CRITIQUE: www.kimberlyarmstrongphotography.com

[photobykim]

Hi all, it's been a while since I've been on the forum, lots of changes going on here.

My new site is www.kimberlyarmstrongphotography.com

For those that do not remember my previous site was www.armstrongweddings.com it is still currently up as I move between site locations. You can see the place I started from on the other site to hopefully see that I have improved my first impression.

Thank you all for taking the time to look.

[daniellemoore]

Kimberly,

I think your website is very nice. I really love the bridal picture with the young lady standing in between the square arch. "Beautiful"

[photobykim]

Danielle,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I just edited my post, I realized that I did not have a link to my new site, I think the one you looked at was the old site. I tried to make it more professional and have a better flow.

Thank you again,

[janetg]

i really like the changes - it looks great

[KeepsakeGirl]

Kim,

The changes are good. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the pic of that babygirl w/ the hat who's cracking up. Oh man, that made me smile!

I forget. With a subscription to Photosite, can you get them to remove the banner on your galleries? That really distracts from the photos IMO and also looks unprofessional.
There is some software out there that's free that creates thumbs & the html page to upload to ftp and its done! PM me if you'd like that info.

[Elsaspet]

Hi Kim, before I really reply, what market is it that you are most interested in?

[photobykim]

I know that I kind of seem to be all over the place. But I am really hoping to move my business more in the direction of childrens portraits. I am a stay at home mom so working on the weekdays right now is really hard to do with the kids here. I am also trying to learn as much as I can about everything, I like to access to a little bit of everything, I dont want to feel pinned into one place and then get bored with it, you know?

Not sure if that answered your question or if I've jut rambled....

[ndsimm]

I like the layout and the design. the way you post the FAQ's along with the images is a good idea. I couldn't see a pic on the Senior page, but there seem to be a big space like one is supposed to be there. I'm using IE6 so did I miss it?

[photobykim]

No, there is no picture on the senior page, that space is reserved for one though, I am in the process of getting a senior session that I just finished posted there.

Thank you,

[Elsaspet]

Ok, for children ports, I like it. Still, I would tighten it up a bit in terms of direction.

[photobykim]

Cindy - I am just now getting back to this, my appologies please do not think I was ignoring you. I think you are right, my main focus is weddings and I need that to be prominant and displayed on the front page as well. I'll get it re-worked in the next couple days and see where that leaves me, I'll let you know.

Do you think the background is to busy, needs to be changed to just simple coloring? Thank you so much

[Albert]

It looks nice but be sure to check the HTML. There are some problems.

http://onlinewebcheck.com/?url=http:...otography.com/

[photobykim]

Albert, I appricate the link and all of that, but I have no clue what that means or what to do with it, it's just a bunch of strange words to me.

[Albert]

Originally Posted by photobykim

Albert, I appricate the link and all of that, but I have no clue what that means or what to do with it, it's just a bunch of strange words to me.

Hi Kimberly,

You may want to consider having someone who knows HTML go over your web site with a syntax checking tool to make sure there are no major technical issues. Minor things probably don't hurt much but something major could cause problems for visitors and could also hurt your search engine rankings.

[Clayton Wallace]

Do you think the background is to busy, needs to be changed

Not that you were asking me, but yes, your background is too busy. In general I don't know where I'm supposed to look or what exactly your focus is. You need to answer the following questions within 2-3 seconds of a visit:
1. What is this site about? (content)
2. Where should I look first? (layout...I suggest your read the cheap but powerful book, The Non-Designers Design Book, by Robin Williams.
3. How can I find what I'm looking for? (navigation)

If ANYTHING hinders these three things, it should be eliminated or seriously deprecated. You don't want a floral background that distracts from #1-3, what you want is to communicate feelings of "warm, friendly, strong but feminine, etc".

Figure out exactly what you want to say, then design for that.

Design shouldn't drive itself, it should always be governed by the clear theme/message of the site. Your font choices, colors, spacing, ect. should all be subordinate to the message. You should come up with a one sentence summary of your business. Everything else will then fall in line easily. For example..."Armstrong Photographraphy specializes in affordable location photography for families in the North Dallas area." If that was your summary, then everything would revolve around the key concepts of:

"family...warm, together, strong, memorable. Because of this, you might choose earthones for colors"
"affordable...show value by showcasing great packages on the homepage"
"location...with a photo of you and a client in a non-studio setting"

It took me a while to really get my focus, but now that I do I find I'm running my business instead of the other way around.

I know you have been dealing with/struggling with this for some time. I still suggest you hire a web designer, but even if you do you will need to make sure they are designing a site that communicates your central message. In any case those questions need answers.