Lets talk web pages

[todd_reeves3]

<p>Did you design your own or did you have it professionally done.<br>

I designed my own and let me tell you it is rough... This is my first and still a work in progress.<br>

<a href="http://www.toddreevsphoto.com">www.toddreevsphoto.com</a><br>

Lets see examples of others web pages.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>I did my own, but I do websites and graphic design as an add-on/additional service from my regular businesses. It's like the cobbler's kids though. My own website is the roughest design of any I've done. What was rough about it for you? I often design, then sell clients NetObjects Fusion because it is such an easy program to use, and very capable. My main photo website is http://LeicaGlow.com. I just did a total remake in order to add an order system, and it's not entirely done yet.</p>

[photojen]

<p>I see typos in your testimonial section. </p>

<p>My cousin is building mine, can't wait for it to be done...pretty simple~ I am simple.</p>

[photomark]

Yes Todd, it is tough going when you are first starting out with web design. I did a lot of work in print design when I was

younger and I still find web design frustrating. Learning to design well is one thing, learning to design well within the

limitations of the web is entirely different. One of the nice things about the web, however, is that it is always a work in

progress. Unlike print media, if you don't like something or come up with a better solution as you improve your skills, you

can make adjustments as you go along. I've been doing my own for years now and it still doesn't ever feel done. I

understand you are just getting started, but my initial advice is to move away from VistaPrint SiteBuilder and get a good

book on HTML and CSS. You'll have a lot more flexibility and will have more options to grow as you improve.

[photomark]

Also Todd, the images on your front page look suspiciously "stock-y." Tineye turns up a bunch of hits on one of them:

 

http://tineye.com/search/edbdb4bc17c8ab92a217c761004d8823f41c5a7b?page=1

 

If you are promoting a photography business, it is very misleading to have photos on the front page that are not taken by

you.

[sknowles]

<p>The title and image is obscured by the menu on the home page, like conflicting layers or mouse on/off doesn't work. The gallery has no images and "some text" for a statement. Not quite what you want to advertise. I agree with Mark's statement, but add you can find some good WYSIWYG Web design packages (just nothing Microsoft or any word editor/processor) as well as some which work from writing code (eg. BBEdit). I also agree Web design is different and it's why you need to understand both your audience/customers and visual communications. Good luck.</p>

[swenson]

<p>I did my own and the general criticism is that it has a ‘90s fell to it. Probably because the HTML book that I had was very old. Being unemployed, for most part I still am, didn’t have any money at all to throw at it. The extremely simple code has several advantages.<br /><br />1. It’s a trivial task to add categories and photos from new trips. <br />2. It works on every browser I’ve tested it on least 25 (back to Mosaic 0.9b)<br />3. It works on every OS I’ve tested it on at least 15 (back to window 95, several mac & unix)<br />4. It works on every size screen down to 640 x 400 (nice for smart phones).<br />5. It’s fast I developed it on a dial-up (again nice benefit for smart phones).<br />6. It didn’t take forever to code (2-3 12 hr days).<br />7. It supports a host of different views (ways of organizing the photos).<br />8. The code is very simple and easy to maintain.<br /><br />Do the pluses make up for a less than slick design? An academic discussion it would have taken months to learn new technology and I would have had to comprise on many of the above advantages. After all it’s simply a platform to display my photos. Do I think that a slicker design would generate more traffic? Not really. At the end of the day it’s about the content.<br /><br />Of course my mission wasn't to project a professional image. It a hobbist page. I'm not trying to use it to support a business. I guess that's the biggest difference.<br /></p>

[swenson]

<p>Now to actually answer your question. I addition to what's been said I'm not a big fan of forms. I would simply supplied an e-mail link.</p>

<p>Oh yes my site is at http://SwensonStudio.com</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Todd, As Mark points out, it is misleading to use other's photos. I noticed the ones you used on your business card thread are also from other sources. Don't you have any of your own photos you can use? It would help your credibility with clients.</p>

[todd_reeves3]

<p>Yes I have plenty of photos to use.. I will put my own images up when I get everything on the web page just the way I like it. As for the cards Officemax does not give you an option to use any images but there own... So I use what is in the template...</p>

[thomas_sullivan]

<p>I designed and built my own website using Adobe Photoshop, Image Ready, and Dreamweaver and then SlideShowPro for Lightroom for the actual Gallery slideshows. I also sporadically used straightforward HTML coding when Dreamweaver couldn't do what I wanted (or more likely, I couldn't figure out how to make it do it....heh). It's actually just real basic coding that I did, but it looks decent, serves my purpose, and the experience was rewarding. <a href="http://tssullivan.net">http://tssullivan.net</a></p>

[todd_reeves3]

<p>Yes I am just now learning to use HTML and then I will try and get into Dream weaver...This stuff takes some learning. I almost inclined to just hire someone to make my webpage. If wasn't that I so short of cash right now I would, so we do what we can...</p>

[Brad_]

You might also consider a blog. I recently created one via Wordpress and added some static pages for image galleries.

It's FAR easier to edit and maintain than my website, which hasn't been touched in 3 years because it's such a huge PITA

to change anything (I'm taking it down soon). There's a lot of flexibility with respect to design and it can all be changed

using a web browser from anywhere there's internet access.

[greg_peterson3]

<p>You asked: "Did you design your own or did you have it professionally done."</p>

<p>A little of both. I've been a programmer for 30 years, so HTML isn't a problem, but my time was very limited.<br>

So I bought a template from <a href="http://allwebcodesign.com/setup/templates.htm">http://allwebcodesign.com/setup/templates.htm</a> and modified it to serve my needs. It only cost me about $50. This let me put a nice looking site on-line with only two evenings of effort.</p>

<p>Like all good web sites, it's a work-in-progress. As soon as I finish my current programming project I intend to re-build it from scratch.</p>

<p>Please take a look: <a href="http://GregPetersonPhoto.com">http://GregPetersonPhoto.com</a></p>

<p>--Greg</p>

 

[sknowles]

<p>With respect to, "Did you design your own or did you have it professionally done?", yes and no. I did and do all my Website work from code, with GoLive and BBEdit, from what I know and have learned about html, css, javascript, google map and analytics, php, etc. It shows in its simplicity, but I like doing the work and understanding what the code does and mean - have since I started in 1994 and html 1.0 when there weren't any wysiwyg design programs. I've always worked with media specialists and Web designers with our agency Website and for my own efforts for work and personal Websites. They were gracious and helpful with their experience, knowledge and understanding, and more than ever reinforced the kiss principle, content rules philosophy and navigation simplicity and consistency.</p>

<p>I use templates I've developed to add pages. It's all separate Web pages so I can work on individual ones or groups easily without effecting the whole Website or make global changes (css is great for this along with the editors) across the whole Website quickly and easily. I'm working on my Websites weekly because it's far more than just photography. It's about a photo guide, history projects, blogs, and other stuff, so it has bult-in flexibilty to expand, upgrade and update. As for the operating systems, monitor color calibration or not, browsers and javascript versions, I don't pay attention to them (the users) because simply put you can't. I design to W3C standards for Web pages and sRGB for images. Any problems are the users, especially with the many flavors of IE. I've learned to use css and other ways to control the display and presentation (always learning and improving). All my testing is on Safari and FF since they're the least robust and most W3C compliant browsers.</p>