RE: critique please

Hi Lori,
I like how you offer an email for your references, it shows you have
confidence in your relationships with past clients.

I feel that your site needs a more professional spin (similar to last
post about tarketing a particular market or industry) and an 'updated'
look.  On that vein, I was surprised to find a typo on your left hand
side Animation button (as Animantion) (it is spelled correctly in other
titles and bottom text links).  Your code is flawless, but the 'design'
part is lacking - and this is something that draws in clients.  I
recommend a book - 'Pantone's Guide to Communicating with Color' - a few
good color combinations and a solid design concept should see you
through to a more appealing look.

I would have a few other people - business associates - review your
copy.  For example, on your Rates page, it sounds rather casual, 'sort
of the neighbor next door who does web designing'.  The first sentence,
'Every site owner has different requirements.' Start off very good. But
instead next I would say something like, 'we have experience in the
personal hobby site to the complex e-commerce website.  We can offer
graphic design... we will work to a customer's budget and often beat
your time requirements because of our hand-coding skill and error
checking...' or something along those lines.  Like they say on a resume
- use action verbs!  It might be an idea to have someone else write it -
which can make it sound more professional.  I found it very hard to
write my own copy for my site and even now it needs a rewrite!

Another consideration, on your Experience page you list 'domain name
registration' as a skill.  As a web designer, IMHO, I think this is a
service to offer, but not a 'skill' as it does not require an expert to
do it. Also, instead of saying Fireworks 2 I would just state Fireworks.
That is like saying I did work in 1998 when it is now 2002.  The
software probably works fine, I just wouldn't advertise it.  In fact, I
wouldn't give away any of your specific secrets that make you a better
designer - except that you can work through complex code in minutes and
your site loads on every browser there is!  So I'm not sure I would
mention you use templates to speed design.  As a client, I want my work
to be unique and custom.  If you were saying a client is offered
templates to use to expand their site, then I might mention it.  Anyway,
just from a client point of view that it how I would see it perhaps.

You have unique skills to offer and I think it is just a matter defining
your market, refining your text, and finding a design concept that
speaks to the customer with more than words, but images, text and color.
These additions don't have to be browser or bandwidth hungry.  With your
skills you could display them and optimize them with no problems.

Regards,
Lori Leugers
http://www.lolamediadesign.com


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hwg-critique(at)hwg.org [mailto:owner-hwg-critique(at)hwg.org] On
Behalf Of lori
Sent: Friday, 04 October 2002 01:01 PM
To: hwg-critique(at)hwg.org
Subject: RE: critique please

I haven't had time to really look at your site yet, but I had a question
or two. Where do you find most of your web design business coming from -
Local businesses, personal pages a certain industry? I would really give
that some thought and then see if 1.) there is more room to grow that
market how you can push for more or 2.) is that the market you really
want to appeal to - if not what is and how can you better target them?

With as many web designers out there as there are - offering all the
same services, I think it is really important to target the potential
clients too. Based on your copy, meta tags, etc. I think you are
marketing the services but maybe not targeting your message as much as
you could. I would pick an industry or area or something and then build
a site that will appeal to them, then target them directly through an
industry association or something. 

Lori
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hwg-critique(at)hwg.org [mailto:owner-hwg-critique(at)hwg.org] On
Behalf Of Lorrie Eldridge
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 12:18 PM
To: hwg-critique(at)hwg.org
Subject: critique please


Hi All,

I am a web designer trying to stay afloat since Sept 11, 01 and not
getting enough business to survive and was wondering if some of you
folks could critique my site and let me know if you see anything wrong
with what I offer on my site. 

I focus on small businesses and personal pages. My major focus is on
designing sites so they are search engine and browser friendly so I try
to keep them simple without a lot of wing-dings. My prices are at rock
bottom. I have a low overhead because I write all my code by hand (no
expensive programs to purchase and update). I have an English degree, am
an artist and have some graphic skills (Photoshop and Fireworks). I also
use a Mac.

Some of the sites I design are getting 2400 hits per month but my web
design site only gets about 230. I can't afford to pay for listing in
major engines but I get top rankings in Google for my major keywords but
most of my hits are coming from people looking for graphics and not web
designers. I am listed in about 7 web design directories as well as most
major engines/directories that don't require a fee. My site ranks at
about 5 on Google's toolbar last time I checked it on a friend's PC (I
have a Mac so don't have access to their toolbar.)

http://www.loriswebs.com/
this is a professional site

I would appreciate any tips you can give me to improve hits and draw
customers.

thanks
Lori

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