It looks like Network Solutions just launched a new look to their website. A quick glance at the code shows the layout is mostly done without tables… (and it almost validates as HTML 4.01 Transitional) …but I’m not sure I like the new direction.
I liked the simplicity of the previous design. The new look seems forced. The gradients used in the top nav remind me of Office XP. The mouseover menus seem half done. I think the layout would work a little bit better if it were centered. I’m going to assume they needed to force a left-align to get some of the menu stuff to work.
The new layout is definitely cleaner than before. They’ve consolidated the homepage significantly, and it works in their favor. The homepage is much more organized too. I think clutter is what kills sites like GoDaddy.com… They try to jam way too much onto the homepage. NetworkSolutions definitely did the right thing by taking the “less is more” approach here.
Overall, I think the new look is okay… but I’m not overwhelmed by it. I’m most happy to see that they are adopting standards in this new layout.
It’s definitely a benefit to the Web Standards cause to have high-profile sites such as NetworkSolutions.com adopting web standards in their layouts.