Actually the reason i had a look at this thread was your domain name GRPBENEFITS

GRP is an abbreviation for Fibreglass, and as I have a fibreglass boat I thought I'd have a look.

Thanks for your feedback Cookie. I will look into some changes. You are very correct that I want it to be plain in order to provide information. Currently when a local person is looking for my site I show up frequently in the top 30 but I want the site to be pleasing when they enter it and are looking for information. If I change the employer forms and claim forms pages and make them look more like the individual plans pages do you think that will help? I am not trying to have a flashy site at all.

If you want it here is a template i created. it only took a couple of minutes since i dont have much time right now.
basicly its just a header image and then css.
Its centered at 90 percent with white background light grey borders very simple indeed.

You have 3 columns 1 left and right for menu. you can easaly remove any of them. and 1 center column where you should place everything ellse. Use this template thrue out the site and yust add the information in the center column and you should be ste. Or if you dont want it you can use it to create your own template and have this as a guide.

that is very good croft it looks like a good match for the type of look you were going for.

Ok i guess mine is the role of the blunt mean person.
I find the site extremely 'simple' and by that i mean basic in every way.
It lacks color and coheasion.
there is no descernable 'layout' that i can tell. There is a block at the top with something in it, and a block at the bottom with something in it with colours that dont compliment eachother (i.e. the light blue and white ? what form of contrast is that?). The space inbetween doesnt seem to have any kind of layout atall, just a gap-for-stuff-to-go-in.
Pages dont match or follow a common layout/theme.
-- end critisism --
I would begin with making a common layout for the site and simply altering the 'content' spaces.
Try to keep to a common and contrasting color theme. This would make it easier for elderly or mature readers to read, and also not deter the younger browsers.
Generally improve cohesion of the site. pull it all together and STICK to the layout boundries.

p.s. Attaching users for so-called 'childish game sites' isnt nice. especially considering these 'childish' sites are generally more successful and appealing than your own.
Also, at least have your site appear more 'adult' if you are to critisize those that do not. meanie

I am similar to Cooky - this is my first time posting to this site. A few things. I agree with what Cooky has written above, but disagree with some of what Mike has written.

If you want to have a very basic site, then you should create or have someone help you create a style guide for your site. For example, you use a lot of blue font, but there is no distinction between the blue that you use in your left side nav and the blue that you are using within the body (showcase) of your site. Also, red is used randomly which is always something you want to steer clear of.

I agree that you have navigation in random places making it very hard to move through your site.

Here are a few things that I would do if faced with this site and a very limited budget:

1 - change the left side nav font to match the font used in your logo.
2- get rid of the adobe link in the middle of your left side nav
3- remove the call out to your phone number in the middle of the left side nav and move it to the top of the page above the top navigation
4- reorganize your left side nav with HEADERS that explain the categories below it. Preferably create expanding navigation from these headers. If that is not possible - use larger font for the headers
5- reorganize the top navigation into larger "bucket categories"
- these "buckets" can then lead to a landing page that seperates out into smaller groups.
- this will limit the clutter at the top of your site
6 - find a way to cleanly link to things within your landing pages.
- having links on the right competes with the left side navigation and limits the possibility that people will continue to click through your site (http://www.grpbenefits.net/New/Claim%20Forms.htm)
- it would be better to link from the middle of the page in a way that is organized and clean
7 - limit your content. Content is amazing on a site, we all know that. But too much content deters visitors and confuses them. You are in the too much content space. Either limit your content above the fold and then place additional content under the fold and the pertinent links OR cut it down.
8- remove the site search button. Have either a site search field or a link.
9- your left side navigation should be all above the fold if possible - you have way too many spaces.

Hope this helps. I applaud you for attempting to get all of this info into a site, but I think that organization in a content heavy site is necessary. Site architecture (or if you do not have that available, flow maps) would help you greatly. REMEMBER, you can create navigation within navigation if necessary. The homepage should link to categories or "buckets" not to every one of your specific items or topics.

h