[HollySat]

As for the idea of rows of small pictures with pop-ups and links (all three elements combine) the question still stands, have you seen it done before: yes or no

It also sounds as though both of you don't like the idea - now, any way to improve it? Or, if you like put it this way, what is the best way to try and reach a wide audience? This is really a second question.

Honestly I'd like to get opinions, especially since it seems you two have vast experience with SEO, marketing, design and are probably work at home millionaires - am I correct?

[Clough]

I appreciate you giving your input and Expert opinion, morgaine300! Thank you so much for your efforts and your support!

HollySat, do you want to get your website noticed or not when people do searches for things?

I can help you greatly with that!

Thanks

[Clough]

As for the idea of rows of small pictures with pop-ups and links (all three elements combine) the question still stands, have you seen it done before: yes or no

It also sounds as though both of you don't like the idea - now, any way to improve it? Or, if you like put it this way, what is the best way to try and reach a wide audience? This is really a second question.

Honestly I'd like to get opinions, especially since it seems you two have vast experience with SEO, marketing, design and are probably work at home millionaires - am I correct?

No, I'm not-a-work-at-home millionaire. But, I do know how to get excellent exposure on the Internet. Most of my business comes from what I've placed for free on the Internet.

But, I do reach the audience where I'm located extremely well and since you have such an attitude, I'm gone from this thread.

Good-bye...

[morgaine300]

[QUOTE]

As for the idea of rows of small pictures with pop-ups and links (all three elements combine) the question still stands, have you seen it done before: yes or no

I can't answer that yes or no. I've been to gazillions of different sites and it's not like I'm going to remember that kind of detail if I happen to have seen it somewhere. To insist on yes or no is unfair.

I've most definitely seen popups with links in there. I also hate them. I hate popups of all kinds. I'm trying to run my mouse over a page and these things keep popping up in my face and getting in my way. If you want to do that, then I suggest making them a true "hover" - that is, having to hold your mouse there intentionally for a couple of seconds if you want them, but so they don't keep popping up when people don't want them.

Now, popups in pictures? Couldn't say, but I wouldn't be surprised. I don't particularly like that type of thing, so I probably wouldn't stay a place like that very long... so my memory of such of thing wouldn't be very good.

It also sounds as though both of you don't like the idea - now, any way to improve it?

You've misunderstood a bit. First, I don't think Clough has in any way whatsoever implied that he does not "like" your idea. I think he just means he doesn't think it's a good route to advertise your site. And again, I put emphasis that I think advertising means drawing people to it to begin with. Coming back once they've been there is entirely different. You need to start distinguishing between those two ideas.

Most of my comments have also been addressed towards driving people to it to begin with, not keeping people interested in it. However -- I don't like tons and tons of pictures all on one page. For one, takes too long to load, and yes you do need to care about that if you want people to like your site. (You have to consider the practicalities of someone navigating the site.) A few pictures are OK. And as I said, I hate popups. But you haven't said much about what you're doing with your site, other than making it unique, so I can't possibly like or dislike anything other than what I've specifically mentioned.

I can say that I'm not sure uniqueness for the sake of uniqueness is necessarily a reason for people to want to return. Now, if it was totally bizarre and got the better of someone's curiosity so that they'd have to return, that'd be different. But simply being unique in and of itself - don't know about that.

What is your site to be about? What do you want people to see when they get there? Wanting them to like the uniqueness is one thing, but wanting them to be there for the sake of it seems a little odd. But you're talking about links - to what? You're obviously going somewhere with this other than the pictures.

Or, if you like put it this way, what is the best way to try and reach a wide audience? This is really a second question.

Reaching people to begin with either means driving them to your site to begin with ("advertising") and I think you need a better answer of what you want people to come there for other than uniqueness. (Like I said, you can't Google a concept, only specific things -- words.) Or by word of mouth, but this is a big world - that could take a while. Unless you're only interested in specific groups of people.

Honestly I'd like to get opinions, especially since it seems you two have vast experience with SEO, marketing, design and are probably work at home millionaires - am I correct?

Coincidentally, the majority of my income comes from working at home. Online. But it's still just normal old work making a modest living -- it's just that online stuff is becoming more popular. I have zero experience in marketing. I just have LOTS of experience in running around the internet, knowing what I do and don't like, talking to other people, listening to them complain about what they don't like, knowing how I find sites, etc. Yes, I have a business background, but not in marketing. I'm a consumer -- I can see it from that point of view. Sometimes that view is more important that some suit sitting around in a board room trying to pretend to know what consumers want. Clough also has a business background.

Not sure why you'd think we were millionaires. You must believe all those get rich quick schemes you see everywhere.

[morgaine300]

I am, by the way, disappearing for the moment. I need to be getting to bed soon and I need to go chill out with a game or TV or something.

[Clough]

You've made some very valid points, morgaine300!

For those, I thank you very much!

[shazamataz]

As for the idea of rows of small pictures with pop-ups and links (all three elements combine) the question still stands, have you seen it done before: yes or no

It also sounds as though both of you don't like the idea - now, any way to improve it? Or, if you like put it this way, what is the best way to try and reach a wide audience? This is really a second question.

Honestly I'd like to get opinions, especially since it seems you two have vast experience with SEO, marketing, design and are probably work at home millionaires - am I correct?

Several people have answered that question before... YES we have all seen that type of site before.

We can't really give you ideas on how to improve it without knowing what your site will be about...

What audience are you targeting?
Single mums?
Teenagers?
Men?
Children?

It would help to know your audience as the layout would change for each age bracket...

If it was for say, children, then big, bold pictures would be more appropriate.

If it was focused more at single mums, then a more text based site would be better with a few logos and graphic designs.

Honestly, as I said before, I would not be interested in looking at a site with an extremely heavy graphic content purely because I would give up on waiting for it to load.

Remember, not everyone has fast internet connections, my parents have dial up, it takes about 5 minutes just to load a regular page... that site you posted would probably make their cimputer crash!

Yes you do need a gimmick so that once people are on your page they want to stay there and have a look around, but it has to be SIMPLE and effective.

[HollySat]

My idea was that a few rows or strips of picture could be used on just about any type of site but, now that I think about it probably content based sites.
This would be another link trap that would be different from adsense, banners and the like.
To be specific I would limit the amount of pictures to say 30 or 40 pictures in a row/column so there would be no hit in performance to be downloaded.
As for Demographic I have read that it's more important to try and target a niche (just what I've read).
Any ideas on perhaps which niche would be best targeted? Photo sites, video sites, current events sites?
I think that I'm finally getting to the point of your inquiries.

Thanks!

[Clough]

What is your site about, HollySat?

Thanks!

[HollySat]

My idea for a site would be a content site for recipes, baking tips, exotic foods and the like.
With revenue generated through adsense, affiliates and using carefully placed rows or small pics on the edges of some articles.

I know it's been done but it can always be done better.

[Clough]

Okay, now we're getting somewhere...

What is your target audience or audiences, please?

Thanks!

[HollySat]

I guess that it would be anyone who like to cook and likes good food- which is just about everyone.
But since most cooking is still done by women, I guess it would be female between ages of 15 - 50.

[Clough]

Are you looking to attract people from and to a certain locale, or just in general, please?

Thanks!

[morgaine300]

To be specific I would limit the amount of pictures to say 30 or 40 pictures in a row/column so there would be no hit in performance to be downloaded.

You said like a few. You're talking 30 or 40 pictures in a row? That is a lot. How do you think there's going to be no hit in performance with that many pictures? You have a lot to learn. I absolutely would never want to deal with that many pictures on a page. I don't have dial-up, but more people still have it than a lot of people think. But I also don't have the fastest DSL in the world cause I can't afford that kind of service.

It's your personal site and you can do anything you want to it. When something's commercial, I expect a professional site and I expect it to have been tested with different browsers, resolutions, etc. and don't want it clogged up with silly flash and java crap, and I expect it to run smoothly. (Not that those expectations are necessarily met.) But for a personal site, you can do whatever you want. But since you're asking what people think, then I think it would do you good to start thinking outside of your own situation, like how fast your internet is. Perhaps you should get on another computer, going through a heavy firewall, with a lot of traffic, and see what you think of pages with lots of pictures. (Like... at a college.)

My idea for a site would be a content site for recipes, baking tips, exotic foods and the like.

This is from post #30. We've gone through THIRTY posts and are just now finding out what the site is going to be about, other than something unique with pictures. We tried to ask you this a million times. What was so difficult about answering with this?

And now that I know what it's about, I can have even more opinions, because it just so happens I hang around a site like that. In other words, I am part of your target audience.

I do not go to cooking sites because they have some unique presentation. I might go there if they have unique content, but that isn't the same thing. I would not go there if I had to deal with "only" 30 to 40 pictures loading. I am not convinced that people looking at cooking stuff like that are going to be interested in how unique the page looks - they're going to be interested in content. Well, unless it's just a social hang-out.

I have one place that I hang out at the most. If I go to another site, it will be because there is something special there that I'm having a hard time finding. For instance, I have gone out to Italian or Mexican sites because I've been interested in finding out what the authentic way to make some dish is. (I'm not picky about them being authentic - it's usually just curiosity.) I also might go somewhere else if I'm trying to find definitions of something, or unusual foods. The site I hang around does have a big encyclopedia type thing, but sometimes I want other information. I occasionally go specifically to wine sites.

Bottom line is that where I hang out has so many gazillions of recipes and so much other stuff that I mostly don't have a need to go elsewhere. In order to get me elsewhere, there would have to be something different about it --

-- but pictures wouldn't be it. I can find pictures of food anywhere, and if it's not of food, then I don't care. But then, despite that I do go to cooking sites, that still doesn't mean I'm your target audience. Maybe you want people who want to see all these pictures.

[morgaine300]

But since most cooking is still done by women, I guess it would be female between ages of 15 - 50.

That's another thing that makes you sound young. There are a LOT of women out there hanging out at places like that who are well over 50. We don't drop dead at that age.

[Clough]

Your points are well thought-out, well-intended and done in kindness in the searching for understanding here, morgaine300!

My suggestion would be to wait and see what HollySat has to say until proceeding further with suggestions.

Only through open dialogue can we truly know come to know the intentions and meaning of what someone is trying to accomplish by using this site.

Thanks!

[shazamataz]

I know we should wait for more information as Clough said but I just wanted to throw a suggestion out there...

Personally I think a more text based site with just a snazzy heading/logo for you front page would be your best option.

That way it will load fast and have all the required information right there.

On the fron page you could have sub headings such as:
Mexican
Italian
Australian
Greek
etc..

Then have drop down menu boxes for each ones (all text, no pictures) and have the categories in each country (eg: sweet recipes, savoury, recipes, bevereges etc.)

I remember when I was in high school my home economics teacher had each of us cook a dish from a particular country, a site like that would have been very handy to be able to sort through different cuisines rather than just going to a different cooking site for each country.

THEN once you have clicked on a particular category, lets say Australia -> Sweet food, you could have your list of images like you want to do for each different dish.

Just an idea on how to keep your idea with your images but still improve the layout of the site and make navigation easier.

[NeedKarma]

If your domain is tied to serving up ads then AdBlock or individual users will simply add it to their block list. Web advertising is a tough business, either you have it unobtrusive or have targeted to the site's content. Users won't put up with ads that slow the display of a page -they will leave the page or find a way to block the ads. Worse are overlay ads but that's not the case ehere I hope.

[morgaine300]

My suggestion would be to wait and see what HollySat has to say until proceeding further with suggestions.

?? She posted three more times before I answered again. So I addressed the additional information.