Ok ladies and gents.
I have been working on my website for years, i have a habit of finishing a design and start changing it all over again, because once it's done i dont like it. I do mine from scratch without using templates. I was really happy with the current one, but hubby told me the intro text is too hard to read. Problem is i really like it and because of that im having a really hard time to find a more readable font that matches the rest of the site and that i like. Sigh!! I was almost done with it and realised i didnt like it.
I need help, i dont want to re do the whole thing again. Im set on the colours as green is my favourite colour, but im open to suggestions, any suggestions.
Tear it to shreds if necessary, i can take it : )
nati

http://www.natiscakes.com

PS: all prices are in Australian $$$$

I like it!
I don't think it is hard to read at all....And of course, I LOVE all of your cakes

Beautiful!! Your cakes look great and load fast, but yes the green on green is hard to read. I like the brown color in the "customer comments" section. That looks good and is much easier to see.

Love the green and I'm not a fan of sage green. It's lovely and is pretty enough to be a wedding invitation. I didn't have a problem with the intro text, but the sidebar choices were hard to read. I knew what they were, but the 3D green lettering on the green background did blur the lettering a bit. Do you have a 2nd favorite color that could be used for the lettering?

Your site has a great BIG plus in that the cake images popped up so fast. I didn't have to wait at all for the pics to load.

I gave the site a quick look. I have a headache (waiting for medicine to kick in). Great job on your site.

LOOKS GREAT!!!!!

I love the style and color coordination! Really nice!

The only thing I don't like having to do is scroll sideways to read the text or view the pictures. Especially on the home page I find myself having to side scroll to read your introduction. I have a large monitor too.

Otherwise, VERY professional and NICE stuff!

I think the green on green is quite pleasing to the eye. I don't care to scroll back-and-forth when I read though. Your cakes are beautiful. Overall, I like you site.

kos

Ok, to start off, I really like the layout of your site, really easy to navigate and found what I was looking for easily.

What I have a hard time reading is all your links on the right side of the page-I think the shadow is to dark, I like the shadow, maybe you could lighten it up just a touch?

Also in the main information area where you have all your text, it is easier to read at the top of the page than at the bottom, when you get into longer sections. I think it is because you have the darker green at the top of the page so it brings out your letters towards the top of your paragraphs. Maybe you could incorporate that same color you have at the top some where along the edge or bottm to help bring out your text.

I really like all the colors you have and they complement eachother really well.

Just to let you know the link from your Green Daisy cake in the Engagement section is not working to bring up the detailed picture.

Great job !

Might I also suggest in your Customer comments section (which I love that you have their cake posted with their comments-awesome idea!!) That you be able to click on the photo and have it come up larger-I thought I saw some in there that I didn't see in other areas of the site-or maybe i'm just blind it has been known to happen.

I love your cakes-they gave me some great inspiration and I hope to get mine looking that good someday.

Leily

Edit: I didn't have to scroll sideways at all-i forget what causes this, it's been awhile since i've dealt with webpages, but I only have a 17" monitor and no problems here.

I think its great ... I don't think its hard to read either. I wouldn't change a thing.

MJ

I just noticed that the Color Green you use on your flavours page for your writting is different from your other pages, it looks like it is just a shade darker when I put them right next to eachother-it might just be my monitor, however your flavours page is the easiest to read for me. It doesn't seem like that much of a difference until I put them right next to eachother though.

Leily

I think it looks great. Really simple and tons of pictures which is great. Great Job!

Hi Nati
I like the Green. I dont like to, scroll sidways so that would be out.
Are all your links suppose to go somewhere?, The cookie and cupcake links didnt. I wasnt sure if they were suppose to. So I thought Id mention it.
I really do like the green though Good luck!

Hi Nati,

Just took a look at your site. I do like your color combination, but the sideways scrolling ... most people will not bother. I changed the resolution of my monitor, but still had to scroll a bit.

Another thing, not all the buttons on the left hand side are accessible. I removed all my toolbars, and still could not see what came after Customer Comments. I realise this is a function of my monitor, but your web-site should be optimised for whatever monitors are around. I had the same problem when I was creating my web-site.

But, Congratulations on your cakes. they are really pretty, and you have a set of really satisfied customers!

Karen
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Wow you do all those nice cakes and a web site and full time job! Ive got to learn to organize my time. Have fun with the web site.

Hi Nati,
I hate to say it but I have to agree with your husband. The shadowing on the links makes them hard for me to read and I prefer the font color on the links page.
I only have to scroll right if my window isn't full screen. Otherwise, I can see it all.
The cookies and cupcakes links don't work but maybe that's intentional.
I would move the home link to the top of the links. The email link isn't an obvious link on the home page.
In the home page text, "Nati's cakes" should be "Nati's Cakes" capital 'C'.
The Communion and Engagements pages should have the thumbnails down a couple lines like the other pages.
I like how the email link on each picture automatically fills in the name of the cake.
I love the pictures included with the comments. Great idea!
Your site is really easy to navigate. The thumbnails load quickly and let me find what I'm looking for without scrolling through ones I don't. Or I can look at everything and really be impressed by your talent. Great site and great cakes! Now aren't you sorry you asked?
Mary Ann

Overall, the site is great! The only things I would suggest are maybe changing the 'Nati's Cakes' at the top to white, instead of green...it would really pop off of the page then, as well as bring out the one white daisy in pic on either side of the name. I also think the green text is a little hard to read...maybe if it were a little bit darker it would be easier to read. Love the font and the shade of green, though.

I can't see all of your links, either. I don't see the links for Home, Customer Comments or an email link. But could that just be my monitor?

And I also noticed that when you click on a Birthday cake thumbnail it opens another window, but the other cake galleries just display it on the same page when you click on the thumbnail. I don't know if this is intentional but I thought I would mention it.

You've done a great job! If I had a site, I'd be tweaking it all the time too...lol But I sure don't know how you find the time?!

Hi Nati,

TOTALLY off-topic BUT.....

I just realized that you live in Melbourne...guess what?! I've been to Melbourne!! I went there approx. 2 years ago...I used to work as the Financial Controller for the North American subsidiary of a New Zealand company called Tait Electronics, Ltd. I went to Christchurch NZ, then to Brisbane (where the Australian subsidiary is) and then went on vacation to Sydney and Melbourne (my husband has family there!). My girls were 4 and 1.5yrs at the time. We LOVED Australia and NZ and hope to go back again one day!!

I got excited when I looked at your site so I had to share!!


Tanya

Ok wonderful people. Suggestions taken on board and changes made

1. As suggested by Jenn123 the text colour in the main page was changed to a darker green for easier reading

2. As suggested by bubblezmom and leily the colour of the menus were changed in order to ease readability. Please let me know if it's any better now.

3. As suggested by kitagrl, Kos, babynewyear and karennayak side scrolling was removed. This didnt happen on my pc because i have a huge screen, but i re did it and tested on hubby's smaller screen and looks ok now. Please let me know if there is any scrolling left, i hate side scrolling!!!

4. As suggested by mary-ann the "home" button was moved to the top of the page, it really makes sense for it to be there, thanks : ), Nati's cakes was changed to Nati's Cakes and the email link was changed to a darker colour.

5.As suggested by JennT the colour of the heading of the page was changed to match the lighter coloured gerbera. You were right, looks much better. Thanks : )

6. The menu bar is going to be made scrollable so you can all see all the buttons, i think this is happening because the frame is set to not be able to be re-sized and it's not visible in smaller screens. Working on it now.

7. Broken links fixed.

Thanks so much for all your input.
Im still working on getting all the background on my pictures to match the website.

Please let me know if you see any other horrors in there that need changing.

Nati

I loved your web site, and as I am a big fan of your cakes....it is earmarked in my favorites now! I still had to scroll sideways this morning...good luck!

The site is really nice but you might want to make the left sid smaller to give the right side more room. I had to scroll back and forth to read.

Love your website, very elegant. I would add a little extra color to the website to make your site stand out. Something that enhances the sage green. A slight pale yellow comes to my mind, but I think its a personal choice.

Also, I think a page about you and your background would personalize your page. Even though your extraordinary cakes are wonderful to look at and sound so delicious.

I especially like your customer comments that stands out almost as much as your cakes at making your site great.

Your description of flavors will help customers decide on a flavor, keep it.

After looking at your site, I want a mud cake . . . and I have never had one before.

OK, I tried your site again, and I am still scrolling. It was about one hour ago when I first posted, it is now 8:45 am here (in Indiana). When I scroll, I have to go over about 1 inch and then the screen is centered. This is on the right side of your home page. Hope that helps... I'll let you know this afternoon if it's better here.

Yeah I have a nice 17" monitor and I still have to scroll...

The only other suggestion is to use some sort of script to hide your email, or find a form...otherwise with your email out in the open like that, you will get alot of spam as robots come through and pick out written emails.

Gorgeous site though, you have inspired me to try to redo my current "Front Page" website by doing it by hand to get it more customized....