Website Design

[LondonEvie]

 Hi Everyone,

 Newbie here. I've begun looking at agencies, but ideally I would like to work independently and so I'm looking at webpage design.

 I found one website which does independent escort website development/web hosting/doman name for 100? and was wondering if that is a good deal or not!

 In addition they offer a fantastic (sounding) service of search engine optimization for one off price of 250? and then a package of link development and search engine etc etc for 100? per month with no contract...

 Investing that much straight away feels like a lot, and I'm wondering what the average figure spent on setting up your web and pictures is. Oh in addition as far as pictures go the average seems to be about 200? for a shoot including web aspects and photoshopping. Thoughts??

 Been reading entire forum, great stuff xx 

[lexienight]

Hi.  i set my webpage up for free using rare escorts.com ... might not be a great recommendation considering i have had a few teething problems with adding banners (had help with it but they still dont seem to work but im not defeated yet!!!).  I seem to have trouble entering the site tonight aswell but thats not something i have experianced until now so assuming it will come back any minute now (fingers crossed).

I think there are various ways of setting up free websites and as i am the least techy person i know (hence all the help from others regarding the banners), if i can do it anyone can.  I dont love the template of my site but i needed my outlay to be minimal as i dont have any spare at the moment to be spending out on a site etc.

As for the photos.  this really worried me at first because i looked at so many other indie's sites and saw some beautiful professional photos... then i looked at lots more that had not used professional shots and thought if they can do it so can i.  Im not proud of my photo's and cant wait to have a profesional shoot but again its going to have to wait until i have a few bookings under my (suspender)belt and then i will upgrade them.  Im definately going to get a profesional site done eventually but i think as a starting point mine is ok.  I havent been able to take bookings yet because of my "proper" job being so busy the past couple of weeks but the calls and emails have started to come in so its reasuring that the free site and dodgy photos havent put men off calling.

I also reasoned with myself that if i go spending up to ?500 setting up a pro site with pro pics and then a month or two in to it decide that i hate being an escort, i can bow out gracefully and not have lost anything in the initial outlay.

there is another site called moon somehting or other (i always thnk of moonpig but thats the annoying advert on tv for cards isnt it!!)  if you have a look through the forum posts you will find it mentioned.

Good luck.

Lexie

[lexienight]

moonfruit is the other one i was thinking of.

[amy]

Hi Evie!

The other free website place is http://www.moonfruit.com/ - it could get you started at least until you have decided on whether you like escorting enough to fork out for something more involved and complicated - I have no idea how easy it is to use but a lot of people seem to manage OK. There are some recommendations on the main SAAFE page - one of them (Miradesign) did my site and they are not expensive - PM me if you want to know more about them or visit their site to contact them.

This ?100 a month for whatever it is sounds a bit odd - I don't know anyone who forks out amounts like this for anything, including advertising - it's a hell of a lot of money and whilst I'm not techy enough to understand what 'link development' and 'optimisation' involves in any sort of detail I do know that I have never paid anything like that and haven't suffered as a result! I suspect that this might just be bollocks.

Photos prices vary a lot - my first professional ones (on my site now, although I have messed about with them a lot to make them look different to the originals) cost ?75 for a two hour shoot which was OK but nothing special. I am having more done next week at my home which are costing a hell of a lot more than that (and still won't make my belly disappear lol) but I like the guy's work and am getting 50 - 60 'web ready' images and an all-day shoot for my money. I think the best thing to do is ask around a bit (and again, there are recommendations on the main page) but ?200 should get you some nice ones. Hope this helps!

[cassie]

Hi Evie,

i am currently constructing my website using moonfruit and am really impressed with the professional results I have produced using the templates, especially as I am not the most technically minded person.

Cassie x

[lexienight]

Cassie have you tried adding banners yet.  For those that dont know why this is important... many of the directories will let you advertise for free in exchange for you adding there banner to your front page.  this isnt really a big ask as for most of us the first page is the age check page which no one really looks at anyway.

I have now been trying to add banners for days on my rare escort site and it is becoming the bane of my life!!! im sure i have spent more hours doing this than any of the other techy stuff that was needed.  its not really something you have to do until you start advertising and i know you previously said you wont be working till end october but when you do start having to do the banner thing can you let me know how it goes.  I'm getting the feeling its not me bollocksing it up anymore because i hve had some tecky advice from others so one of the methods should have worked by now.  not sure if its just rare escorts that are not compatible with them (that seems to be a term alot of I.T people use so i thought i would throw it in there... sounds like i know what im on about then :-) )

lol

Cheers

Lexie

[LondonEvie]

Oh super thanks everyone.

 I'm checking out moonfruit right now and it does look pretty good..  I agree it's a good idea to hang on to my money until I get some rolling in! I've been in a escort-ish/sugar daddy scenario previously providing BDSM services among other things, and I enjoyed it, but shall see how this goes for me now.

 Thanks for info on pro photo's too, I may hold off there too and focus on getting myself onto punterlink punternet etc.. I'm applying to some agencies also and kind of looking at it from both sides, but I think independent is definitely the way forward- More control. 

 Thanks again!

 xxEvie

[cassie]

Ohh heck, lexie!
Haven't even though about adding banners yet, but I see what you mean about the free advertising and I am all for it.
I have noticed a few other girls have moonfruit sites and have banners on them, so it can't be too difficult.
I'll have a play this weekend and let you know how I get on.
Like your site by the way.

Cassie x

[lexienight]

Cassie,

I have it sussed on my website now so if you have any problems..... good luck cos i've no sodding idea what im doing lol.

Not really, if you need any help i can try and help (i now know atleast 3 different ways of doing it so maybe one would work on moonfruit) and failing that i had assistance from 3 different ladies who were brilliant and im sure if they didnt mind helping me they wouldnt mind helping someone else.  Good luck with it.

Lexie

[LondonEvie]

 Well I went all OCD yesterday and made real progress with my site, it's on as members only now til I fix it up later today (and I'm waiting for my new phone to get here so there's no number attached to it!  )

 About adding banners though, on Moonfruit in the edit my page window you'll see the help button, click on that and go to help and it brings up site maker support.

 If you type in 'Add Banner' it comes up with loads of answers to how do i? questions:  but basically it looks like you don't stick the banner in directly and instead download the image of the banner to your computer, upload it from there into moonfruit then add it to your page. then in 'Link' use Link to external URL, paste it in then click apply. That should do it!!

 I've not added any banners yet as I'm not quite online with my biz yet, but when I finish I hope I can get your opinions

 Hope that helps xx

 

[LondonEvie]

Gulp** Ok everybody, Can you tell me what you think of my website??

 I feel like it needs developing, and I know my pictures are crap but I'd love some feedback!

 http://sweet-evie.moonfruit.com

 Thanks again for all help/advice I've had x

[cassie]

Wow Evie, excellent I like the look of it and your pics.

Nice one and so quick - I'm  struggling to get everthing the way i want. Like the way you also highlght the bit about destroying details once everone is home safe at the end of the ettiquette and the layout.

As for completeness of content, I'll leave that to the other more experienced ladies.

Good luck hun.
xx

[Anika Mae]

I think your website is really good, Evie. The only things I have to say about the text is that it goes italic half-way through a word ("I've") on your welcome page, and you might want to say that you don't respond to texts.

Your pictures are good for self-taken, you know how to pose. If you want, I might be able to improve the colours.

[LondonEvie]

Thank you

 Cassie I had a day getting over a cold so I put on a Simpsons boxset and played with the site the entire day     

 I'd like to add an availability calendar as my schedule is kind of variable...

 With the pictures, they were taken in my bedroom with a camera on timer and a wad of blutac- I've put them on the site all with about 33-50% transparency partly because it slightly disguises the poor quality (or so I think) I've turned the % up on most of them to make it clearer, and am going to get some pro shots done when I've done a few bookings-  I may try editing a few more of the pictures I've got and adding them too!

 x Ev

[cassie]

Evie - you are a genius, been trying to get half decent shots of me, but not having a tripod i end up looking like a contortionist trying to get the right angle for the camera    (some are dead funny) or the camera slides of whatever I have proped it up on to get the right angle for me    , again some very interesting blurred, modern arty shots - maybe I could sell them to a gallery   

Shopping list - Blue tack!!!

Cassie x