talkmagic.co.uk

Hey all, I have just recently started work on my new site to help with promotion and bookings etc, I'm just curios as to see your opinions on the layout and such, and if anything else needs to be added. Its about 75% complete at the moment i'd say.

Heres a link:

http://philmentalist.byethost18.com/php ... s/news.php

(Obviously this would be changed, unless I decide to demonstrate my 'amazing' memory by actually remembering that!)

Thanks, Phil

I'm a little confused, is this a site to 'present' to the public or one for other magicians, it seems like an odd mishmash of the two.

Yeah, I was aiming for a little of both, more so to present to the general public though. Is there too much 'Magicky' stuff do you think?

to be honest, I don't like it. You are trying to book yourself as a professional. Then you have to be professional. Get an editor, get somebody fluent in web design for business. Here are a few things I noticed at a quick glance.

You say 'Bends metal with their minds" Are you bending the metal? Are you using the spectators mind to bend metal?

First you sort of say you are a mind reader, then a few words later you are 'guessing' what they are thinking. Which is it?

In your 'hire me' page you refer to yourself with small caps as in, "i'll be happy to..."

I am not sure the sentence under 'Table Hopping' is even a sentence.

If your hour show is smoother and costs the same, why even bother with the 45 minute show?

I think you are off to a good start. But as stated on the begining, needs some basic editing and you need to be focused and professional. Your page does not reflect either.

phillipnorthfield wrote:Yeah, I was aiming for a little of both, more so to present to the general public though. Is there too much 'Magicky' stuff do you think?

In my mind you should never combine the two, it's like saying "I'm a mind reader, but not really, for a tenner you can be too".

If you want a site to promote your stuff to the magic community then have one. Separately.

Oh, and what bmat said. Get a decent web designer on the case instead of the tired (and very dated) CMS look.

I'm sorry to say, I think it's awful. Just my honest opinion.
The moment I opened it, I thought: Oh dear, I don't want to read one more blog!!!

It needs professional look, it needs pictures, it needs appeal, it needs to be interesting. It's got nothing. Even the colours are bland and dull! Loose the Date: 12/08/2010 19:57 and Created by: phillipnorthfield, awwww... just loose the whole damn page!

You should throw it and step out of the blog environment. You don't need a page where people can comment or vote on what you write on your website. You're better off with a single JPG with a bicture of you, information about what you do and your phone number and e-mail address.

Anything is better than a blog-site for a professional or a semi-professional magician!

You have obviously put a lot of effort into this but you did ask so I will tell.

It's really horrible and it just screams amature!

Please don't use this site to promote yourself, it suggests you really couldn't care less about your magic.

Pay a pro to build a site for you.

Alec

Here is a good friend of mines website. He's a mentalist/mind reader as well compare the difference between your site and his:

http://www.matttheknife.com/

Enough said.

I agree with all the above. But of course I would
PM me, I will either be able to sort you out with a quote or get you in touch with someone else

Hi Phil,
Im sorry to say it,but you did ask.
I think its awful.You must have spent quite alot of time on it,but im afraid it has been wasted time,IMHO.
You must be a seasoned performer if you are performing stage shows etc,Are you full time proffesional?or is this a hobby?
Whether you are full time or not,doesnt really matter.you should be selling yourself as a profesional and therefore should have a profesional looking website.
Get yourself in touch with Ade Gower at monster creations,Give him your budget and im sure he will come up with something more condusive to a profesional entertainer.
Good luck with it.

Deano

Ive just been reading through your website... you do 20 minutes at each table?!

using something like a phpFusion default theme.. or indeed any base theme is going to give you a site that looks like a tech forum.. not a magician/mind reader...

have a look at some of the sites that Ade's done at Monster creations...

something like PHPFusion is just not what you need.. a wordpress or pure HTML site would be better and more 'public' friendly...

and agree with what others have said... ask a design savvy person to do it... your site, even though you've put a lot of effort in.. looks nothing like a entertainment site..

sorry...

I too found the site somewhat confusing and would agree with all what the others have said.

Briefly, I think a web site should be like a quality brochure aimed at those who might be thinking of engageing this sort of entertainment.

I would say, start from square one again, looking at many other sites of magicians/mentalists as possible to get inspiration and ideas. Mark.

Sorry, but it's really awful.

I'd pay a professional if I wanted to look like a professional.

Thanks for the tough love guys, respect the honesty, better to hear it from the people least likely to hire me!.

I have arranged to get another site set up through a friend of mine who is a web-developer, I'll take all your advice on board and make the improvements.

Thanks, Phil