A few days ago I started playing with iWeb, which is free software that comes bundled with every Mac computer. iWeb makes it easy to build stylish websites with very little effort. I learned that you can use it in conjunction with a personal domain name, and that got me to thinking. I had acquired the domain 'svensonlaw.com' awhile back with the idea of making that the domain for my law firm website, which was hosted at ernestsvenson.com. But I never got around to it, mostly because the thought of creating a website seemed daunting. Not anymore.
After messing around for a few hours I managed to create what I think is a pretty stylish website. The home page is actually a blog, which is great for posting information about upcoming speaking engagements. Managing the website will be ridiculously simple, thanks to iWeb's easy interface and its tight integration with other Mac programs. When I was at my old law firm we spent countless hours trying to get everyone to agree on a new site design (and we spent lots of money). This weekend I put up a new site for nothing more than the cost of a domain name, which goes for about $10 per year. Thank god I was able to get my marketing committee to approve my new design (ha!).
Check it out and let me know what you think! (The nice thing about websites is they're easy to edit).
Maybe it's my 50-year-old eyes, but I have trouble reading the text. On my screen, there's not enough contrast between the text and the background.
Otherwise, very nice.
Posted by: Ray Ward | April 28, 2008 at 08:32 AM
Ernie--I really like your new site. iWeb has become a real useful tool. If I may ask, do you host the site on dotmac. Wes Thorp
Posted by: Wes Thorp | April 28, 2008 at 09:04 AM
The website is indeed quite stylish and informative. One suggestion though - the typeface is a light for someone with "middle aged" eyes.
Posted by: Joann | April 28, 2008 at 09:18 AM
It looks great. I will say, though, that it loads slowly. Other sites made with iWeb are also sluggish, although I'm not sure why.
Posted by: Frolic | April 28, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Looks great. But not having countless marketing meetings and resulting revisions must have really taken the fun out of the process.
Later
Posted by: Ed Benefiel | April 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Not bad! It's simple and clean, both of which I like. A couple of minor things...
1. Change the page title. It says "My Blog" right now...
2. On the first page, the grey text is a little light... if it were a little darker, it would increase the contrast, and thus, readability.
3. The background on the opening page is white--but on the sub-pages, it's grey. I like the grey (and the text on those pages seems to be black).
4. If you can, create a separate link style for the entry headlines--right now, the underline is almost on top of the date. A minor thing, but it would make it look even cleaner. :)
Three cheers for simplicity!! :)
Posted by: Dave! | April 28, 2008 at 02:01 PM
I am not a Mac user but I think that for someone with little experience you have done a good job. I might just have to look into iWeb. More and more I am thinking that I should probably have a Mac as well as a PC. I agree with the individuals who say the link text is just a little light. Other than that it's a great start.
"When you can't be there...bVisual."
Posted by: bVisual | April 28, 2008 at 02:51 PM
Congratulations on having the most catchy & memorable domain name I've ever seen for a legal site. :-)
Nice work with iWeb!
Posted by: sterling | bizlift.com | April 28, 2008 at 08:08 PM
Nice website! It is very simple and clean but yet nice. The only problem is that some texts cannot be read and it loads slowly. Cool iWeb software. With the iWeb produced by mac, I can now make my own website easily. I really don't need a website that is full of designs. Simple, clean and organized is enough for me. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Web designer | April 28, 2008 at 08:57 PM