VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

WillMWatt · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:23 pm Post subject: Website Refresh

Hello there my voiceover friends. I'm back on this board after what seems like forever! Those of you who know me IRL will know that I recently upped sticks and moved from Oxford in England to the big, loud, scary, crazy New York, NY.

I'm FINALLY feeling settled here, and have been setting out to refresh my brand a little. I have some grand plans for new demos later this year, but for now, I've updated to a nice, new website. I'd really love your opinions on the new site. What works? What doesn't work? In particular, what do people think of the landing page? Is it obvious that there's a video that can play in the background?

The site address is www.willmwatt.com.

Thanks so much!

Will

juliaknippen · Club 300 Joined: 25 Nov 2012 Posts: 348 Location: NYC

I'd say ditch the landing page and just make your /demos page the home page. Demos, Contact, and About are clear and streamlined, but the landing page doesn't really add anything but confusion imho.
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:03 pm Post subject:

a agree with julia. probably not what you want to hear because the video is cool and a labor of love. still, as a person looking for a voice i need:

1. hear your demos
2. contact you easily
3. there is no 3.
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craigsvoicetalent · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 2:27 pm Post subject:

I kind of disagree. The landing page is pretty cool with the video blurred in the background but it was an extra click to get to your demo page. If you could somehow put your demo player of choice on the landing page in prime placement and also a link to the video then I think it would work.
If that is not possible then I agree with the previous comments.
Todd is correct with:
1. hear your demos
2. contact you easily
But number 3 is up for grabs. We are all suckers for slick and shiny things and a really slick landing page does give the client the impression that you mean business. And as we know, first impressions do count.
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WillMWatt · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:51 pm Post subject:

Thanks, chaps! I wondered about that myself. I thiiiink I can get the same kinda feel of the landing page, but have the demos underneath. I'll give it a go and report back!

webstuff · Joined: 07 Aug 2015 Posts: 1 Location: Orlando, FL

Hey Will!

It's Joe Davis. I'll be in NYC end of May. Dinner!?

Some thoughts on your site.

1. Meta Title Tag on splash page. Your title that appears at the top of the browser/when your site is bookmarked/in Google search results. It is currently "Will M Watt", I would suggest including some descriptive words. This would include "Voice Over" or "Voice Actor" and some of the genres you do. i.e. "Will M Watt - Voice Actor - Audio Book Narrator".

2. Your Meta Description (what appears under your headline in search results) is currently "Will M Watt is a male British voiceover artist living in 'the City of
Dreaming Spires', Oxford UK." You could expand this a bit, add some keywords and you may want to update to NYC, USA.

3. The grey "Continue To Site" button could perhaps be a call to action, something bright and compelling that encourages visitors to click. For example "Find Out More About Matt!". I almost missed it, so maybe change the position or color. Actually, I agree with the folks that said no landing page. You can instead have the large video on the home page and achieve much the same look/feel without users having to take an extra action to get to the rest of the site.

4. Once on the internal site, there isn't an obvious way for users to get back to the landing page. I eventually figured out I could click your name.

5. On the "About" page, I would suggest including some audio demos towards the top, ideally above the fold. Meaning a user will be able to hear your demos without having to scroll. You are an excellent writer and I like that you have plenty of text on the site (good for search engines), but a lot of people aren't going to scroll to the bottom looking for demos.

6. On the internal pages, make your email address in header clickable.

7. When I click on the "Audiobooks" menu option, the heading on that page is "About" even though it is your "Audiobooks" page. This may confuse the viewer because you also have an "About" page in the menu, so they may think they are there.

Happy to go over it in more detail if you want. You have my number Smile

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Jen Gosnell · Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 8:36 pm Post subject:

Wow Joe, that writeup was so nice that it actually made me miss my old QA days! Well done!! hehehe Wink

Hey Will, what Joe said. Kiss

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Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

I just wanted to say that was a masterful narration for the short film.

/follow Joe's advice. The splash page sets you apart. Carry on.

IC Voiceman · Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 8:31 pm Post subject:

Beautifully narrated short film and very credible! Well done! When it comes to sites, I'm a "keep it simple stupid" person. All that matters to me is that it's user-friendly. People want to hear you. I agree about changing the name to include voice over actor or voice artist; other than that, I like it as it is.
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