Feedback on website redesign

[Maxim Photo Studio]

I just updated my website and wanted to get some feedback.

Maxim Photo Studio

 

[The_Traveler]

I think the structure is very wordy and requires a lot of scrolling to read everything.
There are a bunch of grammatical/syntactical errors in the text.
Pictures are a bit over-saturated for my taste but they are wedding pictures and that speaks for itself.

 

[tirediron]

I agree 100% with Lew, especially on the grammar/syntax stuff. In addition...

I'm not a web-designer, I don't play one on television and I did NOT stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, however some general thoughts and suggestions.
People are lazy, avoid having them make the effort to scroll, especially on your home page. A single image/slide-show, menus and a little bit of text to explain who/what you are. Yes, I understand that's not what SEO weenies recommend, but IMO, it's what people like. Your home page image is... well.. underwhelming. As a potential client looking for a wedding shooter, I expect to see a bride. It took me several seconds to actually figoure out what I was looking at.
Move all of that suff below the main home-page image to separate pages. There's WAYYYYYYYYY too much there. Most people are not going to get to the bottom of that page.
WHY is there what appears to be a cell-phone snapshot of you flexing your muscles on your 'about' page? HOW is this possibly going to make me say, "Max is the person I want to shoot my wedding"?
Your menus aren't consistant - for instance on the "My Art" page, "Weblog" takes me to the home page.
You have some outstanding imagery on your 'site, but whoever did your design work should be fired (from a cannon). It's horrible!

 

[waday]

Agree with Lew and John. It reminds me of a hotel's website as opposed to a photographer. Also, it is VERY wordy. Split some of it into separate pages, like John suggested.

I'd also highly suggest removing any ability for people to comment on your pages.

One pet-peeve of mine is going to a website and seeing bad grammar/bad English. (Although, I'm probably the last person that should be complaining about grammar, haha.) It turns me off. I've read through the first half of your first page. Here are some examples:

• Either keep your company name consistent throughout the website, or state it once and shorten it throughout the website to Maxim Photo Studio.
• "The Studio specializes in only Weddings, Engagements, and Photo Booths."
  • Perhaps remove "only"? You specialize in weddings, engagements, and photo booths.
• "Below are some of frequently asked wedding photography questions which we are often asked."
  • Red text is redundant. Frequently asked questions are those that are often asked.
• "During that time I starting taking pictures with a new camera film camera which I used to capture my own wedding."
  • Remove redundant words.
  • Side comment: It's a little interesting that you took your own wedding photos. How did they turn out? How did you go about the logistics of getting married and taking photos at the same time?
• "After about 5 years of photographing as a hobby, my wife in her infinite wisdom suggested that I stop deficit financing our kids retirement and start a photography business."
  • I understand what you mean, but it's a tad confusing for the reader (I had to read it several times to fully understand). Remove some words. Maybe: "After several years, my wife suggested in her infinite wisdom that I turn my hobby of photography into a professional business."
  • Also, IMO, this statement is also a little too personal--including your kids, retirement, financing, etc in one statement on your front page. It's too much for a potential client to know. It's personal, yes, but too personal, IMO.
• "Cincinnati Wedding Photographers Maxim Photo Studio doesn’t utilize a cookie cutter approach for our weddings where we try to fit our couples into a specific mold."
  • Way too wordy for me. People already know that they're on your website. You don't need to restate your long company name. I'd suggest: "We don't utilize a cookie cutter approach for our weddings." Then start with, "We think outside..."
• "Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati" is stated way, way too often.