New website

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cowman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
305
Location
Iowa
OK everyone, I just finished designing our own website and would like some feedback from the group. This is my first effort, so all comments are appreciated.

www.martinfamilycattle.com

Thanks,

Cowman
 

usu265

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
24
looks good. i've never made a site before, but if i could give one suggestion. it would be nice if you didn't have to scroll sideways, just a thought. otherwise good job for making it yourself
 

Davis Shorthorns

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Feb 8, 2008
Messages
1,872
Location
Kansas
looks good, I dont know if it is just the computer I am on, but trying to make it so that you could just click on the email at the bottom of the screen to send you an email would be handy.  Other than that it looks great.
 

LN

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Oct 15, 2008
Messages
767
Location
South Texas
Good Web site. Lots of pics, I like that. But like the earlier poster said your page is too wide. My web design class said the page should be 640 width to accomodate for all computers. You could probably get away with a little larger like 800.

Also, update often, that's what keeps people coming back.
 

knabe

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Feb 7, 2007
Messages
13,639
Location
Hollister, CA
learn links and get entry page on one screen, with navigation links clearly demarcated and visible on the entry screen.

link reg #'s
 

jason

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Mar 26, 2006
Messages
3,046
Location
Emporia, Kansas
I agree our instead of using fixed #'s you can use %'s to define the page width, but you have to take in account the size of your images to how it is going layout on various screens.

I always have problems because I use a 22", 24" and 19" screen and can easily oversize my page.




LN said:
Good Web site. Lots of pics, I like that. But like the earlier poster said your page is too wide. My web design class said the page should be 640 width to accomodate for all computers. You could probably get away with a little larger like 800.

Also, update often, that's what keeps people coming back.
 

jason

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Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
3,046
Location
Emporia, Kansas
Here is a breakdown at steerplanet on screen resolutions.  It looks like you will be fine I with a width of 768.  That will take care of everyone except for about 9%.

1. 1024x768 44.03%
2. 1280x800 19.08%
3. 1280x1024 8.47%
4. 800x600         8.32%
5. 1440x900 7.18%
6. 1680x1050      2.91%
7. 1152x864 2.63%
8. 1280x768 1.42%
9. 1920x1200 0.77%
10. 1280x854 0.63%
 

klintdog

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Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
733
Location
NoDak
Remember the good old days of web design when 640x480 was the standard?
 

cowman

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Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
305
Location
Iowa
THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK! Just when you thin you have something figured out you find out there is more to learn. Knabe I learned links, hope you like them. I redesigned around 750 for width so I hope that works.

Let me know how round 2 looks.

Thanks,

Cowman





Jason said:
Here is a breakdown at steerplanet on screen resolutions.  It looks like you will be fine I with a width of 768.  That will take care of everyone except for about 9%.

1. 1024x768 44.03%
2. 1280x800 19.08%
3. 1280x1024 8.47%
4. 800x600         8.32%
5. 1440x900 7.18%
6. 1680x1050       2.91%
7. 1152x864 2.63%
8. 1280x768 1.42%
9. 1920x1200 0.77%
10. 1280x854 0.63%
 

knabe

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Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
13,639
Location
Hollister, CA
make the front page so you don't have to scroll.  that's what the links are for.

i can't remember how to do this, but i think there is a way to put invisible key words on your top level page so that when people search, your site may come up in the results listings.

there's no reason to keep the original size of your home page on the linked pages, it causes scroll fatigue.

i should be able to right away see who it is without scrolling.

also, your herdsire pic gives the impression he could use more flex in his pasterns.

you could have an aboutus  (you) link
 

klintdog

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Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
733
Location
NoDak
The hidden words that knabe mentioned are "Meta Tags". You should be able to do a google search on how to implement them. They are put into the HTML of your page so they work behind the scenes.
 

dori36

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
969
Location
Central Lower Michigan
cowman said:
OK everyone, I just finished designing our own website and would like some feedback from the group. This is my first effort, so all comments are appreciated.

www.martinfamilycattle.com

Thanks,

Cowman

I think you've got a good start and congrats!  I would like to see a little information about 'you' and the program on the homepage.  Although you do have your location shown at the bottom, how about sharing some goals and family/program history.  Also, I'm, obviously, not sure but some of the profile pics look like the throats, necks and briskets are Photoshopped.  Not trying to accuse you of anything, but to my eye, they 'look' like they've been edited.

Nice cattle, btw!
 

dori36

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
969
Location
Central Lower Michigan
LN said:
Good Web site. Lots of pics, I like that. But like the earlier poster said your page is too wide. My web design class said the page should be 640 width to accomodate for all computers. You could probably get away with a little larger like 800.

Also, update often, that's what keeps people coming back.

Interesting as on my 15 inch laptop screen (Macintosh), the site fit perfectly with no side scrolling needed!
 

showsteerdlux

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Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
1,765
Location
Western NC
dori36 said:
LN said:
Good Web site. Lots of pics, I like that. But like the earlier poster said your page is too wide. My web design class said the page should be 640 width to accomodate for all computers. You could probably get away with a little larger like 800.

Also, update often, that's what keeps people coming back.

Interesting as on my 15 inch laptop screen (Macintosh), the site fit perfectly with no side scrolling needed!
My Mac also has the 15" screen and requires no scrolling.
 

jason

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
3,046
Location
Emporia, Kansas
dori36 said:
LN said:
Good Web site. Lots of pics, I like that. But like the earlier poster said your page is too wide. My web design class said the page should be 640 width to accomodate for all computers. You could probably get away with a little larger like 800.

Also, update often, that's what keeps people coming back.

Interesting as on my 15 inch laptop screen (Macintosh), the site fit perfectly with no side scrolling needed!

he updated the site
 

red

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Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
7,850
Location
LaRue, Ohio
having a website is nice but keeping it current is a must! I confess I hadn't done much to mine since last spring. Finally cleaned it up & took off old pictures. I hate looking at websites that show calves from 4 or 5 years ago & haven't been brought up to date.

Red
 

cowman

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Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
305
Location
Iowa
Thanks for the comments. I will add an "About Us" section soon. The pics are not photoshopped to my knowledge, but for example the 2 heifers related to my herdsire are sale photos, and the red cow is not mine either. The rest I can vouch for because I took them, once our bull started to crest he got very good fronted. I can send you other younger and older pics of him if he is one you question. A recent picture of him is the small one on the homepage next to the logo.

Thanks,

cowman


dori36 said:
cowman said:
OK everyone, I just finished designing our own website and would like some feedback from the group. This is my first effort, so all comments are appreciated.

www.martinfamilycattle.com

Thanks,

Cowman

I think you've got a good start and congrats!  I would like to see a little information about 'you' and the program on the homepage.  Although you do have your location shown at the bottom, how about sharing some goals and family/program history.  Also, I'm, obviously, not sure but some of the profile pics look like the throats, necks and briskets are Photoshopped.  Not trying to accuse you of anything, but to my eye, they 'look' like they've been edited.

Nice cattle, btw!
 

dori36

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
969
Location
Central Lower Michigan
Thanks for the comments. I will add an "About Us" section soon. The pics are not photoshopped to my knowledge, but for example the 2 heifers related to my herdsire are sale photos, and the red cow is not mine either. The rest I can vouch for because I took them, once our bull started to crest he got very good fronted. I can send you other younger and older pics of him if he is one you question. A recent picture of him is the small one on the homepage next to the logo.

Thanks,

cowman

Just one last caution for you with the site and the fact that the pubic will (hopefully, for you) be viewing it:  Again, I'm not accusing just noting that it is very important that for pictures that you didn't take, that you have the permission of whoever either took them or from whoever owns them to use them in a public venue.  Some people get really picky about little things like "copyright" and for original creative work (including writing, drawing, photos, etc) a person doesn't need to "apply" for the copyright, it is automatic.  You wouldn't want anyone to come back on you for using  their "stuff" without permission.  Just another part of today's ease of promotion with the internet being such a big part of it all. 
 
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