My website... Feedback please

P.s. after reading a similar thread, this is for genuine feedback and not to get my hit rate up :nono:
 
Firstly. Its all Flash. Nooooo. Its 2008 and you could build a brilliant non-flash website 5 years ago. You're website just isn't complex enough to warrant a full Flash site. Build it using XHTML + CSS, and if you really need Flash for a gallery build that into the site. Some companies block *.swf. Search engines don't like it as much as they do xhtml. People can't link directly to a page on your site. You just don't need Flash. Take a look at mine, http://www.petecarr.net. No Flash apart from the slideshow which is nicely integrated. The gallery works in a similar way to yours too but with the added bonus of being accessible and SEO friendly.

Second. You click on gallery and get lots of grey boxes. Um? It feels unfinished. I know you say it is, but its better to finish a site and ask for opinions than show a half finished one. You'll just end up saying "Its a work in progress" to everyones responses.

Third. Guestbook? Unless you're a 12yr old girl with an AOL website in 2001 you don't need a guestbook. If people really want to get in touch they will.

Fourth. You don't need a photo of a camera on your biography page to show people that you are a photographer. Its a bad cliche.
 
Flash just stops people being able to find you with a search engine

Guestbook leaves your site open to abuse as anyone can post anyhting about you for others to read

But the biggest error you have is... This is the WORLD wide web. You don't even give any indication as to what country your in let alone what part of the country. If your looking for business it should be clear on the first page IMHO


HTH :)
 
Dunno if it is the net connection here but it is very sloooooooooow

S.
 
Thanks for the feedback so far, its all being taken onboard. Guestbook is on its way out!!!

As for the way the site has been built, i have no knowledge of XHTML + CSS or any other type of web site building, so have used moonfruit's site builder, which is template based and very easy to use for a non experienced person like myself. I know this isnt the most professional of sites, but i feel its a good place for me start for the time being.

Kipax - very valid point about location, i will get this added.
 
Being picky here but the "i" should be capitalised in the last sentence of the welcome page.
 
Hi James,

A few more thoughts for you.

I'll keep off the design stuff as it's not my look at all. Now the guestbook has gone, you need to take off the mention of it on the homepage.

It would be good if there is a way to have a default gallery load when you click gallery. Rather than the black space waiting for you to pick from the sub menu.

....and lastly, I don't get the purpose of the site. I think this needs to be clear on the front page. As in, are you looking for work, is it just to share images with the world, describe you're photographic journey. All and any are totally valid of course but it would be cool to know as the viewer.

That's my lot. :)
 
Not picky at all Veracocha, a valid observation.

Dazzajl, thanks for the comments, again valid points. The gallery is something that i am aware of, the biggest problem is deciding which images to use!! I totally understand where you are coming from with the 'purpose of the site' now you have raised this i can see that it is not entirely clear and is something I will work on over the next few days

Again thank you all for your comments they have all been constructive, keep them coming please..........
 
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I must be a silly 12yr old girl because I've got a guestbook, LMAO! Feel free to spam it. ;)

James, listen to what the others have said as Flash is a big no no these days. See if Moonfruit have any other templates that are html/css etc and a big tip would be to browse other photographers websites and make notes of what you like/dislike so that you can create a better one in the future.
 
petemc said:
Firstly. Its all Flash. Nooooo. Its 2008 and you could build a brilliant non-flash website 5 years ago. You're website just isn't complex enough to warrant a full Flash site. Build it using XHTML + CSS, and if you really need Flash for a gallery build that into the site. Some companies block *.swf. Search engines don't like it as much as they do xhtml. People can't link directly to a page on your site. You just don't need Flash. Take a look at mine, http://www.petecarr.net. No Flash apart from the slideshow which is nicely integrated. The gallery works in a similar way to yours too but with the added bonus of being accessible and SEO friendly.
Click to expand...

I disagree with most of this. This is 2008. Flash has come a long way since it first arrived on the scene. There is nothing wrong with doing a minimalist website in Flash. It just depends on what you want to do with it. A site does NOT need to be complex to use Flash. As for companies blocking .swf, that is news to me. Frankly I think that is complete rubbish.

My opinion is this. If you are going to use flash for the site then make sure the navigation is clear and the content is correctly placed. As it is a photography site then the focus must be clearly on the photographic content, namely your portfolio. Take a look at slideshow pro for example. It would be a perfect tool for displaying your portfolio. Sure it is in Flash but search engines and the internet have moved on a lot since then. Besides there is nothing wrong with using fall back content which the search engines WILL pick up. Take a look at swfobject. If flash is not available it'll show the CSS and HTML version of your site instead and is completely invisible to the end user and your site WILL get indexed by all the main search engines. Take a look at http://www.beggscotland.com/ as an example. View the source and you'll see indexible HTML content.

petemc said:
Second. You click on gallery and get lots of grey boxes. Um? It feels unfinished. I know you say it is, but its better to finish a site and ask for opinions than show a half finished one. You'll just end up saying "Its a work in progress" to everyones responses.
Click to expand...

I agree with this

petemc said:
Third. Guestbook? Unless you're a 12yr old girl with an AOL website in 2001 you don't need a guestbook. If people really want to get in touch they will.
Click to expand...

Not really that helpful. If you want people to contact you through the site then make contact details available. However some people would rather contact you through the site in which case a contact form is appropriate. A simple basic form with as few fields to fill in as possible makes a huge difference in how many contacts you'll get through the site.
[/quote]

petemc said:
Fourth. You don't need a photo of a camera on your biography page to show people that you are a photographer. Its a bad cliche.
Click to expand...

^^ What he said.

Some of what I've said might seem a bit technical, and it is, but it's to help dispel various myths about Flash websites. You can also deep link into flash sites nowadays. If you know how to program Actionscript 3 then you can build a stunning flash site. But I understand that some of that might be outside your current skill set.

If you want some hints or tips or links to more information then please get in touch and I'll help you out. I must point out that Pete's points in using XHTML and CSS are absolutely encouraged but at the same time you should not be afraid to use flash should the site warrant it.

As it stands just now though, your site needs to put more emphasis on your portfolio. That is the first thing that should strike the visitor. This is where Pete's site is a good example. It's the first thing that you see, the images are nicely laid out, the typography is good and matches the style of the site and the grid is evident throughout the site where it matters the most. You also need to make sure you don't 'talk' to much as it is the images that should be doing the talking in this kind of website :)

I've also noticed that when you move from page to page that the icon next to the navigation doesn't move to the current page. Small bugs like that can make a negative impression.

There also seems to be a large amount of 'crap' in your HTML that can be trimmed with a little bit of work. Sorry, Im starting to get into the backend of things now when really I think you probably only want CC on the front end.
 
I should add, that if you really want your content to be indexible then instead of having one flash movie for all your pages, you should have each 'page' in a seperate HTML page, i.e..

http://www.jameswardphotography.co.uk/about/
http://www.jameswardphotography.co.uk/contact/

etc. This way you're html can have the indexible content for the search engines... and it's an easier way of allowing people to bookmark individual sections of your site AND re-enabling the use of the browsers forward and back buttons ;)
 
Consider the colour of your background and text. I never visit sights with these colours as they are very hard on the eyes and also cause problems with migraine sufferers like me and also people with epilepsy. As a webmaster for several of my business sites I must agree that flash is very annoying to some people, especially if they have a slow connection, also make sure that you plan a navigation structure to your site which allows you to add extra pages and links at a later date as pages which are under completion are a no-no.
 
AmandaN said:
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I must be a silly 12yr old girl because I've got a guestbook, LMAO! Feel free to spam it. ;)

James, listen to what the others have said as Flash is a big no no these days. See if Moonfruit have any other templates that are html/css etc and a big tip would be to browse other photographers websites and make notes of what you like/dislike so that you can create a better one in the future.
Click to expand...

GuestBooks don't have to be bad. It can be a good way to build up a community on your forums. With some JavaScript validation you can easily stop spammers and 'bots'.

- Steven
 
petemc said:
Take a look at mine, http://www.petecarr.net. No Flash apart from the slideshow which is nicely integrated. The gallery works in a similar way to yours too but with the added bonus of being accessible and SEO friendly..
Click to expand...
Just had a browse through, some awesome work there!

AmandaN said:
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I must be a silly 12yr old girl because I've got a guestbook, LMAO! Feel free to spam it. ;)

James, listen to what the others have said as Flash is a big no no these days. See if Moonfruit have any other templates that are html/css etc and a big tip would be to browse other photographers websites and make notes of what you like/dislike so that you can create a better one in the future.
Click to expand...

GuestBooks don't have to be bad. It can be a good way to build up a community on your website. With some JavaScript validation you can easily stop spammers and 'bots'.

James: It looks OK. To be a little harsh, it isn't much of a design. It's basically just one column with some text. There are a lot of free 'pre build' coded templates out there which would work well, but you still need basic coding knowledge to be able to edit them.

Flash isn't as accessible as a standard xhtml/css page, but it can work.

- Steven
 
Steven001 said:
Just had a browse through, some awesome work there!
Click to expand...

Thanks :)



[quoteGuestBooks don't have to be bad. It can be a good way to build up a community on your forums. [/QUOTE]

Have to ask though, what forums? Its just his portfolio site.
 
Oh of course its fine on a blog. I have a nice collection on mine. Just I wouldn't put them on a portfolio site. Its not needed.
 
A few comments from a professional point of view. Apologies for any crossovers with below comments ... I did try and make sure all my points were new, but my brain's not really switched on yet.

Usability points:

  • Your menu on the left-hand side has a blue arrow against Gallery. My immediate assumption was that I was therefore on the Gallery page. I even tried clicking on Welcome to go there, but didn't move ... I did realise eventually that it's actually an indicator of whether the galleries are displayed, but usability is about the user immediately knowing where they are, what they're doing, and how to do what they want, and emphatically not after they have either thought or guessed about it. Even if the majority wouldn't make this mistake, you should always cater for the lowest common denominator (me, it would seem).
  • On your contact page you don't actually display the email address, only an icon. This is not ideal because, not only would people never remember an email address they can't see, it's impossible to even know what it is without clicking on the link (you can't even right-click and copy link, or hover over it to see it in the bottom of the window, because the website is flash).
  • Consistency is the watchword of usability. Aesthetic consistency not only improves the design (by making the eye work less hard when elements appear or disappear between pages), but increases usability by dint of the fact that the user will be seeing exactly what they expect to see. One example of this is the fact that on only the welcome page, you have extra information in the footer. Either that information would want to be accessed everywhere (which is why it's in the footer), or it's not actually really that important, and isn't even needed on the front page.
  • Consistency extends beyond your own website, and out into the wider world. The well-recognised standard for a "close" button is a cross. Your gallery images just show an empty box which, in windows at least, is the "restore" icon. There's absolutely no reason why you can't make a conscious decision to break a tradition or convention, and if you want to show a square box with no sign of a cross anywhere, that's fine. You will, however, need to have a sound reason for doing so (even if it's simply aesthetic), otherwise you're simply making it less usable with no other benefit.
Other comments:

  • A site counter is not very professional, and is very much a cliche. What does it really offer the user? If it's for just your benefit, then your stats pages supplied by your webhosting will contain far more information, including referred pages and even geographic location of visitors.
  • I'm not quite sure what the aim of the site is? You're obviously not a professional photographer (your biography says that quite plainly), but then it's obviously also not simply a hobbyist page (too formal for that). It's very difficult to create a website without a clear aim of what you're trying to achieve ... you simply have nothing to guide the many, arbitrary decisions that you have to make during the design process. That aim should also be clearly evident to a visitor, otherwise they'll just wander around a bit aimlessly without really knowing what they're meant to be achieving from their visit.
  • On the gallery page, when you click a thumbnail, you get a big black box appear over the images (as if half of them had been randomly cropped), and then finally get a larger image appear. It would be good to have some kind of indication that this is intentional, ranging from a slick loading graphic, to simply being a colour other than black to show that it has been done on purpose.
  • The border around the images, because it's black, lacks any delineation between itself and the other images on the page. This leaves the images on the page, that you are still able to see, just looking messy. If you put some kind of border (1 pixel white?) around your black popup, users would see hidden pictures, not ones with bits missing, if that makes sense!
Finally ... love the pictures! Some great photos there. Way beyond anything I'd be able to take portrait-wise. Good luck! :D
 
KayJay said:
I disagree with most of this. This is 2008. Flash has come a long way since it first arrived on the scene. There is nothing wrong with doing a minimalist website in Flash. It just depends on what you want to do with it. A site does NOT need to be complex to use Flash. As for companies blocking .swf, that is news to me. Frankly I think that is complete rubbish.
Click to expand...

No its not rubbish. A mate of mine pointed out that her work does block Flash sites. It was news to me till about a week ago. I've been using Flash since it came out, I'm not against it by any means. But I do feel that if you can do it in HTML then do so. This site would work just as well in XHTML + CSS, better in fact. Use Flash for those things you can't do and integrate them into a HTML site.

*small disclaimer there as someone is building me a fancy flash site* :D
 
Wow so much to take in, but all positive, looks like i have my work cut out. :thinking:

Just to echo one of the comments made above, yes Pete your images are stunning, the image with the flamenco dancer is awe inspiring!

Dakid, thank you for your comment on my images, appreciated:)
 
jamesward93, I've set up a thread that will hopefully aloow peeps to create a 'How To...' guide on what's required for a photographer's website. I'm in the same situation as you and just need some help on what's actually needed on a site.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=47949

Maybe we can have a resource thread? Mods, could it end up being sticky for all to see and learn from?
 
jamesward93, it seems there's a lot of resource about camera kit but not about the web so hopefully it'll help others.

Just some observations about your site:

I think it looks fine*–*nice and clean*–*and the loading time is only the same as what I've seen elsewhere.

I know nothing about all this Flash/CSS stuff – as most general users/punters won't – so as long as it's not too bloated, I wouldn't see any reason to change it to another type of framework. A four second loading time isn't hell on earth in my book so I wouldn't freak too much about that. petemc's sie is extremely swish and there's some good work on there, but he's obviously well grounded in web design and the like; most people don't have a clue about how websites are made so I doubt they'd tell the difference between a Flash site and a CSS (or toer) site. As long as the general populous can see it then that's fine I reckon.

Someone's already mentioned that you don't actually know what you're trying to do with the site when you see the home page. Is it a portfolio site to gain commissioned work? Is it just a standalone version of what Flickr offers? Just make it a bit clearer and don't be afraid to say you are a working photographer. Who cares if you're part-time/hobbyist - I know a lot of guys who are and make a fair bit of cash in the process!
 
petemc said:
No its not rubbish. A mate of mine pointed out that her work does block Flash sites. It was news to me till about a week ago. I've been using Flash since it came out, I'm not against it by any means. But I do feel that if you can do it in HTML then do so. This site would work just as well in XHTML + CSS, better in fact. Use Flash for those things you can't do and integrate them into a HTML site.

*small disclaimer there as someone is building me a fancy flash site* :D
Click to expand...

That's pretty brutal. lol. So much web content now-a-days contains flash in one form or another. Sorry if I sounded like I was dismissing your claims :( I also agree with the point that the site can be replicated using just CSS and XHTML and perhaps a little bit of javascript to add some minor interactivity to things. You can probably tell from me responses that I'm a web developer rather than a designer.
 
I totally agree, i guess its getting over the hurdle of actually offering your services for money and being confident enough in your work to do so, i know everyone can be their own worst critic, i know i am a victim of that myself.
I have to take all the comments on board from this thread and think a bit more about the purpose of the site, i suppose i want it to be all thing in one, but at the moment its neither one or the other.
I must say though i am pleased by the responses as its exactly the type of feedback i was looking for
 
The thing to remember is that it's YOUR site, showcasing YOUR talents and skills, and done for YOUR reasons.

If you want to do a site just as a showcase of your work, then by all means do it - 1,000s do it through Flickr and the like and enjoy it. I suppose most people expect a 'proper' website (i.e. one that's been designed) to be run to make money and not just be another statistic in the Googl search engine.
 
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