Need some personal website help: LAST UPDATE (I hope)

[Jacob Dryer]

You can shrink the image size, it is 2000 wide x 3000 tall. But your content only takes up approx 1100 pixels (tall) so there is no need for the image to be that tall.



That will save you some in the overall filesize. You might also try a png or gif and see if you can get the file size down without any visible graininess. Even just adjusting the compression rate on the jpg might make a big enough difference.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

LaRue, I hate to say it but I'm not a fan of several aspects of the site.



Things I don't like:



1) I have to scroll vertically to see everything on the main page (important info at the bottom)...and I have a pretty big desktop and browser always fills the desktop.



2) The masthead and its navigations moves when scrolling the content/page.



3) The background image is fixed while the content scrolls independantly... that is kind of gimmicky, IMHO.



I highly recommend a more traditional layout that works as follows:



a. Put your logo in the upper-left hand corner of your masthead. Put your contact info (address, phone #) right there in the masthead too, maybe to the right-side.



b. Make the masthead and its navigation links fixed so that they don't move (make it its own frame or div)



c. Put a content frame or div below the masthead frame (or div) that holds the page content for the current page navigated to, and make it scrollable if needed.



The key is to have a common template that has your masthead and navigation so that all the pages have the same elements, in the same place and put in those common elements and masthead your logo, nav buttons, address, etc.

 

[LaRue Medlin]

Tom,,,, kinda like this? Everything without scrolling (on a 1440X900)



[Broken External Image]:

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Yes, LaRue, something like that. But I would still work on the sizing and orientation of elements on the masthead.



Consider a masthead layout like:



1. far-left: your logo



2. Center and right- your contact info (name, address, phone #)



Now, those elements above are maybe 80% the height of your full masthead and run the full width, the remaining is



3. The navigation row...all of your page links, displayed horizontally, the full width of the masthead.



Also, try to shrink the total height of the masthead. Keep the navigation bars about the size height you originally had them, and then, the logo and contact info "row" and area above them in the remainder of the masthead should be 4 or 5 times as tall. You are almost there, but I think the logo is still a bit big.



Lastly, any affiliations or third-party info like the groups you are certified by, the credit cards you take, etc, are all "boilerplate" and deserve to go in the footer section of each page (bottom of screen).



The masthead should be no more than 20% of the entire screen, the footer no more than 10% of your screen layout. That leaves 70% for content.



Again, these are CONSIDERATIONS.... So, consider them...



TJR

 

[LaRue Medlin]

ok,,, re-worked it...

 

[Thomas Rogers]

I personally like that better. I would place the nav bars not at the very top, but just below the silver horizontal bar. Give that a shot and YOU tell ME what YOU think...



TJR

 

[LaRue Medlin]

moving the bar looks ok,,,, now the index page bar won't go full width. it does in the program and on my preview... the rest of the pages work, go figure... have to go to do some work, I'll mess with it later.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

LaRue,



I like it.



Do YOU like it?



TJR

 

[LaRue Medlin]

I fixed the index nav bar,, I like it. THANKS!!!!!!!

 

[chargedtrac]

Hi LaRue - can I ask why you have the content disclaimer at the bottom of the page in a font size so small it is impractical to read? Many sites have a one or two word link at the bottom of the page which would open a readable list with the text disclaimer if one is needed. I think the rest of the page works well for what you have created.

Joe

 

[LaRue Medlin]

Joe,,, I made a disclaimer page. good catch... Check it out. And what you think....



Thanks for your help Tom...

 

[Thomas Rogers]

LaRue,



I really like it. Still, a few more comments:



1) The font size for the fonts of the navigation bars could be a bit bigger, and maybe bold. Seems to me that font is a little understated given its importance and relative to most other fonts on the page. Don't increase it TOO much though.



2) The font of the "Disclaimer" link on the front page and the big, thick rectangle around that link is, to say the least, a "bit much". I'd tone it down a bit. No need to "scare" as a first impression.



Other than that, it looks VERY professional, and I've tried it on a couple of computers and all the info that's fit to print (old newspaper jargon) is right there on each page, without scrolling.



Great job!

TJR

 

[chargedtrac]

Tom,

Much better on the disclaimer, though I'd agree with TJR's second comment above on a slight tone down on that item. Your effort is looking real good.

Joe

 

[LaRue Medlin]

OKI DOKI>>>>>>>>>>> I had to change the nav bar, the red one kept screwing up. I like this one better... Now it should be all DONE! dang it, system cache won't let go of the old one....

 

[Thomas Rogers]

LaRue,



Great work. Looks really nice!



TJR

 

[chargedtrac]

:haveabeer:

 

[LaRue Medlin]

:haveabeer::haveabeer::haveabeer::haveabeer:I had to completely change the name for the nav bar files,,, now I have it like I want it.......:banghead: I think the silver without the border looks good. Soooooooooo I'm done,,, for now.....:bwahaha:

 

[LaRue Medlin]

Hey,,, just thinking,,,, How about an "About Us" page????? Just added it. I know,,, I'll quit playing with it sometime..:smack: You can tell how busy the lock business is right now.:cry: