would you commision me?

  • Thread starter Thread starter digitalmaniac
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
image29 said:
take the pic of the girl off the page

lose the director tag and put your full name

lose all the writing thats below the password box

take the password bit out and give it its own section

take out the bullit points and just have an opening paragraph


keep the page clutter free , you just want a short intro thats it and nothing else

maybe a pic of your studio or of youself




your front page is what gives the impressions out , its the first thing that people see
Click to expand...

Director tag ok

Loose the picture- need a pic imho

Take the writing from the bottom- good seo to have the keywords at the bottom of the page as seo software suggests
 
digitalmaniac said:
Loose the picture- need a pic imho
Click to expand...


:bang::bonk::bang:deep breathe and on offence intended..............i just suggested a pic of yourself or your studio. a picture of a girl sitting on the edge of the sofa with stuff behind her on the floor isnt really an image you want is it?
 
EdinburghGary said:
Dunno, I hate firefox (and I hate designers who love to make it their number 1 priority to get a site working on IT before IE!!!)....

IE: 85% market share
FF: 10% ish market share?

Brainstorming meeting...

Ahh yes, lets spend a month making sure it works on FF. We can deal with IE later. :bang::bang::bang:

I use IE, as its what the majority of my target audience uses. I will get a site working in Firefox, but not at the expense of IE :)

BTW - not suggesting you choose either or, just fancied a rant. I am off to download FF3, will test, and will report back in this thread via an edit.

Gary.
Click to expand...

No, you develop for Firefox because it's far more standards-compliant, and therefore what looks good in Firefox generally looks good in Opera, Safari and others. Then you try and fix for IE's rendering quirks.

Doing it the other way 'round is a recipe for headaches and horrible code.
 
robmiller said:
No, you develop for Firefox because it's far more standards-compliant, and therefore what looks good in Firefox generally looks good in Opera, Safari and others. Then you try and fix for IE's rendering quirks.

Doing it the other way 'round is a recipe for headaches and horrible code.
Click to expand...

Has always paid the bills though ;)

Agree with you, im just a lazy coder.

G.
 
digitalmaniac said:
Take the writing from the bottom- good seo to have the keywords at the bottom of the page as seo software suggests
Click to expand...

This is nonsense, as is most of the snake oil that the SEO community puts out. You don't get good search engine rankings by keyword padding, you get removed from their rankings entirely when they find out.
 
DM, crit hurts and I think you'll find for most togs need for perfection is a trait.
You must be taking the crit on board because you are making changes to the site for the better. Home page has improved. Hard work in everything you do will be a benefit.:)

A question, why is half the buttons a different colour & a bit of advice - spell the name of Image World with leading capitals... it's your business name!

Two small conflicting statments you have made on the thread; that you say you have done many websites but then that you are not a web builder. :thinking:
 
EdinburghGary said:
Has always paid the bills though ;)

Agree with you, im just a lazy coder.

G.
Click to expand...

But it doesn't even make sense from the point of view of laziness, since you're just creating more work for yourself?
 
robmiller said:
But it doesn't even make sense from the point of view of laziness, since you're just creating more work for yourself?
Click to expand...

I don't think you know HOW lazy :) I dont bother fixing for FF at times. All depends on the site and income potential. Some of my sites are online for two days max, quick win, then gone.

Dont chew my balls for it, I know its wrong!!!

Gary.
 
Treesie said:
DM, crit hurts and I think you'll find for most togs need for perfection is a trait.
You must be taking the crit on board because you are making changes to the site for the better. Home page has improved. Hard work in everything you do will be a benefit.:)

A question, why is half the buttons a different colour & a bit of advice - spell the name of Image World with leading capitals... it's your business name!

Two small conflicting statments you have made on the thread; that you say you have done many websites but then that you are not a web builder. :thinking:
Click to expand...

I have commissioned loads then and worked on some myself- I mean I cant write html and have limitations.

Regard to pic on front-ok but at the moment it will do untill I work some studio sessions out
 
The way I see it and this comes from sitting next to web guys in previous jobs etc etc, you the website owner have about 15 secs to capture the viewers attention to keep them there or they are off, one quick look at that image on the front and I switched tabs and read this thread. It was the image that did it for me, plus the dated menu buttons on the top and the logo, to name but a few. I gave your site a another look and found a lovely image in your portfolio that would be perfect for the front page. (it's the b&w image second row third down), ditch the dodgy picture that is there now, swap it for that one and why not use simple text links instead of the dated buttons you have now.
 
I've been through your text and cleaned it up. I have also got rid of any hyperbole that you had in the text. I am not sure that your wedding and school propositions are that strong. If you wish to go ahead as is then the following is better than you had.

Image World

Thank you for visiting image World! We are a friendly family company who cater for Wedding, Schools, Portrait and Stock photography.

Our one aim is to bring you quality photography at a good price!

To see pictures from your recent event use the password box at the bottom of the page - or go to your images.

We devised our wedding packages to offer everyone a package that suits their needs and budget. Whichever package you choose, we pay professional attention to detail and provide you with a lasting memory of your special day.
________________________________________
Topaz package:
A professional photographer attends your wedding for up to 2 hours: from guests arriving for the service through to mock cake cutting, including images of the settings of your breakfast arrangements. We will edit 40 high images of your choice from the whole collection of images and display them on our online ordering system. We will burn the images to a CD ROM for you to do with as you wish.
£350.00
We charge extra high resolution images at £15 each.
________________________________________
Emerald package:
A professional photographer attends your wedding for up to 4 hours: from the bride preparing at home through to the wedding reception, mock cake cutting including images of the settings of your breakfast arrangements. You will then receive 40 7" x 5" pictures displayed in an elegant Spicer Hallfield wedding album.
£750.00
________________________________________
Ruby package:
A professional photographer attends your wedding for up to 6 hours: from the bride preparing at home through to the wedding reception, including the actual cake cutting speeches and all the setting images of your breakfast arrangements. Not forgetting the first dance. You will then receive 40 10" x 7" pictures in an elegant Spicer Hallfield wedding album.
£950.00
________________________________________
Diamond package:
A professional photographer attends your wedding all day: from the bride preparing at home, right through the whole day, with the cake cutting, speeches, first dance and the whole evening. This is our finest offering and will give you the best possible coverage. You will then receive 40 10" x 7" pictures in an elegant Spicer Hallfield wedding album. You will also receive a pair of mini wedding albums for the parents of the wedding couple to enjoy.
£1200.00
________________________________________
To book your wedding package, please contact us on the contact form provided or phone us on one of the numbers provided. You will need to place a deposit of £250 (non refundable) to secure your date for the wedding. Then pay the full remaining balance 1 month before the date of your wedding. <<< Personal note – why would anyone pay for something they have not seen?>>>

We do hope you choose Image World for your wedding photography needs, as you will not be disappointed.

All wedding albums are hand made from the finest materials. Whilst we have constructed our album packages with the above size formats, we can offer many alternatives at a small extra cost. Please ask when speaking to our photographers about your actual wedding package. To see our selection of handmade wedding albums, please visit our portfolio link and click on wedding albums. We can offer a far larger selection of albums at a small extra charge - just ask your photographer when you are arranging your package.
Image World's school photography service is about how we can improve on a service to you as a school looking to ensure your pupils’ photographic needs are taken care of.
Areas of key importance to us are as follows:
________________________________________

Professional photographers who will take away the hassle and worry of ensuring everything is done on the day - leaving you free to run the school.
________________________________________
Our photographers are CRB checked, so your pupils are in safe hands. We will show you a CRB certificate upon arrival at the school premises, along with a UK National ID card to show you the CRB is valid. The photographer will at all times ensure a member of staff is available to oversee events. The photographer will not smoke or act badly whilst in the presence of children.
________________________________________
We are currently using professional Nikon digital cameras, to give you the best possible standard of photography.
________________________________________
Parents can order in the more traditional way with a proof card, or via our online ordering system. Parents can pay via cheque direct to us or by credit card for even easier transactions, using our secure online server.
________________________________________
We will password protect all of the children’s images, so only those associated with the child will be able to view their images, keeping the child’s identity safe. This password will be alphanumeric of at least 6 digits. No one will share images with people other than those who have access to the password. We will keep images on our secure server for a maximum of 6 months.
________________________________________
Good commission for the school (negotiable). At times, schools can derive extra bonuses - such as compact digital cameras upon reaching sales targets or book vouchers to replenish your library.
________________________________________
A new concept in schools photography is parent photoshoots, which we carry out at the weekend with only a caretaker needing to be present as the parents will act as chaperones for the child. This way, parents can get a group family portrait to add to their special collection, whilst gaining extra commission for your school. We can arrange this possibly 2 or 3 times a year as an extra to your current photography days, as interest is often high and can easily fill the days.
________________________________________
Then of course there are sports days, when we will capture all the sporting moments in the thick of the action. These are some of the most treasured moments for parents and are often most popular.
Or you could just arrange a school sports group day, for instance the school football team or netball team. These also are some of the proudest moments in a child and parents lives and can be captured for a lifetime.
________________________________________
Do not think school photo day has to be just a once or twice yearly event, there are many options. Both for the parents to gain a new addition to their portrait portfolio and, of course, for the school to generate some much needed funds.
Portraits are the visual memories of our loved ones. A portrait can consist of a formal studio sitting, with colourful backgrounds and special lighting effects, or an image of a person enjoying something they enjoy doing - like sailing, horse riding or even a child playing in a swimming pool or kicking a football around.
________________________________________
Whichever type of portrait takes your fancy, Image World are here to capture the look you are hoping to cherish for many years to come.

7" x 5" Quality framed image - complete with mount in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood. These frames are not Spicer Hallfield - but are made by hand ready to order. For Spicer Hallfield frames please see a complete list of frames when ordering online. £50.00

9" x 6" Quality framed image - complete with mount in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood. £70.00

10" x 7" Quality framed image - complete with border in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood. £100.00

12" x 8" Quality framed image -complete with border in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood. £130.00

15" x 10" Quality framed image - complete with border in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood £150.00

18" x 12" Quality framed image - complete with border in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood £170.00

30" x 20" Quality framed image - complete with mount in a choice of colours. Frame options: Glossy black, Champagne Gold, Silver, Gold, Teak or natural wood £250.00
________________________________________
For that extra special present, why not buy one of our Spicer Hallfield 10 page Portrait Portfolios? Encompassing 20 7" x 5" pictures from your photo shoot (please take a look at our frames portfolio to see a picture of this).

This is one of our special offers at the moment at an amazing £149.99. Usual price for the prints alone would be in excess of £200 if bought separately.
________________________________________
Another special offer is our Bump to Birthday promotion. As above you will get a 10 page ring bound portfolio album from Spicer Hallfield, complete with 20 7" x 5" pictures taken over the course of 1 year. From the moment you are just about to give birth and are sporting a nice round bump to that very special 1st birthday.

This package is also an amazing price at only £199.99

Here you will find all the thumbnails to your images. Click on one to see a larger image, select any image you wish to purchase and the web site will send you to a secure order system.
 
image29 said:
agreed , thats the only pic i liked and is by far the best :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Nah i dont like any of those wedding images-have a wedding to do in about three weeks so will have some good ones from there hopefully. but I have placed a couple of better images imho for now-better than before I MEAN
 
A couple of wee tidy-ups from me (can't beat rh1944's though ;) )

If you must have the list of keywords at the bottom of the page then perhaps it would be an idea to do them in the same colour as the background so that they are invisible and therefore don't detract from your message.

For the legal bit, how about;

© Image World 2008. No reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission

or if you want to include your name....

© Martin Fry/Image World 2008. No reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission



That's all you really need....
 
digitalmaniac said:
Nah i dont like any of those wedding images-have a wedding to do in about three weeks so will have some good ones from there hopefully. but I have placed a couple of better images imho for now-better than before I MEAN
Click to expand...

replace the church pic in the wedding section with the b&w one 2nd row 3rd down


great pic
 
Flash In The Pan said:
A couple of wee tidy-ups from me (can't beat rh1944's though ;) )

If you must have the list of keywords at the bottom of the page then perhaps it would be an idea to do them in the same colour as the background so that they are invisible and therefore don't detract from your message.

For the legal bit, how about;

© Image World 2008. No reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission

or if you want to include your name....

© Martin Fry/Image World 2008. No reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission



That's all you really need....
Click to expand...
take a look already changed ta-thought about it a bit earlier:)
 
digitalmaniac said:
Again I will wait till i do my new wedding for that.
Click to expand...

I'd still try and hide the metatag wording, if you are using Photoshop then you can match the font colour to that of the background exactly.

I'd also be tempted to do the "portrait studios slough" bit in a shade of gray somewhere in between the bg colour and the one you have the tags in currently,but that's just personal taste and not a deal-breaker :D
 
Flash In The Pan said:
If you must have the list of keywords at the bottom of the page then perhaps it would be an idea to do them in the same colour as the background so that they are invisible and therefore don't detract from your message.
Click to expand...

That's a big no-no in the SEO world. As well as keyword stuffing, using cloaking tactics is likely to get a website penalised in search rankings once the engines cotton on to what's going on. If a big name such as BMW can get dropped from Google search results for doing such a thing then don't think they'll hesitate to drop yours too.

It is very easy for search engines to detect this sort of low-tech attempt at rankings manipulation.

Matt Cutts is head of Google's web spam team and he writes a lot about what not to do when it comes to webmastering.

Don't use black-hat or even grey-hat tactics on a business critical website. The potential short term gain is simply not worth the long term pain and they often detract from the user experience.

I'm not a fan of the website headers so far. The reflected one takes up too much screen real estate and adds no value.

You may only get a few seconds of a visitor's time so make the first impression count and put the stuff that's going to clinch sales above the fold not way down below the header image.

Overall, your site is looking much less cluttered than it was before. Read the ebook I suggested earlier and make every page have a single, clear message, with a clear call to action to keep the visitor from drifting about your site.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Google sees it as keyword spamming ;)
Click to expand...

Bit unfair. i have often seen it been said you should try and include it in your written text-but that would look so stupid imho. should I just leave it to the meta tags and page title and pic alt tags.
 
not sure what to do about a header then-no one like any of them and simple writing looks rubbish. Im trying to look fora company branding here-not just plain old plain old
 
digitalmaniac said:
Bit unfair. i have often seen it been said you should try and include it in your written text-but that would look so stupid imho. should I just leave it to the meta tags and page title and pic alt tags.
Click to expand...

It's not unfair at all.

To better appreciate SEO, you must forget about what you want as a webmaster and start thinking about what search engine users want because that's who search engines are working to please; not webmasters.

If you include keywords in your metadata that don't appear anywhere else on your website then it could still be considered keyword stuffing.

Learn what metadata is for and use it properly. Use it for the benefit of search engine users and you won't go wrong. Your search engine result listings will also become more clickable when they appear in search results.
 
digitalmaniac said:
not sure what to do about a header then-no one like any of them and simple writing looks rubbish. Im trying to look fora company branding here-not just plain old plain old
Click to expand...

Sometimes, simple is better. Some of the best known brands have the simplest branding. Take a look around. They're everywhere.
 
DigitalRelish said:
It's not unfair at all.

To better appreciate SEO, you must forget about what you want as a webmaster and start thinking about what search engine users want because that's who search engines are working to please; not webmasters.

If you include keywords in your metadata that don't appear anywhere else on your website then it could still be considered keyword stuffing.

Learn what metadata is for and use it properly. Use it for the benefit of search engine users and you won't go wrong. Your search engine result listings will also become more clickable when they appear in search results.
Click to expand...

So im supposed to put in my text portrait studios slough and wedding photography slough and such. bit naff if you ask me-as long as the people searching are finding what they want why should google care. Dont answer that it was retorical lol
 
A quick rewrite of the opening text....

"Welcome to Image World, Slough's friendly, family run wedding and portrait specialists.

At Image World we understand how important your big day is, whether it is your wedding, school portrait or a family memento and we promise you the best quality images and the best possible price."

I'd skip the bit about stock photography - most people either won't know what that means or might be concerned that you plan to sell their wedding images to other people without their permission. If you must keep that section on the site how about renaming it "Commercial Photography" or something like that?
 
What can I say? Search engine listings and rankings aren't a right. You may not have the time or inclination to invest in good search engine marketing. You're free to make that decision for yourself, but don't forget that your competition also has the same choice.

Also, don't just focus on on-page optimisation. It's important, but off-page promotion is just as important if not more so.

This is all just tip of the iceberg. There's just so much to SEO and I really dislike debating it in forums because it's such a big time waster (for me at least) when I'm not getting paid for it.

If you want to help yourself, seek a professional with a proven track record or spend some time learning for yourself from reputable sources e.g. Matt Cutts, Brad Fallon, Aaron Wall, SEOMoz.

Oh, and don't necessarily believe what anyone writes about SEO without proving it for yourself. That includes what I've written in this thread!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top