Tone and layout for website - advertising

[green]

Can anyone recommend what they think is a good, model website of a teacher promoting their studio? I have a site, but would like to re-write it with a firmer tone, and perhaps elaborate on some features.

What I have found, generally, is that no one reads it! They look at your fee and immediately dismiss it as out of their budget, etc. Or, those who do go ahead with lessons, seem to just ignore everything on my policy page. But then again perhaps I'm not making things clear enough.

Also, while my fees may be high for most, I dont think $40/hour is all that mush considering the level of support and preparation that I am offering. This is something that most parents do not consider. I teach full time, and am spending at least 1-5 hours/week/student (approximately depending on their level) in preparation.

I'm wondering, beyond low fees, what are the things that you find most parents comment about, or are looking for when looking for a teacher? Because while we may be experts in technique, or an accomplished pianist in our own right, these things can be completely lost on parents, they would choose the teacher who had he nicest photos over the accomplished professional...

[timbo178]

A website which I thought had a good, clean professional look:
https://www.joshcohen.com.au/home.html

Less professional looking, but quite effective is:
https://www.andreasimpson.com/piano.htm

I built my website using Joomla and am pretty happy with the design template. I wrote a tonne of articles about learning piano, and provided heaps of free resources. The purpose was to convince customers that I know what I'm talking about. Not many people read it in any depth, but I find that when I get contacted by prospective customers, they've already made the decision to try lessons with me and want to book a time. (I don't feel any particular need to advertise my site here, but if you want to know what it is, send me a message.)

I bought a new domain recently, and will be building that up over the next year or so. Am yet to make a decision whether to continue using Joomla or move to Wordpress, as I think I want to maintain a blog. Am used to Joomla, but it doesn't blog like Wordpress does ...

I'm not sure that people are necessarily looking for low fees. I think they're looking for something reasonable, but are happy to pay a bit extra if they know they're getting a great teacher. I think people are looking for professionalism, not just someone doing it on the sidelines as a hobby because they know how to play and not necessarily how to teach.

[m1469]

I'm wondering, beyond low fees, what are the things that you find most parents comment about, or are looking for when looking for a teacher?

Honestly, when talking about private teaching, in *most* cases it has quite a bit less to do with all of the professional representation and mostly to do with the student/child.  If you meet with that child once, make a personal and good/great connection with that child, and they leave telling their parents how much they enjoyed their experience and how much they like that teacher, the parent is going to pay attention.    

[gsmile]

Commitment, style, what you're good at, and of course, price.

Don't fluff up your words, and just say what you mean. Don't use long, dictionary words or jargon. Remember who you want to target.

Also, photos are really effective, either of your studio or of your students/classes.

Good luck!

[keypeg]

A website which I thought had a good, clean professional look:
https://www.joshcohen.com.au/home.html

Less professional looking, but quite effective is:
https://www.andreasimpson.com/piano.htm

Neither web-site would attract me as a parent or older student.  The first gives no real information: "Our lessons are uniquely tailored to the individual in an effort to provide an optimal learning environment ... " sounds fancy but doesn't say much.  The slide show has various teachers posing with students, and for some reason each teacher is pointing at a note on the page. (?)  The first picture that popped up showed an adult student who looks like she is sitting too high and with raised shoulders - what kind of teaching does that display?  That photo would make me hesitate.

What makes a web-site convincing to me is its content.  What are your values as a teacher?  What do you teach?  What background do you have that makes you a good teacher?  And then of course things like your fees, length of lessons, policies etc.

I saw a fantastic site a while back.  The teacher explained her values and goals, had clear information, and there were also some video scenes from lessons.  The students looked at ease and didn't look awkward at the piano.  In one scene a young student reaches for a pencil and marks something into the music.  This impressed me because of what it said about how the child was being taught.  Had I lived in that town, I would have contacted that teacher because of the site.

[timbo178]

Those are fair comments about the first website, but to clarify, I think it looks professional, even if the information or photos aren't to your liking.

[green]

Yes it looks professional, shows commitment, reliability, young teachers that look friendly, I think this would attract the trust of parents, and more importantly kids would not be intimidated. Yes the pictures made me laugh, all pointing, and clearly posing in an unnatural way, but I think what is communicated is a nice friendly down to earth look. Anyways, as a teacher I also thought the content sounded a bit flaky, but to parents it is probably enough. As I have discovered nobody ever seems to read my site anyways, it is more the 'look' which will sell over words. But in a way this doesn't really help because I am not running a school, but a home tutoring business, that school charges 65$ for 30 min, that's almost double what I charge for 1hour, I would like to see studios if anyone has links.

[keypeg]

We go to sites to learn something about the teacher.  What types of things does the teacher believe in and want to bring across to students, or what things is the teacher open to (styles of music, only serious students etc.).  Also, what are the teacher's expectations of students.  After that there are policies, hours etc.

The first site looks unprofessional if you consider teaching as being the profession.  If they actually choose a photo where students sits too close, with arms too high, shoulders tense, hands awkward, as a photo to represent them, then if I'm looking for clues on quality of teaching, the photo tells me to avoid this one.    Even if the parent/prospective student doesn't know anything, they may ask friends who play piano to look at the site.  If you are going to have photos, make sure they show something good.

There are companies that create sites for small businesses and they use a formula.  Accountants, language specialists etc. will usually show actors in suits with serious faces grouped around a conference table of solemnly contemplating a piece of paper.  If it's a team, then there must be several races, two genders, and preferably someone in a wheelchair.  It gives a slick look that might be called "professional".  But it lacks substance.  We're not hiring web-designers.  We're hiring someone to guide our children. 

If you do hire a web-designer, make sure that you have input on the content and don't let them talk you into slick meaningless words.  Have a say about the photos that are put in. 

Yes it looks professional, shows commitment, reliability...

The thing is that the photos do not show reliability.  That's the point.  If students aren't being guided toward form, and if they may be courting injury, that is not reliable.