Website review please

Get some feedback on your site or ad from other rental owners and techies. Also a library of online resources so you can make DIY improvements to your web presence.
ianwxxx
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:50 am
Location: Brundall, Norfolk
Contact:

Post by ianwxxx »

I know I need to put alot more content on the site. I just wanted to get the site looking ok first before I add more content.
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

ianwxxx wrote:All the boxes had a dark green border before and the background was light green. The background is now light blue but the boxes do not have a border now.
I know, but only the middle section has a light blue background and the whole page has a white background. The end effect is a light blue border around everything, which is more pronounced on the home page.
ianwxxx
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:50 am
Location: Brundall, Norfolk
Contact:

Post by ianwxxx »

Do you think I now need to change the header and footer to colour now and not white?
Villarais
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 11:06 am
Location: Charente-Maritime, France, and SE England
Contact:

Post by Villarais »

I was pleased to see a website finished with Serif Webplus X8, as I was just getting to the end of my new website using Webplus X8, when I realised that it would never be reactive, as Kev has already said. There is an option of a PC and a mobile version using the same template, but I don't know how that would work exactly and as Kev says, it is twice as much work.

Anyway, I like your website. I am glad that the scrolling special offer has gone, and I personally would remove the e-mail address from your 'contact' page otherwise you may get too much unwanted attention. You have a contact form anyway where your e-mail address is hidden.

I suspect that the background/border differences are by chance rather than by design. The home page is wider so that the background looks like a box around the content. The other pages are narrower so the background extends to the edges. You could see if you can make it consistent, or leave it like that. It still looks good.
ianwxxx
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:50 am
Location: Brundall, Norfolk
Contact:

Post by ianwxxx »

Hi Villarais,

Thanks for your reply,
I was going to start on my mobile site soon but now I have just heard Webplus X8 is the last release that Serif are producing, I have decided to completely move away from Serif, even though I have only just wasted my money and time on this version. I have decided to start again with WYSIWYG which I believe is responsive.

I haven't had any problems with spam email since removing my email short cut and changing it to text, but I will keep an eye on it.

I can't really make the content on the homepage narrower, I've already struggled to get it all on at the width it is, but I understand what you are saying.

If you are using Webplus X8 I would seriously consider looking at other software before you waste any more time, I know the software isn't going to stop working but it will get out of date when other software or website software progresses.
ChrisP
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:20 am
Location: Normandy, France
Contact:

Post by ChrisP »

ianwxxx wrote:Hi Villarais,

I haven't had any problems with spam email since removing my email short cut and changing it to text, but I will keep an eye on it.
Hi Ian,

Unfortunately, simply changing your email from a 'mailto' link to text won't save you as 'bots' are sophisticated enough to look for text that has @ in the middle and will harvest that as an address for spam.

My suggestion would be to encrypt your email making it harder for 'bots' to read from raw html, but still human readable on your page.

Chris
ianwxxx
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:50 am
Location: Brundall, Norfolk
Contact:

Post by ianwxxx »

Thanks ChrisP, I will have a look at it and change it.
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

ianwxxx wrote: I was going to start on my mobile site soon but now I have just heard Webplus X8 is the last release that Serif are producing, I have decided to completely move away from Serif, even though I have only just wasted my money and time on this version. I have decided to start again with WYSIWYG which I believe is responsive.
I must say I have to agree with that decision. the output the tool was producing does seem dated so it would seem a shame to start with something obsolete.
JagsR
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:39 pm
Location: Edinburgh

Couple of comments

Post by JagsR »

Hi, I think your site is looking good. The home page especially has lots of key info, and I like the integration with your fb page.

Only comment I would make is that on your "Availability 2016" you could do with a legend for the colour code. Are the yellow colours cheaper? If so, would it bring your eye towards it more if the "Prices Reduced Now" banner was the same colour? Just a thought.

Other thing is that it might be useful to have your access information either on the "Brundall" page or near the map on the "Contact us" page.

Your captcha on your contact form has made me realise I didn't have one, so thanks for that! Have remedied it!
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
ianwxxx
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:50 am
Location: Brundall, Norfolk
Contact:

Post by ianwxxx »

Hi JagsR

Thanks for your comments, on the 2016 availability page at the top of the table there is a yellow box that says 'available' and a red box that says 'booked'.
When you say access information, do you mean directions to the property?
JagsR
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:39 pm
Location: Edinburgh

yellow boxes and access information

Post by JagsR »

on the 2016 availability page at the top of the table there is a yellow box that says 'available' and a red box that says 'booked'.
Sorry, Ian, I see it now. Had looked at that page several times and hadn't noticed it!
When you say access information, do you mean directions to the property?
Yes, just a way of giving more prominence to the info, and making your write-up on the home page slightly less dense.

J[/quote]
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
SandyBeaches
Posts: 1071
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 8:35 am
Location: Norfolk Coast

Post by SandyBeaches »

Hi Ian - I'm late to the party (as always) but had a quick peek at your site as I lived in Acle for the last 17 years but have just moved out to Winterton where we have 2 cottages - and we rent the Acle house out at the moment.

Can't comment on the technicalities of the website but your place looks fab! Good luck with it all.
ianwxxx
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:50 am
Location: Brundall, Norfolk
Contact:

Post by ianwxxx »

Thank you SandyBeaches.
Post Reply