Thread: Built a website!

So I finally took the plunge and built myself a website. I would love some Bhuz beta checking before I post it all over the place!

Raqs Ainsley

The main purpose of the website is to promote my classes. I'm not focusing on marketing myself as a performer right now, so you'll note that the performance section is not extensive.

Feedback appreciated! ..g.:

I think it's nice! I think it seems like your name should be bigger though. Seems like its a little hard to notice and also if you can list your class days and times for the locations you are teaching at. I would be interested in that as a student.

Nicely done! It's clean, easy to navigate, and looks professional.

I agree with the above poster that your name at top could be bigger. It doesn't "pop". Otherwise, I like it!

Nice little site. I think prospective students would like to know your performance credentials with a fantastic video clip in the performance section. You have to sell yourself as a dancer first before selling yourself as a teacher.

Originally Posted by HubicRuzz

Nice little site. I think prospective students would like to know your performance credentials with a fantastic video clip in the performance section. You have to sell yourself as a dancer first before selling yourself as a teacher.

I agree! I think as a student I would like to know my teacher's personality also. Maybe that can be expressed through the tone and manner of your text.

Two little points. On your home page, you explain "raqs sharqi," but you don't explain "Raqs Ainsley." We know what it means. Arabic speakers know what it means. Everybody else has to figure it out whether you're "Dance Ainsley" or "Oriental Ainsley." This could be remedied by a slight rewrite of the text.

I wish you had legs. Your sidebar has a pretty girl in a pretty costume who may have been the victim of a magician's cutting-in-half trick gone awry. I'd suggest a longer fade down the legs or a whole picture, or a headshot if you don't want the body.

Otherwise, very clean and easy to navigate.

As others said, clean and easy to navigate. I'm not sure that a steel-blue background is the most exciting choice for a belly dancer ... more a cerebral color than an emotional one.. but it is fine.

Is this a Google website? because McAfee is blocking access to the HOME link (at work) as a 'personal page' (it doesn't allow blogs either). Maybe change that link address (currently 'http://sites.google.com/a/raqsainsley.com/raqsainsley/') to plain old 'http://www.raqsainsley.com' or, better yet, use internal links (if allowed, not sure how google sites work). Just be aware that folks surfing for info at work may not be able to see your website or parts of it if they use links with sites.google.com embedded in it, which might lose a few customers. Here's the message: 'Your request to URL "http://sites.google.com/a/raqsainsley.com/raqsainsley/" has been blocked by the McAfee Web Gateway URL Filter Database. The URL is listed under categories (Personal Pages, Internet Services), which are not allowed by your administrator at this time.'

Very nice!

it's great! I would suggest adding your general location (i.e. city, state) on the homepage....i hate when I need to dig around someone's site for that basic information.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

Much of the additional information being requested is already there, but perhaps I should put it in more obvious places. It's not very helpful if no one notices it!

I'm still waiting on the days/times for my fall classes (I teach through a university gym). I've changed the colour on that information on the Classes page so hopefully it will be more noticeable.

City/state is in the site name (top of browser and the title that would appear if you Googled it), but I'll try to work it into the footer as well.

Originally Posted by HubicRuzz

I think prospective students would like to know your performance credentials with a fantastic video clip in the performance section.

There is a video with performance in the gallery. Granted, it's a pretty simple dance, as I choreographed it to be performed by a large group of varying skill levels, but it's one of only two pro-quality videos I have of my dancing. I'll try to get the other one ripped and edited in the near future.

I'm inclined to keep videos in the gallery section for organization's sake. This does raise a question I've been pondering, though: the video that's currently posted is linked through the television channel's website and their video player. The benefit of this is that the player perhaps looks better than a YouTube box, but the drawback is that the video sometimes begins with an advertisement. There's a copy of the same clip on YouTube that does not begin with an advertisement. Any opinions on which version would be preferable?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Everybody else has to figure it out whether you're "Dance Ainsley" or "Oriental Ainsley." This could be remedied by a slight rewrite of the text.

Good point. I thought of the same problem but was having issues at the time writing the text in such a way that it was clear but not clunky. I'll have another look at that tonight.

I wish you had legs.

I agree! This is, however, a factor of which are my best pro photos. I don't have a full-length photo I like as much as this one. My intention was to create a floating background where the image would stay abutted to the lower left corner of the page despite scrolling, but the code for that doesn't seem to be supported by the hosting service I'm using. Another thing to keep working on.

Originally Posted by maurazebra

I'm not sure that a steel-blue background is the most exciting choice for a belly dancer ... more a cerebral color than an emotional one.. but it is fine.

At least that's truth in advertising!

because McAfee is blocking access to the HOME link (at work) as a 'personal page' (it doesn't allow blogs either).

Thanks so much for pointing that out. I've changed the code. Please let me know if it works for you now.

I'll also play around with the title size. I may try brightening up the colour a bit, too, to see if higher contrast will make it pop a bit more.

HOME link works fine now.

Originally Posted by Ainsley

Good point. I thought of the same problem but was having issues at the time writing the text in such a way that it was clear but not clunky. I'll have another look at that tonight.

Is this better?

Ainsley is a teacher and performer of the Middle Eastern art form, Raqs Sharqi. From the Arabic expression for "Dance ('raqs') of the East ('sharqi')," this is a traditional solo presentation using complex and graceful movements of the hips, chest, and shoulders. Also called "belly dance" or "Oriental dance," Raqs Sharqi allows the performer to become a living embodiment of the music. Let Ainsley bring the timeless artistry of this dance to you!

BTW, would have sent this as a PM, but your box is full.

I like it! Clean and easy!
As a student I might want to hear more about classes and what to expect. I guess be told "Why do I need to take this class?" (this also helps with students who ask the same questions: what should I wear, how much does it cost, is it right for me because of XY or Z, that sort of thing.
I think it is firendly and a warm inviting site!

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Ainsley is a teacher and performer of the Middle Eastern art form, Raqs Sharqi. From the Arabic expression for "Dance ('raqs') of the East ('sharqi')," this is a traditional solo presentation using complex and graceful movements of the hips, chest, and shoulders. Also called "belly dance" or "Oriental dance," Raqs Sharqi allows the performer to become a living embodiment of the music. Let Ainsley bring the timeless artistry of this dance to you!

That's fabulous, Tourbeau. I should hire you to do my copywriting!

Thanks so much, Faaria. I will add some more information to the Classes section. I just heard that the gym schedule is out, so hopefully I will have actual class locations and times to post this evening!

Off to clean out my mailbox...

Nice! The site works well on my mobile phone browser, although the videos don't show up. I would prefer a video clip on YouTube if it meant no ads. An ad would annoy me if I were browsing to purchase your services. Re keeping the videos in the gallery, you could just mention on your performance page ' to view Ainsley dancing, visit our gallery", or similar.

Very nice! I just launched my website last week :) my only piece of imput would be add a bio page. Whenever I look at dancers websites i always ALWAYS read their bio, why they got into bellydance, who they've studied with, any awards or notable performances, just for curiosity but also if i'm looking for a new teacher to study with, i want a good reason to study with her, why her and not someone else. Give yourself credit for being awesome!

Originally Posted by la_soraya

Very nice! I just launched my website last week :) my only piece of imput would be add a bio page. Whenever I look at dancers websites i always ALWAYS read their bio, why they got into bellydance, who they've studied with, any awards or notable performances, just for curiosity but also if i'm looking for a new teacher to study with, i want a good reason to study with her, why her and not someone else. Give yourself credit for being awesome!

Educational background and influences are good. If you have testimonials from significant teachers or customers complimenting you, good. Links to glowing reviews where some media outlet has featured you, good. But not too much self-aggrandizing fluff. Is there anything worse than a dancer who puffs herself up with BS about how she's the best dancer ever? (Heaven help you if you compare yourself favorably to someone else on your bio page...) Nothing screams "I'm a hack!" faster than a lot of pretentious claptrap about how captivatingly beautiful you are--when it's written by YOU.

Looks really nice! I agree on the bio page--gotta show off your stuff!!

Also, something that I found very useful with my own site was using Google Apps to get an email address with my domain name (as opposed to Gmail) and then Google Voice for a dance-only number...their Webmaster tools also have a lot of nifty hints about SEO and how to improve your "searchability"

Love your website Najla! (your photos are amazing) :)

Made some changes: enlarged the site title; edited the copy on the home page (thanks, Tourbeau!); added class info; and switched the video player to YouTube.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

But not too much self-aggrandizing fluff. Is there anything worse than a dancer who puffs herself up with BS about how she's the best dancer ever?

Couldn't agree more. I used to read dancers' bios until I began to feel that they told me very little about the dancer's style and their teaching or performance abilities. I find it more informative to watch a video or drop in on a class.

I tried to sneak some biographical information in around the edges where relevant. I do have some favourable press clippings, so perhaps I'll add those to the Gallery page.

Originally Posted by najla86

an email address with my domain name (as opposed to Gmail) and then Google Voice for a dance-only number

Hmm... I have these. They should be appearing the footer.

Originally Posted by Ainsley

Hmm... I have these. They should be appearing the footer.

okay, they're there now! I wasn't seeing anything in that section before. Gotta love Google for making this all so streamlined

I like it, it's clean and tasteful and easy to navigate :)

Considering a class?
Pondering a performance?

Loving the alliteration!

:)

Thanks, Serpentina and Samira!

Hubby didn't notice the alliteration until I pointed it out to him yesterday evening, and then he was laughing to himself intermittently for the rest of the night. :)

well done. Well organized, Clean, easy to use. I like that the pictures are well done and the video is clear. This is much better than mine. I really don't like mine at all.

Keep up the good work! I am sure you will go far! :)

I like how it is simple and clean and everything is easy to find.

Thanks so much, Adonia and Lesedi. The suggestions I've received in this thread have definitely gone a long way to refining it!

Beautiful! It was nice to finally meet you at Redas!

It was great to meet you, too, Amity!