Websites

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

With Nonie's website being discussed along with all of the CD cover art and branding advice, I'd love some feedback on my website. Right now my demos go out with the cover below and a piece of thin twine with silk autumn leaves on it. I also include a $1 Dairy Queen gift certificate inside each one. Just a little something to make me stand out.

www.septembervoice.com

Thanks for any and all input!!

Grant Holmes · **Voice Talent** Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Posts: 265

September,

Can I just call you "15" since that's when my birthday is? opps...off subject.

Anyhow. You've read the other thread comments about sound on load. Generally speaking (we all do, right?) I agree that's not great. For instance I listen to internet radio all day. Even after your voice is done the music fades out for a long time... just kinda irritating.

And I always consulted my web clients not to do sound on load as you never know when somebody is surfing at work to find whatever and the site starts talking or whatever. GRAB THE VOLUME KNOB!!

While you do have the, "Sound OFF" thing. I found it confusing and hard to find (esp if I'm at work and want to KILL the sound NOW.

However, we ARE voice artists. I would be more likely to expect sound ON at a VO site.

I personally ALWAYS default to letting the user/visitor decide. Especially on your demos page. Let ME pick the one I want to listen to.

Last on this: When I go to other pages and you have bed music. LOSE that. I have my radio on already. (JMHO) It's also irritating to have to turn the sound OFF on EVERY PAGE, even when I go back to a page where I just turned it off.
==

I like the overall look and feel and whoever did you site did a good job mixing HTML with FLASH. And a good job building decent keywords and meta tags.

Despite opinions to the contrary, I ALWAYS use contact forms and avoid putting my email on the page where all the SPAM bots can get to it. If someone is too lazy to give me name/email/phone, then I guess that's too bad.

Using a contact form also allows you to dump the data in an online database so you never lose a contact.

I really like the look.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007, 02:35 (GMT) Post subject:

Okay, September... here we go (since you begged! Wink

)

Right off the bat let me say I truly LOVE your branding and overall I love the site. From start to finish it's a class act. It's a GREAT play on your name and carries a lot of implied meanings about your voice and style, all good. And one of the things I REALLY like is that it truly IS a professional looking site. Unfortunately, the VAST majority of v/o websites are abyssmal. Big clunky oversized buttons, haphazard design (if any design at all), poor choice of colors, tackiness, and so on. But yours is truly first-class.

Let me start with what I'd change then work my way BACK to all the many, many good things about it. Like everyone else, I simply DESPISE unwanted audio on a website. I don't care if it IS a v/o site. If I want to HEAR you, I'll press the button. And while the guitar music is right up my alley (from a personal perspective I like it), I find it annoying. It's in my face and if I leave it alone it just suddenly fades out - like a mistake - and is gone. I'd lose the spontaneous audio.

I'd lose the "Links" page, too. What is it with links on websites? Who on earth is interested in our favorite places?? No one. And since most website visitors are going to only give you a moment or two of their precious time, you gotta grab 'em, pull 'em in, give them EXACTLY what they want, and NOT clutter up their choices with something as - IMHO - amateur as links. Go to mega-professional sites, those of big corporations and businesses. You normally won't find links on them UNLESS it's to find one of their locations or service providers. Lose the links page. Not sure you really need a "Privacy Policy" or "Terms of Use" either, but since they're sub-links on the bottom and don't really interfere with anything I wouldn't worry about them.

Now, like Grant, I think you (or your designer) did a SUPERB job of marrying Flash and HTML. On your site Flash is used only where it needs to be, to complement the site. Just enough.

I looked at your meta-tags and, again, as Grant so astutely pointed out, they're just as they should be.

So overall I'd give your site an "A". Lose the unwanted audio and the links page and you have a homerun.
It's great and you should be proud of it.
Now..............................
I have to go redesign my own site........................
Crying or Very sad

Grant Holmes · **Voice Talent** Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Posts: 265

September (15),

One thing you didn't ask about, but will comment on anyhow is the logo you posted above. I assume you posted it for a reason!

I don't get the gray side. I've stared at it plenty long and think its like the pop screen over a mic? It also looks like a fence for a prison movie, so maybe I'm off here and you're going for the prison VO market. JUST KIDDING:D .

Really though, the image from your site with (your??) mouth at the mic would be better, methinks.

Nonie Craige · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 46

HI September,
Your site design is beautiful...love the feel to it, classy, professional. I will eventually have something more to my liking but for now, just tweeking up the one I started with. I have my local recording tech who is going to change some things, but looking for a local web design person to keep close and add my new demos, etc.

I don't like the demos starting before I was ready, the client would probably want to make that choice and I agree about not having the background music playing. I'm interested in your voice, not the music...distracting.

I like your welcome message. Lots of good luck!
Nonie

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

Thanks so much for all your input guys! I talked to my we desginer and will be getting some of the changes done this week! Yay!!