Show Us Your New SmugMug Customized Sites!

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  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,220 moderator
    edited September 18, 2017

    @Kentinada said:

    @uncool said:
    5. Your social connections and content relate well to your site. I'd explore building the blog into the SM world. This will keep people at your main domain.

    5. Pointers for doing this one? I didn't think SM had blogging capabilities.

    It doesn't, but you can create a blog using pages in smug.

    There is a tutorial on using SmugMug to create a photo blog at https://school.smugmug.com/SmugMug-Tips/How-to-Make-a-Photo-Blog.

    You can use a page for your top-level blog. On that page you can place the pages that contain each blog entry. That would create a blog archive of sorts, whether you choose to represent each blog page with a photo or a text link. Another option would be to create a folder for your blog. Add each blog page to that folder, and specify a sort option that shows the newest pages first within that folder.

    If your blog entries are mainly photos then placing it on your smug site makes sense to me. But if your blog entries are text - I much prefer the text editor on blogger. I might consider blogging on smug if I only created blog entries once in a while, but with my habit of blogging on most days a blogging platform works better for me. Plus it gives me the option to place inbound links to my smugmug site in my blog post.

  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,448 Major grins

    @Diane S said:
    Hi all. I have recently moved from Ft Lauderdale FL to Wilmington NC. I am a portrait photographer. When my business was in Ft Lauderdale my website always came up on first page I'd google search. Of course now at my new location in NC it does not. How do I improve SEO so my site improves visibility? Not sure this was the correct forum for this help. Also feedback on improving site is always helpful. Thanks. diane. Www.dianeschafer.com.

    What keywords do you want to be found in Google?

    I suggest reading my 'SEO for the Photographer' link in my signature. Some of it is outdated (metadata descriptions, metadata keywords) but things like title element and <h1> tags are still relevant. I'm not seeing a Page Title (<h1>) on your home page and your <title> element is too long.

    @denisegoldberg said:
    What are you searching for? If I look for Diane Schafer Photography your site comes up first in the google search.

    Her site SHOULD come at first because that's her name and not much competition for those keywords.

  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,220 moderator

    @Hikin' Mike said:

    @Diane S said:
    @denisegoldberg said:
    What are you searching for? If I look for Diane Schafer Photography your site comes up first in the google search.

    Her site SHOULD come at first because that's her name and not much competition for those keywords.

    That's true but it's still worth checking. I'm curious to know what words Diane is using as search criteria.

  • Diane SDiane S Registered Users Posts: 101 Major grins

    @Hikin' Mike said:

    @Diane S said:
    Hi all. I have recently moved from Ft Lauderdale FL to Wilmington NC. I am a portrait photographer. When my business was in Ft Lauderdale my website always came up on first page I'd google search. Of course now at my new location in NC it does not. How do I improve SEO so my site improves visibility? Not sure this was the correct forum for this help. Also feedback on improving site is always helpful. Thanks. diane. Www.dianeschafer.com.

    What keywords do you want to be found in Google?

    I suggest reading my 'SEO for the Photographer' link in my signature. Some of it is outdated (metadata descriptions, metadata keywords) but things like title element and <h1> tags are still relevant. I'm not seeing a Page Title (<h1>) on your home page and your <title> element is too long.

    @denisegoldberg said:
    What are you searching for? If I look for Diane Schafer Photography your site comes up first in the google search.

    Her site SHOULD come at first because that's her name and not much competition for those keywords.

    Thanks Mike for the reply... I will definitely read your SEO for photographer link..... my keywords would be: corporate headshots, senior portraits, family portraits, beach portraits, wilmington, wrightsville beach, figure eight island. I have captured a few new clients since moving here and they entered "portrait photographer in wilmington" and found me on the 3 or so page.. glad they continued to research :-) So are these keywords listed on the home page or behind the scenes in my administrative pages?? I will read your link and learn more. Thanks for your input.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    http://www.dianeschafer.com

  • Diane SDiane S Registered Users Posts: 101 Major grins

    @denisegoldberg said:
    What are you searching for? If I look for Diane Schafer Photography your site comes up first in the google search.

    Thanks Denise for your reply.... I'm looking for clients who want portrait photography in my area. my keywords would be: corporate headshots, senior portraits, family portraits, beach portraits, wilmington, wrightsville beach, figure eight island. So I would include what I do and where I'm located in my keywords. I think it just takes time I suppose... only been here for 4 months. I have had 2 clients find me via google when they searched for "professional portrait photographer in Wilmington." and also "Headshot photographer near Figure Eight Island".
    Thanks for your input. Diane

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    http://www.dianeschafer.com

  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,448 Major grins

    @Diane S said:
    So are these keywords listed on the home page or behind the scenes in my administrative pages??

    If you are referring to the keywords on the images, those will not help. The "keywords" you use are more like tags. They help within your SmugMug site, but not so much on Google. The keywords I'm talking about are those words people will type in to find your site. Looks like you did add a page title and you do have some text on your home page, so that will help. Your <title> element is currently "Professional portrait business headshot photographer in Wilmington North Carolina. Figure Eight Island, Carolina Beach, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach.". That's way too long. It should less than 70 characters.

  • Diane SDiane S Registered Users Posts: 101 Major grins

    @Hikin' Mike said:

    @Diane S said:
    So are these keywords listed on the home page or behind the scenes in my administrative pages??

    The keywords I'm talking about are those words people will type in to find your site. .

    That's way too long. It should less than 70 characters.

    Thanks. I will shorten my element to 70 characters. And yes the keywords I listed are what people would search on google. To find me ....hopefully. I will read your link tonight.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    http://www.dianeschafer.com

  • uncooluncool Registered Users Posts: 96 Big grins

    Here are a few observations from a random dude on the Interwebs:

    • In you page data, list the specific cities you will travel to rather than stating “surrounding areas”

    • Your Weddings page does not have much detail and formatting is off

    • Not sure why you are directing visitors to acuratedhome.com

    • So your dream was to open a music store but your passion is photography - not necessary mutually exclusive but a bit of a mixed message

    • "Portrait Fine Art Print Prices click here" - broken link

    • Moto and logo take up a tremendous amount of space - suggest reducing the size and changing the placement to allow your images to be seen.

    • Breadcrumb on Contact page includes a link for “Website Navigation” - This link loops back to the Contact page. Unnecessary and dead links are not good for SEO

    • Each link is set to open in a new tab - after looking on your site for five minutes I had a dozen tabs open. Not a good practice.

    • Repeated copy on the bottom of many of the pages will not help SEO. Here’s Google take https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66359?hl=en

    • Personal preference - too many images in the galleries. Especially too many images of the same subject. Your clients may like the options - I see the number of images as a distraction. Showcase your top images and use the others to further the conversation should a customer want to see more.

    Overall, quite a solid body of work. Good luck.

    @Diane S said:
    Hi all. I have recently moved from Ft Lauderdale FL to Wilmington NC. I am a portrait photographer. When my business was in Ft Lauderdale my website always came up on first page I'd google search. Of course now at my new location in NC it does not. How do I improve SEO so my site improves visibility? Not sure this was the correct forum for this help. Also feedback on improving site is always helpful. Thanks. diane. Www.dianeschafer.com.

    Well every person you can know,
    And every place that you can go,
    And any thing that you can show,
    You know they're nouns.
  • Diane SDiane S Registered Users Posts: 101 Major grins

    Thanks 'uncool' for these great tips and suggestions... I am going through each one now. I'll get back to you if I have any questions on how to 'fix' something. THANKS, Diane

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    http://www.dianeschafer.com

  • elmanielmani Registered Users Posts: 97 Big grins

    Hi all,
    At the start of the year you kindly provided feedback on my site. I've done A LOT of work since on the site design and I'd welcome and appreciate any feedback. In particular with the search functionality/design as I'm still not convinced it's as good as it can be.

    Just for background, it's a personal site of photos of family and friends, it's not searchable via google etc, but the site deliberately isn't locked down as I get a large number of visitors from the wider family and friends network. There are over 60,000 photos on the site and nearly all have been tagged using facial recognition to make searching easier.

    Thanks in advance and look forward to your feedback.

    www.elmani.com

  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,220 moderator
    edited October 12, 2017

    @elmani said:
    Just for background, it's a personal site of photos of family and friends, it's not searchable via google etc, but the site deliberately isn't locked down as I get a large number of visitors from the wider family and friends network. There are over 60,000 photos on the site and nearly all have been tagged using facial recognition to make searching easier.

    www.elmani.com

    I would add a keyword content block to the search page. There really isn't any reason for a visitor to need to type a name when they are readily available as keywords.

    I'm not sure why the keyword page (http://www.elmani.com/keyword) on your site has a black background; I would change it to white.

    I know this is my own bias but I've never understood why placing a shade / gray color over a photo when you hover over it is a good thing. Instead of tempting me to pick that entry it usually causes me to go away. Have you considered using an outline on hover instead of shading the photo?

  • DPT_StudioDPT_Studio Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
    edited November 19, 2017
    Here is mine Unfortunatly “I have to be around little longer to post links” in that case just search DPT-studio in your browser.

    Aabout th Smug Mug customization I wish there was more drag and drop options like drag it wherever you like, instead site option LEFT - CENTER - RIGHT. And let’s face it even when you choose center it’s not always in center just look at the like logo on my site it’s not in center and it should be . That’s not Total customization.

    Have a great afternoon
    David P. Toth
  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,448 Major grins

    @DPT_Studio said:
    Here is mine Unfortunatly “I have to be around little longer to post links” in that case just search DPT-studio in your browser.



    Have a great afternoon

    You can type your website minus the http stuff until you are "old" enough...lol!.

  • DPT_StudioDPT_Studio Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
    edited November 19, 2017
    I am Old Ha Ha... Just not for this site.

    Well I was just promoted to Big grins. Thank You
  • MarcRJacobsMarcRJacobs Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins

    Hi y'all,

    I just finished my first pass at a new site and I've done a lot of work on the site design and I'd welcome and appreciate any feedback.

    Thanks in advance and look forward to your feedback.
    ~Marc

    SmugMug URL: www.marcrjacobs.com

  • uncooluncool Registered Users Posts: 96 Big grins

    Marc -very nice imagery and quite the gear collection.

    My review is based on exploring your site on an iPhone.

    The loads and functions well.

    I am not clear on the purpose of the site - my guess is a personal, fun site since I didn’t see any Buy button.

    I don’t think the search module is needed. I searched for water but didn’t get any results even though there are many photos that include water.

    The file names are visible and not useful- they should be hidden.

    The about me page contains two different font sizes - even those out.

    I like the movement of the photos on the iPhone- it adds interest.

    Overall a well put together site.

    Well every person you can know,
    And every place that you can go,
    And any thing that you can show,
    You know they're nouns.
  • dragandjordjevicdragandjordjevic Registered Users Posts: 188 Major grins

    Here's my somewhat changed website. I decided to make some small changes finally. I reduced number of photos and galleries and number of pages. It should be easier to navigate through pics now and hopefully more interesting to browse around the site. About 2/3 of photos were filtered out so the selection of photos should be better now.
    Let me know what you think. If you have any other tips for maintenance, don't hesitate...
    djordjevic-photography.com/

    Thanks in advance.

  • uncooluncool Registered Users Posts: 96 Big grins

    Short version- I am a fan. The site looks and functions well on mobile. The one issue and I use that term loosely is that on mobile I can’t see the photos when the site loads - the menu takes up the entire top of the screen. I’d like to see a photo first. But that is personal preference.

    The articles section is a nice touch.

    Very nice imagery.

    Well every person you can know,
    And every place that you can go,
    And any thing that you can show,
    You know they're nouns.
  • dragandjordjevicdragandjordjevic Registered Users Posts: 188 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2017

    Well thanks, that's a nice feedback. Yes i am aware how it looks on a mobile, and yes it's kinda crappy. Not that I am looking for an excuse, but I always wanted to spend my spare time for shooting and post processing rather than fixing up the look and feel of the website. Thanks again

  • ColdCreekColdCreek Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    Figured someone needed to post in December. So I'll give it a go. Been with Smug many years now, changed my site many times. www.coldcreekstudios.com Let me know what you see or what you dont see.
    Give it to me straight folks, looking for new clients in 2018, wanting an easy to navigate, clean site. Thanks for any and all comments.
  • uncooluncool Registered Users Posts: 96 Big grins

    Here's some straight talk...well some guy's opinion.

    Good: name and logo are direct, to the point, and do not take up too much real estate
    Bad: The fade in/out slideshow - distracting and does not look good on mobile

    Good: the photography looks great
    Bad: there are too many photos. Suggest you go with the less is more philosophy. At the very least you have enough images to do wholesale changes to sections on a regular basis

    Good: easy to find contact link
    Bad: no clear call to action. You are looking for new clients but you do not provide direction. For instance if you want more architectural clients market towards them - Realtors click here (and then explain how you will work with them).
    I also do not know where you are located or where you will travel - If I had an oil rig in Williston, ND. would that be too far or would the fact that it is currently -29F be factors in your decision to take the job?

    Suggestion: While it would take a great deal of work, your business could benefit from an Instagram account. You have the content and stories that are ripe for that format. You would need a good plan and dedication to the bit to make it work.

    Overall I like the clean layout.

    Good luck in the new year.

    Well every person you can know,
    And every place that you can go,
    And any thing that you can show,
    You know they're nouns.
  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,220 moderator
    edited December 31, 2017

    @ColdCreek said:
    www.coldcreekstudios.com Let me know what you see or what you dont see.

    Give it to me straight folks, looking for new clients in 2018...

    There are two things that jump out at me.

    The first is personal preference. I like to browse photos on a site at my own pace. When the only option to see the photos is via a slideshow (and a small-sized one at that) I usually close the site. I don't find a slideshow a reasonable method to browse photos. Add to that the movement you have implemented in the changing slides and that is a total non-starter for me.

    It took me a while to realize that you do show the galleries of photos under the slideshow. The problem is, the slideshow takes over the viewing experience, and honestly I didn't look to see that there was a scroll bar to see below the content that took up the entire browser window. . Remove the slideshow and add a slideshow button to your galleries instead. That way your viewers will easily be able to see the individual photos.

    You are allowing access to the original-sized images. Why? I recommend changing the largest display size to anything smaller than Original.

    I agree with uncool that you have no call to action on your site. Have you considered adding a page that describes the services that you offer?

  • dragandjordjevicdragandjordjevic Registered Users Posts: 188 Major grins
    edited December 31, 2017

    Overall I like the simple design. I would change one thing, when opening a section from the menu below the slideshow, I would get rid of the slideshow. It's kind of distracting, the focus should be on the section you opened nothing else. Just my opinion...

  • ColdCreekColdCreek Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    Awesome! Thank you everyone, that was exactly the feed back i was looking for. After a while of making changes, you start to think it looks good, new eyes really help. Thanks again, I have already begun making these changes in the next few days.
  • fuguefugue Registered Users Posts: 31 Big grins

    I got so excited when I received an email providing constructive criticism. So Happy! Then I realized it was not my website, I choked in pain.
    My website is www.bonitaphotos.com. I would be ever grateful to hear some of your suggestion.

    Bill Hough

    Bill Hough
    Bonita Photos
    Capturing the beauty around us

    http://www.bonitaphotos.com
  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,220 moderator
    edited January 2, 2018

    @fugue said:
    My website is www.bonitaphotos.com. I would be ever grateful to hear some of your suggestion.

    I like the splash of background color on your homepage but I find it quite jarring to move from that page to the content of your site (where the background changes to white). I would prefer that all pages of the site use the same background.

    The statement that you previously had photos exhibited does not lead me anywhere. Either provide a link to the photos in question or remove the statement.

    The home entry in your menu duplicates the action of clicking on your logo. Why not remove the home entry?

    The same "selling" statement is repeated at the top of every gallery. The statement is only needed once; I would prefer to see that on a separate page telling viewers how to purchase your photos.

    Your about page mixes the use of 1st person in the artist statement and 3rd person in the biography. I would prefer that both be in first person or that you split the about page into multiple pages.

    Clicking on an entry in the Photo Books section opens a new browser tab. I suspect you did that instead of essentially closing your smugmug site. I'm a picky viewer - when a site opens a new tab that I didn't explicitly request I usually close the site. I dislike browser clutter; I have enough open tabs for my own work / browsing that I don't want or accept unsolicited clutter.

  • uncooluncool Registered Users Posts: 96 Big grins

    I will second the comments made by Denise. Consistency is important.

    In addition to her observations I'll add:
    The Photo Book page contains the following statement several times: "The photographic collection is part of Bonita Photos and can been seen at www.bonitaphotos.com." As a viewer I know that I am on your site.
    Again on your Bio page you reference your site. And on this page the "Click here to view" link takes visitors to a page that contains a number of books written by people with your last name. It should direct them to your book like the Photo Books link does. Finally, the book listing on this page is bunched up - I suggest this section be reformatted.

    I do like the Customer Comments section - that's a nice touch

    Your email address for your Inquire statement is not live. Like Denise mentioned a separate section for the buying process could provide more detail, allow for examples to be shown, and clean up the pages.

    Well every person you can know,
    And every place that you can go,
    And any thing that you can show,
    You know they're nouns.
  • PhotoDavid78PhotoDavid78 Registered Users Posts: 939 Major grins

    I recently updated my smugmug.
    http://www.davidweiss.photography/

    Please tell me what you think? Any areas I can improve?

    David Weiss | Canon 5D Mark III | FujiFilm XT-4 | iPhone
    My Website
    Facebook | Twitter | | VSCOgrid | Instagram |
  • ShinryaShinrya Registered Users Posts: 197 Major grins

    Overall, pretty clean looking site. Easy to navigate.

    A few thoughts I had while browsing:

    • text next to the buy button in lightbox is garbled. Might be due to recent changes with buttons
    • in galleries, you have the small shopping cart icon enabled instead of the largers ‘buy’ button. I would change it to make it obvious to viewers that images are for sale
    • That watermark “WgM”. What does that mean? I can’t place the connection between that and your name.
    • Logo on front page is insanely huge!
    • lots of menus within menus. I get that you have a lot of images to share and sort through, but it’s a lot to take in as a viewer and likely off-putting having so much choice. Have you thought about culling it down to have only your very best on display?
    • Definitely flesh out your About section a little more. Give us more of an insight into you beyond a couple of paragraphs. You can also pad out this page a little further by listing your photography gear, services you do, awards, features etc.

    @PhotoDavid78 said:
    I recently updated my smugmug.
    http://www.davidweiss.photography/

    Please tell me what you think? Any areas I can improve?

  • PhotoDavid78PhotoDavid78 Registered Users Posts: 939 Major grins

    @Shinrya Thanks for the advice. I made a few changes. Sorting through all my photos will take sometime so I havn't done that yet.

    David Weiss | Canon 5D Mark III | FujiFilm XT-4 | iPhone
    My Website
    Facebook | Twitter | | VSCOgrid | Instagram |
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