Advice taken

I asked for feed back on my old website and I got alot of good ideas

and advice in this forum, which I appreciate greatly. I started over

and built a new site. Please tell me what you think.

www.prizmphotography.com

 

The address might help, huh? Sorry about that.

Nice site, Jeffery. It's serene.

 

The criticisms I have is that the text looks chunky and so might overwhelm at a glance and I think you should make the visual and navigational paths to your galleries more obvious. Your wedding gallery, the most important marketing element on the site, is buried on a secondary page and well below the fold (scroll) on my browser, which is set at a wider resolution than most monitors.

 

You are a photographer and it strikes me as odd that I run into a great deal more text than photos during the first moments of my visit.

 

Also, the little arrows indicating the page are not set right.

Here's a link to your site to make it easier for others: http://www.prizmphotography.com/index.html

 

The home page loaded very slow and I suspect it's due to the large music file. You've got some nice images but they are a little hard to navigate with the gallery style. I would suggest taking most of your 5th Step story off the site, if you want to testify I think you can still do that in a stronger, more abreviated fashion, also, if you insert the "Fish" symbol in a few places on the site, I think that most people would get the message. In the about me section, would recommend that you keep it simple, short & sweet....highlight your images and your work. The text is a little much, watch your spelling. Look for "Jabez" opportunities in your work but consider the strength of a more "silent wittness"....good luck!

oh, also, I just turned on my speakers... I am, personally, not a fan of music on websites. Often I am listening to music through my computer and if I visit a website with its own music, it causes trouble on my computer. I think you should at least offer the user the option to mute the music.

 

and you forgot to put Title tags in your pages, which will make it impossible for search engines.

My comments pertain only to your site design.

 

I'm not a big fan of italicised text.

 

The large bodies of text need to be either justified or left aligned rather than centered (princing/bio/how to dress pages, etc). The hard line of aligned text is easier for the eye to navigate, it's a cleaner visual. the text doesn't need to be so large. if i have to scroll down a page to read something...i probably won't finish it.

 

I don't care for the fade in/fade out between pages.

 

Don't know if you wanted the arrows to rollover for each item on the navigation menu, but you have two arrows showing certain pages and on the weddings page the arrow points to portraits and the weddings link is gone. I think the arrow should point to the page you are on.

 

i would prefer than when the thumbnail is clicked, the larger image fills the space where the thumbnails reside, rather than opening up a new page. I then have to scroll down to find the links.

 

your basic layout is good, it just needs fine tuning.

hi Jeff,

You have some great images there! Good luck with the business!

my recommendations for the web page are:

 

1. Use plain text, not italics. Italics are hard to read. Also, use a slightly smaller font size and a different font, maybe a sans serif.

 

2. Put less emphasis on your personal life and more emphasis on your photography. Don't get me wrong, your life sounds interesting. it's just that potential clients may get turned off if they see too much text and not enough pictures.

 

3. Show a few more pictures on the home page.

 

4. Make it really easy to turn off the music. Some poeple don't like loud music to come out at them, esp. if they have kids sleeping in the home.

 

5. Don't fade between pages; it takes too long and makes a bride-to-be impatient.

 

 

 

Jennifer

your story is too long for comfortable screen reading - 1/3 the length max. i agree with the comment regarding italics - hard to read and look naff on PC due to jaggy edges on all those diagonal lines.

Hmmm, I didn't get italics or music, so I assume you are making changes as we type? The text on several pages scrolled off the right side of the screen even with 1280x1024 resolution. I checked both in Firefox and IE Explorer and got the same problem.

 

I really liked your "The Photographer" section though. I'm not sure if this will effect your booking rate, but it definitly is the significant thing about you.

<p>Actually, there is some bad code on your site. I cannot view the large images at all with my browser of choice, namely Firefox. I get an error that says: </p>

 

<p>Bad Request<br/>

Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.<br/>

Client sent malformed Host header<br/>

Apache Server at prizmphotography.com <br/></p>

 

<p>Looking into this a little more, I see the following code that is likely causing the problem:<br/>

HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" content="%6;URL=%7"

 

<p>What is that for?</p>

 

<p>Anyhow, you may want to do a little more cross browser compatability testing before you make this your main site. One check you can do is to test validate your html at <a href='http://validator.w3.org'>http://validator.w3.org</a>. Yours is not currently valid. The site will give you somethings you can specifically do to make it valid. Valid HTML will more likely be compatible on most browsers.</p>

 

<p>BTW, I respect that you are trying to create your own website on your spare time. It is much harder than buying a template and using that. However, it will make your site more unique. Now, if that will be good or bad for business, I cannot say. I am trying the same thing, and will post for some opinions when it is ready.</p>

 

<p>Good Luck,<br/>

George</p>

One other little pet peeve. The menus should always be the same. Maybe have the text different and not be a link, but it should always be there.

 

George

I got the same error as George in firefox and have some problems with the text on the weddings page getting messed up with the menu.

A couple of suggestions:

 

Once you are in the galleries there are no links to get someone back to the home page (you have to use the back button on the browser ) so someone might have to click the back button a lot, very frustrating. You should add the menu to all those pages, plus your logo.

 

On you main page, move the image closer to the menu. If someone is viewing a smaller resolution screen they will have to scroll across.

 

I'm not a big fan of transitions on web pages, but that's a personal decision

 

Add title tags to your web pages, so that it appears in the browser above the menu. I'm not sure what software you are using but in Frontpage it is under File: Properties. This is good for search engines as well.

Thanks for the responses so far. I hope I get more. I will see about making a few changes as suggested, but unfortunately, my web hosting company, Globat, over looked that fact that I paid my anual fee 3-weeks ago, so they blocked my site with some advertising page? Now they see that the payment was made and said the site will be back up in "a couple hours"? I tell ya..........

Ok, site back on now. If anyone else is interested in giving your opinion, please feel free to do so. I will be looking into what was suggested so far. Thank you.

You mis-spell "occasion" in the wedding section. I gather from another response that there are other typos. Best run a spell check.

First, this is a huge improvement over your prior website. You're moving in the right direction!

 

Just some quick initial observations - The home page takes too long to load (music file way too big). I've never been a fan of sites with a lot of flash and music components. I'm more of a keep-it-simple guy. The text aspects are a bit overwhelming in size, length and content. This is a photography business website and your images should stand out. Make the text smaller, get rid of the italics, and stick to brief comments about your business. Make it easier to get to your images. Your pictures should be front and center, not the long narrative passages.

Jeffrey,

As a Christian I don't think your "the photographer" page is appropriate. If I were a Bride (hard to think since I am a Man) I would personally be turned off about you being a sex addict. Yes, previously, but I think it puts a thought into a persons mind. It would be the same as having a ex-pervert babysit your kids, something I would not do, ever. So as with everything else, just my personal opinion.

Jeffrey, I agree with some others about your "photographer" section. I would be much more vague. It is a nice story, but really may turn some people off and to widen your market you may want to go less on the religious side with maybe just a quick statement if you must.

 

In the galleries, it would be better if we didn't have to scroll down from large photos to get to the "next" arrow.

 

I don't know anything about web design, but I liked the font of the text and thought your home page looks beautiful

Jeffrey - I agree w/ the above.

 

first, if you are going to spill your testimony online, please do it in an easy to read font :-)

 

second, unless your market is for Christians who have beliefs very similar to yours, from a marketing perspective, I think that a lot of people might say "too much information!" about your photographer page.

 

No matter what my clients believe, I think that they are interested in me because of my photography, and not because I agree or disagree strongly with their religious beliefs. Unless you live in a very religious area, I think that the same would be for you.

 

I grew up in a Mennonite community, but I don't make any relgious references on my websites.

 

Some of my clients immediately tell me that 'God brought them together', or that "God has incredible timing", etc, etc. Some couples feel religiously inclined to do no more than hold hands until they are married. On the other hand, I met a few months with a bubbly and fresh-faced 21 year old. She was very excited to plan her wedding - and wanted me to help her brainstorm ways to involve her 2 year old son in the ceremony, which would have nothing to do with religion at all. Yes, she was 21, already had a kid, and ready to go for a second marriage. nothing religious about them.

 

You get to see all kinds of people, and for marketing purposes, I think that focusing on your photography will help more than your personal story.

 

conrad

jeffrey - you also have clunky galleries. when I click on the 'weddings' nav link, the table cuts into the text. dont' italicize.

 

then, I have to scroll down to select a gallery. bad idea.

 

photography is about words, not text. if you have something to say, you, more than anyone else, is expected to SHOW it instead of say it.

 

check out my website -www.genuineimagephotography.com. it ain't perfect, but I think that it is a bit simpler on the eye than yours.

Jeffrey - another suggestion to trim down your galleries to the best stuff. you have some very strong work, and a bit of it needs to be left on the editing room floor, so to speak.

 

http://www.prizmphotography.com/bynum1Large%20Web%20view_tm.jpg - looks poorly composed.

 

http://www.prizmphotography.com/047%20Large%20Web%20view_jpg_view.htm - poorly composed.

 

if testimonials is not ready, don't put it up, period.

 

you also might want to have someone look over your copy - IMO, it is too 'gushy'.

I'm using firefox as well and the text in your Photographer link looks like HUGE typewriter text! I wasn't really able to read the info because I had to keep scrolling off screen to see it all.

 

I know it's frustrating when you think you've got it down pat and then there are a bunch of other things thrown in your face! Keep up the good work!! You're getting better each time!

Thanks for the responses. I will work on the text, the spelling and the fading and music so that it all flows well and is easy to read.

 

As far as my testimony goes, well without question that will stay. It was put there because I was Blessed so that I may Bless others. I know, based on the comments above, that some would rather not be bothered with it because they do not know Christ. The testimony was put there for them, as well as others like them. Not to say I am better than they are, but I feel I am better off. If it weren't for Christ, I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today. As far as me being a "pervert", that couldn't be farther from the truth. I just had more sexual relationships that the average guy. Never said I was a freak or into the porn crap, just physical relationships. I decided to set my self apart from other photographers in this way, because I knew I would get some comments where some didn't fully agree with what I am doing. That just tells me that I am doing something right. If someone doesn't want to have me as their photographer for me being a Christian, or because I have a past (like we ALL do!) then they can pass me by and go to someone with different values. I feel that I have good photography skills, which I am working on improving everyday, so if they want creative, quality, images, and see that as well as the man I am, then we can do business. If not, well Wal Mart has a photography studio? lol I hope that my testimony will open the eyes of others to Christ, as mine have been opened. That's what it's all about.

 

Thanks to all for ALL of the input. It's been great!

I like the idea of your testimony, Jeffrey, and I think it's good to include it for all the reasons you state. However, you might consider dropping the reference to sexual adiction and be more generic about what it was Christ set you free from. I'm not sure that helps here. People will draw some wrong conclusions and it probably will cost you some clients. Just a thought.

 

I'm having the same problem Anne is having. Perhaps you are choosing a font that is not so commmon?