BluDomain

abulense

Hi guys, just wondering if any of you are using BluDomain.com for their webhosting. A quick search showed me that Fajitas is using this for his site - I've checked it out and was very very impressed. I really like the look of some of the flash templates on BluDomain - they seem to be a cut above the rest (i.e. Clikpic.com etc) when it comes to style/layout etc. Their prices are very good too...
Has anybody had any dealings with them? I'm keen on getting a photo website up and running and one of these "off the rails" type template sites would be ideal for me so would love to hear peoples feedback on them.

Thanks,
Mike

Chorcai

Those sites look really good, I liked the look of this one http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/kaden/index2.php?v=v1 plus they have playin a Paolo Nutini song Along with video uploads they really are quite good sites for 100€ can't go wrong tbh.

oshead

From what I hear, their support is horrendous if you're ever in need of it. Otherwise the templates look class.

Fajitas!

Hello.

Yep, as you've seen, I've used them, and found them to be alright - I mean, they were very fast to put the payment through :pac:

No, but seriously, I got mine just after there had been quite a large sale launched, so there was apparently a huge backlog in getting them, and my friend had ordered his the day before me.

I'd get an email nearly every second day telling me about this backlog, until I just put URGENT in the header of an email, it was set up and ready to go the next day. It's only a matter of putting pressure on them. I think my mates might have taken another fortnight.

The sites themselves are quite handy, but remember when you're looking through them, you're NOT buying the photography you're seeing on the templates, nor are you buying the colours they are using - A lot of people do fall for that, and I can't blame them, the use some amazing photographs on them.

The background to the sites is quite simplistic, changing of colours, titles, basic changes of what goes where - You can make it look unique, but I've become a bit bored with mine (And ergo, unmotivated to update it).

As far as the 100 quid sites go, remember, they're actually 200 quid, the first 100 is for the site, the second 100 is to either host with Blu or pay 100 to host someplace else. It's a bit sneaky really. You don't have that problem on the more expensive ones. I wouldn't host with them to be honest, I quite like GoDaddy.

Chorcai

I did a site for a friend who is an interoir designer, I used a template from http://www.metamorphozis.com some good stuff in there.

abulense

Thanks for telling me your experience with them Fajitas - very helpful. 200 dollars is still fairly good for a really professional looking website I'd say. They're worth a chance anyway.
Once you buy how easy is it to set up? - is it like a drag and drop type thing or is it more complicated that that?

elven

Remember also - people who have done the rounds will look at it and know straight off it's a pre-built site. This may or may not bother you.

mikeanywhere

elven wrote: »

Remember also - people who have done the rounds will look at it and know straight off it's a pre-built site. This may or may not bother you.

That it might be but it will also look a lot better than maybe an attempt at doing it yourself.

I personally would never use Blu but this has been discussed in earlier posts.

elven

yup... it's your own decision which of those things you care more about.

mikeanywhere

elven wrote: »

yup... it's your own decision which of those things you care more about.

Yup

Fajitas!

No offense Mike, but I actually thought yours was a template for Bludesign!!

mikeanywhere

Fajitas! wrote: »

No offense Mike, but I actually thought yours was a template for Bludesign!!

Non taken and yes it is a template, have no issue saying that or hidden the fact that it was. I don't have CSS/HTML experience & at the end of the day it does exactly (for the moment) what I want from a site. But no, it ain't from Blu

squareballoon

We have a bludomain template too but don't host with them. I think it was excellent money spent as it would have taken us an age to put the whole thing together ourselves. Not to mention a lot more expensive as we wouldn't have been able to write the code.
I love how easy it is to edit especially as there are 2 of us uploading. We have also always found the support really efficient.

mikeanywhere

Thats the way to do it!! :cool:

abulense

Thanks for all the advice. I'm really impressed with your sites fajitas and squareballoon - great photos too! I think I'll go with Bludomain - I'll keep you posted on how I get on.
Just another thing though - what's the difference in using their hosting as opposed to another hosting site?? Also I have a .ie domain name in mind and not a .com - again is there much of a difference between the two?? Any thoughts?

Thanks again.
Mike

squareballoon

I'm not sure about the hosting with them because we don't but the only complaints that I've heard are about their support when you use them as a host.
It means that you have to pay extra if you just want the template but still really worth it for what you get IMO. We got one one the cheaper ones but even within that template the design is still editable.

Fajitas!

If you're keeping your business in Ireland, there's no reason not to go for a .ie - I knew I'd be leaving the country at some stage and went for a .com - Other than name and SEO, I don't think there's much in the difference.

Quackles

mikeanywhere wrote: »

That it might be but it will also look a lot better than maybe an attempt at doing it yourself.

Oh thanks, thanks a million

gary82

Those templates look great! There's very few quality template companies out there. As someone who designs a fair few sites it really takes the wind out of my sails...

Fajitas! wrote: »

Other than name and SEO, I don't think there's much in the difference.

Yeah if you want a lot of search engine traffic then you'd want to be careful with flash websites. You can however have a script running for users who don't have flash (like the googlebot), which will bring them to a basic html version. Bit of effort but might be worth doing that and bringing them to a page saying your name, contact info, blurb (containing keywords) and telling them to get flash to view the proper site! Google will read that info. Like I had a look at how google views your site there Fajitas! and all the info it has is "Irish based photographer" and "This site requires flash. Please visit HERE to download the flash player.".

But if you're not looking for internet traffic and using it to showcase your work to people you give the address to, then no need to worry about that!

Fajitas!

And considering I've moved country, that'll be gone soon enough too

There was a wee bit more there, and the Bluadmin allows you put keywords in quite simply.

To be honest, I usually get first hit when someone enters my name on Google.ie, and when I'm sorted in the UK, I'll hopefully get the same over here - At the end of the day, most business comes from a recommendation, and people want to see some good work on a flashy site by just following a name - I know people that strive to get top positions in Google hits when someone enters Photographer or Wedding photographer... but tbh, if someone books their wedding photographer from the first hit on Google, they've got bigger issues to worry about :pac:

Fwiw, having an active blog can give a bit of help too.

Fajitas!

And considering I've moved country, that'll be gone soon enough too

There was a wee bit more there, and the Bluadmin allows you put keywords in quite simply.

To be honest, I usually get first hit when someone enters my name on Google.ie, and when I'm sorted in the UK, I'll hopefully get the same over here - At the end of the day, most business comes from a recommendation, and people want to see some good work on a flashy site by just following a name - I know people that strive to get top positions in Google hits when someone enters Photographer or Wedding photographer... but tbh, if someone books their wedding photographer from the first hit on Google, they've got bigger issues to worry about :pac:

Fwiw, having an active blog can give a bit of help too.