How would you design a website that advertises a belly dancing teacher?

I was thinking you could do an animation of a woman belly-dancing across the screen. If you could base it on her, it would be even better.

Hello Ranimi23! I think on thing that you probably should consider is that men may be interested in purchasing belly dance lessons for their spouses or girlfriends. Many women may ask their significant others about taking the lessons. Other women may choose to take lessons for physical fitness. I think you would make a mistake by not marketing it to men as well as women.

Another thing you have to make sure is that the site will convert well. I would put a video up on youtube of your friend belly dancing. You can embed this video in the site so people will know what they are getting. The video serves two purposes, it has great value for google searches as well keeps peoples attention on the site. I would stay away from flash animation, it simply doesn’t have the same value for google searches that a video would have. In order to do the videos you have to have a pretty fast internet connection.

I would consider contacting someone in SEO before you build the site.

Be sure to include the benefits of belly dancing – relaxation, exercise, fun, etc. It is something that women of all ages, shapes, and sizes can do (unlike, say, gymnastics or long distance running). I like the suggestions of @wundayatta and @SolomonSatellite , too. Maybe give viewers the OPTION of having belly dance music (don’t make it come up automatically – that’s so annoying).

@SolomonSatellite , I do have lots of great YouTube clips she made from her lessons that I am going to use in the web site. What my thinking is about the environmental design. Use background other than white color? Use one photo of her?

I did found a great painted picture that looks like her in black and white, it may be good if I color her dress in every click.

I have a family member who designs websites and I would simply ask him.

I would use very low key [not intense color and not intense contrast] backgrounds that contain design elements that are typical of the culture that belly dancing comes from. Egypt? Middle East? India?

Tell me what culture and I can post you some sample background elements. You can PM me if you want.

I might start with a dramatic splash page that incorporates a picture of her, a short statement of what she is offering—quick para on history of belly dancing—para on health benefits from studying, and navigation—then include a bio page, a class schedule page and the extras—see below.

I would have a few pages of tips and techniques with illustrations and instructions for certain movements; suggestions for designing costumes; suggestions for music to practice with. It’s that basic website theory of “give something away” to get them interested.

The You-tube video is a good idea too.

Check out this site. http://www.nutcsillagai.hu/

Make very sure that like the above site, the purpose of the site jumps right out at you the very moment you land on the page. Instant recognition it’s a teacher for belly dancing—that’s what you are looking for.

Be sure that, if you aren’t familiar with organic SEO design, you look it up and read up on the elements required to make her site spider friendly.

Happy site design.

@ETpro good link

@YARNLADY Thanks.

@anartist 10x, I think the culture is Middle East. I am not sure if I want to use a color background, or just a white one so it will be clean and not too bright.

@ETpro , I didn’t like all the colors in that site, but maybe I am wrong here. The colors too bright for my taste. I want to do something that will look different but still transmit the message about what this site is about.

@Ranimi23 Color is a very personal choice. Any color that you like and the dancers like should be fine. The vital thing is to make it clear what the site is about, and make it really, really easy to use. I hate sites where I have to search all around to see how to take the next step after deciding that’s what I want to do. I am sure most Web users feel the same way.