Comments Wanted on site in development

[Psyclones]

I downloaded phpld a week ago i think and started playing with it.

i think i have th site the way i want it now and would like to know ppls views on it.

please comment truthfully as I want it to be appealing to the public.

one thing i dont like the partner link boxes and will be changing them similar to the sponsored link style.

thanks for looking.

Although I do not except submissions from outside the scope of the directory I will however allow submissions from any registered member of this forum if they do not have explicit content on thier sites or directories.

Please put your forum member name in the submission. All submissions will be checked.

thanks
Psyclones.

[sskhalsa]

its way too crowded

[Kevuk2k]

Just drove past Hull on the way to a meeting and it doesn't look as dull as you make it in your template! Come on, your common purpose here is to get sponsors right? I would never spend money on advertising on a tasteless looking directory.

First impressions count, my first impression was that my local paper had fallen into my computer there is so much black grey and white!!!!

Sorry to be so neg but you have a cracking little idea to promote your area but not in this way.

[Psyclones]

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Thanks for the comment.

Content visible to registered users only.

Wow did not realise that people didnt like the black and white stuff, read so many things about directories should be for the links and sources rather then making them look pretty with fancy graphics and all that. Might have read to much me thinks.

So comments on how to improve it and make it more appealing would be most welcome.

[Neticus]

'Welcome to the hull directory onwards' I think should be first before the news links. Although relative, the news links are a secondary service.

My suggestions would be:

Perhaps the homepage should have 3 |a|b|c| columns on your homepage (I'm talking about dead center):

Left hand
Middle
Right hand

Left hand - Welcome to Hull...onwards
Middle - Search Directory link - which would immediately take you to the A listings. Perhaps under this 'Search Directory' link you could also have the A to Z letter links.
right hand column - the news links.

Just a few ideas tho. Out :arrow:!

[Psyclones]

thanks for the comments Neticus, am currently owkring on a new design with the new free templates which are available in this forums.

will take in to consideration your suggestions.

[Kevuk2k]

Content visible to registered users only.

Thanks for the comment.

Content visible to registered users only.

Wow did not realise that people didnt like the black and white stuff, read so many things about directories should be for the links and sources rather then making them look pretty with fancy graphics and all that. Might have read to much me thinks.

So comments on how to improve it and make it more appealing would be most welcome.[/quote]

Hey listen, you asked for comments and I gave mine :? Of course directories are about simple access to links, I've only been doing this for about 6 years so I'm still a newbie, not like all those SEO experts who are still in school and commenting in between revision practice! I see directory after directory following the same path and not one of them says 'Come in and use me'. Your promoting Humberside? Hull etc, you are going to soon want to contact business' in your area to invite them to tender for advertising, I know that a little colour, just a little mind will go a long way. The yellow pages is an example, www.yell.com (http://www.yell.com) Its black and white but yellow also! Appealing to the eye. Take one of my own directories Bog standard links but with a touch of colour! Its not to everyones taste but it breaks the mold and gives people a change.

Plain and simple is another answer, our friend in his earlier post mentioned tables. Take a look at another of my directories, this is basic but clean and effective, There's hardly any colour in there but that's the message its promoting, Clean and Safe! You are promoting Hull? Is that Black and White? I love the pic of the bridge as it is intrinsic to your area, but perhaps make the signage, The Hull Directory stand out a little more without taking away the effect of the picture.

The key to a good directory is what you want out of it personally. If you want a directory just out of boredom then stay as you are and just build links. If you want to make good money out of it, develop it in such a way that you entice the basic links to recognise that there is so much potential there that they want to get 'noticed'. Don't go at it like a Bull in a China shop and put ad space after ad space there, or if you do then at least have a few links in the middle!

Technically, you have it all there, I see you have centered the tables but make sure the category links you have in place are aligned left as this will make it neater, and might even pull the side ad blocks in a touch as they are out of sync with the top table when the cats are long! The general psychology or marketing and reading is A-Z or left to right, and by aligning left you will be assisting the reader.

Sorry if I seem a bit picky but I think you have a nice little project on your hands and would like to see you succeed. Good luck with whatever design you end up with, the main thing is you are at least having a go! :)

Respect to you.

Kev

[Psyclones]

Cheers Kev,

Very very good advice.

I am currently working on a new design with some colour in it which i must say looks a lot better (to me anyways). I will be uploading it later today and would like to hear your comments on it.

You are correct in assuming I am makking the site tohopefully make some money and any advice in achieving a good directory to intice people to join it would be well recieved.

I will pst later whin I have uploaded the new format.

thanks everyone for your comments
Psyclones

[Psyclones]

Redesigned Version up and running

[Kevuk2k]

Content visible to registered users only.

And it looks 100% better already! Well done and good luck.

Kev

[Bill]

can you share with us how to make the right column? it looks really good. :)

[Psyclones]

the right column is a mod downloaded from mods forum.

located here

{topic not available}

hope this helps

Psyclones

[Bill]

Thank you ;)

[djhomeless]

Good luck with your directory.

Personally, I think your front page has way too much text. Research suggests that users make up their minds about a site within 3 seconds.

You don't need 5 paragraphs of intro text. 5 words would be better! Seriously, dump that intro text into a sub page, and come up with a catchy phrase.

I'd like to think that people have caught on to the directory concept by now! They'll get the site. ;)

Geoffrey

[Psyclones]

Thanks for that Geoffrey,

I was thinking of adding my slogan to the front page and adding a more info button which expands the text currently shown when the user clicks it.

This way I thik I would kill 2 birds with one stone.

what you think