Got my website up... - Page 3

Pickles · #21 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 05:05 PM

Markie:

I was just looking at your website again and see you toned down the part about what kinds of parties you might refuse. I'm just curious: Have you actually had situations in the past where you felt a party was in discord with your Christian beliefs?

I'm a Christian, too, but I can't think of even one occasion when I sensed that a clown gig was potentially in conflict with my values. If I ever get a website up and running, I won't feel the need to include a blurb about the possibility of declining a gig.

Maybe your experiences have been very different from mine, but I'm wondering if you even need to include a statement about that at all. Maybe a Christian symbol or Bible verse at the bottom would suffice. And that doesn't mean that you can't turn down a party if it sounds like it's not in line with your religious beliefs.

Just my thoughts....

Markie · #22 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 05:13 PM

No, but I'm *really* worried about the possibility and figured full disclosure up front was the way to go. Also, to 98% of people around me it makes me look better.

Pinky59 · #23 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 05:13 PM

Love love love it. i have no constructive criticism since I have no idea how to do one of those.

The Infotainer · #24 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clowning_around

... if you do it right you can get 500 hits a day in your first month after launching your site...

I'm not sure about that. You can only get hits IF you optimize for search terms there is a market for. If there are only 75 searching for the keywords optimized for then you'll at best only get 75 hits.

Most people don't understand online marketing at all ... and when they put a site together it's usually a 'vanity site' and not a sales site, and therefore misses by a mile.

SEO is just one of many many factors that must be addressed if the artiste is serious about using a website to drive their business and fill their datebook. But it is a good place to start.

Markie · #25 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 06:27 PM

"Most people don't understand online marketing at all ... and when they put a site together it's usually a 'vanity site' and not a sales site, and therefore misses by a mile."

Honestly, that's a lot of what it is. I mean I'm not going to get bookings from having a website, at least not on any remotely frequent basis...

The Infotainer · #26 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markie

Go for it John, I posted for criticism. Right now I'm at 0 hits per day with no conversion rates... The site and my whole business JUST launched.

Hard to know where to start here. And I think that's the problem ... the site is not well planned and structured and has way too much going on and this just leads to confusion for visitors.

Until the site is better organized there is little point in mentioning how certain elements are not handled in a way that Search Engines will like. However, there is one major fundamental error I should raise now.

COMIC EXPRESSIONS
As this is your website title ... you must create a better logo and mention the name a few times in the text. Right now the logo is fairly 'messy' looking, not very modern and looks insignificant. Your business deserves better than this.

The object of a 'Landing Page' or Welcome Page is to get the attention of a visitor, let them know that you have something of specific interest so that they now want to read on.

That's it. This is no place to give your life history, politics or cirticisms .... just 'capture' their interest and create desire.

You can do this in a number of ways but certainly NOT by having detail about where you will or won't travel to in the third line. NOT by having negative comments about refusing gigs and NOT by stating that even your make-up / paint may cause discomfort.

Forget writing about YOU on this page and write about what you will do for them!

And before you do that ... make a decision which keywords you believe your ideal customers will use to search for you .... and use the best three throughout this page in a variety of ways:

In the Page Title
In Main (H1) headings
In Sub (H2) headings
In Picture Tags
In picture captions
In the body copy text
In page links (Anchor text)

THEN the Search Engines know what the site is about and know to offer it up to searchers. Much more on this later!

Keep the design clean ... especially as you have the moving graphics anyway. These will cause a distraction, so the message must be very simple and clear. KISS - Keep It Short and Sweet.

I'll talk more about navigation, links, page content etc next time.

The Infotainer · #27 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markie

Honestly, that's a lot of what it is. I mean I'm not going to get bookings from having a website, at least not on any remotely frequent basis...

Like anything ... it's important to decide before you start out where you want to end up. A portfolio site is a very different type of site to one aimed specifically at pulling in bookings.

I believe entertainers should have both. Of course we want to have somewhere to send folks to show off what we've achieved etc. But that's not what getting the bookings is all about. Imagine if you had to wade through a complete company history, the numerous species and varieties, who's eaten them, what you can do with them, where they will grow best, won't grow ... every time you want to buy some carrots!

Of course some of that is useful .... but only once you have made some decision that it is carrots you want. Only then will you need some help in making the right decision.

So whereas a sales site must build desire and then provide a call to action .... a vanity site would not have that approach at all.

And unless you are clear what you want .... you'll fail to do either properly!

Markie · #28 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 09:03 PM

Okay, don't be offended because I thank you for your time. I really don't like the negative comments throughout a certain company's website that we all know and love; and I've realized that my writing was sadly resemblant of that in a couple places. I've re-worded it to be more positive.

Otherwise, I thank you for your advice and thought's and I've changed a few things and am calling it good for now. I like the messy dated logo. That was the point when creating it, to look very 50's ish... We all have different styles and word of mouth, not a website is my big thing. The website isn't to directly get bookings per se. It's an information source for anyone who hears about me and wants to know more. Nobody is going to Google for a face painter in rural Montana... and my only competitor doesn't even have a site.

Word of mouth is huge in this community, as are my Christian values. The Internet isn't. I just wanted a website for various reasons.

It is good. Maybe not in your eyes, but it works for what I want for now. I do thank you for your advice, so please don't be offended I'm not taking it at least at this time.

Blessings,

Mark

The Infotainer · #29 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markie

I really don't like the negative comments throughout a certain company's website that we all know and love ... The website isn't to directly get bookings per se. It's an information source for anyone who hears about me and wants to know more. Nobody is going to Google for a face painter in rural Montana... and my only competitor doesn't even have a site.

It is good. Maybe not in your eyes, but it works for what I want for now. I do thank you for your advice, so please don't be offended I'm not taking it at least at this time.

Blessings,

Mark

No problem Mark ... I was only responding to your request.

I have no idea to whom you refer "all know and love" ...

I understand retro graphics ... and that people have different tastes and likes ... but people also have common psychological triggers and a proven hierarchy of needs to be addressed.

I don't know Montana but do know that things are changing so fast ... that by not keeping up people are going backwards.

But as you said, I was wasting my time if it is a vanity site and not intended to attract and convert for sales.

John

clowning_around · #30 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markie

Okay, don't be offended because I thank you for your time. I really don't like the negative comments throughout a certain company's website that we all know and love; and I've realized that my writing was sadly resemblant of that in a couple places. I've re-worded it to be more positive.

Not sure exactly what you talking about, but we all copy and paste a little here and there, that's what the web is all about...