Hi If you can I would get ride of the created at http://www.mrsite.com
and your png is nearly half a meg that is the thing that's slowing it down abit
but all in all its a nice clean site

Pottie - when you say it is straightforward to create a sight like this, and then link to a site that helps you build sites with templates, I think you overlook a large point. This site is all custom art. Every page. Custom drawn lettering, logos, etc. No one else will have a site just like this. It's not a template or stock art that many will use. His rates for these sites are less than most companies charge for a logo alone. Not everyone will want an animated cartoon style site like this, but for those that do, the custom art for the low price is an amazing value, and hardly straightforward in my opinion.

Thank you Tony - for saying what I wanted to but feared to be banned again from the Café. Sometimes, some people make website design seem so simple - but its not! I have neither the skills nor the time to do so, and therefore I enlist the services of a professional who did a way better job than I could have hoped for! I love it, my clients love it and its already getting me business - so its achieved the aims I set for it. 'Straightforward" - NOT! Its just like a parent seeing us entertain with our change bag, breakaway wand and coloring book and saying that its 'straightforward'...how would WE feel when someone denigrates our efforts in such a way?

The scary thing is that I have VERY FAST internet, but it was still slow...??? I just checked again and had similar results...??

....I'm not disputing that the price is very reasonable, especially if the artwork is included. But there's no reason why you can't build that exact same site very quickly using online site building tools....of course, you need the artwork to do so.

I'm not in any way suggesting that Entertainer Artist isn't offering great value for money - he is. My point is that (for example) Reason8 gets your site to the top of the Google rankings. For me, a website without SEO is useless - I want it to bring in new business. When I first created a website, I chose my performing name for the domain name. Only folks who actually searched for "Potty the Pirate" found it.

Now most of my sites (I have several) have location-and-trade-specific domains. That's rule #1 in getting good rankings.

Of course, it's advantageous if ownership and administration of the site is given to the client (my guess is that in this case it is, as I can't imagine Entertainer Artist wants to do all that work, maybe I'm wrong). Then it's possible to update things very easily, add photos and videos, testimonials, new info, etc.

And for SEO, there are plenty of ways to get this done, either by yourself, or by paying for the service.

There are 2 main aspects to website building: the design, and the SEO.

If SEO isn't important to you (it wasn't to me at first, I never even thought about it), then all you need is a great design, and you have a site for your existing clients to see, and which you can advertise.

But if you want new business directly from the internet, SEO is essential.

That's why I posted the link to Reason8, as they provide the tools to create websites (and customise them a lot, bearing in mind HTML limitations); and they provide excellent SEO. The sites load very quickly, and are super-easy to create. I admit, without question, things like balloons with links to other pages are difficult to place accurately with HTML.

Most of my other sites are created with flash, which allows total control over the look, and with those online tools, you have 100% control over every aspect of the design. Again, very very simple to do. But flash websites take longer to load for some browsers.

So, I'm really not knocking Entertainer Artist at all, just providing some information. If I wanted a site with that look, I'd definitely get him to design it for me at that price. It looks like several hours' work, and that's if you really know what you're doing from the outset, and not including the artwork.

Round my area, there are quite a lot of folks who have very similar sites to this, with cartoon images and balloon links to the pages....so I'm happy for mine to be different.

Home page video is really all I care about, in terms of design. That's what sells my shows. I can't remember the last time a client contacted me through any of my websites, who hadn't watched at least one video.

I could do a lot better with design and layout of my websites, I'm well aware....but also, having a lot more information (which means a much busier site) is likely to be better for SEO. That depends largely on what sites the competition in any particular area have.

I apologise - your site has playing card links, not balloons, Bern. But in fact, your site has been built using basic online tools, just like Reason8 provide...so I wonder if all the aspects of the site are actually "customised" as Tony seems to think? My guess is that they're not. Frankly, for the price he's asking, it would be crazy if it were so.

It looks to me like the only "customised" parts are the cartoon logo, and possibly the magic wand. The playing card links, the fonts, and the starry yellow background might have been specially designed, but with literally millions of online designs available, it would seem unlikely.

What's really worth the money, is the logo he's created for you, as that alone could easily cost more than the site!

The most important thing is that you're happy with it, and it suits your requirements perfectly. And I agree, it's a brilliant website at that price!!!

Its not the website (as its not that big)
Ive got a Standard connection it loaded in a second?
could be the host and country thing

Hi magicbern,

It's a great website. Colorful, fun, and shows clearly what you do.

The home page loaded in a reasonable time for me with a 3Mb DSL line. But as was said, the large file size for the logo slows it down a bit. I don't imagine you're concerned with speeds outside of HK though.

My own personal opinion on having a video on the home page is that I hate that, especially ones that start automatically. For those I instantly click away. That is just my own opinion though and that's all.

The only thing I would suggest is that instead of naming your subsequent pages, "page2" "page3" etc. is to give them descriptive file names. That would act like a second title for each page and help with SEO. By the way, I see that all of your pages have the same title. I'd suggest giving each one its own title too. That's two suggestions, I know, but related so I'll count them as one

I know SEO is not a big concern right now but titling is easy, free, and just looks a little better. Again, my opinions; that's all.

Oh, and your logo is great.

Bazinga!

Nothing wrong with balloon links
if your useing the latest html5 animation
http://www.mrshiney.co.uk
I just wish everybody stopped using Internet Explorer!!

Bazinga, I'm curious why you "hate" having video on the home page? For me, it's a no-brainer....the one thing clients want to see is video. Why make it harder for them by expecting them to navigate to find it?

Average time on home pages is just a few seconds, then folks click away. That home page has to SELL instantly, and the strongest tool for that is video.

I know a lot of people look at websites at work so having a video on auto play is not that good of an idea. also from a design point of view it's not that nice. unless your a wiz like kimmo who has amazing eye for design.
I think potty your website have great Seo but I'm not a fan of the Chaotic nature of them.

edit this mite be I've just notices I'm on my iPad and I it Renders it differently

I agree about Autoplay - at one point, I had that feature, but as you say, it's not a great idea.

Some of my websites are very simple, some are much more detailed. Suffice to say, they do the job for me, and I'm happy enough with them right now. Of course, in the future, modifications are quickly added.

In terms of design, my opinion is that a website should give clients what they want. Since every client wants to watch what an entertainer does, homepage video is an absolute basic essential for all my sites - except the mobile site. So, isn't it better to work on design, so that videos are appropriately placed on the homepage?

This site: http://www.pottythepirate.com is what you might call "chaotic", but there are reminders at the top of every page to click on one of two links for much simpler sites. And this site receives many thousands of hits every month. There are hundreds of images, and plenty of videos, along with masses of text. It's this site which brings in the most work - I have many enquiries every day from all over the UK, as well as dozens of more local enquiries.

And those long-distance enquiries add up to a lot of high-paid gigs. Folks who haven't heard of me by word-of-mouth, but have found me via internet searches. Enough that it's frequently possible to book two shows on the same day, out of my area. Both of them earning long-distance prices (which are pretty high).

My early websites were very basic and simple, but I've found that having a big website like http://www.pottythepirate.com is very good for business. It's unlike pretty much any other kids' entertainer's website, so makes it stand apart.

I will always go with what brings in the business, and this works for me. I don't advertise anywhere now, except via my websites.

Here's a comment I received today, typical of the reactions folks have to strong internet presence: "Wow, party hasn't even begun to begin yet and already I'm picked you out of the many hundreds of children's entertainers I found!"

Chaotic my websites may be, but there is a wealth of information, photos and videos. That's impressive to potential clients.

Potty,

Instead of saying "I hate that, especially ones that start automatically," I should have just said I hate the ones that start automatically. I feel the same about audio that auto-starts. I did word that wrong. I don't mind seeing the screen and the visitor has to start it.

Sorry for the misspeaking there.

Bazinga!

That's a beautiful, fun, colorful site. The performance videos are wonderful and everyone is having a great time!

Well for facebook, I would tell people to like you on facebook and then post fun stuff. If you do balloon animals I'd post a ballon sculpture now and then, featuring current events like Xmas, Valentines Day, Easter, Spring, Summer, Going for a swim, 4th of July,..... and then you already have one easy post every one or two months. You can announce specials like a "special surprise for the hosting mom/dad if the guys book you until the end of next month. Tell your friends." Or if they book now for the second half of the year, the b-day kid gets a signed wand. Go crazy. ;-)