Review this Site - April 8

[Dzinerbear]

Okay guys, the birthday boy has volunteered to have his site reviewed.

The URL is: http://www.gay-story-online.com/index.html

Please be as positive and helpful as you can.

If you would like your site reviewed next week, please PM me.

Cheers
Dzinerbear

[Top Cat]

With the upfront disclaimer that I am no web design expert, here are my thoughts:

I like the simple look of the site and the book graphic. Too many sites are cookie cutter porn images and this one has almost a craiglist feel.

I'm not quite sure what the site is about though. I understand the key product is sex stories but the front page kinda loses me, especially the "Being Gay Is" list. It seems off-message. Maybe a line in larger types that says "The world's best original all-gay sex stories...updated weekly"

My eye doesn't know where to go on the page. It seems the info in the left column is really key but it's a smaller size than the column on the right.

I'd suggest sticking with a single font family for text.

You've got some nice galleries...I'd promote more "Free Porn" up front.

Hope the site really scores for you!

[mike-x]

just simple design...

[longboardjim]

Happy Birthday!

Sincerely ~ Jim

[Lee]

My apologies for the delay in posting this review Ian but here goes...

The first thing that hits me on the site is the simplicity of the site, thats not a bad thing BTW, i love simple sites and this delivers EXACTLY what it sounds like it will delivery, stories without any of the 'bells and whistles' you see on almost every other site, no funky banners distracting from the main purpose of the site, i like it

However, that being said, i think some of the colors on the fonts need to change, just mho but that pinkish background doesnt lend itself to well to purple or reds, you *may* want to give it a few days using a different color on either the BG or the fonts, who knows, it may even sell better than it does now

The other thing i would change on the first page is those buttons at the bottom, especially the large homophobia free one, in all honesty, thats wasted bandwidth, a surfer going to a 'gay story' site i would think, already knows its going to be homophobia free

One other thing that *I* would personally change is the book graphic, it uses the same model on each page, add a different guy on the cover on each page, you have a chance that by the surfer seeing the same model over and over again that they will leave, a small chance but a chance non the less and, you need to be keeping the surfers on your site, not giving them an opportunity to leave.

All in all i really like the simplicity of the site overall, as i mentioned above its a nice break away from the 'flashy' sites with features that really have no reason to be on the site other than to make it look good.

Oh the one thing i would do though, i couldnt find a link to GWW You may want to add one there LOL

Nice work overall though, and remind me in a week or so that i need to speak to you about some story stuff too, otherwise i will forget LOL

Regards,

Lee

[gaystoryman]

Thanks Lee.. interesting thoughts on the book cover images. My thinking on them is that it is the actual cover for the books.. but i then went and used the same 'graphic type' to try and brand the site. Different model for different sites. In short more of a logo type thing, but then again what you mention makes me want to think that whole 'branding' thing over again.

pink background? oh oh, the colours are wheat and a lighter shade of that.. hmm.. i better go check that out. anyone else getting a pink tinge? the colour codes are supposed to be F5DEB3 FFEFD1 and FFF7E8 which on my charts are light wheat colours... oh wait, I think I know what that 'pink' is.. its the hover colour as I make my graphics link to something. For example at the top of each page the cover/logo is linked to the site map. If its a book cover graphic it should link (if my addled brain was working) to the story directory or synopsis page. and text links also carry that hover colour, could that be the 'pink' you are referring to? if so that is an easy fix.

Appreciate all the feedback. Yes the design is simple as my purpose was and is to direct the surfer to reading online without detracting from the experience that reading can bring, least in my mind. Hopefully this site will accomplish that goal.

Thanks all, appreciate the comments, and appreciate the birthday wishes too.. but Lee.. next year you get the scotch, my head aches still... :goseek: