New Website - Early Feedback needed

[WWDJ]

I am looking for some early feedback on my new website

http://www.wwdj.co.uk

I will be using the website as collatoral as a basis to talk to a number of local hotels about my services. I plan to produce cards, collatoral off the back of this.

Obviously very much a work in progress, but looking for some feedback as to what I need to concentrate on.

I am also going to apologise in advance that I will be looking at your websites for good ideas to put my own spin on :)

TIA

[Mark Wild]

You've been looking at mine haven't you lol

I'd put more work into it Dave before asking for feedback here as that really is VERY early stages

[discomobiledj]

The header is pure white and should be a transparent png to match the existing background colour. Also would look better in the center unless you're putting somethig on the right hand side.

Not keen on the blue sidebar.

The FAQ text is large and feels like it's taking over the site.

I'd center the menu as well.

[WWDJ]

You've been looking at mine haven't you lol

I'd put more work into it Dave before asking for feedback here as that really is VERY early stages

I have been looking yes. You should been proud that I consider yours one that I like :D If the wording is too similar then please be honest as I don't want to upset anyone, but there are only so many ways you can say things sometimes without rewording into something that sounds wrong or just not as good.

It is very much a work in progress as I said, but I dont want to put effort into a path that is wrong, rather than finish and have more rework to do :D

[Mark Wild]

I have been looking yes. You should been proud that I consider yours one that I like :D If the wording is too similar then please be honest as I don't want to upset anyone, but there are only so many ways you can say things sometimes without rewording into something that sounds wrong or just not as good.

It is very much a work in progress as I said, but I dont want to put effort into a path that is wrong, rather than finish and have more rework to do :D

Not at all mate, you crack on, when I was designing mine I looked at a lot of 'inspiration' sites e.g. http://www.webcreme.com/ :)

[hammy]

Dave, For me it really is missing the ooomph factor

[WWDJ]

Dave, For me it really is missing the ooomph factor

What sort of ooomph are you looking for? :D

[hammy]

What sort of ooomph are you looking for? :D

Something that grabs me as soon as website opens I guess

[WWDJ]

The header is pure white and should be a transparent png to match the existing background colour. Also would look better in the center unless you're putting somethig on the right hand side.

Not keen on the blue sidebar.

The FAQ text is large and feels like it's taking over the site.

I'd center the menu as well.

I think I have fixed these. I am thinking of putting something to the right. This may be a tagline, phone, email or perhaps a stock image. Undecided yet but that space needs to be used. Centre menu is not an option on the Wordpress template I am using.


Something that grabs me as soon as website opens I guess

Video, Slideshow, Explosions? :D

[hammy]

Maybe having the front page all about weddings, about you and contact details on seperate pages. I feel like I`m being rushed (if that makes sense) to get in and out, Theres nothing to make me want to stay and have a look around, Please tell me that makes sense to you :D :D

[WWDJ]

Maybe having the front page all about weddings, about you and contact details on seperate pages. I feel like I`m being rushed (if that makes sense) to get in and out, Theres nothing to make me want to stay and have a look around, Please tell me that makes sense to you :D :D

I see what you mean. I was trying to make it easy for the user to contact me :D

I'll have a think and see what others think too.

[Marc J]

I tend not to comment on design, but from a techical POV you should pick a domain and stick to it. By all means have www.wwdj.co.uk "parked" (or pointing to) www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk but have a single domain that the site uses, and 301 redirect all others.

[WWDJ]

I tend not to comment on design, but from a techical POV you should pick a domain and stick to it. By all means have www.wwdj.co.uk "parked" (or pointing to) www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk but have a single domain that the site uses, and 301 redirect all others.

www.wwdj.co.uk is an alias pointing at www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk

Is that ok?

[funkymook]

Putting the design aside at the moment (as it's obviously early days) I like your writing style, friendly, personable and gets the points across without waffling.

[discomobiledj]

I think I have fixed these. I am thinking of putting something to the right. This may be a tagline, phone, email or perhaps a stock image. Undecided yet but that space needs to be used. Centre menu is not an option on the Wordpress template I am using.

Logo looks better.

If you look on the stylesheet.css for you site in the dashboard editor and find the "menu" section you can adjust that to "center" which will center the menu options up.

[CRAZY K]

I see what you mean. I was trying to make it easy for the user to contact me :D

I'll have a think and see what others think too.

I would change this--I will work with yourselves and the venue to ensure minimal disruption to you and your guests whilst I am moving or setting up equipment.

This suggests there might be a problem--when probably there isnt one most of the time--its negative and can be covered by "Professional Service"

PLI not mentioned.:confused:

I like the changing photo idea but the photos lack colour and energy to me.

I think you need a Gallery with some lively photos or videos with lots of strong colours.

Land LIne phone number presumably will be shown.

Recos and References would give more credibility for a Wedding Service as well as a Toby type list of all venues played:D

HTH

[Marc J]

www.wwdj.co.uk is an alias pointing at www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk

Is that ok?

Not really. You essentially got 2 identical sites at different domains. Either domain in the address bar gives the same, e.g: -

www.wwdj.co.uk/?page_id=7
www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk/?page_id=7

You've gone some way to minimise this by forcing the longer URL on all internal links, but the fact that you've now publicised the shorter URL might confuse matters.

Google have said they don't like this, although the evidence that anyone has been penalised for it is hard to find...but that's not to say they won't clamp down on it in future.

Pick one and stick with it. I'd go for the longer one as it is keyword rich and I'm guessing that's the whole point in the exercise.

To force the use of one and 301 redirect the others, put the following in a .htaccess file on the web root: -

# Direct all traffic to warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.warwickshireweddingdj\.co\.uk [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk/$1 [R=301,L]

This assumes your using an Apache server...which you probably are.

[WWDJ]

Putting the design aside at the moment (as it's obviously early days) I like your writing style, friendly, personable and gets the points across without waffling.

Thanks. That's what I aim to do. I can work on the design once i have some decent content.


I would change this--I will work with yourselves and the venue to ensure minimal disruption to you and your guests whilst I am moving or setting up equipment.

This suggests there might be a problem--when probably there isnt one most of the time--its negative and can be covered by "Professional Service"

PLI not mentioned.:confused:

I like the changing photo idea but the photos lack colour and energy to me.

I think you need a Gallery with some lively photos or videos with lots of strong colours.

Land LIne phone number presumably will be shown.

Recos and References would give more credibility for a Wedding Service as well as a Toby type list of all venues played:D

HTH

Points taken, yes PLI and PAT will be mentioned and there will be some testimonials (if I can find some, as they are normally verbal)

Landline number will be included. I'm considering local call or 0845. Something that can take messages and redirect. I need this because of my day job and I can't always answer the phone. I would prefer to call them back which I know is not the best but I am not normally in a situation where I can hold a proper phone call with them straight away.


Not really. You essentially got 2 identical sites at different domains. Either domain in the address bar gives the same, e.g: -

www.wwdj.co.uk/?page_id=7
www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk/?page_id=7

You've gone some way to minimise this by forcing the longer URL on all internal links, but the fact that you've now publicised the shorter URL might confuse matters.

Google have said they don't like this, although the evidence that anyone has been penalised for it is hard to find...but that's not to say they won't clamp down on it in future.

Pick one and stick with it. I'd go for the longer one as it is keyword rich and I'm guessing that's the whole point in the exercise.

To force the use of one and 301 redirect the others, put the following in a .htaccess file on the web root: -

# Direct all traffic to warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk/$1 [R=301,L]

This assumes your using an Apache server...which you probably are.

This would assume that I host www.wwdj.co.uk and put this page in. At the moment it is literally just an alias so I guess I can't do that.

Mainly I was going to use it because it made email addresses shorter, but perhaps it was a bad idea overall.

[Marc J]

This would assume that I host www.wwdj.co.uk and put this page in. At the moment it is literally just an alias so I guess I can't do that.

No it doesn't, and yes you can.

Basically, my code placed on the server you're hosting warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk on checks if the domain used to access the page requested is www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk and it isn't, redirect to that domain (keeping everything else after it), while giving search engines a 301 redirect status (which basically says don't index the domain you used...use this one instead).

[WWDJ]

No it doesn't, and yes you can.

Basically, my code placed on the server you're hosting warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk on checks if the domain used to access the page requested is www.warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk and it isn't, redirect to that domain (keeping everything else after it), while giving search engines a 301 redirect status (which basically says don't index the domain you used...use this one instead).

Well i'm properly learning now :)

How do i find out if i am apache?

[Marc J]

How do i find out if i am apache?

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=warwickshireweddingdj.co.uk

Seems you're host is in the minority running a Windows Server (IIS).

There might be alternative ways to achieve the same outcome on IIS.

Or switch hosts...;)

[CRAZY K]

there will be some testimonials (if I can find some, as they are normally verbal)



Me too, but after 20 years they are going to expect something in the way of written evidence--I have quite a lot on my two main sites.

If you are offering a specialist Professional charged service I think its necessary and expected.;)