Site Feedback: What can I improve?

[447]

Hello community,

I work inside a vacuum and don't really have a source for feedback. I am requesting some studiopress love with positive or negative comments about my new site. Tell me strengths, flaws, suggestions, you name it.

I am using a modified version of the (in)spyr blue base theme.

thanks everyone,
justin

http://manicdreams.net

[NicktheGeek]

I like the look of the header but personally feel it is too tall. It pushes the rest of your content down. I will say the opt-in is well places above the "fold" even with the tall header so it does work. You don't "need" to change the header if you are getting conversions.

I love the nav menu. It is well spaced and the subtle + image is a great separator.

I like that the sidebar and content ended up being the same height on the front page. Good attention to detail there if it was intentional and nice happy accident if it wasn't.

I assume this is built in (in)spyr? the footer looks like it. Something I did with a site I'm setting up on that theme was to change the way the grid loop functions. I love the grid loop for the front page but I'm not as in love with it for subsequent pages. So I switched it to do the standard loop for paged pages. It took one tiny edit

PHP Code:

if (function_exists('genesis_grid_loop') && ! $inspyr_theme_var->options['inspyr_disable_homepage'] && ! is_paged()) { 


You can see how that works in this site I'm setting up
http://bedtimestories.me

[447]

Thanks Nick!


A lot of the attractiveness comes from the keyboard warriors over there at spyr media.

I see what you're saying about the header. My intention is to actually make that preliminary view with the header + opt in + and slider a vocal point. The slider displays my important upcoming publications, while the posts pulling to home could be anything. I also wanted to play with the built-in, semi-transparent circle. The Manic Dreams logo should look like it's orbiting or what have you.

The stock theme has the sidebar run all the way to the top. That didn't look right so I generated a graphic that had a background to transparent overlay, then at 959px it switches to a straight up transparent header. I had to do this because if I kept the 960px graphic the gradient background would be unneeded and would eventually cover up some of the content area and the transparent circle.

I can't figure out what you're suggested change does to the footer. What exactly am I looking for visually, or how will the change affect my site? To my pardon I have been looking at the screen for 10 or so hours.


And from one writer to another, kudos :)

[NicktheGeek]

That doesn't change the footer, it just changes so that the grid loop is only used on the first page. On the second it shows the regular blog posts. Click to page two in the link I gave. It isn't a big deal. Most sites have grid posts on subsequent pages. I'm just not a huge fan of a page full of grid posts. I'm weird like that.

[447]

freakin' awesome suggestion Nick.

thanks buddy

[447]

nick is it possible to get the two small excerpt teasers on the next pages as well.

right now it's just showing the standard 5 feature, I would like all pages to have 5 feature x 2 small excerpt teasers

my home.php file:

/** Add support for Genesis Grid Loop **/
function child_grid_loop_helper() {
	global $inspyr_theme_var;
	if (function_exists('genesis_grid_loop') && ! $inspyr_theme_var->options['inspyr_disable_homepage'] && ! is_paged()) {
		remove_action('genesis_before_post_content','generate_post_image',5);
		genesis_grid_loop(array(
			'features' => 4,
			'feature_content_limit' => 470,
			'feature_image_size' => 'inspyr-post-thumbnail',
			'grid_image_size' => 'inspyr-post-thumbnail',
			'grid_content_limit' => 0,
			'more' => __('Continue Reading','inspyr'),
			'posts_per_page' => 6,
			));
		}
	else { genesis_standard_loop(); }
	}
remove_action('genesis_loop','genesis_do_loop');
add_action('genesis_loop','child_grid_loop_helper');

genesis();

[NicktheGeek]

no way to do that with the grid loop you would need a fully custom loop solution.

[447]

thank you nick, you may close this thread.