Please review my TGP!

[rhexis]

Hi,

After many many many hours of studying, reading forums, designing I have my first TGP site live and running currently trying to grow. I would like it if more experienced webmasters could critique my site and tell me what I could do better. I'm interested in ad placement and web design. Tell me what you think about my thumbs too.

My site: http://poondepot.com

Thanks!
Nick

[GeorgeTH]

The top looks like most 'normal thumbnail TGPs' - not bad and rather clean, but on the other hand nothing special!

The bottom is rather messy:
the "Top 10 Friends" graphic (why a GIF?) is off-center, below is a mess of un-disclosed html tags showing (BR /> BR /> br />), the large Sextracker buttom is not needed (you get almost every benefit from the small one, and I usually move that =the counter, right to right hand corner out of view).

Problem with all Thumbnail-only-TGPs is that you're not having much text on the page for search engine keywords...

But then your's is anyhow a fake TGP with only sponsor hosted galleries (I would NOT trade with sites like your's!)...

Two more hints: put a single color background (or simply a plain background color) behind you friendfinder link on top, and your Top List at the bottom - makes it easier to read with your 'nervous' background...

What else do you wanna know?
Maybe somebody else has different ideas (+ input)

[kero]

Hey Nick,

That background makes the text hard to read on my system.

- kero

[rhexis]

Thanks for the inputs so far. I changed all the text so that it would show up on a readable background. Is the graphic background something I should just nix? As for the toplist at the bottom, that should fix itself as soon as I have 10 trades. It's the trade scripts fault for generating bad code.

This is probably a newbie question, but with a 'real' tgp you are hosting other peoples galleries rather than the sponsor? Seems like I wouldnt be able to handle that kind of traffic just yet. Anyone care to make a distinction between the two models?

Thanks,
Nick

[kero]

I would lose the background or at least something smoother, but thats just my opinion.

You wouldn't be hosting the galleries.. Just linking to other webmaster's galleries (on their own host).

- kero

[GeorgeTH]

Originally posted by rhexis
Thanks for the inputs so far. I changed all the text so that it would show up on a readable background. Is the graphic background something I should just nix? Better already! I personally don't mind the background at all - maybe consider to make a semi-transparent version to put behind the tables in the center, and keep the current bg for the edges left and right (on large screens) = I actually like the background in combination with your colors ;)

Get rid of the Sextracker inside the Top List - you lose traffic with that (read above)

[GeorgeTH]

Now you wanna get submissions?!

First set back your rules (actually one of them):
· min pics 16

I (as many other submitters) have a few templates with 15 images, because that's kinda the normal minimum! So I couldn't get thru!

And your recip link - way too large! 120x60 pixels is the norm (for small buttons), 180x90 is still fairly normal, but anything above that...?!? Putting your's onto a page could clash wuth the submit rule of many sites, which says the images have to be visible without scrolling - your's takes up ~160 pixels of the top of teh screen!

[rhexis]

George,

I havent actively been seeking submissions though I plan to in the future. I'm just getting the framework ready. I appreciate your tips and have changed accordingly. Perhaps I should read more forums and cozy academy material.

I do have a question along the same line that I posted to the newbie forum perhaps you could answer. If I as a TGP owner am not being paid for gallery spots from sumbitters what is the benefit of listing someone's gallery that doesnt have my sponsor codes or may not even have a recip? Driving traffic because of unique content? There is some really good sponsor hosted material out there already which I would have my sponsor code on. This question has been on my mind lately.

Another question after that would be what makes a gallery submitter want to post to any particular tgp site, especially a new one, when there are so many of them?

Thanks,
Nick