Website Srategy - WOW or SEO?
 

In the business section of the forum I was asking about websites and creating an online presence. but this part more applies here.

Currently, I do not have anything to show for in the way of video samples. After doing some weddings this past year, I decided to officially start my business for 2011.
Therefore we need a website. I have a friend of mine that is working with me that is very knowledgeable of the topic.

But I am at a crossroads and maybe you can help.
As it was explained to me, those sensational flash based websites are not very SEO friendly (at least probably not for a very pretty penny), but they look crazy good and better than most the other sites out there.

The "basic" (I use that term for lack of something better) wordpress/blog based sites that compliments very well to the SEO magic. Aren't as flashy (excuse the pun), but could potentially get more traffic.

So what's more important? Or what would/have you chosen?

WOWing the prospective client when they reach my age (presumably from a business card I handed them)
or
Having a SEO friendly site that people can find easier due to higher rung on the google pages, and more potential "foot" traffic?


Thoughts?

Thanks
Alden

Seeing how you like the WOW factor of flash based, have you determined the size of your market area and the amount of competition you have there ???

I just did a quick google on Kansas City Wedding Video and after the three high priced first paid listings, these were the next 5 on the list:

kairosweddingfilms.com/ - Cached - Similar

Top Kansas City wedding videographers. Discounts from videographers in Kansas City - Cached - Similar

Kansas City Videographers | Wedding Videos in Kansas City | Videographer Kansas City Missouri - Cached

kansas-city.perfectweddingguide.com/...video/wedding-videography/ - Cached - Similar

http://www.theknot.com/Vendors/Kansa...aphers/.../005 - Cached - Similar

It looks to me that there is only one of those 5 that is not a referral site, at least that is my guess, with the referral sites and their web gurus earning the other top spots.

If you would choose to have the referral sites feed you traffic, you could do any site you wished, flash or not, as their web gurus are snagging the best spots anyway.

I have seen sites that incorporate both the SEO friendly HTML based along with sections of the site being Flash based for WOW. From what I remember of that investigation, it was the main page most often NOT Flash based.

IMHO, getting real good placement in a google search is real tough at best, unless you are the only one for an area. Instead of making your site decision based solely on a google search, it would probably be real prudent to devise your marketing strategy first, and then see how the web site fits into it.

Again, IMHO, for most of us "small fish" in the big internet pond, I think we end up generating most of our own traffic via our marketing materials, networking, advertising, social media etc as of against a google search.

If you or a referral site is driving most if not almost all of your traffic, go ahead and go for WOW, because those that are there are there to be sold.

Ipads, iphones, etc. can't view flash sites, correct?

I think you are right Aaron, they need HTML5 which isn't widely used and supported yet. Unless other competitor sites are HTML5 compliant, those same people aren't viewing video samples anywhere else either. That is the primary reason for having a site, sample viewing of your product and skills.

Can't argue though that understanding how one's potential client's access their information, is a good step in establishing one's marketing plan.

I read an article somewhere about how brides hate flash sites for their photographers they're trying to book... The comments on the posting all agreed. I would stick to a simple site that people can browse on their mobile devices and doesn't have all the fancy flash bells and whistles that can get annoying anyway.

I think there may be a bit of confusion here. HTML5 and Flash have little to do with one another. HTML5 is simply an updated version of HTML, which is the markup language for webpages. HTML5 supports a number of different features that you would previously need a plugin to use. Perhaps the biggest advantage to us: iPad/Pod/Phones can playback video.

Food for thought: One time I was trying to look up a cell number for a photographer on a phone. (I had the number in my phone, but was without it and using someone else's.) They have a Blu Domain site so I was out of luck. If anyone out there does decide to go with a flash site, make sure that your contact info is somewhere on the site that can be accessed through a phone. You don't want to make it as easy as possible for a potential client to get your contact info.

Alden, have you figured out your business plan yet? What about branding?

Websites usually goes hand in hand with branding, marketing, etc... unfortunately, to get the best result you have to do one thing before the other can happen.

Matthew you are entirely right. Where you need HTML5 is to by able to stream h.264 or the other video format/codecs via a webpage.Without HTML5, you are basically stuck with streaming Flash to a Flash player.

Apple is the one pushing the HTML5 as they want their H.264 to have greater market share and are taking on Adobe for it. That;s why an ipad, iphone or ipod won't play flash pages, Apple wants to sell H.264.

HTML5 is coming, no doubt about it. How soon the existing market of websites get updated and rewritten to adapt to it so it becomes universal is the $64,000. question.

Now to complicate the codec wars even a bit more, you have Google out there with their web video codec in development to take on Apple's H.264 and Adobe's Flash head to head as well. If Apple blackballs the Google codec in their allowed apps, as they have done with Flash, will they still be a concern as to how most acquire their information ???

I think an eye toward the future is great, but I wouldn't go putting all my eggs into the HTML5 arena just because of iphones and Apple unless that is the primary source of information my clients used. The problem with HTML5 as of against HTML4 or even 1, it don't read so good on all browsers yet. In fact, I am not sure all browsers support it yet. For sure, only the most current versions are needed. So it's a big gamble, for now at least. Which do you lose ?? The iphone ipad for lack of Flash, or the ones who can't do HTML5 yet ???

I personally opted for a joomla (blog based) site and although I don't make the first page (or two) for the best keywords I have gotten business from google search.

As far as HTML5, about all I know about it is that Vimeo now has an HTML5 player which you can use for videos embedded on your site. If the person on your page has an iPad it will automatically choose the HTML5 player and if they are on an older browser it will choose the most compatible player. I haven't updated the code on my site yet but will in the next few days. So bottom line, HTML5 is here today.

Jim
Wedding Videographer for Boston, Massachusetts, The North Shore and New England - Wedding and Event Videography by Pirates Lane Video

Hi Alden

When I decided on my site layout I wanted just one thing!! As much information as possible for the bride (yeah it's mostly the brides that do the looking)

I'm upfront with everything including prices so a propective bride can make a decison with having to email me with a whole list of questions. In fact most of my bookings are "come over with the paperwork"

If I were in your shoes I would get my wife/girlfriend/female aquaintance to look at various wedding sites that already exist and then ask them "if you were a bride, which sites would have impressed you???"

Us guys tend to look at the technical aspect way too deeply and regardless of whether your site is written in HTML, Joomla or Flash, the bottom line still is "will brides-to-be" look at at and like it????

Chris

Chris...are you implying that we men, as an entire gender, STILL haven't mastered the skill of being able to think like a woman ??? :-) :-) :-)

Simple and sound advice there Chris, as always !!!!!!

Holy Cow this thread blew up while I was gone. I think chip was the first to mention about overall branding and marketing rather than a simple choice of type of webpage. I actually had a meeting with a branding person on Friday to go over some areas I was a little gray on. I am sort of working on all aspects of it in order to roll out "open the shop" officially in Jan 2011.

Chris - good point about over thinking the technical side.

Thanks all for your opinions. I will be sure to tell you when its all online.

Isn't that what most men wonder of most women? ;)