Web Designing for Success...

[Ray Eden]

Hello,

I'm re-working my web site as I finally got my own domain name. I'm wondering what those of you out there who use web sites as part of your marketing feel have been the strengths of your sites that have made you stand out in the mind of the clients?

Magickally,

Ray Eden

[Timothy Hyde]

Can't beat Web pages that suck for good advice. Check out the "biggest mistakes" article for a quick overview and a few laughs.

[Guest]

Ray,

I looked at your website. I like it.

There are some things I've learned that may be of some value to you. Some are a consequence of over forty years in the professional entertainment industry as talent and part as owner of a booking agency and personal management company.

If you are pro, have a public site (I use a free one!) and a commercial one (private) for just people in the business with a need to know more details. (Lay people would have some difficulty finding mine. The search engines are no help finding the real one! This is for the same reasons as having a stage name since 1969. Its not in the phone book!)

I suggest making the real business ones with passwords that you control so that you can control access for each individual you let enter. You can also close their access later if they change employers, become inactive, talk too much, etc.

Schedules, rates, contract terms, etc. do not need to be accessible to your competition and bargain hunters. Save that information for agents, talent buyers, etc. who really may need to know.

Don't pass out a qualified prospect list to your competitors! Competitors do not have to be other magicians. Pressing an old client of yours for making plans on a date when they know you are already booked creates an opportunity for them! (You've already furnished the prospects identification!) Don't make it easy for parasites to eat at your business. Some live well off host animals! Parasites are sneaky cowards, not courageous business people. Dont set yourself up to bait them.

As long as you can be contacted directly through the public site, you can always guide those who are there to do business to the "real Business" site. Usually you want to talk to them first by phone anyway.

You may also have to deal with leeches that will use Internet searches intended for finding you to lead suckers to their own sites. Some will even use your name without a license (grounds to sue! --- unless you are an elected official) and claim to have done an interview, rant or rave, etc. Parasites are still parasites and pro talent buyers learn to recognize them. The lay public does not.

Clearly list the properly licensed links on your public site so people will know the difference when a leech attaches himself to show up on searches for your site. Leeches apparently cant draw the same searches based upon their own reputations. They will try to steal your following to their sites. The thieves will never try to make contact with you. They will just show up in your searches.

(For an example, do a search for my site and you will spot a leech who did a review of my commercial site he has never ever seen! But the real purpose is to lead you to his unrelated site based upon a search for mine. Hes a parasite! Always check for where the link takes you. Its an easy test. A parasite is not going to direct traffic to you. They are there to steal it to their site instead.)

Great site! Save it for the pros. Put a free site out there for the general public to sort the mail and bait the leeches. The freeloaders will come soon enough.

You are in Finland, I see. They are a hard-working people. I was on the board of directors of an international firm in Norway for years. I wish I could have had my children educated there or in Sweden. But that is another story! Theyve done well.

Good Luck Ray!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

[Ray Eden]

Thanks Bob,

You've given me some things to think about that I hadn't considered.

Magickally,

Ray Eden

P.S. Thanks for the kind words about my site.

[Guest]

Ray,

I hope I didn't scare you away from having websites. Today you really need them.

My real concern is that you want the site to help you and your prospects without becoming easy pickings for someone willing to just live off of you.

Thank you for the email also.

Good Luck with your show. Keep us posted.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

[Ray Eden]

No... didn't scare me at all. I've been using web sites for years (I write html and create graphics), but I just want to make sure that I'm gettin the most bang for my buck. Your advice was quite good.

Ray

[NCMarsh]

a few other thoughts: go for a cheap domain registrar -- the product is the same and you're paying $7 a year instead of $100+ from Network Solutions et alia (I use luckyregister.com)...

When designing a site, functionality is the central issue...can I get the information I am looking for quickly and conveniently?...a great article on this -- written by a good friend -- is at http://www.christmasgorilla.com/service ... esign.html

best,

N.
IllusionArtistry.com

[Guest]

An interesting developement with my computer leech in St. Louis that had been parasiting off my site searches for a year:

Since posting this above:

"(For an example, do a search for my site and you will spot a leech who did a review of my commercial site he has never ever seen! But the real purpose is to lead you to his unrelated site based upon a search for mine. Hes a parasite! Always check for where the link takes you. Its an easy test. A parasite is not going to direct traffic to you. They are there to steal it to their site instead.)"

He has removed himself from my name in an Internet search. Apparently totally honest exposure was not what he sought! Thank you for bringing it to his attention that parasite mail is for leeches. And that you can identify computer leeches with minimum effort. All you have to do is just see where the link takes you.

Watch your backside. Freeloaders are in plentiful supply. Cheaters think integrity is something you can steal.

Good Luck!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander