Website for Review
http://www.southimage.net/bega-show-2008/index.php

Additional Comments
Well, I just roughed out my first php website. All set to jump when the big event happens, in three weeks time.

The content on the home page isn't real and all the photos are from last year.

The site looks a bit drab. Any suggestions?

The event goes over three days and nights and may have a few days afterglow. Pretty short window, huh?

The main game plan is like this:

*  Take heaps of photos.

*  Give out small fliers to my news site.

*  News stories and some photos on news site.

*  Links to thumbnails and hundreds of photos on this site.

*  The purpose of the main game is to develop a readership for the news site.

Wad da ya reckon?

Thanks,
Laurie.

Well Laurie, not sure what you consider drab the site looks good to me.

Just a thought going with your question. Does the Bega Show have a particular show logo or theme they use? If so maybe incorporate this theme/logo into the website.

I think the grey nav box, combined with the amount of text you have, is what's making it a bit drab. I don't know if anyone else is like this, but..... I'm an impatient person, and when I look at all that, I'm thinking - "Uhg... this is going to take way too long".

What if you had some sort of flash photo album set up, that go's through the pics, far right. Then shorten up the text to something a little more easily digestible.

This might require you to modify the nav some, as I see you have a large Google Ads box there. Might need to move that.

Looking back, I see that the Nav isn't all that much. Mostly some bullet points and a couple links. Can we consolidate the landing page a bit more, and flesh out the rest of the site with info you have here? Only you would be able to tell I guess.....

On the other hand, is this a 'short term' sort of thing? Looks like it's set up for the coming show this year only. Do you need to do one every year? Archive old data?

If it's nothing more than a recap of ONE single event, and then deleted several months later, then maybe it wouldn't be worth it going through all the extra work.

OK Fellas, thanks.

They're great comments. Now I can see the way forward.

Navigation

I'll get rid of the Google ads and make the grey lighter.

The non linking dot points will become thumbnail pages when the event happens and I take the photos.

Banner



I'll make a new text logo. A bit narrower and more colourful. Put a photo on the right of the banner. Fireworks from last year's show.

Content

Yes! I'll get some real info on the home page and use just a few photos to give it a lift. Less is more, huh?

Thanks again Fellas. See you in a few hours.

Regards,
Laurie.