What do you think of my Website?

[artra]

Alright, I think I'll come out and offer my photography for profit sometime in February. Right now I'm "building" my website and buffing it up with pics. So far this is what I've got http://arturophotography.com/?preview=1#
Please feel free to check it out and C+C
I know some of you aren't too fond of music coming right off, so I apologize for that but I kind of like it :-)
Other than that, don't hold back.
As of right now I haven't officially publish it yet, so this is EARLY (as on three days of work) on in the process.
thanks!
arturo

[mrfixitx]

I'm sorry but I don't like your website at all. If I was a customer shopping around for a photographer and opened up your website I would close it and move on.

I realize it is the early stages but first off you website takes to long to load. When loaded it instantly starts playing music with no way to turn it off. Once it loads the slide show is nice but you have no other information. Right now it's just a slideshow with music.

For your blog I think you need to be a little pickier on what photos you show. The 4th photo down is not something I would show. You have partially cut off the head of the groom. I understand you are trying to tell a story but I don't that photo helps you at all.

I would also see about moving your blog onto your domain name. As it with the buttons for report abuse and create blog etc.. along with the blogspot template it looks like anyone of a million generic free blogs.

Instead of having both the blog and the website open new windows I would have your be listed as a button your website instead and have everything point there. I hate it when clicking on website links opens up a new window that takes me to a different part of the same website.

I hope this helps and good luck with your photography business.

[1361]

I am afraid I have to agree. Flash has no business in a commercial site. Photographers seem to think it's cool and artsy. It is usually hard to navigate and difficult to use. If you must have music, you should at least give people an option of turning it off. The bottom line is you want your site to be easy to read and navigate, or people will simply leave.

[jdhart73]

While I disagree about flash having no part on a commercial site (many top photogs have it) I do think you need to tweek a few things. I cannot read the font on your website at all...its too small and too artsy. I was able to turn the music off easily with the "TURN MUSIC OFF" button on the lower left so thats not a problem. Good start in my opinion. I think there is a way to customize bludomain to recognize when a viewer has flash capability or not...do some searching.

Jake

[Absolutely Fabulous]

websites are our biz, I like them simple and easy to look at.

anything that takes forever to load is a no no and I hate flash, most people don't have the up to date software for flash even, they use IE7 with a crap computer (the IE7 problem IS getting better but not that quick)

oh and you want your site to work on a mobile, that is the future

[mrfixitx]

Oopss I didnt see the off button. You may want to work on having your website dynamically scale the size of the slideshow. When it loaded on my laptop I could not see the bottom left corner to find the off button for the music.

I also agree your font is to small, and while it is artsy looking it makes it harder for people to read especially at small sizes.

[artra]

Thank y'all for your comments!!!
Here are some of the changes I've made already:
a) instead of opening a "full screen" from the splash, I've decided to make the website open in the same window. That should make it load faster and show the scroll bar so people can immediately see the lower part of the menu and the "music off" option.
b) I changed the fonts to a less confusing style.
c) I'll look into "recognize when a viewer has flash capability or not" option. My hosting company is PhotoBiz.com and helpfully they can give me some guidance.
It's a "work in progress" and again THANK YOU so much for your inputs

[Dinomite]

I like the site... Who is that music by? I like it! Can you give me the name of that artist!

[artra]

I like the site... Who is that music by? I like it! Can you give me the name of that artist!

Thanks!
music by: Reik
title: Inolvidable

[SwitchBlade]

You have nothing showing if the browser doesn't have flash installed. Which is a BIG fail.

[jdhart73]

Here is a link to the fix for recognizing flash capability CLICK HERE (http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/846416/0#7899245)

[mensur]

Too much flash, took too long to view actual photos, closed my browser window as soon as music started to play.

[kaystewartphoto]

dont like it at all, takes ages to load and does not look at all professional

[klynam]

Is this a PhotoBiz site? Your landing page shows a PhotoBiz "Organic" template for your site. (I know becuase that's the PB template I use.)

If it's not a PhotoBiz site, you should create your own layout before they take/threaten legal action against you.

Like some others on here, you site killed my entire browser trying to open the site page. And I did not try it a second time.

Quite apart from the aesthetics, it looks like you have some work to do...

[artra]

Is this a PhotoBiz site? Your landing page shows a PhotoBiz "Organic" template for your site. (I know becuase that's the PB template I use.)

If it's not a PhotoBiz site, you should create your own layout before they take/threaten legal action against you.

Like some others on here, you site killed my entire browser trying to open the site page. And I did not try it a second time.

Quite apart from the aesthetics, it looks like you have some work to do...

yes, I'm with PhotoBiz

[klynam]

hmmm - then the tech issues aren't your fault and people shouldn't be having so many problems - maybe your song file is too large and consuming resources - you may want to ask PB about it...