MagicGizmo

Web sites continue to be an important marketing for any business and are critical to any serious, working magician. Here are a few tips on optimizing your website:

(1) Online Booking Form

Make sure there is a good way to contact you on the website. Sure, an e-mail link will work but an online booking form is better. Have the prospect fill out the necessary information such as date of show, type of show, location, and contact information and you can be that much closer to booking the show when you make initial contact.

(2) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Be sure to have an ample selection of good photographs of you in action. Make sure the photos are of good quality and that you have signed permission to use the photo on your website if you include audience members in your shots.

(3) Compelling Copy

Make sure that your web site conveys a compelling reason on why you should be hired.  How to you stand apart from your competition? What make your act special?  It could be your humor or your unique animal act, only you know, but make sure that is the message that comes across.

(4) Skip the Fancy Intro

We all want to be David Copperfield and have a fancy flash intro to our site. Or do we? Every time I see a website with an animated opening sequence, I try to figure out where the button is to skip it. Nobody has time to watch something for a site they aren't even sure they want to visit yet.  If you want to have something inside the site that is flashy and cool, then have at it. Just don't make it the first thing you see and make it something the person chooses to see.  If you go to Amazon or eBay, they don't waste your time with fancy introductions, and neither should you.

(5) Video

Have some footage of you in action.  You may need to hire someone who can pull this together for you unless you have the skills.  The best video clips are edited since it is tougher to hold interest on a video clip than when performing for a live audience. View some magicians video clips, find some that you really like to use as examples to show the person who will be pulling the video editing together for you.

(6) Testimonials

These can be written, audio, or video.  All you need to do is ask for them and people will be give you a testimonial, most are happy to do it. For your protection, have them sign a simple release form that states they give you permission to use the video or audio clip.

(7) Search Engine Optimization

Your web site success depends largely on how Google will rank your page. First, think about what are the likely search terms someone will use to find you. The word "magician" and the cities you work-in and good to optimize around. For example, in Southern California you might want to optimize on "Los Angeles Magician" or "LA Magician" or "Southern California Magician." Make sure all the keywords appear in the text of your web page you want people to enter on. It is best to list all cities by name rather than an area so engines will pick them up. It is preferable that the keywords also appear in the URL of the page. For example if someone is searching on "Los Angeles Magician," the URL:

http://marvellothemagicalclown.com/aboutme

will not rank as high as:

http://marvellothemagicalclown.com/los-angeles-la-comedy-clown-magician.

The second URL has potential keywords embedded in the URL and will rank higher than the first one for the search indicated.  Meta-data is also important for displaying your page in search results. Make you your pages all have titles and meta-data descriptions.  Don't worry about meta-data keywords as Google doesn't use them.

(8) Exchange Links

Part of Google page rank is how many sites are linking to your site. Try to get your website address posted on as many sites as possible.  There are a number sites that allow people to post links to their websites including the MagicGizmo. See how you can exchange links by clicking here.

(9) View the Competition

Always see what your competition and magicians in other areas are doing on their web pages. Take the elements you like best from each and see how you can incorporate best practices into your site.

(10) Hire a Professional

Some are proficient in web technology and the artistic aspects to make a quality web site. However, many are not. If you fall into the latter category, please hire someone who can help you.

(11) Invest in your Own Domain Name and No-Advertising Hosting

A free web site most likely does not convey the professional image that you want. Hosting and domain names are inexpensive and are far superior to generic, free services.  Also, use the domain name for your e-mail address which is more professional than addresses at Yahoo or Hotmail.

(12) Use Your Web Address in All Your Materials

When placing an classified ad or on an mailer or flyer, include your web address. A good website can help sell your act even before you talk to a customer.

(13) Call to Action

Usually based on your web site, you will want the potential customer to take action. This could be to pick up the phone and call you or to use your online booking and inquiry form. I have found that most users will opt for booking form as a mean to establish contact. Make sure you give the user many different ways to find this form. Include text on your home page which indicates they should fill out the form for more information and provide a link to the form.

(14) Get a Web Presence Now

It is better to get started with some basic content and improve it over time, then to wait for the perfect site from the start.  Don't just hack something together so it looks like a fifth grader made your site but don't worry about having everything right off to start. If you don't have video or testimonials you can always add it later.

(15) Update Often

There is nothing worse then a site that looks like it has been abandoned. Old stale content or old copyright information is a sign your site may need updating.  New content is also picked up by search engines and should help your search placement.