Critique my website

[eclecticguy]

The theme is 'The hottest buzz on the net' where we report back on exactly that. I need something in the right margin, but I'm not sure what. Also, I am artistically challenged, so I thought this group might be able to help me out in that regard. What do you think of the look and the feel of the site in general?

TheNewsLink.com | The hottest buzz on the net.

Thanks in advance.

[TPF Sponsor]

[mrdemin]

It looks like the only thing you did was install a blog on your webserver and wrote a few articles that could've been much easier found elsewhere if anyone had interest in a certain topic. Its plain beyond plain, no navigation to any other pages, nothing except a few random articles. Its not even the articles, but there is NOTHING to do on this blog, no interaction of any sorts, and doesnt look very apealing.

[eclecticguy]

mrdemin, thanks for your reply, and don't hold back next time, OK?

The creative aspect of the site is in the code and the algorithms I use to provoke writers. By code I mean PHP and mySQL, not CSS and HTML. In regard to the theme, you are right it is a boring, boring, off-the-shelf theme, and frankly I don't know where to start. So, I thought I'd ask for some inspiration before I start.

From you I got:
needs menus (am working on it)
nothing to do, no interaction (am thinking about it)

Anyone else?

[jbylake]

mrdemin, thanks for your reply, and don't hold back next time, OK?

The creative aspect of the site is in the code and the algorithms I use to provoke writers. By code I mean PHP and mySQL, not CSS and HTML. In regard to the theme, you are right it is a boring, boring, off-the-shelf theme, and frankly I don't know where to start. So, I thought I'd ask for some inspiration before I start.

From you I got:
needs menus (am working on it)
nothing to do, no interaction (am thinking about it)

Anyone else?

Content- I'd find some content more interesting than a re-hash of the news that I'd find on any established news website or cable channel.
I'm a little familiar with PHP and mySQL, SQL, JAVA, C#, and a little more.
Just how much script did you have to write for a website that basically does..well nothing really, except a link to you tube.
YouTube: back to content, if you're going to be the next "news" mogul, I'd find another angle than linking to YouTube for content, that, if interesting, has already be viewed on guess where? YouTube.
"nothing to do (am thinking about it)", I think before I wrote a single line of code, I would have thought about that ahead of time.
1. Purpose - or mission statement - or whatever you want to call it.
2. Target audiance - Age, demograhics, interests, slant's and spins, interest's. and a whole lot more.
3. Reason - Why am I here? What difference do I want to make? What makes me different...see number 1.

Not trying to be harsh, just telling the truth. Like a previous responder said, just looks like a blog. How are you going to drive traffic to your site, if you become distinct enough to be interesting?

Do you have a SEO plan in place?

How do you keep people coming back...dynamics and constant adaptation of your visitors.

A bit of advice...Plan the work, work the Plan. Yeah, I know that's an old worn saying, but you know what? It still holds true.

A bland website sitting way out in the middle of the big digital black hole, will probably stay that way. Maybe you out to reach out locally, and address local issues, and expand as your "audiance" grows?

I'd rethink, regroup, and give it a whole fresh look, feel, and purpose.

Good luck....

J.

[eclecticguy]

[quote=jbylake;1795381]

Just how much script did you have to write for a website that basically does..well nothing really, except a link to you tube.

I'm still at it. Thanks for your criticism. Regarding the specific question about the script, the site scrapes specific content from around the net and presents it to the people who are logged in and have been given 'writer' access. Regarding the quality of writing, you are right, most of it sucks and just rehashes news; my algorithm and writers need work.

Having said that, I would like to change subjects a bit and ask for a
critique of this specific piece of writing:
Anti-Whaling Vessel Collides With Whaling Ship | TheNewsLink.com
I'd like to know, on a gut level, does it keep your attention? Did you leave the page? If so, at what specific paragraph did I loose you?

Again thanks for the critiques, good and bad, keep 'em coming.

[jbylake]

[quote=eclecticguy;1797520]

Just how much script did you have to write for a website that basically does..well nothing really, except a link to you tube.

I'm still at it. Thanks for your criticism. Regarding the specific question about the script, the site scrapes specific content from around the net and presents it to the people who are logged in and have been given 'writer' access. Regarding the quality of writing, you are right, most of it sucks and just rehashes news; my algorithm and writers need work.

Having said that, I would like to change subjects a bit and ask for a
critique of this specific piece of writing:
Anti-Whaling Vessel Collides With Whaling Ship | TheNewsLink.com
I'd like to know, on a gut level, does it keep your attention? Did you leave the page? If so, at what specific paragraph did I loose you?

Again thanks for the critiques, good and bad, keep 'em coming.

Don't be so hard on yourself....just think about what a huge undertaking you are attempting....you've got to carve out a niche for yourself. Don't get so strung up on ajax, php, sql, mysql, .net. .asp etc...think about what you are trying to do. Like I said, well, let me put it this way, kich back, drind a beer, or coke or coffeee or water or whatever...and think the whole thing through...then after you have a big picture of what you want, then start. Start in small chunks....you obviously know a little about programming, think about your website as "objects"...I'm sure you are familar with object's when it comes to programming....try to apply that to your website, and you/re thinking about what you will do with it......Develop an SEO plan...that is the biggest thing you can do to drive traffic to your site...

Good Luck (seriously)
J.

[addaminsane]

i think your website looks a bit outdated. the adsense is a spam flag so watch out posting it on forums. im a fellow webmaster and recently built an online poker site as my latest project. which is an attempt to bring a modern and simple design to the online poker industry....

anyways. I'm guessing your site doesn't get much traffic at this point so i'd take the adsense off. Adsense isn't very profitable on a blog type site unless you get about 15000 visits per day, in which i'd guess in your case, the site might make about $100 dollars per day with that setup.

[coreduo]

Sir eclectic, do you need a server when you make a website?

[matie1138]

wow can't believe this thread hasn't been updated for ages

the site looks good, but I'd definitely focus on one thing or at least one subject niche that may be of interest for certain groups of people

trying to reach everything at once doesn't produce good results

[eclecticguy]

... I'd definitely focus on one thing or at least one subject niche that may be of interest for certain groups of people ...

matie1138, I tend to agree with you - my idea is to divide the website into major categories and have one writer for each section concentrate on each section as a landing page; I need more writers though!

Thanks, it's always great to hear a fresh perspective on the site.