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Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
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  • 13-09-2016 5:24pm
    #1
    Scamall
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭


    HI everyone. I am a web designer and have a couple of sites.

    I am working on my company site at the moment and getting my portfolio ready. I hope to be able to start marketing my company soon but have not done much to date as I wanted a few sites live first.

    My company site should be ready in about a week to get opinions but I would like to know what people think of my latest sites

    ikitchens.ie

    ibedrooms.ie

    Sorry I am new and not allowed to post urls yet!
    Thanking you all in advance,
    Em!


Comments

  • #2
    M.T.D
    Registered Users Posts: 396 ✭✭M.T.D


    Not a great fan of single page websites. Due to both the scrolling needed and load speeds.

    You have over 400 images on the page and most are not optimised and or are rescaled to fit.
    Clicking for a larger image certainly gives you a larger image many over 6Mb. 4000px x 3000px is probably a bit big
    Did you try using on a mobile device?
    I like the contact details near the top of the page where I can find them quickly.
    Scrolling down the page became interesting when I came to the Google map as my scroll button just zoomed and I had to use the scroll bar to get off the map. On the mobile scrolling quicker than google could zoom got me to the contact details
    Then at last the contact details, now I know where in the country they are. Not sure why you included the accountants name (is he paying for advertising?)
    Terms and conditions as a link would be sufficient no need for "click here"
    If you disable javascripts and css in your browser it will show you the real size of your page

    No contact form?

    Over all looks good but to me has usage problems.


  • #3
    Scamall
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Scamall


    M.T.D wrote: »
    Not a great fan of single page websites. Due to both the scrolling needed and load speeds.

    You have over 400 images on the page and most are not optimised and or are rescaled to fit.
    Clicking for a larger image certainly gives you a larger image many over 6Mb. 4000px x 3000px is probably a bit big
    Did you try using on a mobile device?
    I like the contact details near the top of the page where I can find them quickly.
    Scrolling down the page became interesting when I came to the Google map as my scroll button just zoomed and I had to use the scroll bar to get off the map. On the mobile scrolling quicker than google could zoom got me to the contact details
    Then at last the contact details, now I know where in the country they are. Not sure why you included the accountants name (is he paying for advertising?)
    Terms and conditions as a link would be sufficient no need for "click here"
    If you disable javascripts and css in your browser it will show you the real size of your page

    No contact form?

    Over all looks good but to me has usage problems.

    Thanks for the feedback. I think I put it up too soon as there is still a good bit of work! I should also explain that the site is more of a tool for the company and not really to be viewed on mobile. Ie most of the work is wholesale and the customers will use the site mostly from offices.

    I really like one page websites and have a few, my own company one included. Is it just you personally that doesn't like them or are they an issue in general?


  • #4
    M.T.D
    Registered Users Posts: 396 ✭✭M.T.D


    One page websites do have a place, I use them as well.
    But, and this is only my opinion, a website should be aimed at the user, if the user has to think to use the site then you are not providing the best experience.
    Internet connections in Ireland, outside of Dublin, Cork and Galway are generally poor. Many business's broadband is slower than a good dial up. Go 2km out side any rural town and mobile internet connections are the norm, else they are using a 100k, except when it is raining, eircom (sorry whatever the new name is) connection.
    Business outside of the capital is not Windows 10 and gigabyte lan.
    The local hardware store to me, they do kitchens and appliances, so they are a potential customers, has just, in the last 2 months, upgraded their "office" computers and stocking systems from green ctrs and dos, but for convenience still connect to suppliers on their mobiles.


  • #5
    Scamall
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Scamall


    M.T.D wrote: »
    One page websites do have a place, I use them as well.
    But, and this is only my opinion, a website should be aimed at the user, if the user has to think to use the site then you are not providing the best experience.
    Internet connections in Ireland, outside of Dublin, Cork and Galway are generally poor. Many business's broadband is slower than a good dial up. Go 2km out side any rural town and mobile internet connections are the norm, else they are using a 100k, except when it is raining, eircom (sorry whatever the new name is) connection.
    Business outside of the capital is not Windows 10 and gigabyte lan.
    The local hardware store to me, they do kitchens and appliances, so they are a potential customers, has just, in the last 2 months, upgraded their "office" computers and stocking systems from green ctrs and dos, but for convenience still connect to suppliers on their mobiles.

    That is definitely something to consider. I do know that there is usability issues and the site does not 'flow' as much as it should.


  • #6
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    Scamall wrote: »
    That is definitely something to consider. I do know that there is usability issues and the site does not 'flow' as much as it should.

    You need to have a complete rethink of your current design. It's absurdly large.

    Running a speed-test using GT Metrix, your homepage actually crashed the testing browser with an insufficient memory error.

    Subsequent tests scored an F, 0/100 for speed. That's not something I've ever seen before.

    Use GT Metrix and Google Pagespeed to test your current design.


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  • #7
    Hollister11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,482 ✭✭✭Hollister11


    To many cramped images. Theres define potential there, no doubt. But i feel like i'm suffocating with all the images and lack of space.

    Could you create a slideshow for each group. It would look a lot cleaner.


  • #8
    Scamall
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Scamall


    Hollister11 wrote: »
    To many cramped images. Theres define potential there, no doubt. But i feel like i'm suffocating with all the images and lack of space.

    Could you create a slideshow for each group. It would look a lot cleaner.

    I am working on redesigning it at the moment and including slideshows and smaller images as well as less images. Thanks for everyones suggestions and input.


  • #9
    mneylon
    Registered Users Posts: 7,739 ✭✭✭mneylon


    WAY too many images on a single page

    Other points already covered.
    Also don't assume how people will access a site.

    Blog | Tweets



  • #10
    xia
    Registered Users Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭xia


    Apart from what was said already: For the maps you need to disable "resize on scroll". I'm currently at a laptop using the mouse to scroll down those long pages but can't get past the map as I just resize it while scrolling.


  • #11
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    Blacknight wrote: »
    Also don't assume how people will access a site.

    +1

    The days of "This site is best viewed on......." are long behind us.


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