Website Updated - Would like some feedback/opinions

[Blue Apple Herps]

Well I've updated my website! I'm still not sure about all the colors or the layout, but I think its an OK start. Just looking for feed back as far as aesthetics, layout, ease of navigation, any typos, etc etc.

www.BlueAppleHerps.com

Thanks in advance!!

[Jyson]

I think it looks great. Simple, and profession. I really like what you've done with the cornsnake collection page.

[Auletto]

It's a good start, but pretty light on the pictures.

[jglass38]

Matt,

I think it needs a better font and some more excitement. Maybe that can be done through use of color. Simple navigation is nice. What did you use to build this? Let me know if I can help at all!

Jamie

[Blue Apple Herps]

Matt,

I think it needs a better font and some more excitement. Maybe that can be done through use of color. Simple navigation is nice. What did you use to build this? Let me know if I can help at all!

Jamie

I used RapidWeaver. I had about two weeks of HTML 10 years ago in high school in a computer class, other than that I know nothing about web site building. So for me, this is an easy way to do it, especially since I don't have the $$ to have someone do it for me.

And I agree about "the excitement" part. I'm just not sure how to make it "exciting" without making it too busy or tacky or beyond my abilities.

[rabernet]

Matt,

It may seem like a small thing - but I like to know "who" I may be buying from when I visit a breeder's site. No where on your site, is your name mentioned. Perhaps on your About page, you can work in "my name is" and then continue on with the rest of your information.

If I didn't know you from here, I'd probably not contact you if I came across your site, because just based on your site, you're anonymous.

Edit - whoops, nevermind! It's on the first page! Duh! That's what I get for reviewing it before a full cup of coffee!

[Blue Apple Herps]

It's a good start, but pretty light on the pictures.

Do mean light as in the gallery is incomplete? Or light as in I need more snake pics throughout the website?

I'm still working on taking pictures of my collection. Have about half the corn snakes, and none of the ball pythons though. So the gallery will be a lot bigger when its done.

[ctrlfreq]

Here's what I took away...

1) the header is too big - I run at a fairly high resolution, and it still seems to monopolize the page by taking up over 1/3 of it.

2) background / content division - there isn't really a distinction between the color or pattern of the page background and the content area background which makes the page seem like something is missing. You have a very specific width set, which is obvious based on the header and footer, but the rest of the page just seems to be floating over the top of a gray field.

3) emphasis on colors - you want to draw attention to things like links, but right now they're under-emphasized by being closer to the background color than the main text. (ie. "breeding plans" on the available page doesn't make you want to click it)

4) gallery - love simpleviewer because it allows for cursor-based navigation, but it looks out of place due to it's color, borders, and button style.

5) instructions - dig the how-to's, but making them html format would help with continuity. The pdfs are great for printing - don't get rid of them - but lay out the contents, preferably with pictures, in a html format as well.

[Blue Apple Herps]

Took some of your advice ctrlfreq...

Not sure about doing the build instructions as HTML. I'll think about it though. Everything else was very helpful.

[ctrlfreq]

Not sure about doing the build instructions as HTML. I'll think about it though. Everything else was very helpful.

Glad it was helpful - dig the changes by the way. One thing you might want to do is set the css tag min-height on the contentContainer to something in the 400-500 range - that way the pages with very little content will take up more than half the screen.