JMadson Custom Wood Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 I've needed a new site for a while now. I'm looking for feedback. So far, I've only entered a few posts and some of my pictures in the galleries. I'll do a lot more as I go on. Therefore, the tags and search function are very limited at the moment but they should be more robust as I add to the site. Your feedack (the good, the bad and the ugly) is appreciated. http://www.jmadson.dreamhosters.com For now the site is still on Dreamhost.com but I'll switch it over when the time is right. Thanks -Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Is that some sort of free hosting service? The flickr redirect is not the greatest for a business site. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMadson Custom Wood Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Is that some sort of free hosting service? It's free, but when it's live, it won't look like a host site. The website will be just www.jmadson.com , no dreamhost reference. The flickr redirect is not the greatest for a business site. I assume you mean when you click an image in a post, i.e. the barn wood post? If so, I agree. I have to find a way around that. The images on the gallery page use flickr in the background, but they don't open an actual flickr page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ok I see, so purchased the domain? Do you have unlimited space? If so move those images over so that google see's them as links to your domain. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozer's Workshop Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 As far as Flickr goes, the photos in the main page redirect you out to the flickr site and you have to browse back to your site... It just seems like a blog, we're you planning to try to draw business from it? Maybe about me should be a bio and make more focus on the main page about creating custom solutions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMadson Custom Wood Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 we're you planning to try to draw business from it? I've been doing this for a while and I've only had one cold-call customer from my site and I like that, a lot. I normally refererence my site after meeting a customer to show them past work. I also like having a real email address, not gmail.com or yahoo.com. And according to the readings I've been doing, the blog approach is the new style of web design. I'm thinking that each time I finish a project, I can post a new entry to show the work. I would also add the pix to my galleries. I could also give customers and "in progress" update if I get adventurous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMadson Custom Wood Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ok I see, so purchased the domain? Do you have unlimited space? If so move those images over so that google see's them as links to your domain. Don Move them over to where? And why do I want Google to see them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 You can do alot with wordpress, well you can I cant. Im sure that you can tweek the site to look very professional. I do know that some folks have an aversion to their stuff being displayed on the internet and hardly any of them really care about progress photos. People like staged finished products with minimal backgroud distractions like decoration and I hate to say it dogs. Its easier to invision the piece in your home without all the distractions and unless your selling those msc objects you want the focus on just your work. I only use private galleries and really dont have a true web site have for quite a few years, my customers love the fact that they are the only ones that can see whats going on. I think if it were mine I'd set up a flat home page with a real nice contact page, very basic and clean. Maybe add links to your blog for ongoing current work. Definately a private gallery php app for current customers. From what Ive seen from wordpress you can do all that right within the wordpress app. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Move them over to where? And why do I want Google to see them? Store your pics on your own host. First this gives you control and the ability to find linkbacks and just plain morons claiming your work as their own. For a business site its all business and you want google to help people find you. Your other site looks much more professional. Your built in gallery doesnt force people to have to back out just to get back to your site. Im sure that there is a way to do that but im not the guy to ask. From a consumer stand point the current WP site looks like a blog not a business web site and just would not make me want to stay and have a look around. Even though you have the same pics on both sites the original site makes the pics look so much more professional. In the old site even the dog doesnt look out of place. Hope that makes some sort of sense. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMadson Custom Wood Posted March 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Thanks for the help Don. My old site was just that, old. It was too hard to update, I don't know enough coding to hide my email address, and, to me, the colors and theme just seemed outdated. I also need to pay someone to create real logo images for me, but that's not in the budget right now. I think the biggest stumbling block I have when talking about my site's goal is that I don't need cold-calls. As a one man shop, I get enough referrals to keep me busy (just got one this morning from a neighbor's friend as a matter of fact, yeah). I really just need the site to show that I'm a real business, provide a professional e-mail address and show new customers my past work. About the site... I cleaned up all of the posts and galleries so you shouldn't be sent away from my site to Flickr. I agree that's tacky. I'm trying to figure out how to change the home page to look a little less "bloggy" - that's a work in progress. I can take decent photos, the ones currently shown are a little amateurish, I know. As I go forward, I need to start taking better pics and that should help make the site more professional. thanks again, -joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Your welcome. Its just my opinions. I couldnt do it myself, probably why I dont have a web page. I had to call the host to have them get my galley going, you'll get it in time. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarton22 Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 I'm trying to figure out how to change the home page to look a little less "bloggy" - that's a work in progress. I would try to get rid of the "reply" section on every page. Nothing looks more bloggy than the reply section. I also use wordpress for my site (still in progress), and the very first criteria in selecting a theme was to select one that did NOT look like a blog. Now, I have all of the ease of a wordpress site and none of the bloggness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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