Website Name: PokePark
Website Link: http://pokeparkforum.com
Which would you like?: Advanced Review
Notes: Thanks!
Website Link: http://pokeparkforum.com
Which would you like?: Advanced Review
Notes: Thanks!
Review PokePark
- Thread starter Geoffrey
- Start date
D
Deleted member 17779
Your Review is In Progress!
Thank you for requesting feedback. I have tagged your thread, and will finish an official review within at most 48 hours. In the meantime, you will receive informal feedback from other reviewers and members at Forum Promotion. Once your official review is complete, you will be free to ask questions and receive feedback so long as your website remains only, and this topic remains reasonably active. You will also be able to request a re-review 14 days after this review is completed.
Thank you, and good luck!
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Deleted member 17779
PokePark
Review by Bazinga!
Review by Bazinga!
[note]========== BEGIN - First Impressions ==========[/note]
My first impression of your forum was a fairly good one. The one thing that I wasn't impressed with when I first looked at your forum was the navigation bar. Sandwiched in between the banner/header and your forum, it seems really overshadowed by what is going on around it and hard to see until the cursor hits it. If there is any way of adjusting the navigation bar so that it sticks out a little more, that would be great. Other than that, I won't discuss that much about why in this section because it will be discussed in other parts of your review and I don't like repeating myself over and over again. So I'm just going to let you read on.
[note]========== END - First Impressions ==========[/note]
Good
[note]========== BEGIN - Design Quality ==========[/note]
I like how the "theme" or "skin" of your forum coincides with the niche' of your forum. The banner/header of your forum is pretty amazing. The only think I would change about that is either make it look like there are real people sitting on that couch. All I see are little white balls sticking up just past the top of the couch and I know those are suppose to be people. But I would just make the "people" on the couch look more realistic or lively.
Also, I did notice that you have more than one "theme" or "skin" for your forum. I'm glad to see that they all have something in common with the niche' of your forum, however, I believe that "Gaming in the Park" is your best "theme" out of all of them (just my opinion) so I'm glad that one is your default. It's good that you offer your members more than one "theme" since different people will have different tastes and I respect the fact that other people may like using a different "theme" than what I prefer using.
[note]========== END - Design Quality ==========[/note]
Good
[note]========== BEGIN - Site Statistics ==========[/note]
At the time of this review, you have 2,986 posts and 43 members. If your forum is new, then that is good good statistics but if your forum has been around a while then that isn't so good. I do see that your topics stay pretty active. Most of the sections have been posted in at some point today. There are only a few sections where no one has posted in for a day or two. While that may not be horrible, you need to make sure that is someone posting in each section of the forum regularly. If you or one of the other staff members has to help out in certain areas by posting here and there, then you guys may have to do that. You don't want to have a section go a long time without posting because that could affect attracting new members to your forum.
[note]========== END - Site Statistics ==========[/note]
Average
[note]========== BEGIN - Staff Professionalism ==========[/note]
You have two administrators and one global moderator at the time of this review. I would say that is a good amount of staff on your forum given the size that it is now. You don't want to have so many staff members that they are tripping over themselves while looking for something to do on your forum. As the forum grows, you may want to consider hiring more staff. It all depends on finding a balance between overworking the staff and not having enough for your staff to do.
[note]========== END - Staff Professionalism ==========[/note]
Good
[note]========== BEGIN - Originality ==========[/note]
I have seen anime forums before so your forum niche' isn't very unique. Finding something to help your forum stand out is what will help you out in this area. I will say this, the default "theme" or "skin" you are using looks to be of better quality than what I see on most forums that have the same niche' as you. So you have that going for you. However, you may need more. Creating more unique discussions may help as well.
[note]========== END - Originality ==========[/note]
Average
[note]========== BEGIN - Site Structure ==========[/note]
Your site is pretty well laid out. There is nothing I like better than being able to find my way around a forum. You only have about 60-90 seconds to impress a guest who is viewing your forum for the first time. If they find it too frustrating to find their way around your forum then you are going to loose that potential member pretty quickly. I actually don't have any suggestions on how to improve this area of your forum so I'm going to leave you an excellent rating for this area.
[note]========== END - Site Structure ==========[/note]
Excellent
[note]========== BEGIN - Grammar & Spelling ==========[/note]
There were very little grammar and spelling errors. In the intro section of the forum, it reads, "As you walk in the gate with your ticket in hand, introduce yourself the rest of the park's guests and tell us more about yourself." It should read, "As you walk in the gate with your ticket in hand, introduce yourself to the rest of the park's guests and tell us more about yourself." There were just a couple of little minor things on your forum like this that I noticed but they can be easily fixed. Proofreading everything or having someone else read it can help minimize these errors before they are submitted or added to your forum.
[note]========== END - Grammar & Spelling ==========[/note]
Good
Final Remarks
I think PokePark is a really neat forum and I think you've done an awesome job with it so far. With a few minor adjustments, I think it can be even better and help you attract even more members. Keep up the good work!
Your Score
D
Deleted member 17779
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When I go on to the site I don't expect the theme to be like that. It works and designed great to be on a forum like yours. I notice you value your members by giving them awards and hosting contests. One of my favorite things is that you have got more posts in the main bit of the forum and not the off topic section, which shows members are interested. The amount of staff is perfectly balanced and you don't need any for now. For the Pokemon bit you should add some unique descriptions for each section, most of them seem like it's boring and have been done before. One bit I don't like is the navigation bar just above the forum, I know if you hover it turns lighter but I would consider changing the color of it, so you don't hover it and it seems a lot brighter. Your activity is outstanding, you deserve a well done for that. Have you thought of having a Facebook/Twitter page? Social media brings in quite a bit of traffic.
Personally, I think that the navigation bar is fine. For me, at least, it wasn't a shock when a few characters on the navigation bar lit up to highlight the selected text. Many themes have that kind of feature, but that's your opinion. I'm sure that if anyone on the forum disliked it, they'd have reported it in the "Member Relations" category.
@ Bazinga: Two things:
1) On Site Statistics, I feel like you should have taken the time to find out if the forum was new or not. It wouldn't have been that hard. I asked for an advanced review, shouldn't spending a bit of time on the forum (off the index) be a part of that, at least to find out simple things like that so you don't have to assume or ask in your review? If you had taken that time, you'd see the forum is very new (2 weeks) and I believe you'd change your review in this section.
2) Originality - First of all, we're not an anime forum. We're a Pokemon forum, focusing much more on the games than the anime. You'd know that, again, if you spent more time on the forum and truly gave me an advanced review. Secondly, you'd also know, again, if you spent time the forum that we have several unique features that you don't see on many other Pokemon forums that should have been mentioned under originality. For example, and this is just two things, the Virtual Trading Cards and the tooltip bb code. Both can be seen in the first forum, Bulletin Board, which would require very little more effort on your part.
Thanks for the review.
@Evil Stewie: I'm working on social media, will have a twitter up soon (not fond of Facebook for forums) and also a twitch and Youtube for streams/playthroughs/etc.
On the navigation, I can make the static link a lighter color if that would help, but that's about it.
@Atrox: Thanks!
1) On Site Statistics, I feel like you should have taken the time to find out if the forum was new or not. It wouldn't have been that hard. I asked for an advanced review, shouldn't spending a bit of time on the forum (off the index) be a part of that, at least to find out simple things like that so you don't have to assume or ask in your review? If you had taken that time, you'd see the forum is very new (2 weeks) and I believe you'd change your review in this section.
2) Originality - First of all, we're not an anime forum. We're a Pokemon forum, focusing much more on the games than the anime. You'd know that, again, if you spent more time on the forum and truly gave me an advanced review. Secondly, you'd also know, again, if you spent time the forum that we have several unique features that you don't see on many other Pokemon forums that should have been mentioned under originality. For example, and this is just two things, the Virtual Trading Cards and the tooltip bb code. Both can be seen in the first forum, Bulletin Board, which would require very little more effort on your part.
Thanks for the review.
@Evil Stewie: I'm working on social media, will have a twitter up soon (not fond of Facebook for forums) and also a twitch and Youtube for streams/playthroughs/etc.
On the navigation, I can make the static link a lighter color if that would help, but that's about it.
@Atrox: Thanks!
I recommend changing the forum icons. I usually suggest a different icons for each forum, but I think it could help to have a single icon which fits your niche better. A pokeball, for example, would look pretty good beside each forum. It would be pretty neat to see a different pokemon for each forum. I'm sure you could find one which fits each forum's idea pretty well.
The Food Court = Snorlax?
Recharge Room = Magnazone (or another electric type)
Dinner Theater = Rotom?
Playground = Pichu
etc.
The Food Court = Snorlax?
Recharge Room = Magnazone (or another electric type)
Dinner Theater = Rotom?
Playground = Pichu
etc.
Excommunicado
Paragon
When I first checked PokePark, what came into sight first was the header image. I absolutely love it, and the logo is so elegantly designed. I think the navigation bar could maybe have a background which blends in well with the theme, preferably the navigation bar having the same background as the .thead image. Scrolling down, the .thead image looks outstanding. I think Sarah has done an amazing job, it's a top quality theme! I also saw the fact you have an option to switch a different theme, which is a great feature as it allows members to choose what theme they would like to browse with. I have no complaints against the design, it's amazing!
I have nothing against the statistic either. Seriously, 3,000 posts in just over 2 weeks is something to be proud of. I was looking at all your forums and they're all (if not one) active and have been posted in either today or yesterday which gives the guest a great impression. I also saw 'Top 10 Posters' page and it's great to see the owner leading the way with 1,000 posts, it shows you are very dedicated towards PokePark.
Overall PokePark seems a very friendly place, and it's great to see it progress well. Great job, keep it up and good luck, Geoffrey! :great:
I have nothing against the statistic either. Seriously, 3,000 posts in just over 2 weeks is something to be proud of. I was looking at all your forums and they're all (if not one) active and have been posted in either today or yesterday which gives the guest a great impression. I also saw 'Top 10 Posters' page and it's great to see the owner leading the way with 1,000 posts, it shows you are very dedicated towards PokePark.
Overall PokePark seems a very friendly place, and it's great to see it progress well. Great job, keep it up and good luck, Geoffrey! :great:
Poke Park
A quick review by ddoesmc
A quick review by ddoesmc
Strengths:
1. First Impressions
My first impression of this forum is it’s an amazing Pokémon forum. The “Park Bulletin Board” that has current forum events on it and other information is a great move trying to create activity within the forum. The graphics across the forum are simple, yet are a great addition to the forum.
2. Structure
When I first looked at the website, I was not sure if the structure was good or not until I scrolled down and come to my conclusion. It’s great! There is the banner, menu bar and then the forum. All off the different forums are very good for someone to quickly locate an article in the forum. Overall, the structure of this forum is very handy and simple for the user.
Weaknesses:
1. Originality
I have seen other popular Pokémon forums in my life and this one is not quite different. It may have different text and images, but is really the same thing. Something that could make this forum more original is some sort of special feature that other Pokémon forums do not have in their website like something interactive with Pokémon. But, I do see you are trying to become unique due to the fact that you are adding the award “Member of the Month” to the forum.
Note, I did this review last week. If you have changed something that I talked about in my review already, please contact me via PM and I will re-review your forum. Along with that, if you would like extra details regarding this review feel free to contact me at any time!
D
Deleted member 17779
Geoffrey said:
Geoffrey, I appreciate you pointing these things out to me. I will do my best to learn from it and it was a pleasure to review your forum. Thank you!
Your Review is In Progress!
Thank you for requesting feedback. I have tagged your thread, and will finish an official review within at most 48 hours. In the meantime, you will receive informal feedback from other reviewers and members at Forum Promotion. Once your official review is complete, you will be free to ask questions and receive feedback so long as your website remains only, and this topic remains reasonably active. You will also be able to request a re-review 14 days after this review is completed.
Thank you, and good luck!
PokePark
Review by John123
Review by John123
[note]========== BEGIN - First Impressions ==========[/note]
When I first stumbled upon PokePark I was greeted by a very nice dark theme and a huge top banner with a very "Pokemon-Rated" look. The different Nintendo system and different Pokemon rotating on a TV look really cool. The overall look was very impressive. The color and logo made me want to look around your forum. Very good first impressions!
[note]========== END - First Impressions ==========[/note]
Excellent
[note]========== BEGIN - Design Quality ==========[/note]
First off, your logo looks good. It's very large and there is nothing boring about it. There is one small thing about it I would like to point out. The bald heads look rather creepy. Everything looks so young and colorful, then an empty head is just there. I would change the heads to have some hair. I really like your color scheme. It fits the niche of your forum very well.
[note]========== END - Design Quality ==========[/note]
Excellent
[note]========== BEGIN - Site Statistics ==========[/note]
Your site statistics are great. You have 5,900+ posts and 56 members registered which brings you to about 100 posts per day. This is very good considering how new your forums is and how specific the genre of the forum is. The only real thing I could find wrong with any of the content is some of the post in the " Pokemon News." It's just quoted from an article with no real opinion by the author of the post. All of your news should at least have an opinion within the post. Keep up the good work!
[note]========== END - Site Statistics ==========[/note]
Excellent
[note]========== BEGIN - Staff Professionalism ==========[/note]
Your staff professionalism is excellent. All of your announcements and rules are written cleanly and professionally. I couldn't find many grammar error at all. All of the few errors you (and other staff make) are small things like comma splices . The casual viewer will not see anything wrong with the staff posting.
[note]========== END - Staff Professionalism ==========[/note]
Excellent
[note]========== BEGIN - Originality ==========[/note]
This is something that you have done quite well. I struggled to find a forum exactly like yours. There wasn't any "borrowing"of ideas from other forums. PokePark has been made truly unique.
[note]========== END - Originality ==========[/note]
Excellent
[note]========== BEGIN - Site Structure ==========[/note]
Some of your forums could easily be sub-forums. Specifically "Retro Land", that forum's sub-forums could very easily be merged into one forum. Aside from what I just said, your boards are aligned very well and navigating your board is a breeze. I can't read some of your boards as a guest. I keep getting an error message because I do not contain permissions to access certain forums. I would change this immediately so guests have full board viewing. I did have a hard time finding the rules before I read all of the announcements. I would suggest you put a tab for them in the navigation bar so members can easily find and obey them.
[note]========== END - Site Structure ==========[/note]
Good
[note]========== BEGIN - Grammar & Spelling ==========[/note]
All of your forum names are in full caps. There is no reason for this. Full caps are hard for your viewers to read. Overall there aren't many staff grammar errors, everything except what I pointed out is done well.
[note]========== END - Grammar & Spelling ==========[/note]
Average
Final Remarks
I honestly had a hard time finding negatives about PokePark. You have done an amazing job with your site thus far and I wish you and PokePark the best of luck in the future.
Your Score
Thanks John!
Definitely working on moving forums around and making some sub forums, it's a constant wip.
As for the caps in forum titles, that's only because of the default theme's design style. If you look at other themes, they're regular case.
Definitely working on moving forums around and making some sub forums, it's a constant wip.
As for the caps in forum titles, that's only because of the default theme's design style. If you look at other themes, they're regular case.
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