Small Weddings & Elopements Website

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Birdie

Birdie

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Joined
Feb 8, 2012
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Well, my new website for our small weddings and elopements is very close to being done. Minor adjustments at this point. This was my first time in the WP world and it was quite a challenge, frustrating, educational and fun all at the same time. Without the help of EmptyNest, I would still be banging my head on the wall! Let me tell you, she went above and beyond to hold my hand and I sure do appreciate it.
Most of you will not recognize this screen name, but if you take a look at the site, you'll probably figure me out. I'm using this identity to keep my other screen name anonymous to the outside world so I don't want to add this link to that name.
Constructive feedback is welcome, but remember this is not a b&b website with a lot of bells and whistles and I want to keep it simple, so be kind!
 
A quick look. Have not looked at all pages but did look at the packages. Make sure to add the max person count for the wedding in the 2nd package. We all know just because you say there is an 8 person max for the overnight stay does not mean they will not try to pull one over on more guests at the wedding.
 
copperhead said:
A quick look. Have not looked at all pages but did look at the packages. Make sure to add the max person count for the wedding in the 2nd package. We all know just because you say there is an 8 person max for the overnight stay does not mean they will not try to pull one over on more guests at the wedding..
Click to expand...
copperhead said:
A quick look. Have not looked at all pages but did look at the packages. Make sure to add the max person count for the wedding in the 2nd package. We all know just because you say there is an 8 person max for the overnight stay does not mean they will not try to pull one over on more guests at the wedding.
Click to expand...
Thanks CH, I made that change. I added "registered guests only, 8 person maximum". We can actually overflow to 11 overnight guests, but that will be a negotiating point if they request more. Of course, at a extra charge.
 
Hi,
I would recommend a couple of changes and optimizations.
1. Your <title> looks a bit spammy and badly written:
<title>oregon coast weddings|elopement| beach wedding packages|elope oregon</title>
Capitalize the first letter of each word and add empty spaces around the | character. "packages|elope" is not good.
And don't forget that this is the title that your website will come up with in search engine result pages. Will a regular visitor find this title attractive? Write for people, not for bots.
2. Same here:
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Oregon Coast</strong><strong></strong> <strong>Weddings</strong> <strong>and Elopements</strong></h1>
You can just keep one <strong> tag, you won't get any extra points by keeping what you have now.
3. Maybe it is temporary, but I don't see Google Analytics code on your website, so you might be missing out on some visitor data.
4. And finally, it is a bit difficult to change in many WordPress themes, but the amount of HTTP requests on each page is quite high:
This page has 25 external Javascript scripts. Try combining them into one.
This page has 8 external stylesheets. Try combining them into one.
This page has 10 external background images. Try combining them with CSS sprites.
21 of the JavaScript files are bundled in with the Striking theme, and I'm certain that more than half of them are not being used. So you might want to look into removing some of them from the header.
But that's just me. I don't like seeing a website load in 3-5 seconds when it can do it in 1 second and save some bandwidth.
 
dumitru said:
Hi,
I would recommend a couple of changes and optimizations.
1. Your <title> looks a bit spammy and badly written:
<title>oregon coast weddings|elopement| beach wedding packages|elope oregon</title>
Capitalize the first letter of each word and add empty spaces around the | character. "packages|elope" is not good.
And don't forget that this is the title that your website will come up with in search engine result pages. Will a regular visitor find this title attractive? Write for people, not for bots.
2. Same here:
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Oregon Coast</strong><strong></strong> <strong>Weddings</strong> <strong>and Elopements</strong></h1>
You can just keep one <strong> tag, you won't get any extra points by keeping what you have now.
3. Maybe it is temporary, but I don't see Google Analytics code on your website, so you might be missing out on some visitor data.
4. And finally, it is a bit difficult to change in many WordPress themes, but the amount of HTTP requests on each page is quite high:
This page has 25 external Javascript scripts. Try combining them into one.
This page has 8 external stylesheets. Try combining them into one.
This page has 10 external background images. Try combining them with CSS sprites.
21 of the JavaScript files are bundled in with the Striking theme, and I'm certain that more than half of them are not being used. So you might want to look into removing some of them from the header.
But that's just me. I don't like seeing a website load in 3-5 seconds when it can do it in 1 second and save some bandwidth..
Click to expand...
You can install a caching program which will speed up the load time. I never install until I am finished doing a site because it causes issues sometimes.
 
EmptyNest said:
dumitru said:
Hi,
I would recommend a couple of changes and optimizations.
1. Your <title> looks a bit spammy and badly written:
<title>oregon coast weddings|elopement| beach wedding packages|elope oregon</title>
Capitalize the first letter of each word and add empty spaces around the | character. "packages|elope" is not good.
And don't forget that this is the title that your website will come up with in search engine result pages. Will a regular visitor find this title attractive? Write for people, not for bots.
2. Same here:
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Oregon Coast</strong><strong></strong> <strong>Weddings</strong> <strong>and Elopements</strong></h1>
You can just keep one <strong> tag, you won't get any extra points by keeping what you have now.
3. Maybe it is temporary, but I don't see Google Analytics code on your website, so you might be missing out on some visitor data.
4. And finally, it is a bit difficult to change in many WordPress themes, but the amount of HTTP requests on each page is quite high:
This page has 25 external Javascript scripts. Try combining them into one.
This page has 8 external stylesheets. Try combining them into one.
This page has 10 external background images. Try combining them with CSS sprites.
21 of the JavaScript files are bundled in with the Striking theme, and I'm certain that more than half of them are not being used. So you might want to look into removing some of them from the header.
But that's just me. I don't like seeing a website load in 3-5 seconds when it can do it in 1 second and save some bandwidth..
Click to expand...
You can install a caching program which will speed up the load time. I never install until I am finished doing a site because it causes issues sometimes.
.
Click to expand...
Caching or no caching, HTTP requests are made nonetheless, at least on the initial load (the most important visit is the first one).
Reducing the number of HTTP requests in your page is the place to start. This is the most important guideline for improving performance for first time visitors. As described in Tenni Theurer's blog post Browser Cache Usage - Exposed!, 40-60% of daily visitors to your site come in with an empty cache. Making your page fast for these first time visitors is key to a better user experience.
 
and from there...
Facebook page
then a Flickr Account, which can require a GOOGLE EMAIL then GOOGLE PLUS account... add some photos of the locations and more.
It is a HUGE MASSIVE BALL OF WAX, so keep all of your images in a Weddings file on your pc. Then every time you need to post there they are...adding to state tourism websites, etc
Keep your tag line and short and long description on file as well to cut n paste each time.
 
Overall I like the look of it!
You need better photos of the wedding in order to sell the pkg with photos. They were kind of plain and fuzzy. Or maybe just not properly sized for the slideshow.
 
Joey Bloggs said:
and from there...
Facebook page
then a Flickr Account, which can require a GOOGLE EMAIL then GOOGLE PLUS account... add some photos of the locations and more.
It is a HUGE MASSIVE BALL OF WAX, so keep all of your images in a Weddings file on your pc. Then every time you need to post there they are...adding to state tourism websites, etc
Keep your tag line and short and long description on file as well to cut n paste each time..
Click to expand...
Did the FB and Flicker last week.
Soooo, do I need to do a separate google account? Can I just add this to my already existing acct and just create a separate G+ page for it?
I don't want to break any google rules about creating this separate website and having it co-mingled with my b&b account. That's the reason I haven't set up the google analytics yet. I want to make sure google is happy.
Does anybody know?
 
Madeleine said:
Overall I like the look of it!
You need better photos of the wedding in order to sell the pkg with photos. They were kind of plain and fuzzy. Or maybe just not properly sized for the slideshow..
Click to expand...
I agree about the quality of the photos of the wedding. Unfortunately, I was not the one that took the photos and not only did most of them come out a bit fuzzy, but I had to take most of them off the wedding couple's FB page. I learned a tough lesson on that one! I'm going to be the one taking photos from now on and will have the high resolution files and get written permission from them to be able to use them for promotion.
 
Birdie said:
Joey Bloggs said:
and from there...
Facebook page
then a Flickr Account, which can require a GOOGLE EMAIL then GOOGLE PLUS account... add some photos of the locations and more.
It is a HUGE MASSIVE BALL OF WAX, so keep all of your images in a Weddings file on your pc. Then every time you need to post there they are...adding to state tourism websites, etc
Keep your tag line and short and long description on file as well to cut n paste each time..
Click to expand...
Did the FB and Flicker last week.
Soooo, do I need to do a separate google account? Can I just add this to my already existing acct and just create a separate G+ page for it?
I don't want to break any google rules about creating this separate website and having it co-mingled with my b&b account. That's the reason I haven't set up the google analytics yet. I want to make sure google is happy.
Does anybody know?
.
Click to expand...
Birdie said:
Did the FB and Flicker last week.
Soooo, do I need to do a separate google account? Can I just add this to my already existing acct and just create a separate G+ page for it?
I don't want to break any google rules about creating this separate website and having it co-mingled with my b&b account. That's the reason I haven't set up the google analytics yet. I want to make sure google is happy.
Does anybody know?
Click to expand...
You can have as many as you want.
It is not cheating anything by having another business with diff account, they want you to!
Do you want them all combined or separate, you already created the separate website, which I did not. I created the separate URL for marketing purposes. I may create a separate site down the road.
Flickr is trickier for me, as I want it to be the elopements only, not combined with anything else. Just like I did when I created the Innrewards flickr account, I associated a unique email with it.
You can then make SETS. So the first one is the main set. After I get elopement images, I will create a set for locations, add ons, one for each couple. This way they can share their images immediately, vs a DVD.
I was thinking of offering a comp photo shoot to get those photos to use. Even an engagement shoot would be easy enough to do before it gets busy again in the Spring.
The photos on your site are more advanced than mine. I realize it is being built, so there ARE NO PHOTOS until they happen.
 
Birdie said:
Joey Bloggs said:
and from there...
Facebook page
then a Flickr Account, which can require a GOOGLE EMAIL then GOOGLE PLUS account... add some photos of the locations and more.
It is a HUGE MASSIVE BALL OF WAX, so keep all of your images in a Weddings file on your pc. Then every time you need to post there they are...adding to state tourism websites, etc
Keep your tag line and short and long description on file as well to cut n paste each time..
Click to expand...
Did the FB and Flicker last week.
Soooo, do I need to do a separate google account? Can I just add this to my already existing acct and just create a separate G+ page for it?
I don't want to break any google rules about creating this separate website and having it co-mingled with my b&b account. That's the reason I haven't set up the google analytics yet. I want to make sure google is happy.
Does anybody know?
.
Click to expand...
You can set up google analytics account under your current account. Not a problem. For my clients who don't have a clue...I have them all set up under my account. I set up to send them reports monthly,but most never even look at them. They just call me and ask :)
 
Joey Bloggs said:
Birdie said:
Joey Bloggs said:
and from there...
Facebook page
then a Flickr Account, which can require a GOOGLE EMAIL then GOOGLE PLUS account... add some photos of the locations and more.
It is a HUGE MASSIVE BALL OF WAX, so keep all of your images in a Weddings file on your pc. Then every time you need to post there they are...adding to state tourism websites, etc
Keep your tag line and short and long description on file as well to cut n paste each time..
Click to expand...
Did the FB and Flicker last week.
Soooo, do I need to do a separate google account? Can I just add this to my already existing acct and just create a separate G+ page for it?
I don't want to break any google rules about creating this separate website and having it co-mingled with my b&b account. That's the reason I haven't set up the google analytics yet. I want to make sure google is happy.
Does anybody know?
.
Click to expand...
Birdie said:
Did the FB and Flicker last week.
Soooo, do I need to do a separate google account? Can I just add this to my already existing acct and just create a separate G+ page for it?
I don't want to break any google rules about creating this separate website and having it co-mingled with my b&b account. That's the reason I haven't set up the google analytics yet. I want to make sure google is happy.
Does anybody know?
Click to expand...
You can have as many as you want.
It is not cheating anything by having another business with diff account, they want you to!
Do you want them all combined or separate, you already created the separate website, which I did not. I created the separate URL for marketing purposes. I may create a separate site down the road.
Flickr is trickier for me, as I want it to be the elopements only, not combined with anything else. Just like I did when I created the Innrewards flickr account, I associated a unique email with it.
You can then make SETS. So the first one is the main set. After I get elopement images, I will create a set for locations, add ons, one for each couple. This way they can share their images immediately, vs a DVD.
I was thinking of offering a comp photo shoot to get those photos to use. Even an engagement shoot would be easy enough to do before it gets busy again in the Spring.
The photos on your site are more advanced than mine. I realize it is being built, so there ARE NO PHOTOS until they happen.
.
Click to expand...
You can always buy some stock ones. I buy things I think I will use with clients and use them until they get better ones if possible..hope hope... I know you will.
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