My Template site - Complete

srule_ · 10-18-2007, 02:15 AM

Alright guyz, Thanks for reviewing my other two design. It helped me a lot in the development of my site. I finally finished the main parts of the site. I still plan on adding lots of stuff like a search feature, comments, tons more templates!

The site is: www.TemplatesForFree.net

any feed back would be great. .

Thanks

abduraooft · 10-18-2007, 09:21 AM

Nice stuffs.

nikos101 · 10-18-2007, 10:48 AM

be careful to get permission from any template sites to use their own templates on your site

trigger_tre · 10-19-2007, 05:15 AM

First of all I really like it. I love to look at web templates because it helps to give me ideas.

A few suggestions:

1.) I would like to see some kind of picture logo. Something simple is fine.

2.) This is just me being picky but usually when you show multiple pages make the first page "1" not "0"

3.) I liked the smaller column when it was on the right hand side.

4.) I cant stress how important valid HTML code is. Yours failed. VALIDATOR

5.) I think the header that you put when people view a template is fine. More chances of them clicking an advertisement the better. But I also think you should make a "Click Here To Remove Advertisement" link at the top so that people have the option of removing the header so they can see EXACTLY what the free template will look like. (Make it so they have to click to remove each time they open a new template)

The PROS:

1.) Speed. I look at template sites often and most are plagued by script after fancy script that bogs down the viewing experience. Yours however is much faster, at the moment. KISS is great for this.

2.) I like how you integrated your google ads. Its almost difficult to tell which is part of the site and which is an ad (smart = more money in your pocket).

3.) I can tell you spent the time finding good templates to upload. So often a site will offer free templates and it consists of 20 of the exact same outdated mid 90's web templates just with different color schemes. Choose Quality over Quantity and it will make your site compete well with others and almost guarantee return visitors. This is why I have already gone through well 63 templates the first time then 69 the second time.

4.) I believe your site is worthy of a bookmark from me.

-trigger

gnomeontherun · 10-19-2007, 06:10 AM

From an SEO perspective, which is vital for websites like this, you will want to craft some of your top keywords into the body, and make sure you get those images with an alt tag!

Validation is also key for SEO, and validate your css file too.

I like the site very much, but the only thing I'm yearning for when I see it is some slightly more 'web 2.0' feel to the layout of the table cells. The rest of the site does a good job of pulling this feel but being very clean and simple. Perhaps put rounded edges or something, I know its a fad but people looking for CSS templates and XHTML pages are up on their styles.

srule_ · 10-19-2007, 06:18 AM

thx for the suggestions

Quote:

Originally Posted by trigger_tre

First of all I really like it. I love to look at web But I also think you should make a "Click Here To Remove Advertisement" link at the top so that people have the option of removing the header so they can see EXACTLY what the free template will look like. (Make it so they have to click to remove each time they open a new template)

Do you have any idea how I can do this? This is my 1st time working with iframes.

--------------------------------------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremywilken

From an SEO perspective, which is vital for websites like this, you will want to craft some of your top keywords into the body, and make sure you get those images with an alt tag!

Validation is also key for SEO, and validate your css file too.

I like the site very much, but the only thing I'm yearning for when I see it is some slightly more 'web 2.0' feel to the layout of the table cells. The rest of the site does a good job of pulling this feel but being very clean and simple. Perhaps put rounded edges or something, I know its a fad but people looking for CSS templates and XHTML pages are up on their styles.

Thanks, I have been reading up on SEO all day, and many of your points came about, thanks for the heads up. And do you know if there is a way to put round edges on the screenshots with php? doing it to every pic when i upload them will be more trouble then it is worth :-/

trigger_tre · 10-19-2007, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srule_

Do you have any idea how I can do this? This is my 1st time working with iframes.

Not a clue. I have never messed with iframes and my scripting skills are at the very basic level.

I just know it can be done. Best to post in one of the scripting forums and ask for help. There are plenty of near geniuses in there that could tackle this if your willing to work through it with them.

-trigger

gnomeontherun · 10-19-2007, 05:12 PM

Quote:

And do you know if there is a way to put round edges on the screenshots with php?

If you have the GD Library installed for PHP, I'm sure you can do it. I don't know how that would be an advanced PHP question. However more simply you could just have each item sit on top of a background image that makes it look like its separate box. See my website below for an example. I'm still getting my site together though!

SEO is huge in this type of market - to get hits you need to get indexed HIGH. Hit a few keywords and make them your little niche market if you can! Hitting the spectrum of keywords for free templates...impossible.

Quote:

Do you have any idea how I can do this? This is my 1st time working with iframes.

You could have the template load into the main body, and just set a script to insert a hovering DIV in the top left corner with the back link. www.dynamicdrive.com has tons of stuff that would get ya started depending on how you want to do it.

abduraooft · 10-25-2007, 04:41 PM

Still there?
I'm getting something like

Quote:

include (includes/navigation.php'); ?>
Welcome to GameLand!
....................

srule_ · 10-25-2007, 04:50 PM

aww, woops. DAMN FTP client, Lol, i uploaded i site im working on into the wrong directory...

thanks

BWiz · 10-26-2007, 05:37 PM

It's a nice website, really simple. Thing is though is that its too cramped. For me, at least, it overloaded my eyes as soon as I got onto the site. You may want to change this. Theres a lot of adverts as well: change this as well?

srule_ · 10-28-2007, 11:13 PM

good point I agree with you, perhaps I should make it a fluid layout so it is only cramped in 800X600 browsers?

kosstr12 · 11-02-2007, 02:52 PM

You should change the text in the header to an image, and add some actual design to it. The rest of the site looks great.

10-18-2007, 02:15 AM	PM User \| #1
srule_ Regular Coder Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 568 Thanks: 25 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts	My Template site - Complete Alright guyz, Thanks for reviewing my other two design. It helped me a lot in the development of my site. I finally finished the main parts of the site. I still plan on adding lots of stuff like a search feature, comments, tons more templates! The site is: www.TemplatesForFree.net any feed back would be great. . Thanks Last edited by srule_; 10-18-2007 at 03:48 AM..

10-19-2007, 06:10 AM	PM User \| #5
gnomeontherun Senior Coder Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Houston Posts: 2,797 Thanks: 10 Thanked 235 Times in 226 Posts	From an SEO perspective, which is vital for websites like this, you will want to craft some of your top keywords into the body, and make sure you get those images with an alt tag! Validation is also key for SEO, and validate your css file too. I like the site very much, but the only thing I'm yearning for when I see it is some slightly more 'web 2.0' feel to the layout of the table cells. The rest of the site does a good job of pulling this feel but being very clean and simple. Perhaps put rounded edges or something, I know its a fad but people looking for CSS templates and XHTML pages are up on their styles. __________________ jeremy - gnomeontherun Educated questions often get educated answers, and simple questions often get simple answers.

10-26-2007, 05:37 PM	PM User \| #11
BWiz Regular Coder Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: C:\Users\BWiz Posts: 402 Thanks: 6 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts	It's a nice website, really simple. Thing is though is that its too cramped. For me, at least, it overloaded my eyes as soon as I got onto the site. You may want to change this. Theres a lot of adverts as well: change this as well? __________________ BWiz 2006 2007 2008 2009 Flex + XML + PHP = Tasty

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10-18-2007, 10:48 AM	PM User \| #3
nikos101 Regular Coder Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: London Posts: 884 Thanks: 51 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	be careful to get permission from any template sites to use their own templates on your site

10-19-2007, 05:15 AM	PM User \| #4
trigger_tre Regular Coder Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 290 Thanks: 6 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts	First of all I really like it. I love to look at web templates because it helps to give me ideas. A few suggestions: 1.) I would like to see some kind of picture logo. Something simple is fine. 2.) This is just me being picky but usually when you show multiple pages make the first page "1" not "0" 3.) I liked the smaller column when it was on the right hand side. 4.) I cant stress how important valid HTML code is. Yours failed. VALIDATOR 5.) I think the header that you put when people view a template is fine. More chances of them clicking an advertisement the better. But I also think you should make a "Click Here To Remove Advertisement" link at the top so that people have the option of removing the header so they can see EXACTLY what the free template will look like. (Make it so they have to click to remove each time they open a new template) The PROS: 1.) Speed. I look at template sites often and most are plagued by script after fancy script that bogs down the viewing experience. Yours however is much faster, at the moment. KISS is great for this. 2.) I like how you integrated your google ads. Its almost difficult to tell which is part of the site and which is an ad (smart = more money in your pocket). 3.) I can tell you spent the time finding good templates to upload. So often a site will offer free templates and it consists of 20 of the exact same outdated mid 90's web templates just with different color schemes. Choose Quality over Quantity and it will make your site compete well with others and almost guarantee return visitors. This is why I have already gone through well 63 templates the first time then 69 the second time. 4.) I believe your site is worthy of a bookmark from me. -trigger

10-25-2007, 04:50 PM	PM User \| #10
srule_ Regular Coder Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 568 Thanks: 25 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts	aww, woops. DAMN FTP client, Lol, i uploaded i site im working on into the wrong directory... thanks

10-28-2007, 11:13 PM	PM User \| #12
srule_ Regular Coder Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 568 Thanks: 25 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts	good point I agree with you, perhaps I should make it a fluid layout so it is only cramped in 800X600 browsers?

11-02-2007, 02:52 PM	PM User \| #13
kosstr12 Regular Coder Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Woodstock, Georgia Posts: 425 Thanks: 7 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	You should change the text in the header to an image, and add some actual design to it. The rest of the site looks great.