Updated WebSite...

[zorba]

I *finally* got a round tuit, and updated my site layout. A considerable change, and not all (new) features are there yet.

I'd appreciate any and all feedback - particularly on:

1) Overall layout - does it make sense?
2) Navigation buttons on left - arrangement/order?
3) I wrote one of those "This dancer is the BEST thing this side of a Goddess" pseudo-bios. Frankly, I'm a bit uncomfortable with BS like this - but BS sells. My instructor thinks its great - but what do YOU think?

My intent is for the site to (try to) sell me as a dancer first, and have all the resources/articles/ravings for my dance sisters/brothers a little deeper in.

I'll be on Bhuz a bit intermittently over the next couple of weeks, but post away and I'll catch up.

Thanx for your time!

[mish_mish]

Hi Zorba,

I am looking over your site right now--here is what stood out:

• The font on your menu is too busy and makes me think "Olde English" instead of "exotic belly dancer."
• When I drag my cursor around, it makes a little pixelized trail. Did you want to do that? I vote no on that.

• You alternate between first person and third person. If you want to move into a more professional realm, it sounds better if some omniscent narrator is bragging about the great Zorba.
• Nitpicky stuff--in the caption of your photo with Fathiem (in your "teachers" section) you say "Fathiem and myself." The use of "myself" there is incorrect even though many people use that because they think it sounds more formal than "Fathiem and me." It should say either "Fathiem and me" or "Fathiem and Zorba." This is a peeve of mine and I edit a lot, so trust me--"myself" is overused.

• You bio should be moved up in the menu and move "Book Zorba" down in the menu. People want to know who you are before they want to book you. Then you could shorten your menu bar (I think it's too long) and add your diary and links to your teachers there, because they are more about you. You could also link to your "Book Zorba" page from your bio.

Also, the galleries--I think ONE gallery is enough. All of the captions and all of the pictures make you seem more like a student dancer than a seasoned professional. I would dump the captions and pick ONLY the photos you think will sell you as "The GREAT ZORBA." I like thumbnails all on one page rather than scrolling down, down, down for photos.

However, if you want to keep it in the first person, you could keep some of the photos with the captions because it better suits the "Your-buddy-Zorba-first-person" vibe. Even still, less is more in the gallery.

[antimony]

Honestly, I would re-consider the idea of adding the pro stuff to your personal website.

If it were me, I would create a separate site for professional bookings, with third-person text, and a much more professional feel, and keep your personal site as casual and conversational as it is now. Obviously, have a link from the personal website to the pro site for people who find you that way, but when you make up business cards and things, just give out the url of your pro site.

[mish_mish]

I disagree because this is not really Zorba's personal website, it's been his dance site for a long time. I think you need to have a dance mystique and putting personal things on a professional website or a link to a personal site muddies the waters and takes away the customer's feeling that he/she is hiring a majestic, exotic and mysterious creature.

However, some people are more playful and prefer to present a bit more of a "this is the real me" touch.

Zorba, I think your site is a mix of both and I would say that it's time to move into a more "third person" style if you are looking to boost your professional image.

If you want the "first person" style, you can do that too, but I think it changes the way you may be perceived--less serious. That may work for a comedian or another professional, but with belly dance, the mystique is really important.

[antimony]

I know it's been his site for a long time, but it has a very "this has been my personal journey" feel to it, at least to me, and as a potential customer, I don't want to see 6 years of dance diaries, or a bio of everyone someone has studied with. It's cool and interesting for me to read as a dancer myself - But if I was hiring someone for Aunt Linda's 50th birthday, I don't want to see how they became a pro, I just want to know they are one, and I think all that stuff does, like you say, "muddy the waters"

That's why I suggested his current site link to his "pro/booking" site, but I did *not* suggest the pro site link back to his personal one. The pro site should stand alone. But he should be able to take advantage of the traffic his current site already gets.

[antimony]

mish mish, I read back over your reply, and although you say we disagree, I think in fact we are agreeing.

The point I was trying to make, and that I think you are saying to, is that the personal stuff like the diaries, and all the stuff in the galleries should be separate from the information about bookings, etc.

I meant "re-consider" as in, "you did it, but I think you should consider not doing it", *not* "I think you should consider doing it"

[laura 2]

I have to agree that there's not enough separation between the pro content and the personal content. If the main purpose of the site is to market you for bookings, then (IMO) the great majority of the content should be geared towards that.

What I might suggest is that all the pro related pages (bio, contact, media, etc.) appear as separate menu links. Then put a final menu link called something like "Fun Belly Dance Stuff". That link can then lead to a page with links for the more personal content - the diary, articles, clip art, etc.

I have struggled with this sort of thing myself a bit. For example, I have some pictures of me post-workshop with Morocco and Aziza, and I'd not mind other dancers or friends/family seeing them. But I won't put them in the gallery of my website, because I look like grim death in them. I'm so worried that a client might think I'll show up for a gig looking like that, instead of how I look in my performance or professional shots.

[danidance]

Your site has more of a resource feel to it and not that of a dancer marketing himself to be hired, so you'll have to ask yourself what your realistic and heartfelt goal is with it.

Graphically, you probably should pick one type direction from the choices you have going now - you have the Da Vinci letters at the top with a sort of renaissance motif; then the side bar is something else; then the other emblems are something else.

Fonts are fun, but I'd pick one "vibe" to go with.

[zorba]

Excellent advice from all...

I too have some problems with the mixed fonts - I'll see what I can do to encorporate the wallrod font on the buttons - but it may mean that I need to design new buttons...

I'm *VERY* inclined to run with Laura 2's idea, just have a bio, booking, one "pro-feel" gallery and a "For dancers" button on the main page - then bury all the resource and "my journey" and "additional galleries", diaries, etc, etc, in a sub-page.

What/how do my sisters in dance feel/think about that direction?

I'd "rather" do it that way - but if the feeling is strong that I should peel off a seperate "pro" site and link it back to the existing site, I'll do that. But keeping it on one site would be my first choice. Either way, it would be realtively simple to do with my new site structure.

You gals are the best - you're pointing out things that never would have occurred to me - and you're right!

[Bellydancingcaroline]

I dont like the font either. It looks a bit strange to my eyes on that background. Not clear or something. Not sure what. Navigation is great, well designed.

[Khalida]

Hi Zorba!
I would go with Laura2's idea, it puts the main focus on the professional site, that will be the first thing possible hirers will see. They will check out the main menu buttons first.

And the people who already know you and love reading the articles etc.. they will find their way to rest of the site via the sub-menu.

Best regards!
Khalida

[Ainsley]

I agree with everyone's suggestion to split the site into a professional one and a personal one -- it's pretty clear to me which pages are supposed to be which based on whether you're using the first or third person in your writing. I also agree that a simpler font style would be better for the menu buttons, which are hard to read between the fancy font and the drop-shadow.

The photo on the front page is very watercolour-y and artistic, but, since it's the first impression your potential clients will have of what you look like, perhaps a clearer, high-resolution photograph would be better? Also, the "The man driven..." quotation is patchy and tough to see on my screen.

The flashing cursor trail is very distracting, and it gets 'stuck' in places (i.e. one flashing light will stick at the edge of one frame when I move to the other). I don't think it adds anything to the site.

I think your bio and bookings pages read very well, not over the top at all! The only thing I might suggest is to omit the reference to your performances being "G-rated," only because it puts the idea in people's minds that some bellydance performances might be R- or X-rated and that you have to distinguish yourself from those dancers. I think saying your shows are fun for the whole family, as you also do, is enough. Just a minor point, but I always worry that in our zeal to refute sexual stereotypes about the dance we sometimes introduce the idea where it hadn't even occurred to someone before.

Hope some of that helps!