Joomla! Discussion Forums

Hi,
I have launched a new travel website for Ireland. It has taken me some months to do, with tweeks and trial and error.

Please feel free to view and comment.

Website URL : www.travelshopireland.com

Template: I am using a template from Joomlart called "Rochea" - nice lightweight.

Additional Extensions (Components, Modules, Plug ins):
I have a lot in their:
SEF Advance
Fireboard Forum
Coppermine Photo Gallery + Bridge
Mosets Directory
Mambo Charge
Mettatag Generator
Ijoomla News portal
linX link Exchange
.iJoomla Scroller
eWeather
Frontpage SlideShow
Joomap
JoomlaStats
joomlaXplorer
pollxt - Advanced Polls
RD Sitemap
Site Backup
Loads of plugins - like litebox, ajax scrollers etc


Custom Development: I have installed custom thierd party scripts to link to other sites

Other Features: I have intergrgated a third Party script (Travel Script) that plugs into Joomla.

Three (at least) specific areas of my site that I'd like feedback on (design, code, graphics, etc.):

design: Errors etc
code: Errors
graphics: Suggestions for change.

Additional Comments: Been hard to get everything working as one would like it. Come components or modules can cause others not to function as they should etc.

Please note: There are one or two items not working as they should. They will hopefully be sorted by Monday 11th.

Thanks Glenn Pearson
Ireland

It looks very nice.  I wish I knew how to do the dropdown menu thing.  It looks very neat, clean and inviting.

Looks very nice I like it..

What did you use to change the header picture...

Overall this looks like a very professional site.  Nice template, graphics, and suprisingly responsive load times.

I did have some problems after navigating to the "Premier Accomodation" section - the customer service images stopped loading and the "About Us" page turned into a dead link.  I'm sure this is a quick fix. (IE - 7)

Other than that, no significant issues - have you setup a test user account?

Also, you could easily develop a favicon.

Great looking site!

go here to create you fav icon --http://www.htmlkit.com/services/favicon/

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the feedback so far.



I am Having the Modification to include a stand alone travel script in Joomla fixed as we speak.



It is built into the template, using Javascript.



It is built into the template.




Thanks for that- have changed it.

Regards
Glenn

Site down: Site error: the file /home/travelsh/public_html/components/com_sef/sef.php requires the ionCube PHP Loader ioncube_loader_lin_4.4.so to be installed by the site administrator.

Hi,
It is up again thanks.

Regards
Glenn

I, too, think it's very clean, inviting and easy to navigate.

O' course, the site interested me because I have family in Ireland and anything "irish" gets my attention.

I didn't check all the links but where I did go, there were no errors. The only thing I could say, is that you need more content in the about Ireland/experience Ireland sections. I automatically visit such links if they are there and not finding any real content is kind of disappointing but I guess you'll add all of that soon enough. 

Hi,

thanks for the feedback.

You are right, no content is dissapointing. I am busy gathering info for those sections as we speak. I am hoping to fill it up shortly.

Thank you.

Glenn

Very nice. Looks really good.

Agreed.  This is easily one of the better sites I've seen in terms of presentation and content.

You're definitely serving a niche that's in demand (visited Dublin this year   )

The content is well organized and the Joomlart template "Rochea" is a good choice.  The default template headers do not really seem to fit your site, IMHO.  I would more expect to see some pics from Ireland.  For example, perhaps a golf course view for the "gold hotels" page, a pic of a hotel room with a pet in the room for the "pet friendly" page, etc.  The green kitchen image seems really out of place.

Just my thoughts to improve a website with great content.

BTW, which newsletter module/component are you using?  Thanks.


Cheers,
Steve

Hi,
Thanks for the feedback.

There are a few things I am yet to finish off.

1.Content
2.Header Pictures - hard to find decent stock pictures that don't cost the earth-might do my own collage.
3.Fnial Intergration with Property rental script - "Premier properties"
4. Touch up my SEO Tags etc.
5.Add more Catagories +Threads to the forum.
6.Add more Catagories to the Photo Gallery
7.Bits and bobs




I am using Auto Response Plus at the moment. I have installed PHP List and the Bridge, but have yet to sort out the signup form.
I have not work it out yet - I need to read the manual.

Thanks
Glenn

With FF 2.0.0.4 on OSX:

the "About Us" main menu item WRAPS!  Eeek!  It took me a moment to notice it because the other pictures are quite vivid and nice!

I'm not sure what a fix for this would be, and I'm not sure if it's the resolution of my monitor.  It might also be a dynamic width template - again not sure - but it is ugly

I wouldn't mention it except the rest of the site looks so GREAT!

--Dean

Hi,
Thanks for that feedback.

I think it is to do with resolution. Mine is fine 1024x 768 on 15 inch monitor.
FF 2.0.0.4 and IE7.
I did see it before a while back, but could not remember how /when. Thought it had gone.
I will have to make the top menu item names shorter.

Thanks
Glenn

Beautiful site, nice colors and imagery. Makes me want to visit Ireland! 

The site looks fine in Firefox on MacOSX. However there is something wrong in the rendering in Safari on MacOSX (see attached screenshot). I wanted to point this out since Safari is a more common browser on MacOSX than Firefox, at least I think so.

It could be just a small css-error causing this. Since it looks OK in Firefox it is not impossible to get it right in Safari. Funny enough, it is usually the other way around. Safari is more forgiving for errors than Firefox.

Good luck with the site!

Hi,
Thanks for that.

I am aware of it in Opera and IE 6, but not on Safari. It has to do with the Search Script on the front page and subsquent page that have the search script on it - call to a Javascript file that outpouts tables.
It creates tables that mess up the site in the above browsers.
I have someone working on it - hopefully, they will fix it.

Slowly but surely

Thanks
Glenn

I see now that your booking engine is provided by someone else. They should easily be able to remove the table from their code, it is not needed, or at least make it neutral with a width of 100% rather than a fixed width of 758px. That will screw up the design for sure.

Hi!
Great site, very well organized and inviting!..Really good work.

I am fairly new to joomla, and i am planning to built a similar site, sort of a guide for an island where one can search for accomodation, food& drink and stuff like that...

May I ask what did you use to make the booking form in the first page... (I think i will need something similar for people to search for hotels or restaurants...) Is it the Mosets Directory ?

Thanks

Hi,
The Search script is from a third party that I am joined with.

I also have an accomodation script (stand alone- intergrated with Joomla) - See premier listing(being modified).

If you need to find out more on the script and intergration PM me.

Regards
Glenn

Hi,


Most of my stuff is now sorted.
Just adding content.
Just one issue outanding - intergration or white lable of third party script.

Thanks for your comments - more welcome.

If you coming to Ireland - Book through me.

Regards

Hi,

I´m looking for travel solution module without redirect. Is it possible?

Thanks

Very attractive, clean, professional-looking layout. Congrats on a site well-done!

Great site, especially the header and navigation. I think you should consider taking out the clock image from the poll section. It doesn't really seem to add anything, and it looks a little squished anyway.
Great job!

Thanks for the feedback Swoop 

Makes you feel good for all the hard work put in.

Thanks for the feedback Suzannek:

Thanks for your great feedback.
I have taken your advice and removed the clock thing. Does look better.

Remember if you are coming to Ireland please book through me. Supporting the Joomla Community.

Regards
Glenn
www.travelshopireland.com

Nice! I just registered. I have a line of travel books called The Compleat Day Tripper - for folks going the other way (to Boston & NE Massachusetts and next year, for southern VT and NH) - http://www.PiercePress.com. I also have a couple of Joomla sites for nonprofits, but I like yours, and I am considering it for Pierce Press...just can't afford to be offline at all, and I find Joomla very complicated. Very effective and useful, but complicated.

my Joomla sites:
http://www.worldlanguagenetwork.org
http://www.sustainablearlington.org

non-Joomla but considering:
http://www.PiercePress.com
http://www.ArlingtonRecycles.org
http://www.GreenBees.org
http://www.HenryPierce.com
http://www.AHNSchool.org

Any advice on tools or extensions that take care of the development side of Joomla and just let me design and publish would be very much appreciated. Even though I am fairly technical and I can figure it out in time, I am not really in tune with the Forge mindset. I can't afford the down time and expense for consultants. Is there a good Dreamweaver tool for Joomla, as I am fairly conversant with Dreamweaver CS3, but all this PHP and module stuff takes sooooo much time to slog through.

I agree the header and navigation is really nice.
Overall just a really professional look there great job!

The "Town" drop-down is a bit too far to the left:

http://www.travelshopireland.com/bookin ... eland.html

It needs to be moved a little to the right. Once it is flush, it will look nice. Great looking site!

i really like the header layout.
you dont need to ckange anything. it looks great