Portfolio website critique wanted

[Deleted member 8670]

Hello, good people of TPland!

I started a photo website a couple of years ago. I was only half-serious about it at the time, and knocked it together using Wordpress and YAPB, to keep it low-maintenance. Increasingly, I have become more house-proud, and have tried to keep a certain standard of photography, and reorganise the content a bit.

I'm not sure if it really hits the spot though. It doesn't really have an identity/personality, and I'm not really sure what I want it to achieve any more. I've had zero print sales though it, which is disappointing, though not the end of the world—I could just give up on that part. It gets about 120 unique visitors a month, but I get very little contact as a result of it.

So, I had the bright idea of asking you good folks if you'd mind taking a peek, and maybe giving your first impressions. Assuming it's the sort of photography you like, what do you like and dislike about it? In your expert opinion, as a photographer and user of the internet, what do you think would make it better?

Here it is: http://yphotography.co.uk

Thanks for looking!

Keith

 

[petersmart]

Well I do like the photos especially the opening one, the young boy on the beach, which is really eye-catching.

the site itself is nice and simple but I know what you mean about lacking an identity - so you really need to define exactly what you want it to do - portray your work to your clients, sell prints, etc and then tailor it to do that.

As far as I can tell your site is on the first page of google for your name, but not for anything else.

I tried "Yorkshire freelance photographers" but got nothing for the first 3 pages of Google and to be quite frank I barely look beyond the first or second page if I'm searching for something.

Here is a site which IS on the first page of Google for the term "Yorkshire freelance photographers" and shows some of the things you need to do to get on there and it also acts as a good intro to prospective clients:

http://www.shaunflanneryphotography.com

http://www.shaunflanneryphotography.com/about/

I suggest you spend some time checking out the first few pages of Google for various key phrases that you might use and then tailor your site for that.

Remember all SEs need TEXT so a well made site needs text and pictures which not only appeal to your clients but also to the SEs.

Here is another simple site, also on the front page of Google, which illustrates this perfectly:

http://www.andreaduncan.co.uk/

Hope this has been of use to you.

.

 

[Deleted member 8670]

Thanks for that suggestion. I have done SEO, but I hadn't thought to use that keyphrase because, again, I'm not really sure what people should be looking for to find it!

I will have a look at those websites and see what they are doing.

I have thought about putting links on other photography websites, but I'm not really sure where to start.

 

[petersmart]

Thanks for that suggestion. I have done SEO, but I hadn't thought to use that keyphrase because, again, I'm not really sure what people should be looking for to find it!

I will have a look at those websites and see what they are doing.

I have thought about putting links on other photography websites, but I'm not really sure where to start.

Well you can put a link on here, in your own signature which is a start but try to make your links into anchor links whenever you can using a keyphrase - anchor links count quite highly with Googe.

And on your site don't try to cram a load of keywords or keyphrases in; each page should be optimised for just one keyphrase or a couple of keywords.

And use Meta keyword tags - some SEs still use them I believe - but only a few which also correlate with the words on a particular page and the description and title tags - if they are all correlated for one keyphrase that works much better.

.

 

[k4stn]

Hi Kieth

I have been looking at your web page and the first thing is that on your home page there's a link that says "previous" this is the home page so is the start of your site not the end.

The YPhotography link should say "home" as this will take you back to the home page.
Have the home page as a photo that is not in your gallery as it is confusing to people who are not internet savvy.

The lay out and links should be the same all the pages including the home page, I would go with the lay out thats on the gallery page but with the top links as (home,about and contact,gallery). The gallery page is ok but you need to have all your photos on that page with a slider but keep the "categories" lists so people can view only the ones they are instested in.

The best way to see how people go on with your web site is to ask some one from your family who is not very good with the internet and watch then navigate it. It takes 5 seconds for someone to think i'am lost :bang:and go to another site and thats lost sales.

On a positive note you have some very good photos

Shane

 

[Deleted member 8670]

Thanks for the feedback, Shane. I've made some changes based on your comments already.