Laura Staszewski

This website it my personal website for my ministry. It's to keep my supporters and prospective supporters updated on the work I am doing in Africa. I've designed it with FrontPage 2000 and just upgraded to FrontPage 2003 today- still checking out what the differences are between the two versions. Please let me know of any suggestions to make to the page. I'm not looking for anything specific, but just anything you might see that can be added, improved, or adjusted. Thanks! Laura

Lots of errors: http://validator.w3.org/check?verbos...inmissions.com
And you have very bloated code.
You need to learn how to handcode properly,

HTML: Select all

<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>

I can tell you are using a WYSISYG (what you see is what you get) Editor
Check the stickies in the css forum for some hints on how to code properly.

Good luck!

I'm a beginner at webdesign and actually know next to nothing about coding. I'll check out the css forum and see what i can learn. Is there a big difference between designing in html mode as opposed to design mode on frontpage?
Thanks!

To be perfectly honest laura, something like WordPress is ideal for your purposes. You don't have to do much coding, if any, and it's Valid XHTML straight out of the box.

check out my site at www.minute44.com

I've made that with wordpress. Granted, I've done a lot of customising but you can see whats possible.

I see by your site that you probably don't have the time to sit down and learn a load of html and CSS so this makes sense.

I agree with minute. Wordpress would be the way to go...

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Marc
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I've looked at wordpress and it seemed more like a blogging tool. What about it makes you suggest it over frontpage?

Wordpress creates valid and clean code where as the code from front page is TERRIBLE, infact worse than terrible.

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Marc
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Hi Laura!
Frontpage is a design tool that was developed by Microsoft. But it's not a good tool at all. They haven't even upgraded it rather instead they created a new product called Expressions Web that is a much better product. I'd suggest you upgrade to that if you want to use a WYSWYG program.

I bet Microsoft knew Frontpage had a really bad reputation with professionals so probably chose not to upgrade it but create a whole new product.

In regards to your site ... some suggestions for you:
The page is too wide. I have a screen resolution of 1024 in width and I still have to scroll left and right. People that have small monitors that only measure 800 wide will really have to scroll. To be safe, you should limit the width of a site to no more than 780 pixels wide.

With the width reduction I would recommend you use a left vertical menu. Right now your horizontal menu is causing your page to be too wide. Also your header is too wide too.

You've got a large left margin and a small right margin. I would work on making those the same.

The font comic sans is really an oldie... and not one that is very loveable. Use it for the page text if you love it but maybe check out some of the free font sites to find something really special for your header.

What program are you using to make your graphics? Why don't you try taking off the beveled edges. That is a look that has gone by. I'd suggest a header about 780 wide by 200 tall. Enlarge the photos you have and place your name creatively on the header. Perhaps call the site Laura Staszewski's Ministry. It's ok if your name overlaps the photos a bit too. That would be nice and creative. Again there are so many free fonts that you can use IN graphics (not page text) that would really add some pizzazz!

I do love the background texture you chose. Very sweet and easy on the eyes.

I enjoyed reading about you!

Wordpress is essentially a blogging tool but it allows you to build a whole site around your blog and essentially make your blog just another feature in your site. You can control what page the user is directed to when they go to your URL, i.e your blog doesn't HAVE to be your home page and you can have as man other pages as you wish, plus they are all editable through a nice GUI.

Touch front page again and I'll slap your virtual wrists! It's bad I tell you.... BAD! Wordpress creates sites that are Valid markup wise straight out of the box. Getting valid code out of FrontPage is like getting s**t out of a rocking horse.

thanks for all the help. I'm currently still in zambia so my internet and computer time in limited. I'll look into wordpress and expressionweb more and maybe redesign when stateside in december (when electricity and high speed internet are realities again!). Thanks again for the help!

So I've recreated my site with expressionweb. I think its already a lot better!! Let me know what you all thinks and thanks again for all of the help.
Laura

It doesn't look better in my opinion but your code is a great deal better.

the 2 validation errors you have derive from using ampersands and spaces in your directory names. Get rid of them.