Need Input on Website

Grizabella

I'm working on a website, have gotten some vistaprint cards made that will be here in a couple of weeks, and I'm finally going to see if I can sink or swim as a "real" reader professionally online and in real life.

Does anyone have some last minute tips for me about taking the final step of publishing the website to the web before I actually do that? I'm not big on spiel so my wording of things is pretty straightforward, just like I talk to you here. The actual publishing is just a matter of clicking a "publish" button, but I mean should I come at people gangbusters or just "talk" like I do here? I'm not aiming for a huge, blockbuster, make-a-mint Tarot business. I just want to establish a modest business that can provide me with some added income, since I don't make a lot with Social Security. I don't have to put on the glitz and dazzle so I haven't talked myself up or anything. I've just made a few statements about who I am and then described how the website works, etc.

As most who know me are aware, I work by donations in real life and I'm going to try that with the website but if it doesn't work, I'll sadly revert to standard payments, all of which I've stated on the website.

Any tips or anything?
 

tarotbear

Grizz~ GOOD LUCK!

If it is as easy as 'click the publish button', then I would guess that making changes down the road must also be pretty easy, too - everyone has to update their site to keep it current or fresh.

HIT THAT 'PUBLISH' BUTTON, GIRL! GO FOR IT! :thumbsup:
 

Rhoswen

I so much admire your courage, and eagerly anticipate reading updates of your adventures. You go, girl!

You are blazing a path that I might wish to follow someday, so I'm ready to learn from you.

Will you provide a link to your webpage (public or via PM)?
 

Grizabella

Thank you everyone! I'll post a link and let you all see what I've done so far:

http://www.askgrizabella.com/?alt_id=KH7BP-L1A59-8N1&ts=1341092419215

I'm very open to suggestion if you see anything I can word differently, add or take away. Comments about the positives will be very welcome, too.

And I'll go post my link in the Advertisement forum, too, once I've gotten some feedback here and made any changes I need to make.

All the links to pages should be working, but if they're not, let me know and I'll fix them.

Incidentally, while I don't mind using my real name, Grizabella is who I am online and I just kinda like that better. At least for now.
 

Est

I like the wording of the site, Griz :) It's down to earth and reassuring.
 

Zezina

Well done Griz. I'm sure your gentle approach will be very successful.
 

Stormdancer

I think it's just lovely, but I have a question. If I WANT a reading, how do I go about it? Do I click on "Contact me" to do that?

ETA...never mind...I clicked it and there it was :rolleyes:
 

wildchilde

Hi Grizabella! Love what you have so far...especially the background. Looks very right for the content. I have built several business websites over the years and here are a few of my suggestions for whatever they are worth:

1) on the front page: I humbly submit that you remove these two lines
If it doesn't, then I'll sadly have to set a standard of payment. I hope that won't have to happen.
Click to expand...
Saying that you trust in the honor system of love offerings and then following it with this quote sort of cancels out the trust factor and tells people you don't really believe it's going to work. If you try it and later decide to set a standard fee that is your business, there is no need to announce it right now.

2) I would however, ADD a suggested donation amount or a range based on different styles of readings you might be apt to offer. This way people are not completely blind to what your time and effort is worth and often it is helpful for people to know what an expected fee would be especially if they have never had a reading done before. I have also found that many people when faced with a "suggested" amount will go over that with their love offering.

3) On the About Me page, when you mention your studies you might go a little more in depth so that people know what you mean by that...did you attend any special tarot conferences? did you complete a year long study of certain decks? etc and so on. Some people won't care but others will find it fascinating and reassuring to know that you take the study of Tarot seriously.

4) On the contact page you might consider a box or drop down for the type of reading a person might want depending on what you wish to offer (i.e 3 card, 5 card, work, love life, celtic cross, etc and so on). again, sometimes it helps people to know exactly what they are asking for and what they can expect in return.

3) Other things you could add that might make people more likely to contact you for a reading and take your abilities seriously...
* a photo or photos of yourself (especially "action" photos of you reading or using your cards)
* links to decks and or spreads that you are likely to use
* I would love to see some testimonials if you can get a few people (grin) to write some glowing reviews of readings you have done to put on your site so people visiting know you really do have "satisfied customers".
*you might consider using a font size one to two sizes larger. I found it a bit straining on my eyes to read the small font of the website even though I did like the fonts that you used, especially the script fonts for the headings and page links.

Well, FWIW, I hope my thoughts have been helpful to you. I know you will be a HUGE success!! Don't be surprised if you are over-run with requests soon.
 

Grizabella

wildchilde said:
Hi Grizabella! Love what you have so far...especially the background. Looks very right for the content. I have built several business websites over the years and here are a few of my suggestions for whatever they are worth:

1) on the front page: I humbly submit that you remove these two lines Saying that you trust in the honor system of love offerings and then following it with this quote sort of cancels out the trust factor and tells people you don't really believe it's going to work. If you try it and later decide to set a standard fee that is your business, there is no need to announce it right now.

2) I would however, ADD a suggested donation amount or a range based on different styles of readings you might be apt to offer. This way people are not completely blind to what your time and effort is worth and often it is helpful for people to know what an expected fee would be especially if they have never had a reading done before. I have also found that many people when faced with a "suggested" amount will go over that with their love offering.

3) On the About Me page, when you mention your studies you might go a little more in depth so that people know what you mean by that...did you attend any special tarot conferences? did you complete a year long study of certain decks? etc and so on. Some people won't care but others will find it fascinating and reassuring to know that you take the study of Tarot seriously.

4) On the contact page you might consider a box or drop down for the type of reading a person might want depending on what you wish to offer (i.e 3 card, 5 card, work, love life, celtic cross, etc and so on). again, sometimes it helps people to know exactly what they are asking for and what they can expect in return.

3) Other things you could add that might make people more likely to contact you for a reading and take your abilities seriously...
* a photo or photos of yourself (especially "action" photos of you reading or using your cards)
* links to decks and or spreads that you are likely to use
* I would love to see some testimonials if you can get a few people (grin) to write some glowing reviews of readings you have done to put on your site so people visiting know you really do have "satisfied customers".
*you might consider using a font size one to two sizes larger. I found it a bit straining on my eyes to read the small font of the website even though I did like the fonts that you used, especially the script fonts for the headings and page links.

Well, FWIW, I hope my thoughts have been helpful to you. I know you will be a HUGE success!! Don't be surprised if you are over-run with requests soon.
Click to expand...

Thank you! This is very helpful to me and I'm going to follow some of your suggestions.

As for the drop-down for the kinds of readings, I'm not sure I'd be able to do that but I can see. And that's what the comment box is for there---to give me a question or other comments for the reading they want.

And no, I didn't take any classes or anything. It's been all self-study and hands-on experience.

I don't have a decent photo of myself except one taken over 10 years ago. I'm going to add a photo of myself soon, though.

Testimonials are coming, but I don't think I'll be adding links to decks and spreads I'll be using. Not that I mind someone knowing, but that's just not my preferred way of doing things. The people I appeal most to care most about the information I present to them from my readings and don't care what the decks are or what spreads I use. It's just my own opinion but I don't like to do anything that smacks of "oh look at me, look how many decks and spreads I can use." I'm not making any judgments on those who view it differently, though.

Images of decks may be used now and then with permission from the creators and I may publish some of my own spreads in my blog, though.
 

tarotbear

Sweetie~!

Invite two friends over - one for a reading and one with a camera, and do the reading and let the photographer snap away! That way nothing looks 'posed' and they see you 'doing' a reading. You Querent can sit farther away so they are not directly in any pix if that is a problem.
 
a gracious plenty Struggling with reading style