Hey, I run a Coldplay fan-site similar (yet completely different) to this one. Please check it out and tell me what you think of the website. I started a while ago and I am still learning how to get attention on Youtube and on the internet. Please help me improve my website and my Youtube account.

 

Many links:

 

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/ColdplayNetwork

Website: http://www.coldplaynetwork.com

Email Me! [email protected]

 

Thanks in advance!

 

(UPDATE!: Haha, you though this thread was dead forever! (Lol, back to the topic) Please take a revote, the websites much nicer then it was back in June. http://www.coldplaynetwork.com

 

I promise after this, the thread will be left alone! Thanks!)

random links? what's random about them? :P

It needs to be spaced out (layed out? idk the term lulz) better, the way it is makes it look really amateur, and don't go using so many colours and designs and things like that to make it look cool, the more you use the more it detracts. Also, it froze my computer.

 

I think this could end up being very good though. :nice:

It's a pretty good start but there's a lot of things that need to be improved, like what Crests has said above. Anyway, keep up the good effort! :)

Thanks for letting me know Crests and rudy_0. I appreciate the help. (In response to Crests), I am already trying to cutdown on the websites loading time and make the user experience better. Thanks for pointing that out anyway. :)

Crests: I think I know why your computer "crashed". I have the songs from the ETIAW - EP actually on my server and the whole songs load while the page is loading. If the internet was slow enough at the time, your computer is GOING to crash. I'll upload less data consuming versions of the songs (or just delete them completely?).

It needs to be spaced out (layed out? idk the term lulz) better, the way it is makes it look really amateur, and don't go using so many colours and designs and things like that to make it look cool, the more you use the more it detracts. Also, it froze my computer.

 

I think this could end up being very good though. :nice:

 

Yes this.

 

Choose a color scheme and a design scheme, so for example have all the text blocks rectangular or all of them like a bubble.

 

Good though!

Hmm. Well aesthetically-wise, instead of choosing all colors of the rainbow, find a few colors that complement each other for the layout. Also, how come you copied coldplay.com's exact toolbar?

I think what you should do right now is ask yourself two things:

1) What am I trying to achieve with this website?

2) Is there anything new I can bring to the table?

There are a lot of Coldplay communities. I think the Coldcast is a good place to start, but you don't have enough unique material yet to distinguish yourself from any other fansite (I think Coldplaying has a podcast too)

So yeah, try taking a break and going outside, get inspired to add something to the site that would make someone go there and keep coming back. I'll give you some ideas if I can think of them. :P

Good luck!

Thanks Dee, and great idea by the way. I copied the Coldplay bar at the top of JUST my homepage for easy access to the Coldplay website. NOT MY OWN. Yeah, I would agree the ColdCast was probably the most creative I have gotten with the website :P. Anyway. Crests: I fixed any problems you might have come across on the home page (unless there are more :O). I think you might find it "less crash-y" now. Coldplaying.com is probably the most supportive of ANY forums out there :D.

(Sorry Megalomania, forgot to address you) Nice profile pic :) A color scheme is a good idea. I'm sure I would have thought of it eventually :P . A lot of people agree Crests on he said. Anyway, thanks for your ideas. Keep em' coming! Ha ha.

While I wouldn't say it's horrible, it's pretty bad, the intro screen for a start, that's very geocities, like a decade ago. And then you click that ridiculously cheap looking "CLICK ON ME : D" and it opens a new window, which is just annoying. The fonts and boxes are very brash and unwelcoming, and I'd disagree that it needs to be spaced out, it's spaced out enough, in fact there's random gaps like the needless inch above and below the bland white message which you click to see the new video (Above the small box which you can also click to see the new video).

 

The initial sections don't look attractive at all, you aren't sure what to look at as the primarily most important thing to the site: recent news. From first glance the most significant thing is that big youtube video of what appears to be a fan playing the parts of the new song, this shouldn't really be the most significant thing, and then there's another intro home page to click on (That makes it three). Just chop all that and make the first page news, and clear news, people won't regularly visit to navigate around to find updates, you expect that straight away.

 

And wait wait I'm just confused now, I hadn't even realised, you click on 'home' and it just goes to Coldplay.com? I don't even- what exactly is your site?

 

So this is as far as I've gotten because I don't know what the point would be clicking around the official page, really confused.

Oh, and one more thing. I'll update everyone when the website is updated. Aaaaaaannnnnndddddd now! Yes, I updated the website. I did it for Crests. :P

Yes, I updated the website. I did it for Crests.

 

I feel special. :dazzled:

(Responding to Reilly) Thats ok too. I can handle negative comments. It's all apart of the learning process. Reilly, my website is a Coldplay fan site (like this) but different. Addressing the top bar that links to Coldplay, it's for easy access to COLDPLAY's website, not mine. (I know what you might say next... "Why would you link to Coldplay's website at your site." Well, I just thought it would be good when I started the website) (I have a lot to address for you so this is continuing on the next post...)

Reilly, what do YOU think should be the MOST important thing on my website. I'd like to know so that I can make it stand out from the other content. (Referring to the last sentence in your post) I'm sorry your confused. I'll try and organise my website better. I'll first take OFF the links to Coldplay's website :(

Thank you for your opinion, Reilly.

Reilly, what do YOU think should be the MOST important thing on my website. I'd like to know so that I can make it stand out from the other content. (Referring to the last sentence in your post) I'm sorry your confused. I'll try and organise my website better. I'll first take OFF the links to Coldplay's website :(

Thank you for your opinion, Reilly.

I know I'm not Reilly etc. but

That's something you must decide for yourself, when you start developing new content. I agree with Reilly, to keep the news clear on the front page, but what kind of news? News I can't find on the Coldplay/Coldplaying website? If it's just news I can find anywhere I don't think it should be the main focus.

I don't think we should criticize him so much content-wise because he doesn't even know what the purpose of the site is yet.

UPDATE! Another one, yes. I please everyone, including the trolls :P

I think it actually looks a little cleaner. This update is brought to you by Reilly. :)

Dee, thank you for your words of wisdom. Haha :)

Oh, I'd like to respond to this quote:

"And then you click that ridiculously cheap looking "CLICK ON ME : D" and it opens a new window, which is just annoying. " (Reilly)

 

The only reason the home page opens in a new window is because I hadn't changed it from when I was playing music on the front page, it would be annoying to click on the "Click on Me :D" button and the song ends. Thats why. I meant to change that anyway so i'll do that now. Thanks for reminding me.

I'm not wise but thank you

And yeah the layout is pretty nice now.

(I have a lot to address for you so this is continuing on the next post...)

 

Uhhh, you can post quite a lot of writing in one post.. :thinking: wut

 

Most important thing I mentioned, though maybe I wasn't clear enough, the first thing you want to see is up to date news, think of regular visitors, which is what every fansite like this purely relies on. You click on 'coldplaynetwork.com' you want the latest to be clear and concise, instead, you get a page introducing you, another page with 2 links to the same video, you aren't sure what to look for.

 

Get the basics right before you think about features that make your sight stand out, so a pleasant and smooth layout, consistent themes such as colours and borders (Important- not every item having a different harsh looking rectangle around it) and what you can muster as a menu down the left hand side to make the ideas clear. I saw the term 'Blog Feed' as what I think was the main news, but it's not clear, below that was 'Website News' which is like, you have to think "Oh wait that's not band news either it's just site updates" and nobody really cares about that to be honest.

 

I agree with Reilly, to keep the news clear on the front page, but what kind of news? News I can't find on the Coldplay/Coldplaying website? If it's just news I can find anywhere I don't think it should be the main focus.

I don't think we should criticize him so much content-wise because he doesn't even know what the purpose of the site is yet.

 

Well unless he's planning on something incredibly dynamic I don't know what else to think of other then news I mean, am I missing something? Are there fansites that don't take this angle? I can't picture it.

 

As for News, there's no reason why he can't be on top of news items related to Coldplay that this site or the main one haven't covered, and even if they have the same news, people need that firstly and then they may choose to go to his site instead because of other ideas which as I say, comes later, get the basics first, clear layout, clear news, then the unique things are the tougher parts, so there's not much point in thinking of those first. People might come to the site because it's just as up to date as other sites even if it doesn't have unique extras, if it's up to date and has unique features, they probably will visit, if it's not up to date, that's not going to attract anyone to visit regularly, even if it is unique in other ways.

 

The sites already looking better now.

Well unless he's planning on something incredibly dynamic I don't know what else to think of other then news I mean, am I missing something? Are there fansites that don't take this angle? I can't picture it.

As for News, there's no reason why he can't be on top of news items related to Coldplay that this site or the main one haven't covered, and even if they have the same news, people need that firstly and then they may choose to go to his site instead because of other ideas which as I say, comes later, get the basics first, clear layout, clear news, then the unique things are the tougher parts, so there's not much point in thinking of those first. People might come to the site because it's just as up to date as other sites even if it doesn't have unique extras, if it's up to date and has unique features, they probably will visit, if it's not up to date, that's not going to attract anyone to visit regularly, even if it is unique in other ways.

Perhaps, but I'm just thinking that it's not innovative to do that. If I already have a site I'm used to going to for Coldplay news, why would I switch to another site, even if they deliver the news at the same time?

I'm just saying that he needs to find something that will make the site unique. Coldplaying has news too, but I don't give a crap about the Coldplaying news, I go on here because of the community.

If he can't find anything, then okay, keep the news there.

 

EDIT: The first sentence is my point exactly. I don't know what the debate is about.

Please excuse the problems with the top bar... the JS is acting up. (If you click on a link, it'll load in the iframe that the buttons were put in.)

And my news is about whats going on on the website and on my channel too. Thats one thing that Coldplay's site doesn't have.

(EDIT: Maybe I shouldn't have said that)

[Reilly: (Important- not every item having a different harsh looking rectangle around it) ...]

 

Would you rather have squiggly lines around everything. Hahaha :P