Help - Are you into web sites? [10K bonus for help]. (in General)

Ages ago I started a website and another age ago we moved to php on a free offer of hosting, now I'd justl like opinions on anything I could do to : http://nr.wireplay.co.uk to make it better. Anything apart from "spelling and grammar" :p Anything really, like appearance to just some little niggle or first impression. As an added bonus I'll throw in 10K for any comment that turns out to be useful :)

change the background color lol the blue-purple just isnt working lol

Hi
the first thing that struck me is how small the text is. Theres a lot of text, perhaps reformatting with a larger font.
Perhaps restructure the text into smaller paragraphs to go with it?

I'm writing a large article for another site and have encountered the same issues and solved them in the same way.

id suggest changing the font type if you are going to keep the text in the same format
id also suggest that you change the back round colcor where theres large amounts of text to high light it more

Suggestion for new background color? we were trying to get a color that would be okay to most ages / races / genders.

Do you mean the text throughout the whole site? of just in the centre?

the text in the center of the site
with that much text people arnt likely to stay and read it unless something catches there eye like color

What I noticed is that you have no idea where you are once you get there.

You need a presence on the web...people are impatient now a days and will not spend the time to read.

Make the page more alive...with your own content...not ads.

Central Riddle Network...so make it look that way...make it look fun. Its way to business like.
I dont mind the Purple/blue, but...make the other back ground play off it somehow.

I think the font is fine, lower resolution monitors will increase the size. Anyone that says the size is to small, set your res to 800*600 then look again. Most people run stuff large.

Get rid of clix galore and put your own banner up there.

Once you start on this stuff, I will take another look.

Btw...I have a PR 5 website.

TMDoc

Here are a couple things I think when I come to the site.

1. They say that the main message of your site should jump out at you within 5 seconds of being on the page. This one does not, you must separate out 'Why' a person should sign up.

2. The text is very small and it makes me not want to read the tonnes of text that exist.

3. I don't really understand what any of the links are too, so I don't know why to click on them. For example MENEFT or UKB. These shoud be easy to understand for first time users as well.

4. If this is a riddle site, why not put a sample riddle on the front page so people get a sense of what's inside. Give me a reason to create an account.

Hope this helps, good luck

thank you, I'm going to try a few things following suggestions those here and in chat, if there's anything more?

I agree with TMDoc's statement that your website lacks a "presence" that conveys exactly what the website is about. The impression that I received is that anyone who arrives there will already know exactly what it's about, and if they do not, then they probably should be somewhere else. I'd recommend some kind of eye-catching technique that can immediately convey the point of the website. Some recommendations would be a short flash video, or if you want to keep the load small, then an animated gif that fades from riddle to answer to your website logo/name.

The website feels very impersonal, like a book of riddles instead of a community. This is conveyed primarily because the content on the front page is simply text and advertisements. I'd recommend a photograph of a real person, preferably in a pose that shows them laughing. If possible, surrounded by other people who are either smiling or laughing, in a circle like they are talking together. It will help reintroduce the "human" factor to the site, and if you can get a group photo that would also convey a "community" element.

This is more of a personal preference, but I'd like to at least suggest it. The left and right columns are "unbalanced" in length. The survey on the right column extends lower than the column on the left, and this generates empty space that fills 5/6ths of the width of the screen down there. To me, it's irritating and can convey the sense of incompleteness, like something should be there. This is compounded because the main text area in the center does not extend as far as the columns. I'd recommend that you try to not have the left/right columns extend very far below the main text. This can be accomplished by adding more text to the center, or by removing elements from the columns. I'd also recommend attempting to get the left and right columns roughly equal in length. It's almost certain that they will never be exactly the same, but try to avoid having a complete section on one side with nothing matching on the other.

A way to save some space in the columns would be to move the login/password fields to the top bar. Currently the login section takes up an area block in the left column, and is roughly 1/3rd empty space. I'd recommend reclaiming that space by moving the login/password fields to a horizontal layout at the top. The first place that suggests itself to me is the white box that has the site name, the date, and already has a "Create an account". Moving the login section there would also remove the duplicate account creation links.

First impressions:

-The Logo needs to be larger, and have your full name printed below it. I thought I was at the Diasasters emergency comittee website.

-Put either the mission statement (which is what I'm calling the big block of bolded text below your center logo), or your news in a link in the left frame. There is far to much text. I couldn't get through it all, and I was being paid. Imagine someone who's just clicking through.

-The background color really is offensive. If you are dead-set on keeping the color scheme of your menus/text you could switch the background to a medium gray, and it would only look half as horrible. But I have a natural bias towards sites with a negative theme.

-Survey should either be scrapped, or go on the left. Who's online should replace the login info once I'm logged in (if I'm not logged in, it's safe to assume I don't care who's logged in). This would eliminate the need for the far right frame, which would make the page a lot less busy.

-The sight right now is busy, but very plain. An easy way to change that would be buttons instead of links in the left panel. (I know some people think buttons are garish, but I think they're fine as long as they don't have animated gifs of fire dancing on them, or something else just as silly.)

Other than those issues, I'd say you've got a decent site, with a fresh premise. Keep up with it, and it could be great. I'm off to win 977 pounds.

I've sent some of the ideas to the tech, but still many saying the colour is terrible, but a suggestion for replacement? The main problem is the user base is split between all ages and the gender divide is almost 50-50...

1. Font size. Font size is fine, buy me. Of course, I know how to hit apple+ and - (or control for you Windows people :) ) to change it.

However, I would apply the first rule of journalism to your writing: When you type a period, hit return (enter for you Windows people :) ). It makes text much more readable.

2. Logo

The background logo lavender does not match the site lavender (at least on a Mac).
Use the Photoshop eydropper tool on the image file to grab the color on the picture, then double click on the color box and it will tell you the proper hex values to use.

Also, the drop shadow for the logo in the upper left is (1) making it taller than your banner ad (which may be intentional, but looks like it's not) and (2) a different style than the logo's drop shadow in the center.

Develop a consistent look. Pick one style and stick with it. I would choose the center drop shadow.

3. You don't have 'Central Riddle Network' in large text up top.

I mean, come on, you made a graphic for 'Riddles, Prizes, Competitions ...' but not for your organization name? :)

4. I like the lavender. :)

5. Netriddle 1.1 has a completely different color scheme that conflicts with the main site color scheme. There is also no indication, other than the URL, that it is part of your main site.

Pick one of the two color schemes and stick with it. Add your main site logo to the upper left, and put the Netriddle 1.1 logo in the center.