Balloon Chat
Uncategorized Boards => Website "Chat" Help => Topic started by: YvonneH on January 25, 2009, 02:08:56 PM
Just finished the first draft and decided it was better off going up in the state it is rather than the holding page.
I know some of the pics need colour correction but is there any other errors I have made? I do use spell check but this is not fool proof and nor does it check proper grammar!
Opps nearly forgot to include the web address :roll: it's //http://www.loonyballoony.co.uk
Hi
How about making your email clickable?
Also only a mobile number....you do not have a land line then?
To me business that only have a mobile seem suspect.
Example: Would you hire a builder that only had his mobile on his van?
Fuzz
I do have a landline number but it's not for business use. To be fair I am not sure it has ever lost me any business because as soon as anyone wants to book I send them a booking form with a postal address on it.
As for making the email clickable - it is on the contact page but I am having issues getting the text converted to a readable image in order to do this. I may see if I can add the link in a separate layer so people think they are clicking the text but are in fact clicking on an invisible button but not sure if that is actually possible yet.
Yvonne
Your pages are all nice & bright except for the gallery page, which should be the most eye catching of the whole site. The way the pictures come up is also to me difficult to work out, can you not have an easier image file? Thelma has a nice gallery that's just been added onto her site; http://www.smudgyclown.co.uk/balloontwi ... index.html (http://www.smudgyclown.co.uk/balloontwistinggallery/balloonalbum/index.html)
Hi Yvonne,
Website seems good to me. Why not cover Central London? The map implies that you do the whole of London!
I too only have mobile number. I don't think its particularly suspicious at all. Its my business number. If I'm out and about the office phone is with me! And I can turn it off when needed, like during a show.
danny 8-)
Quote from: "Graham Lee"Your pages are all nice & bright except for the gallery page, which should be the most eye catching of the whole site .... Thelma has a nice gallery that's just been added onto her site; http://www.smudgyclown.co.uk/balloontwi ... index.html (http://www.smudgyclown.co.uk/balloontwistinggallery/balloonalbum/index.html)
Although I do like the look of Thelma's it would not be possible to fit this in the space I have available. There is a couple of other layouts that I can try but not really sure what you mean ;)
Danny I am considering cover central London (but not confident enough to do so just yet) which is half the reason why the whole of London is on there but the other reason is that I created this map myself from a free vector map of counties but it did not have London split into boroughs on it so had to just include the whole thing. Also if people contact me and I don't cover their area I will post it up here ;)
To me a mobile only website looks like it's from a part-timer or cowboy.
I read "They are a business but cannot afford a landmine WHY?"
They could at least get a freephone number and have it directed to the mobile. Although there is an argument against this.
Or have a landline number and direct to the mobile.
It's only a few £s (landline £7.99 with free calls or Freephone £5.69)
That's how I look at websites....It's all about positioning.
Fuzz
Yes but we have a problem in that we cannot have any more new numbers at present as they have stuffed as many in as they are able so I am not physically able to get an additional landline number.
Not only that but as I have stated above I really do not believe it has effected my business in the slightest as I have been running my face painting one this way for the last 2 years and was doing really well until the credit crunch hit.
If you have broadband it's easy.
If not have the number redirected to you mobile.
Does it make good business sense to make your prospect pay more to a mobile?
25p+ to a mobile or 3p to a land line.
Which is best for credit crunch Mum?
Fuzz
Having just a mobile number is less of an issue than it used to be - it is true that some people do see a mobile number only advert for any business as an indicator that the business may be a 'fly by night' outfit but more and more small businesses and individuals are getting better deals on mobile contracts and are ditching land lines.
I think in this instance, because Yvonne is getting work with her current set up then the land line number could come under the 'nice to have' heading and not be an essential item at this stage of getting the balloon side up and running.
Nice site BTW Yvonne - I think the gallery works but could be better but as you say this is the 'Mark One' version and hopefully as things get moving it will develop into something splendiferous :D
QuoteI think in this instance, because Yvonne is getting work with her current set up then the land line number could come under the 'nice to have' heading and not be an essential item at this stage of getting the balloon side up and running.
But is she loosing out?
Could she get more?
I get more calls from a landline than a mobile.
Fuzz
Quote from: "Smiggle"Nice site BTW Yvonne - I think the gallery works but could be better but as you say this is the 'Mark One' version and hopefully as things get moving it will develop into something splendiferous :D
But how :cry: Not sure if it is they type of gallery I have, the black background on the photos, the size? For instance if I made them all thumbnails with a scroll bar and then had the thumbnail link to an identical page with as large a pic as possible and buttons to click for next, last and main gallery - would that be better or are you saying that it would look better with a different style of on-line photo gallery ie //http://www.thefacefactory.co.uk/2.html?
Sorry I am being thick but I have an unfortunate combination of insomnia, an early rising child and a teething child which is resulting in not much sleep ;)
Fuzzy as I said above it is probably all academic anyway as last time I asked there was a waiting list for new landlines so as I have young children I am not prepared to have my home number for business use too.
I think that the gallery needs a really large picture already up on the black screen as the one that I just clicked through to on your face painting site.
When I click to your balloon gallery half the page is just black, a really bright picture there already would be good :)
Yvonne
Do you have broadband?
Fuzz
I think it's a combination on the galler y - the black backgound works with a few models but not all - I do like the gallery on your face painting page, I'm with Graham on a single large colourful picture alongside the gallery view
"Whether you are organising your child's birthday party or a corporate party, Funday or product launch Loony Balloony can help."
Hi Yvonne I think the above passage would read better like this:
Whether you are organising your child's birthday party, corporate event, funday or product launch Loony Balloony can help.
I hope that is a bit useful! Also i'm not sure if it would benefit from a comma after "product launch" maybe a better grammarian than me could help!!
Cheers Bickers. Not sure with the grammar myself really wasn't taught properly when I was at school so pretty hopeless really ;)
Hi Yvonne
Looks like you are concerned about people nicking your pictures.
Have you thought about putting your web address as a watermark on them?
Fuzz
I have a much nicer way of stopping most people nicking my pics which involves a transparent gif over the top of photos although I may consider using watermarks on the balloons as it does not cover any of the design like it does with my face painting pics if you see what I mean.
Right I have changed the album. I know some of the photos need resizing but other than that what do you think?
Yvonne
Seems I can print them and copy them ok.
I will email you a sample if you want.
Fuzz
That will be able to cos I haven't sorted it yet ;) . It's not a priority for me at the moment as not many people would want to steal my balloon photos when there are much better to pilfer.
My only concerns with people nicking my photos is that parents will probably not get value for money (i.e. if someone needs to nick mine it generally means they are not to that standard yet) or that someone may think it is me they saw at a party (as it was my photos they saw) and not book me as they thought I was rubbish or due to something someone else has done.
The disclaimer is more a carry over from the face painting as photo theft is rife and whenever they get caught really beginner face painting is put up in the stolen photos place! I found out earlier this year that photos of mine were being used at Alton Towers and when I complained AT didn't want to know so I assume they are still being used which makes me really cross. If an outside company can undercut a professional outfit to get the contract then they should at least use their own blimmin photos and not mine :evil:
I assume your face painting site does NOT have transparent gif over the top of photos either?
If you had your photo with watermark you would not get cross when sombody borrows them.
Fuzz
No I don't but mainly because that is a temporary site which I hate but have not yet had time to sort a new one. Due to a series of cock-ups (some of which were mine) I lost my old site which did have the transparent gif over the photos. I know this method is not fool proof but then again nothing is.
The warning is there so that should it happen someone cannot claim "that they didn't know" which is what every person I know about has claimed when caught. Either that or "Sorry, I hire someone in to do the face painting and they told me it was their photos" :evil: Also I don't think the gif would work on this type of album since you need to be able to click the thumbnails and the controls at the top.
Like I say I may watermark my balloon photos too as it shouldn't detract from the model but on my face painting site I cannot since to be effective it needs to be over the design and that will spoil the look iykwim?
Even the watermarks are not foolproof as I know one face painter who has had people copy her photos and photoshop the logo's out.
QuoteEven the watermarks are not foolproof as I know one face painter who has had people copy her photos and photoshop the logo's out.
Wow! Must have be a great picture to go that length.
Fuzz
The lady in question is an awesome artist by the name of Shannon Fennell so yes it probably was some picture.