sites for yourself and keep it as a hobby.

Jacqui :D

[Whistle Ink]

Hello!

I didn't like that wood thing either. Why would a baby think aout web design? Is this your target market? :lol:

I also can't stand those 'hover over a link and it changes shape' things. The 'website packages' change made my eyes go all funny.

On the faq page I couldn't see where the questions were. maybe change to a darker colour, underline, small bullet like graphics maybe?

I agree with the posts above. Go on a course if you are really interested in web design and really want and think you can do it for a living. Some times you have to accept you have the enthusiam for somthing but the not skills to carry it through.

Your prices are low and if someone is willing to pay you - bloody hell! Watch out people for Whistle Web Design! Easy money!

I'd stick to the driving and as Creacom says - keep it as a hobby! If you do decide to carry on and do it for a living - try targeting individuals who just fancy having their own webpage rather than business or people who are serious about making a site work for them.

Bye

Paresh :D

[Tazuk]

Hi Martin

Welcome to the forum

Like yourself i designed my own site. Having read the posts above it seems like very heavy critisism but it is exactly the same points that i received when i first designed my website, but the advice and tips you get on here will help you very much.

Do get yourself on to a training course, look through some tutorials and be prepared to take critisism and advice; and I am sure that in a few months your website will look completly different.

Good luck with your venture and keep posting on here, trust me there are some great people on this site who are willing to help.

Tony

[hoppo]

thanks for the advice guys, a very useful exercise.

[clairemackaness]

My site came out of heaps of constructive criticism from UKBF members and now I've got it cracked. Listen to what the people on here say, even if it is harsh as they could be your next customer.

Good luck

[orydian]

I can't really say much more than has been said before, but a course would help and keeping it as a hobby may be the best option unless you're really serious about it. As a designer I still have to employ coders to help with most things. Just like the gaming industry it's very difficult (if not near impossible) to handle everything on your own and be fantastic at every part of a project.

[Hedgehog Toys]

I agree with the comments on the first site but I didn't think the driving site was that bad, in fact it does what it needs to do.

Mind you, I am no web designer so take my comments as coming from a non-techie :D :D

[Mac Yeti]

I don't think you should be put off web design as something you can never do - just don't quit your day job until you've got a bit more experience and knowledge of how it all works.

I'm interested to know how you've take peoples advice, will you carry on or give it up?