Re did my site again

[michael]

Tell me what you think!!!

http://fccjenksok.awardspace.us/

[David Gillaspey]

All:

Please reference the following threads for earlier member comments about Michael's site:

http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/forums/showthread.php?t=622
http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/forums/showthread.php?t=641

Michael,

I previously suggested that you follow the advice I give in this thread:

http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/forums/showthread.php?t=646

I can't emphasize enough how important it is that you follow this advice.

You need to get the basic look of your site up to current standards. The thread cited above explains how.

So, here's my advice:

1) FOLLOW THE ADVICE IN THE THREAD THAT I CITED ABOVE.

2) Make all the text on your site flush left/ragged right. Don't use centered text.

3) You found a nice website that enables you create navigational buttons easily. There's just one problem — buttons like the ones you have on your site have fallen out of favor with web designers. That is, contemporary web design does not use buttons like these. Therefore, use simple text links instead.

Moreover, each of your buttons is composed of a round circle next to a longer button. So, each button has the appearance of being two buttons. Where is the user supposed to click?

4) Looking at the source code, it appears that you are displaying photos actually stored on a different site. Use photos that are stored on your own site.

5) On at least two pages of the site, looking at the source code, you set the font to "Bangle Thin," which is not a good choice of font because it's not a standard font on users' computers. (Well, it's certainly not installed on my Macintosh, and I didn't see it on my wife's PC when I looked just now.)

6) On the Our Mission page, there is underlined text that is not a link. By convention, underlined text on web pages signifies links. Therefore, do not underline any text on your site that is not a link.

7) On the News page, you signify that external links are surrounded by asterisks. First, I will applaud the fact that you inform site users about which links are to internal pages, and which links are to external sites. Most web designers are not so considerate.

However, you surround the link to the pastor's sermons on this page with asterisks also, thereby signifying the page is external, but in fact, it's an internal page.

And, by the way, when I looked today there was only one sermon listed, so the link to the sermons page should say not say "Pastor Vicks [sic] Sermons." This leads visitors to expect more than one sermon on the page.

By the way #2: sermons aren't "news" — give the sermons download page its own link in the lefthand column. Many church websites label this the Media page.

8) On the News page (at least as I write this), there's a nice video that was shown the previous Sunday in church. But ... do you have copyright permission to use this on the website? The video also include music. Do you have copyright permission to use the music?

9) The Youth page has practically no content. There must be something going on in the Youth ministry at your church that you (or someone) could write about. A Youth ministry web page that is largely devoid of information implies there's not much of a youth ministry at your church. I'll bet that's not the case.

Those are my thoughts. Hope they are helpful.

[michael]

All:

Please reference the following threads for earlier member comments about Michael's site:

http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/forums/showthread.php?t=622
http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/forums/showthread.php?t=641

Michael,

I previously suggested that you follow the advice I give in this thread:

http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/forums/showthread.php?t=646

I can't emphasize enough how important it is that you follow this advice.

You need to get the basic look of your site up to current standards. The thread cited above explains how.

So, here's my advice:

1) FOLLOW THE ADVICE IN THE THREAD THAT I CITED ABOVE.

2) Make all the text on your site flush left/ragged right. Don't use centered text.

3) You found a nice website that enables you create navigational buttons easily. There's just one problem — buttons like the ones you have on your site have fallen out of favor with web designers. That is, contemporary web design does not use buttons like these. Therefore, use simple text links instead.

Moreover, each of your buttons is composed of a round circle next to a longer button. So, each button has the appearance of being two buttons. Where is the user supposed to click?

4) Looking at the source code, it appears that you are displaying photos actually stored on a different site. Use photos that are stored on your own site.

5) On at least two pages of the site, looking at the source code, you set the font to "Bangle Thin," which is not a good choice of font because it's not a standard font on users' computers. (Well, it's certainly not installed on my Macintosh, and I didn't see it on my wife's PC when I looked just now.)

6) On the Our Mission page, there is underlined text that is not a link. By convention, underlined text on web pages signifies links. Therefore, do not underline any text on your site that is not a link.

7) On the News page, you signify that external links are surrounded by asterisks. First, I will applaud the fact that you inform site users about which links are to internal pages, and which links are to external sites. Most web designers are not so considerate.

However, you surround the link to the pastor's sermons on this page with asterisks also, thereby signifying the page is external, but in fact, it's an internal page.

And, by the way, when I looked today there was only one sermon listed, so the link to the sermons page should say not say "Pastor Vicks [sic] Sermons." This leads visitors to expect more than one sermon on the page.

By the way #2: sermons aren't "news" — give the sermons download page its own link in the lefthand column. Many church websites label this the Media page.

8) On the News page (at least as I write this), there's a nice video that was shown the previous Sunday in church. But ... do you have copyright permission to use this on the website? The video also include music. Do you have copyright permission to use the music?

9) The Youth page has practically no content. There must be something going on in the Youth ministry at your church that you (or someone) could write about. A Youth ministry web page that is largely devoid of information implies there's not much of a youth ministry at your church. I'll bet that's not the case.

Those are my thoughts. Hope they are helpful.

The hosting provider I have now only has like 200 mb of storage space so storing photos and etc. are out if the question especially when my max. upload size is 500 kb. I am working on switching our hosting provider over to Dreamhost with there non profit plan. Which enables me to have more space then I will ever need.

I just started with the Pastor Sermons online last Sunday. I posted it fairly fast and sent emails out. When we move to our new hosting provider soon, hopefully, then I will create a media page! It is news because its brand New. I have permission from the owner of that video to use it.

Ops I forgot about the astrick indicating off site links. I just meant those astricks there for emphize.

Right now we are recovering from our pastor being gone so we do not have much of a Youth Ministry. Soon I will get around to working on that and etc..

I am still working on my Webdesigning skills I started a year ago when I was 15. I am 16 now and still working on them.

Thanks for taking the time to comment!!:)