What can I do to make this look better?

They have: 5 posts

Joined: Apr 2002

Its really just a front page to click and enter, but Im the newbie:o What do you think I could do or should I just leave it?:freak:
Heres both of them
www.chicagoefi.com
www.chicago4x4.com

They have: 117 posts

Joined: Feb 2002

Don't use either. Just go to the page directly.

They have: 157 posts

Joined: Mar 2002

These pages don't give much info to the surfer. They may have come accross it from a search or linked from another source. And then they may not click any further, accept for the back button. Use some more discriptive text. The 4X4 doesn't even have a click to enter or anything. Surfers aren't as technicaly adaptive as you or I and will think this is just a picture. Frankly, I wouln't use an entry page anyway. Why do you want one? That means just that many more clicks to get to the content. Usually an entry page is for different site version options, i.e. Flash or HTML.

Busy's picture

He has: 6,151 posts

Joined: May 2001

what ever you do, please conpress those splash page images, they are 197 and 270kb, a main reason for a splash page is to preload images, so should be kept simple yet informative, but as mentioned you dont really need one. you you imagine if these forums had a splash page?

I think you need to get a theme going, the forum is just the basic layout, the rev counter at top could be your logo but it doesnt really go with 4x4 as mud, nobbly wheels, tyre tracks, ropes etc do. your on the right track with the main page, logo up top and contents under but dont center everything and try incorparate your logo into yoru banner so the page starts in the first frame instead of scrolling down to it.

Things like "under construction", "we plan to", we hope to" ... shouldnt be used, very site on the web is under construction, take a look at other sites, maybe use a left or right navigation section with main contents in the middle and smaller link images across the bottom or better yet on another page. links are good but you have to remember you want them (the visitor) to stay at your site, then go else where, not go elsewhere without seeing your site.

disaster-master's picture

She has: 2,154 posts

Joined: May 2001

WHOA! That image of the jeep on chicago4x4.com is actually 1018 X 854 in size and so is the image on the front page of chicagoefi.com. In your code. one is width="646" height="543" and the other is width="516" height="430". You shouldn't resize images using the width/height tags. Take them to a graphics editor (if you have one) and get rid of the black around the image and resize the pic to your liking. They both are .gif and should be a .jpg. Both would look better in my opinion as jpgs.

Like busy said, you need a theme. If you don't want to go straight to the forum then you should have one introductory page. And that introductory page should match the look and feel of the forum as well as have information (like an introductory paragraph) to let people know what they are getting into. ChicagoEFI isn't bad and it has more of a theme than the other. I think with a little work here and there they will both look nice.

Just yell if you need help.Smiling

They have: 160 posts

Joined: Mar 2002

double helix makes a good comment in that web surfers are frequently annoyed by splash pages. they add very little to the surfing experience from a usability standpoint. however the preload that busy mentioned is a good idea. preloads in general are a good idea.

disaster-master is correct. in addition when you resize images you should resize with the same proportions and at a whole ration of 2:1 or equivilent (8:1) whenever possible. This is because computers have less trouble computing 4 pixels into one pixel that making 3 pixels one pixel. Think about it. Draw it out on paper and you'll see why.

Also it should be a jpg because there is a gradient image. Gif are better for graphic images with simple colors and simple gradients. Like text on plain backgrounds.

My personal preferences

Although I like the translucent text effect I think it would be more legible the way I've done it with a white drop under and shifted left and up and a black drop right and down to aid legibility. Drop shadows help legibility when text is placed over images and since you have positive and negative areas I used what two drops one white and one dark. I also used a little blue in the text to offset the B&W background.

The last thing is I like the design of the image except the curve on the sides it's a little too much. Keep it simple.

[email protected]

http://www.alogical.com

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They have: 160 posts

Joined: Mar 2002

Make that white background a grey background.

I made an quick example so you could see the dual drop shadow thing:

http://www.alogical.com/cefi.html

[email protected]

http://www.alogical.com

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They have: 157 posts

Joined: Mar 2002

I don't think that JucinGTA is still out there. Hello, can you hear, see me. Hellllloooooo.

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