Website design?

[ssuk]

Im no expert but i think regular updates help with seo, and rankings? Helps show google and such the site is alive

Im sure fellow geek seo can clarify? Just a pointer for you.

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[jay_g]

Im no expert but i think regular updates help with seo, and rankings? Helps show google and such the site is alive

Im sure fellow geek seo can clarify? Just a pointer for you.

Sent from my GT-S5830i using SalonGeek

I totally agree with you if SEO is the direction someone wants to take with their online strategy.

I personally dont bother with that for several reasons but with regards to updates is that I want to be able to make my site live and leave it to do its thing for as long as possible besides the occasional price list change.

Just feel its easier for ourselves and probably for many others on here as they can then just get on with their trade.

Sometimes I must admit that you can have a bit of worthwhile news to mention but when you have the option to add updates any time you like it can be tempting to fill it with waffle.

I just feel that customers want to find a clean, crisp, professional looking site thats easy on the eyes, you can find the information you want quickly and theres just enough images to give you a feel for the place and tempt them to call or email and make an appointment or enquire further.
Thats the main reason the site is there, to bring in new revenue!

I guess I am still very biased towards the image side as without that you can have thousands of visitors but they still wont be tempted to go the next step.

 

[Jack Shaw]

some of the FREE site templates that are clean and crisp are very good if you can add a tidy logo and quality images.

That is a matter of opinion, they may look half decent but the mark up is terrible, free web builders are there to promote one thing and one thing only...themselves, I take my hat off to anyone who tries to build their own website(Individual, Mobile, Personal) and to be honest most people on here are scouting for local business, so the free web builders will just about do it and you can get to page one of google organic's with free web builders
The trouble comes if your competition decides to have a proper website built, they could knock you off your position in days

The key thing is image, you need to look a worthwhile establishment and at the end of the day you are looking to create new income from it so it may well deserve a little investment.

Couldnt say it better myself, like mentioned I take my hat off to anyone building their own site (mobile Individual pages) but if you run a salon and have spent 000's kitting it out but try and do online marketing with a cheap looking website then you are asking for a very low if any conversion rate.

With our site we dont bother with updates all the time,

People read too much into SEO, search engines know the difference between a national based online business and small local offline business, you dont have to sit there every few days updating/changing things, but if you put latest news, or things that need updating then your making a rod for your own back. A well built (clean coded) website with decent content and good on page SEO will not need updating very often.

SEO for a local business is a COMPLETELY different ball game to if I wanted to get to page one of google for a national based website.

its all about image and getting those new enquiries.

A website should be there for info & converting viewers into potential customers, not to read waffle, people will get sick of me always mentioning "Calls to Action" but they are an absolute must, and to see if your own website passes the test

Open up your home page then close your eyes after 3 seconds, be honest, are you converted what "Call to Action" do you remember...If you have a negative response, then sorry to say so does the viewer/potential customer

 

[Studio One]

I've just moved my website from 1and1 to my son who has just recently started web design. I'm really proud of what he's come up with. Please take a look and any comments would be appreciated thanks. www.studioonekirkintilloch.co.uk.

 

[c bare sticks]

I like vistaprint. Lots of my clients say my website immediately drew them in and it won them over when looking for a local salon. I always ask clients how they found me and most of the time its my website they liked. However a friend running his own website design business has offered to update it all and make it more sleek so I'm looking forward to the improvements.

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[glamorizelincs]

Here is my website I made it on moonfruit the package including domain costs about 12 dollars a month home - G L A M O R I Z E

 

[Haylo_Therapies]

Hi JoJo. I made my website via mrsite.com. You pay per year and the price is very reasonable. My website is www.haylotherapies.co.uk. It's the first time I have made a website and was very easy.

Good luck

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[PixieBeauty]

You have my wallpaper!! haha the silver swirls I mean, I have that in my salon and want it on my site!
How did you put this together? was it a lot of work? Im really quite pants at doing stuff like this, I dont have the patience, but I'm willing to give it a go....
xxx

Hiya, sorry for not getting back to you. It's fairly easy, much easier than Using Wordpress I found. It's just pick your template then drag & drop boxes onto the screen. Very easy once you get into it! Downside - no seo as far as I'm aware Xx

 

[jay_g]

I've just moved my website from 1and1 to my son who has just recently started web design. I'm really proud of what he's come up with. Please take a look and any comments would be appreciated thanks. Beauty Salon in Kirkintilloch - Studio OneStudio One Kirkintilloch.

What he has done so far looks pretty good, the amount of colour is not too bold and in your face as some sites I have seen which means its easy on the eyes for finding the info you want.

I personally would have maybe lost the right hand column and put the news, contact and opening hours as headings in the left hand menu, that way you have a few more pages of content and allows a little more space to be adding small images or logo's of products that you use along side the text within your site, its not a must but maybe worth thinking about.

Also I do like the name and logo, nice to see a bit of styling rather than just picking a type font that you like and thats it.
Perhaps play with the logo and give it a bit more texture or definition against the background as the yellow part is a little lost but I am sure your son has already thought about this as it takes time to put up what he has done so far and then its just going back over it and trying slight changes to improve it.

I built our salons site back in january, not changed it since even tho there are some bits I would tweak but as we seem to be getting approximately 4-5 phone calls a day from new customers then I am in no rush but still aware that its not perfect.

Hair Force One Colchester | 01206 763730 | Hairdresser Colchester | Barbers

 

[jay_g]

Hi JoJo. I made my website via mrsite.com. You pay per year and the price is very reasonable. My website is Haylo Therapies - Home Page. It's the first time I have made a website and was very easy.

Good luck

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Hi Hayley, thats a nice site especially for your first attempt at doing that kind of thing.
Shows that you can produce something reasonable with these site makers even tho they can be a bit restrictive in some ways.

You have a few images spread about the site which is good but your header has an image but your business name could do with a bit of styling or made bigger to fill the space, just a thought!

Good use of twitter and news letter, do you know if it helps much?

 

[Haylo_Therapies]

I know. I am going to have a bit of a 're brand' in the next few months and re fresh everything. I am going to have a logo made and possibly have a better website made for me too. It is all a bit simple at the moment.

The newsletter works really well. I have a big data base and my clients enjoy reading all the tips and info.

I was surprised at how much I could do for what I paid!!

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[Violets/Ruperts]

To throw in my two cents....

Like most people, I have scoured the internet countless times, googling like a mad woman, looking for a particular service. I stumble across an excitingly named salon on Google. Excellent! But no... Alas, it is just Yellow Pages taunting me with the company name, and possibly telephone number. (If i'm lucky!)

Nothing annoys me more than people who run a business (it doesn't matter what variety) without a website. I must say, it is very refreshing to see that people here actually care that the technology loving public can access their business through the internet.

Mr Jack Shaw, I think you have made one of the most useful comments on this thread:

Open up your home page then close your eyes after 3 seconds, be honest, are you converted what "Call to Action" do you remember...If you have a negative response, then sorry to say so does the viewer/potential customer

I whole-heartedly agree with you on the "Call to Action" but I shall save my rants about website design for another thread.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Thanks Katy, ermmm I am not just starting out, done my NVQ in Web Development and now in my final year of my Degree for Website Design and Development, I have a couple of modules to do and I decided to select the Beauty Industry for my final year, and to be honest glad I did.

Got a few website reviews I still have to do and any Web Design you need I really don't mind putting something together of how it should be done, it helps with my degree and giving apples to lecturer.

If you want any advice then please do ask, I really don't mind passing on my experience.

Thanks again Katy, I have now put my trumpet away

That's really interesting to hear about your course, Jack. Random question, but do you take on freelance work from other companies? I often have the odd bit of HTML/CSS development that needs doing. I used to get a student called Andy to do some work for me last year (I found him via a website called Student Gems - Student Jobs, Temporary Work, Freelance Students, Outsourcing UK | studentgems.com) but he graduated earlier this year, and I ended up helping him get a permanent job with a guy that I do consultancy work for who runs sports websites, and he's too busy with that now to do any work for me.

 

[MummyCat]

I'm currently in the process of setting up my website, so this thread is great as it's always good to get new ideas for design and pages/options etc.

Good luck with yours x

 

[Lush-Lash]

Mines done free with weebly, I bought my .co.uk domain name from 123.reg, I've had it around 3 or 4 months but only really bothered with it this week as I've just had business leaflets printed & it has my website on so thought I'd best get my ass into action before I post out my leaflets.

Looks as good as a freebie can, I'd of opted for a paid one but I just can't afford it at the minute & to be honest my weebly site looks good. x

 

[jacquelineanna]

What he has done so far looks pretty good, the amount of colour is not too bold and in your face as some sites I have seen which means its easy on the eyes for finding the info you want.

I personally would have maybe lost the right hand column and put the news, contact and opening hours as headings in the left hand menu, that way you have a few more pages of content and allows a little more space to be adding small images or logo's of products that you use along side the text within your site, its not a must but maybe worth thinking about.

Also I do like the name and logo, nice to see a bit of styling rather than just picking a type font that you like and thats it.
Perhaps play with the logo and give it a bit more texture or definition against the background as the yellow part is a little lost but I am sure your son has already thought about this as it takes time to put up what he has done so far and then its just going back over it and trying slight changes to improve it.

I built our salons site back in january, not changed it since even tho there are some bits I would tweak but as we seem to be getting approximately 4-5 phone calls a day from new customers then I am in no rush but still aware that its not perfect.

Hair Force One Colchester | 01206 763730 | Hairdresser Colchester | Barbers

Whoa - 1/2 leg wax costs more than a Brazilian wax??

 

[Angie5]

Hi
I am in the process of having a web-site built by Safetech Designs.
I have a cheap make do one before, and it reflected on me I'm afraid.
So I knew if I wanted to advertise properly I needed to look as professional as possible, you can
pay monthly instalments over a period of time, well worth it, with back up and help etc, Definitely the way to go, if i need anything myself i go to the pc and search so a good web-site is a must in ourindustryback

 

[MeToYouNails]

To throw in my two cents....
Nothing annoys me more than people who run a business (it doesn't matter what variety) without a website. I must say, it is very refreshing to see that people here actually care that the technology loving public can access their business through the internet.

I am so glad you think like me!

Most people needing something from Plumbing to Nails will Google it and to NOT have a website is just down right weird!

Having seen a 'Holding Page' for a medium sized salon in my area for 2+ years makes me smile. Why go to all that effort to effectively do nothing?

I am good at nails therefor, I leave my Web, Advertising and Marketing up to the people that do that for a living to ensure I get the best I can, while I do my job.

What does annoy me is people (not anybody who has posted on this thread) claiming to be web developers and ripping people off by charging too much, charging heaps for changes and keeping passwords secret from clients.
I have met too many people who are either Sole Traders or small Businesses who have lost a lot of money this way and it breaks my heart as they can do nothing about it.

My website; MeToYouNails Mobile Nail technician in Aberdeen, UK :: Manicures, Gel Nails, Shellac, Rockstar Nails and Acrylic Nails a speciality

 

[Jack Shaw]

Nice site and I agree with what you are saying, some web designers do take the biscuit when it comes to updating and make out something will take hours when in fact it would take minutes.

But I have to disagree with you on this one

web developers and ripping people off by charging too much

If you didnt know web design and web development are two totally different things, Web development can be a very time consuming job, for example if you asked for a bespoke CMS system or an ecommerce site from scratch then this is not a two minute job, there are so many different scripts to write, database tables to create, and then getting the website to interact with the database, whilst making it safe from security threats/hackers and keeping page size down as the end user wants a web page to load in the blink of an eye.
You can put together a design in a couple of hours, ask a developer to create something can run into many hours, days even weeks.

So if you are asking for something from a web developer and get a price in the £000's it is justified, I promise, ask a web designer to create you a static website and get a price in the £000's then they are taking the ermm wee.

 

[MeToYouNails]

Sorry Jack!
I used the wrong terminology in the post. As I said, Web Work is not what I do and I leave it in the capable hands of my 'Web People'.

What I should have said is more of a general 'Web Services/Suppliers'.
I know there is a huge difference between Developers and Designers etc which has a impact cost because of the time involved.
What I was referring to was something I was told about 'Web People' charging a Sole Trader £500+ to add photographs on a quarterly basis (each time).

Hope this clears up what I was trying to say!