I feel a little like Dr. Frankenstein flipping the switch on my creation. I worked hard on this bad boy (along with help and input from my parents, of course) and it's probably the biggest web project I've done. So I'm glad it's up (and done!)
A few disclaimers before you look at it:
1. I'm not an expert so this website won't blow your mind. BUT I like to think it looks a little less homemade than other local websites, and that some people will see my pictures and think it looks like an elegant place to stay. C'mon people, my parents need an income!!!
2. A few of the pictures are just "place holders" until the renovations are a little more finished.
3. The page buttons on the the Maps & Directions page are being a little fickle. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. For me, they show up on Firefox but not Internet Explorer. Sometimes if you refresh they show up or disappear. I don't know why. It's one of the great mysteries of the universe.
So... here it is: http://www.delcourthouse.com/ Enjoy!
I'm off to Halifax in a few minutes to hang out with the lovely and talented Mrs. McKnight! WOOHOO! I've never driven to Halifax on my own before, so hopefully I don't die. If I do, you can fight over my Playstation.
And finally, because I made up that ridiculous rule to post a pic or video every time I post on my blog (augh!) here is a picture I took for the website. I can't wait for this bathtub to actually WORK!
Lots of Love!Gillian
3 comments:
The URLs for the button images on the Maps & Directions page are e.g. file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Delcourt%20House/Website/Website%20Images/Buttons/JPEGS/About%20The%20Area.jpg
meaning it's trying to reference a file on your hard drive. This explains why it works "sometimes" for you (since you have those files).
I recommend using the Firebug (http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/1843) extension for Firefox, which lets you drill into the page structure as well as VERY quickly identify the source of errors.
It also gives you file sizes and transfer times; for example, it shows me that the Guest Info page is 131kB total and took 1.63s to download.
FYI, there is a bogus reference to clearpixel.gif on the "Maps & Directions" page (that trick hasn't been needed since the last decade!). I saw some form of error when first loading that page, but it hasn't reappeared. I'll try to repro it.
Also, there is no ALT attribute on any the images, which means anyone using a screen reader will not be able to interact with the site, and crawlers (e.g. Google) won't be able to index it.
Also, on the pages with lists of links, because the actual name of the link is not part of the link, crawlers will be unable to associate the text with the link itself. This is also a usability problem - instead of being able to click on "Golf Courses" I need to click on the URL next to it. You can use different styles to retain the look but have both the URL and the human-readable text be active links.
Also, the photos on each page are gorgeous (e.g. "About the Area", "Local Attractions"), but none of them are links - what if a visitor wants to find out what or where a nearby attraction is?
The website looks fantastic, dah-ling! (as does the B&B, of course!) I'll spread the word!
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