new site

[patarini]

Well about a month or so from going live, using the stock oscommerce contents for now -- that will change as I get pictures ready. Looking mainly for info on layout and design and of any bugs! Thnx in advance, and thnx to all the people whos contributions made the site possible.

 

www.gatorpens.com

 

still looking for a nice logo for the top of the page, sigh

greg

[DataMouse]

Hi there

 

1. Your store is very narrow. Use the screen. Optimised for 1024 screens (rather than 800 that you have at the mo).

 

2. Banner at top is (sorry) awful. You really ned to get that and a logo sorted. Same with footer.

 

3. Infobox header graphics are nice, but have an additional corner in grey that looks out of place.

 

4. Banner has a glitch. If you hover over "TEST", it flickers all over in FF3.

 

5. Your home page shows no content/products in main screen area. This is bad.

 

6. Buttons are nice but don't seem to fit with the brown, earthy tones of the site.

 

7. You have default image control. Meaning that when you do add in your images, they will be squeezed into the placeholders and be distorted. Get yourself a contribution that allows you to have a seperate image for your previews. Checkout an example with lightbox at my site: DataMouse

 

8. Use the Header Tags for SEO contribution.

 

9. Use the Ultimate SEO urls contribution.

 

10. Lose or enlarge the link at the bottom. you'll be penalised by search engines if text is hidden or too small for human readers to see.

 

11. You ask for a lot of info on account creation - without SSL connection. Do you need all of this info? If so, get SSL.

 

12. Country list on signup is empty.

 

13. Requests to page at bottomright is pointless IMHO. Just shows that you'er a tiny site. Drop it.

 

That should get you started.

 

Danny

[patarini]

Hi there

 

1. Your store is very narrow. Use the screen. Optimised for 1024 screens (rather than 800 that you have at the mo).

I know a lot of people still with 800 screens, is going to 1024 really going to be a big help?

 

2. Banner at top is (sorry) awful. You really ned to get that and a logo sorted. Same with footer.

grrrrrrrr hmmm will have to think about it! LOL Thnx tho!

 

3. Infobox header graphics are nice, but have an additional corner in grey that looks out of place.

 

Greed and corrected

 

4. Banner has a glitch. If you hover over "TEST", it flickers all over in FF3.

 

corrected

 

5. Your home page shows no content/products in main screen area. This is bad.

 

Will be changed before I go live -- completely didnt notice -- thnx

 

6. Buttons are nice but don't seem to fit with the brown, earthy tones of the site.

 

redoing them!

 

7. You have default image control. Meaning that when you do add in your images, they will be squeezed into the placeholders and be distorted. Get yourself a contribution that allows you to have a seperate image for your previews. Checkout an example with lightbox at my site: DataMouse

 

I see what you mean -- will get lightbox and do it!

 

8. Use the Header Tags for SEO contribution.

 

adding it!!

 

9. Use the Ultimate SEO urls contribution.

 

Adding it!

 

10. Lose or enlarge the link at the bottom. you'll be penalised by search engines if text is hidden or too small for human readers to see.

 

Sallrite! LOL

 

11. You ask for a lot of info on account creation - without SSL connection. Do you need all of this info? If so, get SSL.

 

Hmm never even thought of that -- thnx!

 

12. Country list on signup is empty.

 

OOps!

 

13. Requests to page at bottomright is pointless IMHO. Just shows that you'er a tiny site. Drop it.

 

Been trying, sigh -- found the code -- when I comment it out -- it stays and when I delete it whole footer goes haywire, need toi find the bug -- thnx again!

 

That should get you started.

 

Danny

 

Thanks a lot for the ideas!!!!

[♥GLWalker]

Looks like a template that someone uploaded to the contributions section. What changes have you done?

[patarini]

Looks like a template that someone uploaded to the contributions section. What changes have you done?

 

Only a few so far -- it is/was a template

changes made so far were few -- new buttons, new color scheme -- kept the top and bottom banners intact so far,

added about 10 contributions so far -- still trying to learn the best ones. So far most everything has been on the admin side -- dynamic site map, guest login, infobox, order editor, fck, define mainpage, link manager, account ctreate in admin, loginbox and a few others.

[Guest]

Only a few so far -- it is/was a template

changes made so far were few -- new buttons, new color scheme -- kept the top and bottom banners intact so far,

added about 10 contributions so far -- still trying to learn the best ones. So far most everything has been on the admin side -- dynamic site map, guest login, infobox, order editor, fck, define mainpage, link manager, account ctreate in admin, loginbox and a few others.

Why the request for the review? I think you jumped the gun by a long way. It is basically out of the box and you haven't even added ssl.

[patarini]

Just wanting to see if I am on the right track -- I didnt even think I needed SSL was planning on paypal -- guess I need to look into that now -- thnx!

[Guest]

Just wanting to see if I am on the right track -- I didnt even think I needed SSL was planning on paypal -- guess I need to look into that now -- thnx!

I don't think that there is right track. If the site looks ok to your customers, is functional, is secure, what more is there.

[jigga1234]

I like it however how did you get the new products for july to display in the grid format. I have been trying for ages and have had no luck could you post your index.php file so I can see where yours differs from mine.

 

Was the new products a add on contrib and if so can you link me to it

 

Thank you

 

Jaime

[burt]

Start over.

 

Ugly template - awful colour scheme. I'd be very surprised if you keep this look and your site becomes successful.

You need to use a better looking template, or better still ,design something for yourself.

 

Forget all the BS about adding contributions, SSL and all that (for now!). First impressions count - and if your site doesn't meet a customers expectation within a few seconds they will click to the next site - cast iron guarantee on that.

 

Only after you have managed to get someone to browse your site longer than a few seconds will they look for SSL, Payment methods, delivery methods, blah blah blah etc

[patarini]

Better_Product_Display_v2.02 gave me the grid for the new products display. Thnx for the feedback good and bad!

[jhande]

I am using IE7 and something is going screwy with your width's.

The above part of the image is what I see. The bottom part is what I should see.

 

 

Also I would tone down the infobox background color. Maybe match the color in your logo?

You can see in the bottom part of the image I made the color change to explain.

 

PayPal infobox it to over powering (too big), I'd slice up the images and make the logo smaller.

Lose the Google search infobox. No need to click and refresh your site and pop-up a Google search box.

 

Alignment issues in your footer.php and lose the osC banner. Having the text is enough.

 

No "Conditions of Use" info.

No address or phone number on the "Contact Us" page.

No SSL for creating an account.

 

Clicking on a Category in the menu returns this error -

 

1054 - Unknown column 'p.manufacturers_id' in 'on clause'

 

select distinct p.products_id, p.products_image, p.products_model, p.products_tax_class_id, if(s.status, s.specials_new_products_price, p.products_price) as products_price, mnf.manufacturers_name, rvw.reviews_rating from products p left join specials s on p.products_id = s.products_id, products_to_categories p2c, categories c left join manufacturers mnf on p.manufacturers_id = mnf.manufacturers_id left join reviews rvw on p.products_id = rvw.products_id where p.products_id = p2c.products_id and p2c.categories_id = c.categories_id and c.parent_id = '2' and p.products_status = '1' order by rand() desc limit 9

 

[TEP STOP]

[♥geoffreywalton]

Please just look at the site and sort out all the faults you can see.

 

When it is in a state that you think is good enough for you if you were a customer is the time to get others involved.

 

look at it like this

 

Would you use this site?

[patarini]

I just started redoing it which is why the errors were there, I liked the original color scheme but seemed no one else did! LOL So for now, -- DONT LOOK! LOL Thanks to all who have looked for the advice and feedback! The logo is fixed width so thats that problem, it is just a place holder. Thnx for the paypal box idea, will trim it down -- the google was not meant to be -- oops -- thnx again The rest is getting fixed and on the SSL I am still not sure if I need it -- I only take paypal so not sure of the need for SSL.

Thnx again for the looks, but I am down for a bit for rebuilding! LOL

[jhande]

... and on the SSL I am still not sure if I need it -- I only take paypal so not sure of the need for SSL.

 

I would highly recommend at least a free SSL as provided by your host.

 

Think of it this way ---

Someone whats to create an account. They would feel more comfortable knowing that even their address and phone number will be secure while filling out the form. Also while going through the steps of the shopping cart checkout process being secure is prefered.

 

I use PayPal and utilize my host's free shared SSL for now. It's more comforting to customers to see the https:// and padlock while filling out personal info. Myself, I wouldn't fill in my info on an unsecured page.

[patarini]

Makes sense to me on the SSL == thnx! Dont want to lose any customers just because of that!

[♥Vger]

That has to be the oldest template I've ever seen. It was built by Mattice and he hasn't been around here for years.

 

Don't worry about losing customers - you're not going to get any.

 

Vger

[patarini]

So nice to feel the love here for each other! As long as you dont buy, I will be happy!

[Gomeza]

Hi patarini

 

I hear ya. This particular section of the user forum can be inhospitable to persons new to osCommerce. If it isn't someone giving bogus advice or making unwarranted comments, it's the general lack of understanding towards people just getting their feet wet constructing their stores.

 

We all started somewhere, there is a lot to learn about modifying osCommerce and not one person here was born with that knowledge.

 

Keep plugging away, every modification you make to your store is a learning exercise, it all just takes time.

[patarini]

Hi patarini

 

I hear ya. This particular section of the user forum can be inhospitable to persons new to osCommerce. If it isn't someone giving bogus advice or making unwarranted comments, it's the general lack of understanding towards people just getting their feet wet constructing their stores.

 

We all started somewhere, there is a lot to learn about modifying osCommerce and not one person here was born with that knowledge.

 

Keep plugging away, every modification you make to your store is a learning exercise, it all just takes time.

 

Thanks -- its going to work, just so much to do right now! LOL Shouldnt have let it get to me -- having one of those weeks! LOL

[♥GLWalker]

Hi patarini

 

I hear ya. This particular section of the user forum can be inhospitable to persons new to osCommerce. If it isn't someone giving bogus advice or making unwarranted comments, it's the general lack of understanding towards people just getting their feet wet constructing their stores.

 

We all started somewhere, there is a lot to learn about modifying osCommerce and not one person here was born with that knowledge.

 

Keep plugging away, every modification you make to your store is a learning exercise, it all just takes time.

The harshness that may go on in this area of the forums, its not given just to be harsh. It is help anyway you look at it, if it were not help, then there would be no answers at all. Everyone knows they once had to start new, and they are simply passing the knowledge on. Though it may seem inhospitable, it is just the blunt truth(most of the time).Better to hear it here, with a chance to correct/tweak things, than out in the wide open web.

As for harshness in the rest of the forum, Im sorry, sometimes Im just an A-hole.

[Gomeza]

Hi Glcustoms

 

There is no disputing most of what you have said. It is definitely better to hear the realities from the outset but please don't try to tell us that "It is help anyway you look at it . . ." . . . a great deal of the critiques and advice I have read in this section of the user forum was better left unsaid. Especially bogus advice of a technical nature or just blatantly rude criticism. All these things ever accomplish is to send people elsewhere.

[lindsayanng]

id love to see where there is just technically wrong advice.. and even so, its still someone TRYING to help, not maliciously making your site crippled.. and yea, some people can be blunt here, but there are a TON of people asking for advice on templates that they never even TOUCHED! I havent even been here for that long and it gets to me sometimes.. can you imagine people who see the SAME stuff every day... everyone needs to look at it from a different perspective.

 

I guess i'm lucky as of right now. I'm not technically a newbie, but i;m not senior at this ssite either.. so i remember freshly what its like to have no clue, but i also get frustrated hearing the same questiones and seeing people ask for feedback on a site everyone knows that they did not design.

[patarini]

I have been programming since punched cards -- I dont mind critique at all -- I like it. It wasnt the critques that got to me -- it was someone whos posts have helped me not saying what was good or bad -- just it sucked, that is not critique, it is useless to help me learn and improve in any way. I do thank all for their input -- good and bad -- the good is nice to hear, but I learn more from the bad! LOL Even if I didnt think it was helpful, I am grateful he took the time to look and leave feedback! It is nice tho to have a spot to check errors before going live! Thanks again to all who looked, I have added most all of the suggestions -- a few more changes and like it or not I am gonna let it float and see how it works! LOL

[sucklebuster]

Greg- Im a newbie too, but just one comment about your site: Where are the pens? When I saw "Gator Pens" and read the text, I expected to see pens but instead I see printers, software, movies...ect.?

 

Good luck on the new venture.