Blog Feedback?

[ColleenBlooms]

I would love some honest feedback about what you like and don't like....and I would love it even more if you stopped by again.

My blog is a lifestyle blog that deals with weddings, pop culture, life, travel, Christianity, music and everything in between.

I hope you enjoy!

http://ranunculusadventure.blogspot.com/

[JoNightshade]

Hi Colleen! Just took a quick look. Overall I think it's quite lovely. I'm viewing in Chrome so I don't know if it's particular to this browser, but your text overruns the white background on both sides. So, for example, in your subtitle at the top (The Wild Adventures, etc.) it looks like THE and PASTORS are off that center white strip and into the flowers. Hard to read. Then the date for your post (Sunday) is also off. Your actual post has a gray background so I can read that fine, but it is also off-center. Then everything on your right hand column slides off and is pretty hard to read. Hope this helps.

Oh, and I absolutely LOATHE when blogs and websites start playing music when I open them. This might just be a personal preference, but I will instantly close out when I hear tunes start to play. Maybe some others can give their opinions on this.

[FocusOnEnergy]

The posts are great, excellent content with plenty of images, only the layout needs work.

I'm viewing with IE, and I get the same issue with the text on the background as JoNightshade. And, because I'm already listening to music with the speakers cranked up, I was not at all happy when your blog decided I was going to listen to your choice of music. The width of the music player also requires a sidescroll, even on my widescreen monitor.

Your sidebar is cluttered. Clean it up, because it looks amateurish. Especially the counter. No. Seriously. Also, you've got the most important sidebar content buried below your music player. The sharing buttons. Those are important. And, if there's any way to move the Google ads lower on the sidebar (or get rid of them altogether) it would be a very good idea.

The little pictures that aren't links serve no purpose, do you really need them?

Categories can be helpful, but you've got an awful lot of them. I'd recommend using at least a hierarchical list or even a drop down because not only does that list take up a lot of sidebar real estate, but it's overwhelming.

Focus.

[veinglory]

The content and overall feel are good. but the background took about 10 seconds to load and it makes the title and sidebar quite hard to read.

[ColleenBlooms]

Thank you SO much guys! I am working on all these things as we speak!

[defyalllogic]

agree with veinglory. Also, in the header, that color font was stressful on the yes. both colors. especially on that background. also the purple on the dates.

Any site that plays music as soon as I open it makes me close it immediately. If i really want to see it, I go back when I've muted my sound if I haven't forgotten. I (like many people) visit sites and blogs between tasks at work and to have random music jump out is a red flag and annoying.

I opened your site and while waiting for the background to load, wend to something else and my pandora sounds all jacked up, oh it's because some random music was playing over it. Hate that.

[Tujack]

Stopped by to visit your blog. Like almost everyone else, I found the music a turn off. I also do not like web sites with music. I find it an intrusion and will almost always close down the site.
I also found the layout somewhat cluttered with too many photos. Think a few well chosen photos would be more effective.
It's obvious you have put in a lot of work on the site. I wish you good luck.
Would you take a look at my site and offer some feedback? Unlike yours mine is a self help site. www.fuel2drive.com (http://www.fuel2drive.com)
Thanks

[Adobedragon]

Eesh. Yeah, the music is a big problem. I've always got iTunes running my playlists, so websites that play music are a huge pet peeve.

[AlanF]

Hi Colleen!

Ventured over to your website, and it was well worth it. What an inviting layout, and informative book reviews. Keep those creative juices flowing.

[lachel]

I agree with everyone else: whenever a webpage has music, I leave immediately. I think that it's really inconsiderate when a website plays music (and I HATE loud ads that start immediately when you load a webpage). If I want to listen to music, I'm already listening to it, kwim? And I'm usually surfing the internet during a quiet moment, and I don't want that quiet moment broken.

I thought the background was too busy, and made the blog hard to read. I prefer very simple backgrounds.

As for the content, I liked it. I like that your book reviews are short and too the point: they really gave me a sense of whether a book was worth picking up or not, without having to read a thousand words analyzing a book I haven't read yet.

You have a few cases of misused punctuation, which isn't a big deal but still something to look out for.

Overall, the content is great! Which is the important thing. But I think you should go for a simple background, and no music. Remember, people are there to see the content, and you don't want anything that will distract them. You want the content to shine.

[Tantrachick]

I think the comments above cover anything I might have pointed out. Good luck!