Marketing using your website

keith_donaghy

Hi everyone

This is my first post so go easy on me! lol

I have been running my own entertainments business in the Derry and Donegal area since leaving college in 2007. I have been marketing it with simple business cards and a few posters put up in chippies and shops and an advertisment in the local paper.

I got a few gigs out of it but not much. I was told that a website would help and so with the help of a friend we designed a basic website.

I am now using google adwords to try and get people onto my site but i think that the site itself needs an overhaul to bring it up to speed.

I am looking for some suggestions as i am going to compleatly re design the site and market it better.

Help is appreciated!:p

The site is here: www.kdentertainments.com

Cheers

MB74

Hi Keith,

Welcome, we'll try go easy on just for now, later on you can be thrown to the lions!

The site doesn't look to bad, but lacks a little.........what do the french call it (who cares what the french call it), it lacks a little punch or glitz or something on those lines.

I think you might have too much on the home page, people will only give the front page a couple of seconds, if they can't navigate where they want to go the won't stay to read the rest.

The pictures you use seem like a 'pic-em mix-em', might want to change one or two of them.

Your loggo and 'Award winning ....' looks good across the top imho.

I would change one or two of the titles and their order, maybe 'recommendations', looks a little out of place and perhap a different word, references or maybe something else.

Having said all that I know someone is going to look at my website and do the same on me!!!:D

Hope it all goes well.

forbairt

Few thoughts .... all harsh sorry (take it as constructive criticism)

Colours ... don't feel very entertaining.

Logo doesn't do much for me

Fonts are a bit all over the place

client list a bit boring logos / quotes from clients would be good . maybe have them rotate or do something interative

not too keen on your link directory crap down the bottom

urls could be a bit better ...
dj.htm .... would be better as /professional-dj-hire or similar

pictures as was said are a bit all over the place.

Anyways does your site work ... yes its there but .. it needs to be laid out better .... make it look more professional and like you've put a few quid into it.

duncanb

keith_donaghy wrote: »

Hi everyone

This is my first post so go easy on me! lol

I have been running my own entertainments business in the Derry and Donegal area since leaving college in 2007. I have been marketing it with simple business cards and a few posters put up in chippies and shops and an advertisment in the local paper.

I got a few gigs out of it but not much. I was told that a website would help and so with the help of a friend we designed a basic website.

I am now using google adwords to try and get people onto my site but i think that the site itself needs an overhaul to bring it up to speed.

I am looking for some suggestions as i am going to compleatly re design the site and market it better.

Help is appreciated!:p

The site is here: www.kdentertainments.com

Cheers

Kevin,

I was just on your website.

i am only starting out in business myself.

Can i ask you how did you get those top end clients listed on your homepage to do business with you....surely not through flyers?

.how did you sell a business service to them.

Cheers

Duncan

Mr Clonfadda

Hi Keith

What i try to do is turn everything around and say what would i think? would i do business with myself?

Check out your opposition. Front Page imo should be clear & clean and then visitors can check out more. Customer Feedback should be much clearer. Maybe you could have a comment on each page?

Good luck

testing_times

Hey,
I personally think you have to much going happening on your home page.
If you look at any of the 'Quality' site out there that have one thing in common - no clutter, crisp, clean and to the point.

People want straight away why they should pay for your service. If they want to know about the previous client base they can click on different links.
I think you need to simplify the home page.

As a previous post mentioned, look at the competition and perhaps take from them.
Try and be clear, concise and to the point.

Not trying to pick on the bad points here just trying to help.

Good luck with your venture.

keith_donaghy

Thanks for the comments people.

Ive made a few subtile changes here and there.

Im not a web designer and this is the first site that I have ever done.

As with regards to the references from companies, I joined my local chamber of commerce where I was introduced to businesses and swapped cards.

Andrewlyn

When you are looking to make sure that you are making the money that you need to when it comes to internet marketing, you will find that it is important to make sure that you have a good foundation to build it on. Although there are plenty of different success stories that you might hear when it comes to making money online, you will find that you can't learn a great deal about what you are doing from the success overnight stories out there. While some people do get lucky and manage to be in the right time and the right place to make a success out of themselves, you will find that you cannot rely on that. When you are looking to make a huge splash when it comes to internet marketing, you will find that you need to think about what a conclusive and informative internet marketing course is going to give you.

byrne0f56789

You can only tell what works by testing and measuring different content and seeing what makes the most sales.

I would suggest that you start a blog. Blog on a topic as regularly as you can. Blogger and Wordpress are free and you can link them to your own hosting. Give people useful information on event planning and so on.

Also, put a bookmark option on each page. Use Addthis.com, all you have to do is copy and paste a couple of line of code and people can submit your site to the many social bookmarking sites out there.

CallieO

ONLY blog if you can write entertaining and interesting copy. On a regular basis. There is nothing so off putting as an abandoned blog. Technoratti stats show how very few blogs survive beyond a few months at the outmost.


As for designing websites - anyone can create an interactive multi paged web site with little or no coding experience.

Here are a few examples......

www.andrewgriffiths.org
http://avirtualtourist.wikispaces.com/ ( just personal organiser )
http://andrewgriffiths2.wikispaces.com/

Till Rolls

keith_donaghy wrote: »

Hi everyone

This is my first post so go easy on me! lol

I have been running my own entertainments business in the Derry and Donegal area since leaving college in 2007. I have been marketing it with simple business cards and a few posters put up in chippies and shops and an advertisment in the local paper.

I got a few gigs out of it but not much. I was told that a website would help and so with the help of a friend we designed a basic website.

I am now using google adwords to try and get people onto my site but i think that the site itself needs an overhaul to bring it up to speed.

I am looking for some suggestions as i am going to compleatly re design the site and market it better.

Help is appreciated!:p

The site is here: www.kdentertainments.com

Cheers

Hi keith, i checked your website on website.grader dot com, check it your self and it will give you an idea of where you need to improve it, you got a grade of 11 out of 100 which isnt good , but on the positive point you can only improve it and the web grader tells you were you are going wrong. All the best with your business, I would suggest using gumtree dot com and make sure you link the ad to you website. Best of luck for the new year .

Till Rolls

keith_donaghy wrote: »

Thanks for the comments people.

Ive made a few subtile changes here and there.

Im not a web designer and this is the first site that I have ever done.

As with regards to the references from companies, I joined my local chamber of commerce where I was introduced to businesses and swapped cards.

Also you should but a link to your site in your signiture here on this site, your missing out on great PR by not having your signiture on here