JP Stones — Sun, 30 May 1999 00:10:00 +0000

yep congrats on those two jobs, hopefully they will lead to many more in the future.
JP

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Mountain WorldWide — Sat, 29 May 1999 19:52:00 +0000

Well, one thing to keep in mind Kimberly is that once they get to your web site you can sell them on your words instead of your looks. If many of these Webmaster Forum members and moderators don't like the images and think they are distracting, chances are many other people will too. The simple solution is to develop what Roo said about "too much scrolling on the homepage." And you can do this without sacrificing your graphics and your style:

On your first page, just ask a few questions that your client will be wondering when they get to your site. Have these questions link to a page with an answer and an example. Then mold those pages around your style. This can be a challenging, yet educational, way to hone your skills.

The questions can be something like "Why should my organization be on the Internet?" or "How does Kimberly's designs interact with the Internet user to provide an easy and enjoyable visit?" Try to think of about 5-6 questions and answers that will convince potential clients to at least contact you.

And the pages you have now do not have to go to waste. On that first page, at the bottom, you can put a link to webmaster.html that says something like "For a guided tour Click Here."

Remember though, the first page needs to be neutral and needs to offer the visitor choices right away so that they do not hit the back button before they have a chance to look at your credentials.

One last thing...you should have your own domain name. Not only is it more professional, it's fun. Since you are not targeting the hardnosed business type, get a domain with your name (kimberlyhargis.com or kimberlydesigns.com). Clients will take you more seriously and you can brag to your friends. Plus, it is easier for people to remember when you tell them to check out your web site. It's not very expensive either.

If you need any help let us know.

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Carolyn Jones — Fri, 28 May 1999 20:13:00 +0000

Congradulations on your new jobs Kimberly!!
I think there are clients for every level of web making expertise , and each happy client will tell his/her friends about you.

take care,

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jksworks — Fri, 28 May 1999 19:42:00 +0000

I was not going for a business look. I simply do not have the skills for a big company to hire me. I already tried that and I just can't get a job doing that. I was more looking for local churches, organizations, and small business that are just wanting something bright. There is too many business looking pages out there and they all look alike to me. I wanted something different that didn't scare people off and I figure if I would not use a business large site I could not find my way around and feel lost. Why would a local small business in my small town want to use something they feel lost when they see it. I guess I should have said that in the first place. By the way, I just got my first two clients this week. There are small personal site but work is work.
Kimberly

Joseph Bannon — Thu, 27 May 1999 03:09:00 +0000

It looks like a "personal" homepage.

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jksworks — Thu, 27 May 1999 02:58:00 +0000

Please see http://khwebmster2000.cjb.net and tell me what you think.
I was also wondering if I should try to do my own (copy and paste codes) cgi script for a guest book or if it would be ok to use a remote host?
Thank you
Kimberly

myriad — Thu, 27 May 1999 02:19:00 +0000

Just a quick note without being too
harsh.

1) Too many distracting images
2) Don't like pop-up boxes
3) Not much content

The page isn't very business like - but that would depend on the type of client your after.

Sorry - but hope this helps

Roo — Wed, 26 May 1999 19:46:00 +0000

Yeah, it does look like a 'personal page', I'll say it again, if you are seeking to make money, your site has to have that professional buisnesslike appearance, there is a huge huge difference between a personal and commercial site.

Lose the animations, though the are fun, your clients aren't looking for that. It's distracting.

Your backgrounds that you offer would be difficult to use text
on, and are more 'artsy' than functional.

Too much scrolling on the hompage. If I want to hire you I want the info fast without the glitz.

Don't advertise that you are using Printshop, to a company looking for a webdesigner they want to see Photoshop. Yeah, I know it's beyond my budget too, so don't advertise it.

The other services tou offer , better make sure they are Mac compatible as well, an awfull lot of buisnesses use Macs, as a matter of fact I've seen several graphic design jobs that I'd love to apply for but I'm on a PC.

Since you have no sample pages yet, get rid of the empty pages will turn customers away. Maybe design some bogus layouts, or logos to display instead, showing a varity of page designs.

Mainly you want to sell your services and anyone who views your site will get a 'first lasting impression' you want to make sure you come off as professional, polished, and knowledgeable.

Roo

JP Stones — Wed, 26 May 1999 18:53:00 +0000

I can see that you are looking for an interactive 'lively' feel to the site, but will have to admit that it does look amateurish at the moment. The lack of content on the first page is also a negative point.
JP

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Wed, 26 May 1999 17:21:00 +0000

Thats my personal opinion, but I think that most animation, let a website look unprofessional. They are allright on an entry page, but otherwise they distract from the content.

Also, no offense, but if you want to do business in webdesign you should come up with more than sites that almost everybody can throw together in frontpage.

Later,

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