This is my first completely custom CMS website built from scratch.
The platform was Joomla 1.5

Shanowen Files

All opinions and comments welcome.

__________________
Alan (Neweb Ireland)

Not too bad, I like the design for what it is. It looks a little generic though.

Did you create it from scratch (template) that is?

I would enable clean URL's in Joomla 1.5 to remove those silly Joomla url's.
EG: Web hosting Ireland, domain registratrion, dedicated servers, colocation - Blacknight Solutions. shanowenfiles. ie/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&It emid=58

Clean url's are more search engine friendly.

Also I would consider customising your title tags
Government

Is not very descriptive.

Also your home page is just - home.
A Title like Shanowen - Manilla filing and Tabbed divider products
would be better.

I assume its a work in progress? The news page has jibberish on it.

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Adwords Qualified Individual | Search Engine Marketing Consultant | Web Analytics (Google) Expert | Web Designer (XHTML / CSS)

Datsun 240z 260z Club of Australia
Classic Japanese Cars

few thoughts...

The blur on either side of the header ... makes my vision feel funny ...

Your footer link to your own site is broken

not too keen on the way you've got their logo sitting on top of the header image ... the bevel ... on it looks a bit dated ...

Nice apart from that. . though on longer pages you're going to have no distinction between the sides and the content...

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Forbairt Media | Web Design & Development Galway / Dublin, Ireland - coming soon ... ( vague but descriptive isn't it )
Recent Work: Safari Club African Safari Holidays - Malawi Safaris
Other Stuff: FluffyLinkulator Rapid Inclusion Service Tools

Generic ???? It’s a custom design. A base template was ripped apart and completely redesigned. what’s Generic about that!
Good point and overlook on my part. Have started already.


Fixed, just need a new site for me now

Not all sites have to be completely coloured from top to bottom.
Distinction is not required as on long site you only have the content with no other distractions.


I think that covers everything.

By the way!!!!!
The site is located at shanowenfiles.ie/site
I kept it as a sub directory incase they wanted to add a blog. So they can now put it at shanowenfiles.ie/blog. Been doing this with a number of sites.
It keeps everything in order:
shanowenfiles.ie/site
shanowenfiles.ie/blog
and so on.

Has anyone else done this!!!

Didn't mean to cause offense, just looked a little bit like other templates I've seen. I realise it was custom made, but perhaps its just that I'm used to seeing Joomla sites and you can often tell its a Joomla site based on the way its "modules" tend to output their code etc..

No offence caused.
I was writing as I was thinking. I had a big email to get through you know