Feedback on New Site Design

[Duke]

I just finished a complete re-design of my music collectibles site. It has been online since 1997 and was in dire need of a makeover. I actually started the business in 1980 but it took the internet awhile to come along and free us from the big advertising bills we ran up each month in national collector's magazines.

If you get a chance take a look and let me know what you think about the layout, ease of navigation, etc. I still have a lot of inventory to add, especially in some new categories I decided to add in conjunction with the redesign (most notably video). Every single item has to be coded for the shopping cart system and there are hundreds to do so that will take some time but the hardest part is over now.

MusicParadise.com

Thanks!

[DomainNameFactory]

The site looks nice. Get a good logo and you're all set.

[kingdon]

I think it looks nice and clean, much better than most of the slop I've been putting up for years. I'm not much for building them, but I did notice one thing that could be a problem. When the page loads you have to scroll right to see what's on that side of the screen, doesn't fit my monitor. I'm betting you're viewing this on a 19 or 21 inch monitor, and when someone with a smaller monitor loads your site, well that can be a little taxing on the nerves.

I don't know how to fix this, and I'm using a 17 inch monitor and have to scroll over 1.5 inches to see the end. I know if someone with a 15 inch loaded your site, they might not even stick around. Other than that the content is great and the color scheme is pleasing. Looks like a WINNER!

Don

[Duke]

Originally posted by kingdon
I think it looks nice and clean, much better than most of the slop I've been putting up for years. I'm not much for building them, but I did notice one thing that could be a problem. When the page loads you have to scroll right to see what's on that side of the screen, doesn't fit my monitor. I'm betting you're viewing this on a 19 or 21 inch monitor, and when someone with a smaller monitor loads your site, well that can be a little taxing on the nerves.

I don't know how to fix this, and I'm using a 17 inch monitor and have to scroll over 1.5 inches to see the end. I know if someone with a 15 inch loaded your site, they might not even stick around. Other than that the content is great and the color scheme is pleasing. Looks like a WINNER!

Don

Hi Don:

Thanks for your note. I don't understand why you are having to scroll. This site is designed to expand and contract whatever the resolution of the screen is. I also work on a 17" and do not have to scroll at all. Might be a browser issue. I use IE 6. What browser are you viewing in? (Also what resolution are you running. If you are only at 600 X 800 - normally used on 15" - that perhaps could cause that effect if used on a 17". Most people with 17" run 1024 X 768).

[Duke]

Originally posted by DomainNameFactory
The site looks nice. Get a good logo and you're all set.

Thanks for the note! There is a logo. It is immediately to the left if the Welcome note on the Home Page.

[buddy]

Nice site Duke! Very clean and easy to navigate through. This site will leave no viewers disappointed.

Good luck!

[Duke]

Originally posted by kvinsencius
Nice site Duke! Very clean and easy to navigate through. This site will leave no viewers disappointed.

Good luck!

Thanks KV! If anyone else has the kind of scrolling problem kingdon mentioned let me know. I'll check it on another computer at my office tomorrow morning but it looks perfect on my 17" at 1024 X 768. Again even if you are on a 15" it should scale down to fit your screen without scrolling. Thanks for the feedback.

Incidently I will probably use this same basic design for Domain Name Journal because it makes it easy to access information from anywhere on the site. As the Journal will have feature stories, multiple columnists, resource lists, classifieds etc this design will work well for it. I will be starting on that site next weekend and hope to have a mock-up online for preview by mid December, with the full blown site ready Jan. 1.

[buddy]

I have a 17" at 1024 X 768, and it's looks perfect here. Also the 1024 X 768 is the resolution used by most users, so I would not change anything. However, I'm surprised Duke that you did not use one of your .us for this site.

[Duke]

Originally posted by kvinsencius
I have a 17" at 1024 X 768, and it's looks perfect here. Also the 1024 X 768 is the resolution used by most users, so I would not change anything. However, I'm surprised Duke that you did not use one of your .us for this site.

This is an old site KV (just been re-designed), .US didn't exist when MusicParadise.com went online in 1997.

After Domain Name Journal is up (at dnjournal.com) I will do a .US site next. By the way, check out SEDO.us. One of the world's largest domain name selling companies and they went with .US for their American site rather than .com. Makes perfect sense and will help spread recognition among domain resellers.

[kingdon]

I guess that's why it looks to wide on mine. I have my screen set to 800/600. That solves that mystery,

Don

[buddy]

DNJournal.com sounds interesting...What is the theme for that site?

[GiantDomains]

Originally posted by Duke of Earl


Hi Don:

Thanks for your note. I don't understand why you are having to scroll. This site is designed to expand and contract whatever the resolution of the screen is. I also work on a 17" and do not have to scroll at all.

Duke. I had to scroll right too. Didnt even know Britney was over there! The .com part of the logo, and the home and email tabs were also hiding.

As for the site...looks clean, professional, and robust.

Logo is a little "bubbly".

Good Luck!

[Banned: bidawinner]

Looks great DUKE !

You want to consider letting me fill some orders for you on your posters..I'll make a mark up a couple bucks on your retail ;you simply fulfill the orders ..you can keep your own labels and any discount for future orders (to your site) that you may include in your shipments.. ?

[Duke]

Originally posted by doberry


Duke. I had to scroll right too. Didnt even know Britney was over there! The .com part of the logo, and the home and email tabs were also hiding.

As for the site...looks clean, which is nice.

Logo is a little "bubbly".

Good Luck!

Thanks for the note Dob. See Kingdon's note above. I would guess you have your screen resolution set at an odd figure for your screen size as he does. The site is designed to shrink and expand to fill the screen at all standard settings - however if you are running a non-standard resolution you would have to scroll.

17" monitors are normally set at 1024 X 768.
15" monitors at 800 X 600.

If you run 800 X 600 on a 17" monitor you are going to cut off a lot of screen space and have to scroll.

Have no idea what "bubbly" means with respect to logos, though I like how it goes with champagne!

[Duke]

Originally posted by bidawinner
Looks great DUKE !

You want to consider letting me fill some orders for you on your posters..I'll make a mark up a couple bucks on your retail ;you simply fulfill the orders ..you can keep your own labels and any discount for future orders (to your site) that you may include in your shipments.. ?

I'll get with you on that Bid. I still have a bunch of posters that have to be shopping cart coded and entered on the site.

[Duke]

Originally posted by kvinsencius
DNJournal.com sounds interesting...What is the theme for that site?

I've written a good bit about that - even ran a poll here to let the Forum people choose the name. Use Search on my User ID and you can get up to date on all of that.

[GiantDomains]

Thanks Duke. My setting look ok.

Good luck, I like the site.

[RMF]

I usually run at 1600x1200. Looks fine to me, however if the browser is full screen, the middle text is surrounded by a very large gap of white space on both sides. Maybe you should use a fixed width for one of your middle tables to prevent the large gap?. Its not a big deal, but looks kinda strange

RMF

[kingdon]

It looks professional, and that's just what customers are looking for, and that's what counts. I would be super happy with it.

Don

[Duke]

Originally posted by RMF
I usually run at 1600x1200. Looks fine to me, however if the browser is full screen, the middle text is surrounded by a very large gap of white space on both sides. Maybe you should use a fixed width for one of your middle tables to prevent the large gap?. Its not a big deal, but looks kinda strange

RMF

Wow - that is a super high resolution RMF! I'm sure less than 1% of users are running that. Wouldn't mind having that much screen real estate myself. How big a montor are you running that on - 19" or 21"?