just click on my www!

[Virago]

If you have the time, I'd like some feedback on the look of my site. Is it too boring? Is the layout good or bad? Would it make you want to read my poems?

I'm happy with it but I find people are coming to that page and not going any further so what am I doing wrong?

I like websites that are simple to navigate so I don't want to add all sorts of java and frames that could put some people off.

So, can you help? I might be missing something blatantly obvious so any advice would be welcomed, if you have the time and thank you in advance.

This is not a shameless plug for you to read my poetry, I just want some help on layout- cheers

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ian.teelin ... sition.htm

[k-j]

Hi Justine. I think the layout is really good - it's clear, attractive, simple, and quick. I'm not sure what sort of people you have coming to your site but if they're just random googlers then maybe look at the search terms you're getting? There's such a mass of (mostly terrible) poetry on the net that it's a heck of a job getting people to read any in particular - I guess that's why forums like this exist.

[Virago]

Hi Justine. I think the layout is really good - it's clear, attractive, simple, and quick. I'm not sure what sort of people you have coming to your site but if they're just random googlers then maybe look at the search terms you're getting? There's such a mass of (mostly terrible) poetry on the net that it's a heck of a job getting people to read any in particular - I guess that's why forums like this exist.

Thanks, yes I have had some very bizarre keyword searches that end up on my site, I even wrote a poem about it here if you're interested http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ian.teeling/browsing.htm

I thought of adding a little bio but then I thought...

a) I'm not a very interesting person really

and

b) I am no good at selling myself!

Which is quite bad when you're so vain, I must be to want people to visit my site, mustn't I?

[Virago]

i have cobbled together a short bio and uploaded it this afternoon. I am very nosey so always want to more about poeple so this may work to draw others in who are possibly as nosey as me

[Saul]

/

[Virago]

Hi Virago. I think it's promising. The content and layout are both good but personally I think you could do something with the design and i'm not keen on the poems displayed by month, but that's just personal preference. You've centred the content which is generally a good move. So really I would look at the design. What did you use to do it?

hi, thanks for the comments. I just used a basic editor, frontpage express, and then worked from a blank page. I have a small knowledge of html so I use that to a certain extent.

I think you're bang on with your comment about the design but there's where I'm stuck, where do I go with it and what should I do?

As I said, I like to keep it simple but if you can give me any tips on making it more eye-catching but keeping it 'bells and whistle' free, I'd be grateful.

I have included a link to 'selected poems' so you don't have to trawl thru them on a month by month basis. Did you see that link?

Do you think they would look better on 1 page then and just alphabetised? You said you didn't like the monthly layout but didn't give me an alternative!

[cameron]

Justine,

Agree with Saul that visitors are not interested in when you wrote your poems. It's kinda irrelevant.

I've studied poetry web logs for a number of years now and the sad fact is that not many people are looking for new poems by minor (little known) (no offense intended - I'm in the same boat.) poets.

Many of your hits will be random due to a search engine word match from people who are really searching for hamster food, loft insulation or sex with tortoises.

A better bet is to try to get links on other poetry sites as this will bring you some (light) traffic from people who are interested in poetry.

But best of all is to add content to your site that people are looking for. The highest hit pages on PG (don't want to give away my secrets here) are for classic poems, poetic terms, poets laureate etc. Some of the 1500 unique visitors I get a day will also read my poems.

Otherwise, many individual poetry sites are just like messages in bottles floating in the middle of the Atlantic.

Cam

[Virago]

hi Cam

I use statcounter which is brilliant and I know some of my visitors are actually looking for poetry related topics. It's just baffling why they stop at the first page, not all do though which is nice

I just wondered if my site wasn't eyecatching or interesting enough to make people want to go on.

What did you think of it?

I tried to keep it simple because what I find when I trawl the internet is that I get so fed up of sites with too much on them and loads of twiddly java things- I tried to keep the colours restful to the eye and calming. I find white text on a black background really gives me a headache so I avoid that like the plague.

I have added a bio because I think people want to know a bit about the person who writes the poems, I know I do when I read other people's work but then I'm incredibly nosey

I just think my site looks a bit amateur and I want to make it look more professional but without hiring a pro to do it!

I did have a mad idea of self publishing a poetry collection and selling it on my site using paypal but that's just an idea at the moment.

I used to have some classic poems on my site which drew people in so I might add them again, can't remember why I took them off, think I was streamlining!

I don't know, I guess I'm just frustrated that people knock on my door then bugger off, so to speak. I want them to stay and have a cup of tea and maybe a biscuit!

[cameron]

I think your home page is very confusing. What are you selling? It's certainly not clear from this that you are a poet.

The actual poetry page is fine - though the month thing has to go I think.

Poetry sites don't have to be flash - just clear, readable and easy to navigate.

Not sure why you expect people to hang around for a long time. Most internet visits are under 60 seconds.

I think you should do far more about the Liverpool poetry scene. Become a focus for poetry info locally: add more links etc.

Be interested to see how it develops.


C

[Virago]

I think your home page is very confusing. What are you selling? It's certainly not clear from this that you are a poet.

The actual poetry page is fine - though the month thing has to go I think.

Poetry sites don't have to be flash - just clear, readable and easy to navigate.

Not sure why you expect people to hang around for a long time. Most internet visits are under 60 seconds.

I think you should do far more about the Liverpool poetry scene. Become a focus for poetry info locally: add more links etc.

Be interested to see how it develops.


C

you're right about the home page, I'll think about that.

The month thing- I sort of agree, but the alternative? Alphabetising do you think?

Good idea about the Liverpool scene, I'll work on that too.

And I expect people to stay around because I'm so vain!

thanks for the good avice Cam.

[Saul]

/

[Virago]

Cam's bang on. Simple clear design is the way to go. Think about layout, colour, images and font etc, do they all co-ordinate and get your message across?
To be at the top of google's results you need to have key words in the site that people will use when searching for poetry sites. It's about knowledge of your audience as much as anything, if you know what they will be typing (you can make an educated guess) try and make those terms figure in some way on your page, also make them relevant to you.
For the month thing I would get rid of the cumbersome grid pattern and if you still want to use some kind of chronological idea just have them alphabetically under year written.
Design-wise, you should be fine with html but I'd recommend dreamweaver which is easy to work in, you can edit web pages in english syntax, and also incredibly adaptable for design. Unfortunately it's about £400 a go so guess that's not an option! Know any friends who can burn you a copy? (not sanctifying copyright crime at all).

thanks for all the good advice. I've got some ideas cooking- specifically around 2008 and Liverpool poets- watch this space, as they say!