Any chance of website feedback.....Please :o)

[ki_user]

Be as brutal as you need to be. I can take it...... I think. I made it myself, I use namo web editor, I know it's not as good as dreamweaver but I can find my way around it.

Digicase Photography, Bridgend based professional photographers

[GadgetRick]

I like the look except for the black background. This is something I've never understood about photogs. They love black backgrounds. It's too much for viewing color properly. You really want a neutral color for that sort of thing.

Question on the Latest button. Why does that take you to a Photobucket window, i.e. away from your website. Your portfolio button keeps you on your nicely-designed (except for the background color) website. You want to keep people on your website as much as possible.

In your portfolio, when I click on a photo, nothing happens. No bigger view or anything.

I wouldn't put pricing up. First of all, makes it easy for your competition to see what your pricing is. Also, it may scare a customer away thinking the pricing is too much (or, in rare cases, too little). You should keep your pricing as the last thing you discuss with a customer (if at all possible). The reason for this is you need to build your value in the customers' eyes. Most customers will look at the pricing first and then may call you. If they don't like the pricing they may not ever call you.

Other than that, nice website.

[FrankLamont]

I like the look except for the black background. This is something I've never understood about photogs. They love black backgrounds. It's too much for viewing color properly. You really want a neutral color for that sort of thing.

Because it accentuates contrast and saturation. And really, that's what you want.

When you edit, you have a neutral grey background. Displaying, you can pick black or white and it's not really going to affect anything.

[Nicole]

It's ever so slightly too wide for my screen (using a laptop). It might be from your banner on top. Which brings me to my next point, which is that I would rather the banner go from end to end rather than the blank area on the left, above the navigation.

I totally agree with the Photobucket thing. Especially since how you're doing things also means you have that disclaimer about not buying photos from the latest area because they're watermarked.

And speaking of watermarked, I was wondering why the "cover" photo for your landscapes section has a huge watermark over it, but the photos in the galleries don't. So then why have the watermark on the small button? I'd change that image.

I'm also not sure if your pricing refers to photos you've already done that people would be buying or if that would be the price for photos if you come and take them at their event, in which case, you don't indicate any sort of pricing for showing up or your time (which I would assume isn't free, but maybe it is... but that would be dangerous if they didn't want to buy any prints )

Hope that helps!

[ki_user]

Thanks for the quick replies. Photobucket was used because I needed a password protection for some photos. In the portfolio if you click a pick you get a larger version underneath.

Good point about the pricing, will look at taking that off.

Anyone else have any comments, please keep them coming.

[kuvahmagh]

Originally Posted by ki_user

In the portfolio if you click a pick you get a larger version underneath.

I had the same thought at first, I clicked on one, nothing seems to happen, clicked on it agai, etc. Of course I did eventually scroll down and see it but that was just as I was navigating away thinking it was broken. It might be better to have it open in a new window or move that to the top to avoid potential confusion.

I'd also agree about the width of the site, it wouldn't be so bad but I don't have a widescreen monitor so to read some of the pages, such as the "About Us" I need to scroll over a little.

To be honest I'm mixed about the pricing point. On the one hand I can understand you want to 'hide' your price list from your competition but lets face it if they want to get it they will get it. Also if your prices are reasonable compared to your competition and for your market then putting them out there and upfront might help. The whole 'if you have to ask its too much' syndrome.

Also as a side note, I'm not sure if things are different in England but here we would typically say/write 4x6 rather than 6x4 etc. I don't know, it just looks weird and it took me a second glance to see it right.

Just my 2 cents.

[capturedbybrooke]

Originally Posted by GadgetRick

I like the look except for the black background. This is something I've never understood about photogs. They love black backgrounds. It's too much for viewing color properly. You really want a neutral color for that sort of thing.

Question on the Latest button. Why does that take you to a Photobucket window, i.e. away from your website. Your portfolio button keeps you on your nicely-designed (except for the background color) website. You want to keep people on your website as much as possible.

In your portfolio, when I click on a photo, nothing happens. No bigger view or anything.

I wouldn't put pricing up. First of all, makes it easy for your competition to see what your pricing is. Also, it may scare a customer away thinking the pricing is too much (or, in rare cases, too little). You should keep your pricing as the last thing you discuss with a customer (if at all possible). The reason for this is you need to build your value in the customers' eyes. Most customers will look at the pricing first and then may call you. If they don't like the pricing they may not ever call you.

Other than that, nice website.

Why wouldn't you want your competition to see your prices? If they really wanted to find out, they could, and I think it would be important for the customer to know your prices upfront. If they can't afford it, why waste your time or deceive them? I do agree you need to build value, but I don't know, I guess I just see things from their point of view. If there is no price, I don't bother. Just my humble opinion. I'm a newbie, so I'm still trying to figure all this out too. I'm working on creating my site right now and have been toiling over what to charge, and how to present it on my site. It's difficult.

About the site...I think your photos are awesome! But I'm not sure your site is accentuating the pictures so they really stand out. Maybe make the thumbnails smaller and the big picture bigger for the portfolio part? Take off the watermarks on the thumbnails and reduce the thickness of the borders?

[dave_lines]

my main complaint is that it is too wide,, have to scroll side to side,, and I am using a wide monitor,,DAve

[OsmosisStudios]

I'm in a TERRIBLE mood at the moment: I'll come back to this in the morning. You've been warned.

[GadgetRick]

Originally Posted by FriedChicken

Because it accentuates contrast and saturation. And really, that's what you want.

When you edit, you have a neutral grey background. Displaying, you can pick black or white and it's not really going to affect anything.

Sorry, I don't buy that. I come from the printing world and have taught color theory. You don't want that. You're not seeing the true colors of the photos. Also, it's incredibly fatiguing looking at it.