I need help rebuilding my photography portfolio site

da8iwr · #1 (**permalink**) 12-27-2006, 10:29 PM

(Ive also just posted this on the SEO forum http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic...=342814#342814)

I’m in the middle of rebuilding my Virtual Reality photography portfolio website www.quicktimevirtualreality.com.
I’m looking for any ideas that would be an advantage to my visitors or me, as I want it to be a site that will show info and content about QTVR photography and production to people looking for help to produce their own sites and content. At the moment it has a few hints and tips, and also a stack of galleries, but all are very small movies, they will all be full screen size in the new site.

I own a web design agency, so not only will this be my photography portfolio, it will also be part of my web portfolio to show what can be done. I’m looking for advice of what you would add to this site, to make it different, and stand out of the crowd.

I really want other photographers to be able to sign-up (for free) and upload there own virtual tours in the same way as many photography sites.

I definitely want a Forum, as used to have one in phpBB and as I never updated it, it was hacked, so I turned it off.

I need my Own Blogs/Diary (which could be a part of the forum I suppose)

Ill probably be using the Joomla CMS system as it is extremely versatile and I have huge amounts of experience with it.

I’m not looking to make any money from this site, as the hosting is just the spare space on my server I use for my clients.

So what else would you add, so this site will be good for the next 5 yrs, of course with me adding new content. I’ve even toyed with stuff like Google maps on the same page as the movie to show where it was taken, that kind of idea.

Also I’m not sure to keep the old design, or to use the same design I used for www.newworlddesigns.co.uk which is my main company, this is to keep the corp id going through, and it also validates and is better made. But I like the fact the original QTVR site design is a little different and uses layers (which is rare these days).

I’m also terrified about changing the site to much, as at the moment I'm at the top of Google, even above apple who invented it http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=qui...irtual+reality, and I'm worried that what ever I change, may effect this in a negative way.

Any advice will be gratefully accepted
Ian

davebarnes · #2 (**permalink**) 12-27-2006, 11:16 PM

Ian,

1. I would reduce the number of words in this:

Code:

<font style=font-size:1px>Welcome to the official home of the Quicktime virtual 
    reality quick time virtual reality Quicktimevirtualreality website produced 
    and published by new world designs The only design company in the north east 
    that specialises in CGI (computer generated imagery images) and VR Tours. 
    All images on this site has been produced photographed and stiched within 
    new world designs. We cater for all levels of photography and have a large 
    stock photo libary liabry libry. Within the stock you will find nightclubs, 
    pubs, clubs ,restarants, Food and drink, nightlife, tourism, tourist, lake 
    district, national parks, london, newcastle, durham, sunderland, darlington, 
    from all around the north east UK. QTVR, Quicktimevirtualreality quick time 
    virtual reality home official home page samples examples tests nightlife lake 
    district northeast UK USA America Hong Kong property realestate real estate 
    cumbria lakes lake district peak district national park nationalpark objects 
    turntables kaidan kaiden kiaden kiadan tripods photography images panoramics 
    360 degrees degree full panos stiched vrworx vr worx photovista vruk vrleeds 
    vr sunderland vrnortheast vrnewcastle realgb realnewcastle realsunderland 
    realdurham real darlington realvr vrqt virtualreality nightclubs pubs restaurants 
    scene scenic quayside tourist Quicktimevirtualreality QTVR Spherical, sphyerical,sferical, 
    cubic, round, shere, sfere, QTVR, Object, Turntable, Kiwi, Kaiden, Kainan, 
    Kaidan, Multinode, Multi node, Multi linked, Java View Media Action script, 
    actionscript, vr tours, vr tour. 360 degree panorama, panoramic, panoramas, 
    Olympus, Nikon, Canon, cannon, digital SLR cameras for VR Tours, Dr Helmut 
    Dersch, Free QTVR VR software</font>

so that the search engine spiders are more focused on your important terms.
For example, is "USA" really a valuable keyword for you? Of course not.

2. For forum software I prefer Invision Power Board because it costs money and you can get support.

3. Text on my 23-inch Apple LCD is way tto small.

,dave

just-trying-to-help · #3 (**permalink**) 12-28-2006, 01:11 AM

First thing I would do is go through the code and fix problems like

code:

[b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]

Maybe use css instead.

"I’m also terrified about changing the site to much, as at the moment I'm at the top of Google, even above apple who invented it"
I wouldn't brag about ranking good in Google as 1 simple spam report can change all that in a jiffy. I would remove the spam text at bottom of the page before someone reports it.

Then I would remove the picture roll over menu and add a nice css rollover text instead.

Joomla is a good content manager, I would go with that.

Best of luck..