If you have a website for your teaching practice, what did you use for a domain name? Options

[Guitarist]

http://www.musicalstrings.co.uk/

We had this website constructed nearly a year ago.

[Impressionist]

Goodness, writing the copy for the site is really hard! I'm finding it difficult to put things down without sounding horribly pompous.

So far I've got 5 pages which are:

Home (brief description)
About Me (qualifications, experience)
Lessons (will also include a bit about exams/assessment)
Prices (including brief description of t&c)
Contact

I'm hoping that will cover everything. Anything else spring to mind?

[owainsutton]

Goodness, writing the copy for the site is really hard! I'm finding it difficult to put things down without sounding horribly pompous.

So far I've got 5 pages which are:

Home (brief description)
About Me (qualifications, experience)
Lessons (will also include a bit about exams/assessment)
Prices (including brief description of t&c)
Contact

I'm hoping that will cover everything. Anything else spring to mind?

I know what you mean, it's far harder than writing a job application!!

I'd suggest bumping the information about lessons up the order a bit: people's thought process seems to often be "What? How much? Where? Who?" Background information about how long you've been teaching, the variety of ages and abilities and so on is perhaps more meaningful to the general public than specific qualifications, so leave those till last.

Also, proof-reading helps, so get multiple people to take a critical look. They'll be able to spot things that you've missed, both in terms of spelling & grammar, and also relevant information which you might have overlooked or have thought too obvious to mention.

[ma non troppo]

mynamemusic.com

[ma non troppo]

I wouldn't include anything about prices and t and cs. Better to let them engage with you first. I don't disclose prices until after the first meeting face to face.

[owainsutton]

I wouldn't include anything about prices and t and cs. Better to let them engage with you first. I don't disclose prices until after the first meeting face to face.

Even with prices being very clear, I still get asked about them! People care about money a lot...

If a shop has mannequins in the window with clothes you like but no prices displayed, what do you do? Our rational non-shopping answer is go in and find out, but our irrational shopping/googling reaction is to move on.

[ma non troppo]

Goodness, writing the copy for the site is really hard! I'm finding it difficult to put things down without sounding horribly pompous.

So far I've got 5 pages which are:

Home (brief description)
About Me (qualifications, experience)
Lessons (will also include a bit about exams/assessment)
Prices (including brief description of t&c)
Contact

I'm hoping that will cover everything. Anything else spring to mind?

Testimonials from pupils and parents? I also have a news section and "teacher's boasting board" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) about successful students' achievements, and a private interactive area for pupils and parents.

I wouldn't include anything about prices and t and cs. Better to let them engage with you first. I don't disclose prices until after the first meeting face to face.

Even with prices being very clear, I still get asked about them! People care about money a lot...

If a shop has mannequins in the window with clothes you like but no prices displayed, what do you do? Our rational non-shopping answer is go in and find out, but our irrational shopping/googling reaction is to move on.

Depends on the shopper. If I liked something in the window I would go in and ask. Then I am already in the shop.......and get tempted by other things..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[sbhoa]

Goodness, writing the copy for the site is really hard! I'm finding it difficult to put things down without sounding horribly pompous.

So far I've got 5 pages which are:

Home (brief description)
About Me (qualifications, experience)
Lessons (will also include a bit about exams/assessment)
Prices (including brief description of t&c)
Contact

I'm hoping that will cover everything. Anything else spring to mind?

Testimonials from pupils and parents? I also have a news section and "teacher's boasting board" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) about successful students' achievements, and a private interactive area for pupils and parents.

I wouldn't include anything about prices and t and cs. Better to let them engage with you first. I don't disclose prices until after the first meeting face to face.

Even with prices being very clear, I still get asked about them! People care about money a lot...

If a shop has mannequins in the window with clothes you like but no prices displayed, what do you do? Our rational non-shopping answer is go in and find out, but our irrational shopping/googling reaction is to move on.

Depends on the shopper. If I liked something in the window I would go in and ask. Then I am already in the shop.......and get tempted by other things..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

I'd assume that it was one of those shops where you don't want to know the prices as you can't afford them....

[ma non troppo]

Well I still get plenty of enquries despite not announcing what I earn to the world! There again, most enquiries come from people who know someone I already teach, but who may well look at my website as well. I always have a waiting list, but if my business suffered at some point, of course I would look into altering my policy to see if it had any effect. At the moment, it seems to work for me.

[Impressionist]

I wouldn't include anything about prices and t and cs. Better to let them engage with you first. I don't disclose prices until after the first meeting face to face.

I was debating whether or not to include prices, but have decided that as pretty much everyone else in my area does publicise theirs it would be a good idea. TBH I'm on the lower end of the charging scale for piano lessons at the moment as I'm only just starting out. I'd also thought it a good idea to have it established right from the start how much things are and how payment of fees work so that you avoid the sharp intake of breath when you mention a standard rate and that they get charged for late cancellations!

Testimonials from pupils and parents? I also have a news section and "teacher's boasting board" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) about successful students' achievements, and a private interactive area for pupils and parents.

Perhaps later on this might be feasible. I do have a side column on the site for news e.g. exam entry deadlines, term dates, etc but it might be worthwhile having a dedicated page for news/"boasting"! (I have yet to hear back about a couple of grade 1 TG entrants who I have high hopes of good results.) How does your interactive area work?

I've changed the order of the pages as suggested by Owain and have been busy taking pictures of my children and other people's children playing on the piano so that I have some photos for the site. Just need a decent one of me... will be difficult!

[ma non troppo]

I don't have a picture of me on my site. I am far too ugly and it would put people off. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

The interactive area is a series of private discussion pages which require passwords to access. Some are accesible by all pupils, some by adult students only, and some I customise who can gain access.