Help me, I'm lost in a sea of html

[ewegotit]

Hi, could I get some feedback for my site please. I've been learning as I go and keep finding myself up to my eyeballs in errors and layout issues. (no surprises there eh!)

http://www.ewegotit.com

Firstly I have done probably a typical newbie thing and used tables for most of my layout. I understand that using CSS I can just change them to layout cells using Div tags... am I right?? I'm using Dreamweaver by the way. Problem is I can't work out how to specify the dimensions . for example on my index page I have a little text explaining the purpose of the site which I have in a table at the moment. I would like to just be able to have that in a nice box. I also can't work out how to give the box an outline either.

Also I have designed the sheep logo which I would like to use on other promotional materials but although I have used Photoshop for years now (at a novice level mind) I can't work out how to make it look clean. Does anyone know if I can convert this to a vector image or if there are any great snazzy free tools which will make this logo do what I want?

I also need to filter a fair bit of crap out as I keep getting carried away with all the things, including ads, which I can throw in but I'll leave that for another day :)

OK, as you can see I have many issues these are just the tip of the iceberg lol so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also if you have any suggestions which would make the layout more clean and visually appealing, major issues etc I would also appreciate your comments.

Cheers
Jo

[AnotherDesigner]

Hi Jo,

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "I understand that using CSS I can just change them to layout cells using Div tags", so I'll leave that open to other's interpretation, or more explanation from yourself?:confused:

What I think your trying to ask, is whether you can convert the table to more friendly div's? Well, if you're using Dreamweaver, you can - with the relevant document/page open in DW, go Modify > Convert > Tables to Layers

If that's not what you wanted, then I apologise :) (Questions on design using div's and css are best asked in the CSS forum :) )

OK review time...

The design looks good, with clear visible text and consistent colour schemes and layout - with the exception of your "wordlink"/freesizzler page. If possible, I'd try and fix that to the same colour scheme as the rest of the site, with the links remaining a consistent colour. Else you run the risk of confusing the user.

You've got a lot of advertising on there - you run the risk of that increasing your page load times, as you're having to rely on other external servers.

Despite what I've said, and what I've read on the site, there doesn't seem to be a clear consistent goal to achieve. It seems to be a bit of, well, everything... Who is your target audience? What would you like your site to achieve?

[ewegotit]

Thanks for your feedback Another designer,
Regarding the css bit, I think you answered my question, I didn't realise there was a convert option in dreamweaver (told you I was a novice) so I'll give that a try.

As for the target market, it's your common wilfer, (What Was I Looking For-er) mainly female, in their mid 20's to late 40's. Single or spend a lot of time on the PC either at work or at home.
Someone who has a couple of hours to spare and is bored... they'll make a cup of tea... pop on to ebay have a browse then search for something else, get distracted by an article (perhaps on ewe got it) then look for something else. With a bit of luck the resources I provide will give them
another string to peruse before they bugger off elsewhere.

That is why my topic range is diverse. If you see other sites such as shemail or teamsugar etc you'll see a similar broad range of topics. My site is a lot smaller, after all there's just me designing and running it so I'm not in direct competition for their traffic, more like a swift Mojito on the way to the cinema :)

In short the whole point of my site is like a free paper you get on the bus, a bit of info for a wide range of people, and a bit of advertising space too.

Once I have the design sorted I can really start adding more content so I just need to get it right.

Thanks again
Jo

[AnotherDesigner]

Jo, regards the DW novice statement, don't worry about it. Everyone has to start somewhere, and Forums like this are a great place to pick up details and answer questions in a friendly environment. I'm by no means an expert in web design or graphics, and my questions on here often prove that :D

I can't say as I've heard of those sites you mentioned - but you clearly have a strong objective, and that's important in making a website a success. Because I've not used those sites (or heard of them), I think that's why I was missing the point of your site; I can now see that the design of your site works well, the content looks good, and you've got a good collation of outside resources meaning your site is always fresh and up-to-date.

I must admit - having been on to the site again - it's good to see that you opted for bold colours that weren't garish, despite you classing yourself as a novice (it's often a mistake novices make).
Having viewed the site "as is" and not delving into the code - it looks professional and modern, so I'm beginning to wonder... are you really a novice, or a professional under a cloak? ;) :p

[ewegotit]

hehe... no most definitely not a cloaked pro, just a lot of time spent trying to get it right.

[AnotherDesigner]

It appears that practice really does make perfect then :) (well, almost ;) )