What do you like and why?

[StubbyD]

Websites onward and serious posting #2

I'm also looking into what website landing page(s) - aka front page or home page - people like and why. Also if they like a site but don't like a particular aspect then that would be nice to know as well.

As an example ...

I love the front page of http://www.newlifechurch.org/
- but I don't like where the menu bar is
- I also don't like the fact that I can't click on any of the pictures.
- I love the clean graphics
- I love the youtful energy it implies
- and most of all I love the cross through the middle.

I also like http://www.cofe.anglican.org/
- Menu bar is in the right place
- but it is also all graphic so not so good in my book
- I don't like the repitition of the menu bar down the middle
- love the plain white background ..
...(why do so many web pro's seemingly detest white?)
- overall I like it, but can't really say why

What of you?

What front page do you like and why (if you can say)?

The Stubster

[flutem3]

Hi,

I don't know what I like, but I recognize it when I see it. :D I don't care for either of those home pages very much. They aren't terrible; they are just okay. Where the navigation bar isn't so important to me as to whether it actually takes me where I think I am going. For example, on the www.umc.org (http://www.umc.org/) website I roam all over the place trying to find things, and I think the colors are dreadful. I liked your Little Red Riding Hood better than the others. But the image size of some of those pictures is huge.

I am not a good person to ask. All I know is what I see and whether I like it or not. The colors need to work, there needs to be some kind of symmetry, the font needs to be legible. Bells and whistles are not important to me. They are fun sometimes, but I think they are just in the way of many people.

And I also think that people try to put too much "stuff" on the home page. The rationale is that if I don't put it on the home page, nobody will see it. That, unfortunately, is true. I tried to put everything on our home page. Before long, there was no place to focus which I think is important. When I look at a home page in particular, there should be a focal point in my opinion. It can be anything, but it needs to be there for people to have a place from which to begin looking at and reading the page.

Another thing to consider about text which I think is ignored frequently. Who is going to read it? I met a guy name Lonnie Harvel who is a professor at Georgia Tech. He said that everything that is on a page has to have a valid reason for being there...or it shouldn't be there. The same applies to colors etc. Why are the particular colors being used? What are you trying to convey? What do you convey?

I am still a beginner when it comes to websites, but I have learned some things I wish I had known when I began.

1. Have content before you begin a web site. It is the most important thing no matter what the organization, business, etc. is.

2. Have 2 or 3 definite goals in mind when you begin.

3. Be certain of your target audience. You won't hit everyone. But determine where you are aiming.

4. After all other issues are consider it is time to consider design. Most of us do it backwards. I know I have, and I have no doubt that others here have done the same. But what makes your web site special to you or your organization, what makes it useful or useless...is content...not the design.

This is a visual medium, but it is still content that people want and are seeking. If people were not after information/content, we would not have the internet. A page might be as ugly as the dickens, but if the content is what we want, we will overlook the design and read the content.

Good design is wonderful...but it is not the end all and be all we seem to make it out to be. But content is.

5. Hit counters are out but have good site statistics so you know what is happening on your site. Google Analytics are great...and free.

Just some thoughts. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!!

Carol


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[StubbyD]

Oh yes - image sizes is something I have long since remedied but that website was created in 2001 though I confess my skills in website'ing have not improved :)

Also, that website was specifically for one event and it is kept purely as an historical thing now - but it was mainly aimed at the cast and the pics were purely for fun - though that is no excuse for the size.

The front page logo is something else - that was artwork from our flyer scanned in and shrunk as much as possible - but still hefty nonetheless.

Finally it isn't hosted anywhere posh.

OK - so what do you like now I know what you don't :)

[flutem3]

OK - so what do you like now I know what you don't :)

I understand that was just for one thing, but that is okay. I will have to think about what websites I really like. There aren't many to be honest about it. Tomorrow, I will take some time and go through a bunch of web sites which have been designed by some of the people on UMConnect.

I think that it is very difficult to do a really good home page. I include ours as well. What we have now is better than what we did have. I can tell you a website that tells me exactly what I want to know. It is www.kencollins.com (http://www.kencollins.com/) It is just as simple as can be and just chock full of terrific content. I like it a lot and refer to it frequently.

This one: : www.gbgm-umc.org/siloamsprings (http://www.gbgm-umc.org/siloamsprings) is just being constructed and has some possibilities, I think.

This one is fascinating and does some of the things you mentioned:

http://www.gbgm-umc.org/crestlineumc/

For me besides content, one big question is whether the colors work or not...in whatever design.

These are some interesting ones. I will look at some more I have in the future and list those as well. Check out David's, forum administrator,
website: www.greatchurchwebsites.org (http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/) David's website is a fascinating one too except that the movement when I first go on to it bothers my epilepsy so I don't look at it until it stops moving.

Here is another one which is remarkably simple. It makes me wonder what the church people are like. http://www.athensfirstumc.org (http://www.athensfirstumc.org/).


There are some good examples there. I agree with some of his choices and not others. I think that is what you will find in asking us what we like. We will all like different styles, but you will probably find some kind of common thread which runs through them all...I would guess.

I will get back to this. I am watching an American college football game. It is very close!!

Carol

[David Gillaspey]

[COLOR=blue]David's website is a fascinating one too except that the movement when I first go on to it bothers my epilepsy so I don't look at it until it stops moving.Hi Carol,

I'll work on that.

The Flash animation is old, anyway. Maybe I'll just replace it with the static version.

Sincerely,

David Gillaspey

[flutem3]

Hi Carol,

I'll work on that.

The Flash animation is old, anyway. Maybe I'll just replace it with the static version.

Sincerely,

David Gillaspey

Hi, David,

For all of us out here who have some trouble with some movement of that nature I thank you.

I hope you had a terrific day. I am just beginning to consider putting the sermons on our website. I am not certain yet, but I am investigating. We make cassettes of the service, and I know I would have to get the music out due to copyright problems, but I think that can be done. However, it looks like it will be a tedious, time-consuming thing to do. I am also trying to discover whether it is worth the energy and time it will take.

Any thoughts on this? I have no idea who would listen to the sermons quite frankly. If I missed church due to illness, I would listen; but if I am not there to do it...well, you get the point. It is neat being able to go to church. I don't get there every week, but it is great. I am finding that I don't have the opportunity that I hoped I would to take a moment for "website education". Everyone seems to be concerned that the church service stay an hour long. I felt sorry for the minister last Sunday who was having to hurry through a sermon. That just isn't right. We can spend hours doing all kinds of recreational stuff but can't spend more than an hour a week to worship.

I read a question within a poem quite some time ago. I do not remember the author, but it said: "What if God gave you the amount of time you give Him?" :) We would all suffer mightily, I fear.

Carol

[StubbyD]

Great stuff Carol and thanks for teh feedback.

I am of course doing a lot of research myself and as you say, what I like is different to someone else, which is why I have asked the question here. Perhaps I will get that inspiration in the middle ground that says yes, that'll work for >75% of folks.

As to flash and flashing things - I can't stand either though I can do basic flash stuff - all part of the college course I'm on ... :( On dislikes, another pet hate of mine is music that is forced on you - especially the schmaltzy stuff.

The Stubster.