Websites!

[ide]

I've just finished (hah, I'm never finished...) some serious updates to my website ( http://www.swimmingmermaid.com ) and it got me thinking - who here has hired a web developer? Do they recommend anyone in particular?

If you build your own website, what do you use?

I use a free wordpress account, and then get domains through godaddy.com, personally, but I'd love to hear about what works (or doesn't work) for other performers.

I also just added a GigSalad presskit, something I already had for the Vespertine Circus, which is very helpful in generating some traffic without costing any money (unlike paid-only booking sites like GigMasters, which generated a similar amount of traffic, but for $$).

Anyway... I'd love to hear about your experiences, and/or feedback on my site: some things I'd like to edit, I can't edit because I'm using a template, but I'd still love to hear what you think. What works, what doesn't work, what information is missing or confusing, etc. etc. :]

[MermaidAubrin]

my mom does web design here is her website http://www.antheliadesigns.com/
and here email if you have any quetions miranda@antheliadesigns.com hope this can help anyone

[Winged Mermaid]

We don't even have a web developer :P I'd love to hear people's suggestions and whatnot for things though!

[Spindrift]

I am a web designer. I design the art in Photoshop and code in CSS/HTML but I am also sufficient in PHP. Been coding for 8 years and have won awards. I've only been doing small-scale stuff recently though, since I'm busy with college and competition and stuff.

[Spindrift]

My recommendations are: don't ever use Flash, especially that company named WIX. It's a dying language (in web design terms), gaudy, and the user interface is normally atrocious. You can read reviews of people who have used them online and they're rarely ever good. I have seen some websites where it WORKS but those are only from people who have studied the subject extensively themselves, or are big companies. Normally, the only people ever happy with Flash are the owners, because it looks fancy, and it's nice to show off. Support-wise, they'll never be able to fix anything, and there are so many compatibility issues that people don't recognize like browser type and operating systems. Kariel's website, for example (last I checked anyway), doesn't work for anyone with a Windows computer.

[AniaR]

I have a google plus Ive been using just not very much :P https://plus.google.com/102975520382181504503

[ide]

@Spindrift - Word. Flash for-the-loose. Also, Wix-for-the-loose; their layouts are dizzying. I'm all about Wordpress as I can't really afford to hire for a web-developer, but when the circus becomes enough of a sizable company that I have a budget for such things, I already know exactly who I want to hire: the guys my boss-faerie hired to make her website (look up: Happily Ever Laughter Parties). It's absolutely gorgeous. In the meantime, Wordpress ain't bad at all.

I've been photoshopping since I was tiny (my dad is a professional photographer, and he let me play with his copy of photoshop instead of KidPix or whatever most youngsters use...) and I feel at home in it, but I haven't used it commercially save for my own projects. I'm always tempted to get more serious about graphic design, but then I remember how many other entrepreneurial projects I have on my plate, and I realize it's a terrible idea. For now. *smile* Maybe later, when I'm finally too old to be an acrobat or mermaid full-time.

@Raina, I have very mixed feelings about Google+; some good friends of mine are boycotting them, and the guy in charge of the project has already made public statements that make Zuckerberg look like a nice guy (hard to imagine, right?) but from the publicity end, it's good to have accounts *everywhere*. I am surprised that they haven't deleted your account for having the word "mermaid" in the name though, because they're pretty thorough about deleting anything that they suspect isn't a users legal name. They essentially banned Burning Man staff from Google+ by enforcing their naming policy.

[Spindrift]

Your plan sounds awesome Best of luck for it!

[Odette]

useful info. i just started building a website and its difficult. they have templates, but how do i know im going to get more gigs if it doesnt show up in a search engine?
and spending money on it seems to be a good thing but does it make a huge difference?

[Spindrift]

@Odette: Are you asking about spending money on advertising? Raina said she had some luck with Facebook advertising. For search engine stuff, it's called search engine optimization (SEO). There's a lot of things you can do for that, like using meta tags (although some people say its no longer useful). Also, if you use pictured text your site will never be indexed on search engines like Google or Bing because it's a bunch of pictures that the internet spiders can't read.

[Odette]

a business guy said my website was not professional because the ending is not .com or .org and doesnt have an e-mail connected to the website (like info@mermaidodette.com)

[mermaidondine]

Sometimes using templates can be really limiting and you can't make the edits you really want or need, so I develop/build everything from the ground up myself through an HTML account on a host like Webs. They can be a bit pricey, but Webs is probably my favorite. I also really like Blogger/Blogspot though, which is pretty cheap - $10 for a domain name for a year, which includes an email connected that site. Pretty good deal :-)

[Odette]

i bought a domian but dont know how to connect it to wordpress.how does that work?

[AniaR]

it should say somewhere on the wordpress tutorials. You usually have to set it from the website you're using. So I built mine on blogger and they had a spot to put in my purchased domain name

[malinghi]

i bought a domian but dont know how to connect it to wordpress.how does that work?

Does the website have a control panel? If it has cpanel, which is are really popular brand of control panel that is pretty east to use, then theres a button you can use for installing a lot of different stuff like wordpress.

[Mer_Adella]

I also just added a GigSalad presskit, something I already had for the Vespertine Circus, which is very helpful in generating some traffic without costing any money (unlike paid-only booking sites like GigMasters, which generated a similar amount of traffic, but for $$).

I also just added a gigsalad. Ide how trustworthy would you say that site is? Have you ever gotten a lot of rubbish emails (scammers) and such. ? I posted my gigsalad and only 3 hrs later I got an email asking about this saturday if i would work a bday party for a little 4 yr old. Don't get me wrong I would love to do it but more so that I dont want to get my identity stolen, raped, ect ect (i know its a little extreme but HEY in this day and age....ya gotta be careful)

[New York Mermaid]

i just got mine done like a month ago i did it on intuit... its simple and still i get parties, i just got 2 booked for oct 16th for twin girls

htttp://www.NewYorkMermaid.com I also use my facebook, I have the fanpage and an official mermaid account, and i have yet to do other things, im on social networks here and there but man its hard to keep up with.

[phinie]

Congratulations to you, dear friend! It is nice that you build your own website. I also want to get to know more about websites, how to promote it. It is just because I am creating my new website.

[linda]

Websites are extremely interesting. I have three websites. When I build a website, I use SEO as a fundamental part of digital marketing. Moreover, I have recently found an article about Crowd Marketing on this site. After that, I ordered this kind of marketing here and understood it really worked, because it attracted a lot of people to my website. So that, now I always order on this site and see how my websites are improving. Good luck with your website, friend.

[monicabellie]

I think you maybe need a digital marketing for your website. I got acquainted with marketing when I created my website. It was quite difficult for me to find my target audience and I once bought an advertisement from a large blogger, but it did not pay off at all! I was upset and even thought about closing my business, but a friend of mine advised me a telegram advertising service. Telega.io services helped me in promoting my business!