Effective Web design

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Good luck with it--im off to do some soldering

CRAZY K

I didn't know you were a solder too Alan? :teeth:

Which regiment... :teeth:

[Ricesnaps]

Rice you can't ask for people's views on attention grabbing homepages and ideas, and then say, don't comment on anything else!!

If you do this, people just won't bother replying at all for fear of saying something wrong.

Sorry,

last post was a rather rapid one. What I actually wanted was to not make this a post about my current web site and that was what seemed to happen. Whatever state my current site is in, it actually doesn't matter at all. I am interested in general ideas of things that work and will make people stay longer than the average 50ms on my home page.

The site I put the link up for was by way of an example - sure it's black and white, it lacks colour, but the bits like "7 outstanding reasons to choose..." and "on your wedding day.... will there be magic.... will you dance..... Absolutely!". The "different" picture of the guy on the home page.

My question is simply what will grab the attention of our clients? DMX, thanks for the comments, but actually I think it's me and you who want to see pictures of me working. I don't actually think that our clients are at all interested. Maybe they like to see other weddings or parties where people are having fun, maybe they would like to see what the show looks like, but I have a feeling we only believe this because that's what we like. But what is it that our clients do like and what does catch there eye. Maybe I'm wrong, but I am sure that lots of pictures of lights and disco's is only great to us DJ's and not anyone else.

My main site it littered with gig pictures, show pictures, pictures of people dancing at my gigs. But I don't think that actually grabs people and keeps them.

Does that help explain where I'm coming from a little better?

[DMX Will]

I think it's me and you who want to see pictures of me working. I don't actually think that our clients are at all interested. Maybe they like to see other weddings or parties where people are having fun, maybe they would like to see what the show looks like, but I have a feeling we only believe this because that's what we like.

Why not ask some friends and family then?

My main site it littered with gig pictures, show pictures, pictures of people dancing at my gigs.

So why arn't you releasing the web address for this other website?

[Ricesnaps]

Why not ask some friends and family then?



So why arn't you releasing the web address for this other website?

Good points - firstly, family and friends generally have no interest in disco's. The wife has come up with a few good phrases, but generally she's falling into my habbit - oh look, no picture of the show.

As for my other website, I got a little fed up with constant picking at it and the way I designed it to be honest. Times like this where I simply wanted to get some thoughts on good design or things that make you stand out and all I actually got was comments on my existing site. I know it's badly designed, I know it is busy and I know I like how it looks, so I really didn't need to be told that. I guess the simple solution at the time was to remove the link from here to remove the distraction. Crazy K is absolutely right, I am getting work from the site, but maybe not as much as I think it should be. Why aren't I asking for advice on how to improve it? Because I don't want to, i want to start from scratch again, hence the original quote.

If you would really like to see it, feel free to PM me for a link, but maybe just for a look and not for major comment!

[Ricesnaps]

This is another good example of grabbing attention without waving flashing lights in a clients face...

http://www.theweddingdisco.co.uk/index.asp

Although I would want my site to promote me as more than a wedding DJ!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

This is another good example of grabbing attention without waving flashing lights in a clients face...

http://www.theweddingdisco.co.uk/index.asp

Although I would want my site to promote me as more than a wedding DJ!

Eyecatching yes, but hardly convincing and not a lot of information.

I think people want to be re-assured and convinced by the information they are given.

[Ricesnaps]

Eyecatching yes, but hardly convincing and not a lot of information.

I think people want to be re-assured and convinced by the information they are given.

Can you give some examples of what you mean?

Sometimes less is most deffinately more. With this site, I was particulary drawn to the lack of use of "disco" pictures... I have a feeling that a wedding client would be far more reasured with that sort of image than one with lots of pictures of your show. After all, there is always a "photo gallery" for that if you want to use it.

[Corabar Entertainment]

The phase being waved around over and over and over again by the professionals is "content is king" and I believe it is very true.

Yes, you want a site that looks clean, tidy and inviting, but personally I don't think that a snappy tag-line or picture is going to keep someone on your site.

If your stats are telling you that people aren't staying very long, I'd first analyse those statistics to see what's happening: what percentage are disappearing immediately? If it's less than 50% then that is very much the norm. Of those who are disappearing, check what they were searching for. If they came across your site because they were doing a Google Image search, then they're not going to hang around and no amount of re-design will change that. If they came to you from a very general search (eg 'Mobile Disco') it may be that they wanted a DJ in a different part of the country or even a different part of the world, and again, nothing is going to make them stay longer. If they are landing on your website through searching more or less irrelevant subject matters, then a 'tweaking' of your keywords, etc may be what is needed to get more relevant traffic.

However, if alot of people who are making relevant searches are leaving instantly - that's the time to consider a re-vamp..... which brings me full circle back to my first points (see first 2 papragraphs above) :teeth:

That's my opinion, anyway - for what it's worth

[Ricesnaps]

The phase being waved around over and over and over again by the professionals is "content is king" and I believe it is very true.

Yes, you want a site that looks clean, tidy and inviting, but personally I don't think that a snappy tag-line or picture is going to keep someone on your site.

If your stats are telling you that people aren't staying very long, I'd first analyse those statistics to see what's happening: what percentage are disappearing immediately? If it's less than 50% then that is very much the norm. Of those who are disappearing, check what they were searching for. If they came across your site because they were doing a Google Image search, then they're not going to hang around and no amount of re-design will change that. If they came to you from a very general search (eg 'Mobile Disco') it may be that they wanted a DJ in a different part of the country or even a different part of the world, and again, nothing is going to make them stay longer. If they are landing on your website through searching more or less irrelevant subject matters, then a 'tweaking' of your keywords, etc may be what is needed to get more relevant traffic.

However, if alot of people who are making relevant searches are leaving instantly - that's the time to consider a re-vamp..... which brings me full circle back to my first points (see first 2 papragraphs above) :teeth:

That's my opinion, anyway - for what it's worth

Thank you for the comments - which was more what I was trying to coax out of everyone.

While I apreciate that it's not snappy one liners that sell a disco, the "profesional" stuff I'm reading is actually suggesting that it's what draws people in in the first place. That's what I am trying to get to to. what is it that makes someone stay in th fist 50ms?

[Corabar Steve]

That's what I am trying to get to to. what is it that makes someone stay in th fist 50ms?

Coding that makes it impossible to log out of your site? :teeth:

Good luck with it--im off to do some soldering
CRAZY K

I've got soul but I'm not a solder

Eyecatching yes, but hardly convincing and not a lot of information.

I think people want to be re-assured and convinced by the information they are given.

I couldn't agree more about the site in question, & the first one is far too clinical.

At the end of the day it's all down to personal preferences, some people may be drawn in by a "fun" site, others would run a mile, but be more inclined to go with someone with a more serious looking site. Of course a lot of it has to do with the type of client you're going for.