East Texas Design website

[firebugmichelle]

http://easttexasdesign.com/2010-01-2...-disapointing/

I have had this domain for several years but haven't spent much time developing a website on it. I decided this weekend would be a good time to edit all of the articles and update the design. ... Any suggestions?

My goal is to get together a group of web designers, graphic designers, and programmers with various skill levels & styles so that we can join forces and look for work.

In the future I want to get rid of the google ads and turn this into something where a group of 20 or so local designers pay a small fee to cover the costs of hosting and promotion.

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by firebugmichelle

My goal is to get together a group of web designers, graphic designers, and programmers with various skill levels & styles so that we can join forces and look for work.

In the future I want to get rid of the google ads and turn this into something where a group of 20 or so local designers pay a small fee to cover the costs of hosting and promotion.

Nits--you're inconsistent with capitalization and the header looks way too much like the OS commerce (?) logo.

If you're serious about using the site to start a "design collective", the first step is to decide how it will work. If it's going to be anything but a directory, the first step is to ditch the ads. Anybody charging for something looks like they're not getting any business with ads on their pages.

Start filling it with content relevant to local designers and site builders...easy pages to assemble might be links to local chambers of commerce, business organizations, demographics.

But the key's a good organizing scheme--your white background article, for example, could go under 'usability'.

You may have to form at least a nominal group and meet monthly or so in real life, if you want to do more than have a directory.

[firebugmichelle]

Gwyneth - Thanks. I totally agree with what you have said. There is so much to do - I needed help deciding where to start!

I actually had a very nice design started in 2007 (beautiful in fact!) but the files are on a broken hard drive that I can't afford to have recovered. I can't motivate myself to start over, so I installed wordpress. You see where that has gotten me. *sigh*

Thanks for the organization scheme suggestion. That is one of the places where I am very stuck. ... I will make a useability sub-category. There are several articles in my head, but don't want to put much effort into typing them before I figure out where they should go.

The monthly meetings are an excellent idea. I have been wanting to do that for a while. Had a decent group started in 2008, but almost everyone has left for various reasons. I think I will put that back on my to-do list.

For the ads ... I hadn't thought of them making it look like I'm not getting any business. (To the contrary, I sometimes get overloaded and have to turn away offers. Which is why I think this group-site is a good idea.) I would like to get rid of the ads before charging a membership fee. But I am so close to my first AdSense payout and that site has the best cpc! I think I'll officially take the ads off when I get my first check from Google. (unless I manage to get at least 5 people together who want to pay a small fee)

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by firebugmichelle

Thanks for the organization scheme suggestion. That is one of the places where I am very stuck. ... I will make a useability sub-category. There are several articles in my head, but don't want to put much effort into typing them before I figure out where they should go.

....at least 5 people together who want to pay a small fee)

To the first part quoted, you don't need to write much of an article if you put useful links and references with it--all of whom can provide more specialist info.

This will also improve your writing because you won't subconsciously want to pad it.

To the second...

IMO, you have a phrase in search of a concept. Or perhaps a concept in search of coherency. You're sort of mushy on several different approaches and therefore are squishy on what the final (relatively) product would be.

Directory? Affinity group? Referral site? Working coop?

Either you are selling the site (i.e., paid directory) or the site is selling something, and to help clarify what you want it might be useful to look at real world equivalents.

Yellow pages? Rotary or other leads-type business group? Specialized (by geography and or trade) business info? There are others, and IMO, if you can envision an electronic equivalent, it may help you clarify your site focus.

Once you do that, the process of filling it with content will be far easier.

[firebugmichelle]

I have been trying for a while to think of how to answer what I want my site to be. ... Affinity group may be the best term, but I never heard it before reading your response.

I have known for years exactly what I want. But I am not good at communicating it. ... I do not want to be just a directory. (Too many of those already exist in my opinion.) But I do want to serve as a place where people of similar interests get together and as a place where area businesses can turn to look for local talent. ... The articles serve two purposes. #1, for a convenient place to keep my notes. And #2, to bring attention to the site and show that we have some understanding of computers.

[dvduval]

As I look at the homepage of the site, I don't feel there is a call to action that is clear. I understand that you are trying to bring together people, but how would one go about joining up with you? It doesn't seem that part is clear or readily available to act upon.
(or maybe I am missing something)