Hello all,

I have recently updated my website http://www.magicofscottsmith.co.uk, and who better to ask than those with a keen eye for feedback and advice before I begin advertising it online. Your feedback is essential, if there is anything I need to fix or doesn't work let me know!

Many thanks for your help,

Scott

I see you're new to this site (0 posts), so welcome, first of all. But...

Flash? Really?

Any reason you decided to go that route? You just excluded everyone with an iPad/iPhone, all 100 million of them. Plus you excluded Google since there's not much for them to crawl. Sorry.

Hmmm...yes, that is a problem. However, I use google adwords to advertise and I'm being picked up fairly well at the moment. I'm trying to create a text based site so the user has the option of entering either version. However, I do like animations, what program would be best to design it on, that would allow for 'fade' animations but still be viewable on iPhone/iPad etc? Thanks for your help!

Here's why I dislike Flash: I seriously thought your site was still a works in progress without content. I only realized you had info on the site when I left one page open for 30 seconds. It took THAT long for the text to load. It took 20 seconds for the main "Shows" page to load.

Plus, none of the text is selectable, it's basically a picture of text from this side of the browser. This means that it is also non-accessable to anyone with a visual impairment.

How to do animations without Flash? Use CSS, Javascript and HTML. It's standard's compliant and loads MUCH faster.

Plus, you won't have to have a "Click for Flash or Click for HTML Version". With CSS, it automatically determines the browser's capabilities and serves the appropriate layout.

In fact, if it detects a smaller screen (like any smartphone) it can even serve up smaller sized images designed to better fit the screens.

That said, when it did load, I did like much of the layout. It's elegant. Perhaps add a bit more on WHY I should hire you (benefits instead of features).

Charming style, consider some sample video, more in the way of references, credits, client list.

Just a quick comment, when promoting the Get Together I like sites that have a media section with high resolution pics & a text bio, gives me something to work with promoting the show.

Multiple pics are better because others on the show might have similar pics and also the style of the web page might not match the theme of the pic.

The bio gives people more info about the performer if they want it. Since we promote the Get Together shows to magicians and laymen I feel it is essential.

Nice flash design and good meta tags (I personally use flash sparingly in case they don't have the plugin but that's me)

Hi,
Whenever I need a review of a new magic product or advice on my double lift I always post on this site: http://www.webdevforums.com
Hope this helps,
Ade

I use Google Adwords for my business and it works really well. You only pay when some clicks to your website. They call this "push" advertising, as the customer is already looking for your show or product and you nudge them in, versus "pull" advertising where you advertise broadly (ie newspaper) and hope to pull in a prospective client.

I use Google Adwords for my business and it works really well. You only pay when some clicks to your website. They call this "push" advertising, as the customer is already looking for your show or product and you nudge them in, versus "pull" advertising where you advertise broadly (ie newspaper) and hope to pull in a prospective client.

Flash should never use for a whole website. Header, ad banner yes but not for the whole website. Using google ad sense is good but at the same time if some searches for your website google wont pick it up because it cant read any text from your website.

Also intro's are one the biggest no no for web design. People want to put in the url and see the website not have to wait for a intro. Not only that but your enter doesn't show that it a link. In other word when I put my mouse over enter I don't know to click cause it doesn't show that it a link aka cursor turn into a hand.

As being a magician and a web designer I have a unique view on this subject.

I find what you want isn't always what good for webdesign. In the end people really don't care how cool your website looks.... if they cant find the info or have to click a ton, or wait for the page to load the website just became a hassle.

This is a issue I have with just about every client and explain that we have to find a good level of looking good but also, fast loading, looks cool, and information is easy to find.

Also as mention your excluding every mobile device out there and that's a huge market to exclude.

For this exact reason Im having a magicians sale! $500 for a complete website and a year of free hosting!

I know with the economy the way it is magicians cant afford 1000's of dollars for a website, but at the same time you can't afford not to be on the internet.

If anyone interested just pm me and as always need any advice on websites, web design Im always willing to help!.

This is some of the best advice I've seen in a long time. Lets see if I got it correct:

• Avoid Flash Not good for content seeking Google Search Engine.
  
• Intro pages are a waste of prospect/readers and search engines
  
• Use the Recognizable cursor graphic
  
• Make it easy as possible and hassle free to find your page
  
• Page looks good/cool loads fast and the infromation they seek.
  
• Most importantly "Think Mobile Phone" its the new wave of web page seeking
  

I really loved the website...

Understand that in this area, my opinion doesn't count for anything as I know nothing about web design or all the web mumbo jumbo that everyone else knows...but I thought it looked very classy.

Christopher