talkmagic.co.uk

Here is my new website under my stage name Monty Kray. It's still not 100% finished as there's more live photo's and video's to be uploaded - some additional tinkering is required. I may even do some sort or blog but I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I kept getting asked via Twitter and FB where my website was so I thought I'd upload it in it's current state.

Please have a look at it and give me your thoughts, good and bad - I'm thick skinned. But bare in mind I am a luddite and I did it all myself from scratch!! I am not a computer programmer, I am a simple man!!

http://www.montykraymagic.co.uk" target="_blank

I'm impressed! It looks nice and clean and very easy going on the eye. The markup is a little bit scratchy but I wouldn't worry too much about that, especially considering your disclaimer

My only two bits of advice would be to cut down the text on the front page a little, a simple easy-to-digest introduction that highlights exactly what you do is sufficient and indeed preferable.
Secondly, put a phone number on every page in a header position somewhere. But not your mobile, you can get an 0800 or 0844/45 number for next to nothing.

Thanks for the feedback! I think there probably is a lot of text on the front so I'll need to chop it down a bit. Eventually there'll be a showreel in place of one of the pictures at the bottom. As for the price element I deliberately wanted to put a price up there as, it's one of the first things people want to know, but looking at other websites, very few magicians put anything up there. I wanted a basic ball park figure, a sort of 'baseline call-out I won't work for anything less than this' figure. Everything else is negotiable and there are various payment options in my PayPal link. I'll see how it's received and change as I go along.

I like the idea of the free phone number. Ill do a few searches and see what I can find out. I'm reasonably pleased with the site as I don't know much about computers but wanted do it myself, just to have complete control of the business. Time to put my marketing strategy into full swing!

K

Looks ok Kev.. Nice and direct.

mr invisible wrote:Looks ok Kev.. Nice and direct.

Cheers mate!!! There'll be videos lined up when I get a decent camcorder and someone to point it!

K

2) Monty will have no hidden fees. All prices are published on line for your inspection

I tip my hat to you sir for posting prices, the rest of the site is clear and too the point as it should be....... just one thing that anoys me your not a building site so you should never have anything under construction, post a gif of a cat coming out of a bag and say more to follow {smiley face}

magicdiscoman wrote:

2) Monty will have no hidden fees. All prices are published on line for your inspection

I tip my hat to you sir for posting prices, the rest of the site is clear and too the point as it should be....... just one thing that anoys me your not a building site so you should never have anything under construction, post a gif of a cat coming out of a bag and say more to follow {smiley face}

Hahaha!! Good point! I'll edit it and re-post with your suggestion!

K

Hi, it's a nice site but on the price subject I wouldn't bother, aside from the fact i've never heard anyone charge £250 for a stage show or trade show, if someone sees a price, that's what they'll assume they're paying & would probably get a bit narky when you turn round & quote a higher price (please tell me you'd turn round with a higher price). I'm assuming you're pretty good at performing so there's no reason you shouldn't charge the going professional rate & £250 is at least £150 on the cheap side.

Nice site though.

russpie wrote:Hi, it's a nice site but on the price subject I wouldn't bother, aside from the fact i've never heard anyone charge £250 for a stage show or trade show, if someone sees a price, that's what they'll assume they're paying & would probably get a bit narky when you turn round & quote a higher price (please tell me you'd turn round with a higher price). I'm assuming you're pretty good at performing so there's no reason you shouldn't charge the going professional rate & £250 is at least £150 on the cheap side.

Nice site though.

Thanks for the feedback! It is appreciated. I've really wrestled with the price side of things and I'm not convinced it's a good or a bad idea either way? I think it's a case of suck it and see really. From my own point of view nothing infuriates me more than going on a website to buy a service/product and there's nothing to be found, or a simple 'POA' sign and an e-mail address. I normally start shopping around until I find a ballpark figure. I wanted people to visit the website and have an immediate starting figure. Should a punter contact me, I have detailed contracts that I've drawn up that contain the performance details that start at £250.00. I then have a number of additions and costings, so the price can start increasing by negotiation. I think you're right that £250.00 is too cheap for a stageshow. However, I'm currently in the process of setting up with a view to quitting my full time job, or at least drastically reducing my hours. So I'm trying to strike a balance between getting exposure, getting paid and prostituting myself. I know I haven't got the pricing quite right and I think once I've been running for a short while it'll change to fit my experience.

Certainly, starting out as a magician is not as easy as one might think! I'll be doing a few freebies along the way just to keep the business cards flowing. I've signed up to google places and will have a stab at addwords and see if it works. But yes, the pricing issue is vexing me to say the least.

Chin up though!!! I'm certainly learning a lot!

K

Kev,

Nice site. A couple of proof-reading points for you, though I'm not promising to have spotted everything...

corporate
A year's hard graft in the heading could do with an apostrophe.
Your price section on the right is headed Wedding Options & Prices. Should be Corporate.
Do you really mean mind-melding? Melding is merging or otherwise putting things together - TBH it looks like you've misspelled "mind-melting"

parties
Embarrassment - with double r and double s.
Despicableness, not dis...

parlour
Each other's company - could do with the apostrophe.
Owes its beginnings to the Victorian tradition - it's (with the apostrophe) reads as "it is" (or "it has" as it's fine in the first paragraph on the page)
You probably mean seamlessly (without seams) - no such word as seemlessly, which would mean "without seeming", I guess.
Mesmerising rather than mesmorising.

I wish you every success.

Ian

Cheers for that! All updated!! You should be a proof reader!!

K

Looks great can't see any faults in it.

Have you thought about forking out a little so that when you type 'magician for hire [in your area]' etc. into google your's will come up in the first few hits? I think given the excellence of the site, that you probably get you a whole load of bookings!

3 ♣ wrote:Looks great can't see any faults in it.

Have you thought about forking out a little so that when you type 'magician for hire [in your area]' etc. into google your's will come up in the first few hits? I think given the excellence of the site, that you probably get you a whole load of bookings!

I'm waiting to get my code from google so that My site will appear an a map in google places. If someone searches magician in cambridgshire the when the map appears I should be on it. Once that's done I'm going use google addwords to get the site near the top. I'm not 100% clued up on addwords but should have it sorted in the next two weeks! ill let you know if it works??

K

Site looks really profesional - Much better than others I have seen and one that would capture my interest if I was searching for such services myself.

Well done

I realize my response is late, but I just had a look. You are too passive. Don't start your first sentance with 'so' it sounds wishy washy. Start with "You have an event.." (or whatever) you don't need the 'so'

A few words later, 'hiring a magician can be' Can be? Seriously it 'is'. Leave out the 'can be' becuase if it 'can be wonderful' it can also be c**p. Instead go along the lines of "Having Monty Kray perform his brand of magic at your event..."

I would not ask the question on 'how do you choose a magician amoung the dazzling array. They may not know there is a dazzling array. They are at your website. YOURS! Don't lead them to think about others.

second paragraph again very passive. Instead of, 'well, hiring a magician..." You don't want them to hire a magician. You want them to hire Monty Kray. Why not something to the effect of. "Having Monty Kray perform at your special occaison guarantees you professionalism, Value for your money, so forth and so on.

The end of your third paragaraph, 'then please for the love of all things...' Sounds like you are begging. Telling them to look no further really tells them that there are others they can look at. First part of that paragraph is great. Keep that, toss the rest.

One can argue that it is all subjective. But there are definte formulas that work for marketing. Very few good sales people are passive. If you appear not to be properly convinced then why should the customers.

Really have a good hard look at your website. The intent, the design the bones are all great. But there are parts that really need to be tweeked. Find an add writer to have a look if you can. Remember don't try to sell them on magic. Sell yourself. Sell Monty Kray.

As for pricing, don't do it. I understand your logic. I feel your pain. And it would be wonderful to be able to just click on websites like yours and see the price and make a decision right there. The sad fact is the decision would probably be negative if just based on the website. The website gets a customer in the door. That is all. The selling is done over the phone or face to face.

Now you are over a barell, the customer doesn't need to call you. They call another and quote your price. They offer less, you never stood a chance. They don't know you offer a better product, they haven't spoken to you. They don't know you. All they know is the other guy makes all your claims and comes in at a lower price. If you talk to them you can sell to them. If you never even know they were there, you never had a chance.

What if 3M or microsoft, or a cruiseline was looking at your page. What if? Then they saw your prices. You are done. You don't get that job. Your price is far to low for a corperate event. You don't know if that next call is going to be your local hospital looking to put together a party for christmas or a major company putting together an industry convention worth millions. they do believe you get what you pay for. They have already priced out other professionals who are quoting much higher prices, 'what" they wonder "is wrong with you?"

Get them on the phone. Know who you are dealing with. Underpricing is as bad as overpricing. The website is a tool to get them to contact you. That is all. Back when I was a banker we used the term, 'Cheeks in the seat" we wanted the clients butt cheeks sitting in the seat across from the sales (me) people. As long as they are infront of you you can sell them. If you don't give them a reason to call you have already lost.