New website - interface

[POD77]

I've just changed my website around rather dramatically.

I used to use smugmug for everything, but I felt that to non-photographers, my pages felt static.

SO, I have bravely made a front end and reserved smugmug purely just for galleries.

http://www.pdphoto.com.au/

Please tell me how it all runs. I tried to make it fairly simple and clean, tho different.

My main worry is I have 1500k broadband, and here in Australia, a lot of ppl still have 256/512 and I have no idea how laggy it is on those.

Anyhow, comments appreciated.

[Glenn Abuja]

Looks to be running fine in Canada. Nice site.
Cheers glenn

[POD77]

P.S. My website is almost 100% based on real referrals, so the ppl who I want to look at it will want work off me.
ie - potential wedding clients, I want them to get a feel for my style in about 10 or 20 seconds withot having to slough through directories of photos (unless they want :P)

I don't care about hits. I want ppl to be entertained and excited.

[Sp00ks]

Loads quickly for me. Nice job on the site. Navigation is simple and intuitive. I am on a dsl line 3mb down.

[bmwbikerider]

nice site.

[POD77]

Hows the music? I've downrated them to 1mb files. They sound clear? Are the choices appropriate?

[tlc]

in all honesty, i find the music you have chosen a bit of a turnoff. its too out there, especially for the wedding gallery. you may like it, but will other people?

i would get rid of the slide.com advertising as well, you want people to come to your site and stay, not go on to something else.

you've got some good stuff there, it just doesnt seem to flow, the two galleries seems to be different, i guess it could work. you then have a 'gallery' gallery which clicks off to another site and your gone, but the same galleries seem to appear there as well.

there is nothing about you, the photographer - who are you, why is this site up, etc.

if this is just a personal site, to show off your stuff, then i would go with what you have, if its for business purposes, i would think about making a few changes.

hope this helps and wasnt too blunt.

[bieber]

Please, please get rid of the music. If I'm using my computer, I have my own music playing in the background, as do a whole lot of other people. Still other people will be watching television, or trying to carry on a conversation. Others may not be listening to anything, but have forgotten that their speakers are cranked all the way up and everyone else in their house is asleep. In any case, the last thing you want is random music to start playing when you visit a website.

[POD77]

I don't need personal stuff as ppl learn about me by word of mouth. The website is only there to give a taste of my photography.

Am thinking about the music side of things. As far as slide advertising goes, I got rid of 3 other adds they had, but I don't seem to be able to get rid of those last bits.

Only the fashion sample is the same in the featured galleries. I plan to make the galleries open in a new window, but I can't find the html for a shrunk window on top...

[CrazyPuma]

Since it's mostly for your own clients rather than trying to get random traffic, I think it looks very nice; the front page flash slideshow is dramatic and visually pleasing.

But I agree ... get rid of the music - or at least don't use auto-play and let the user decide if they want to click play or not.

[POD77]

I'm taking a different tack, I'm going to offer with or without music in the menu. I just find pressing start on music to create atmosphere defeats the purpose.

Also decided I'm gonna change galleries back into the old webpage and name it such and move it to the end of the menu list...

[POD77]

Well, for anyone that's interested, I've instituted some changes...

www.pdphoto.com.au