Hi!

Does it even help? It's 2011 and everything is about social networks.

Why bother to maintain a seperate page with webhosting costs and development costs when there are social networks with all the tools you need? Facebook, vimeo, google plus, twitter, tumblr etc.

Are we jerking our collective chains making websites nobody wants or cares about or visits and cramming it full of things we cant maintain?

I use a WordPress template. It wasn't too hard for me to figure out. The site is pretty easy for me to maintain. A couple of clients have told me that my having the website was the final trigger for getting them to book. Basically, the idea is handing out a decent looking business card with a web site address on it for prospects to "check me out" a little. It's a low key plan, but I'm a low key guy. Most of my clients are pretty low key too, but there is one who is flamboyant, sort of a rock star plastic surgeon. Don't know exactly why he picked me, other than looking for a good value, being careful with his money.

Marketing is sort of "spooky" in that it is partly a science, partly an art, partly dollars and cents, partly personalities "clicking."

One comment, your domain name sounds kind of "threatening." It might spook certain prospects. Just my opinion, from having spooked a few prospects myself in other ways. I didn't use my name in the domain for my company because it's not spelled like it sounds. I'm sure your friends don't view you as a threat, but as that good fellow John. A good domain name is HUGE. If my last name was "Gold", I might use mediagold or goldmedia for the domain name. But vanduynmedia wouldn't work.

I have about the simplest page possible... simply links to a few samples of online work and gives a simple rundown of my experience and available gear for rent. There's also a store link to sell event DVD's, although admittedly I haven't sold a single DVD through that page yet (just started eventing and sell most of my event DVD's on-site).

Is it "old school?" Maybe... but I've still occasionally handed out demo DVD's and business cards and gotten work through them. More advertising outlets is better than fewer.

Social networking can be nifty, but it can also become heavily laden down with chaff, and there is clientele that simply won't accept it as professional. It's nice to be able to point clients to your very own "dot com." New services such as Vimeo Pro may change some of this, of course.

PS: FWIW... I tried to make my site as dead simple as possible, partly because primary viewing platforms have changed. If I'd put a ton of beautiful and complex flash animations throughout, the site would be useless for a potential client to quickly look up on their iPhone or Blackberry. I got tired of my previously overdesigned site either taking forever to load, failing to load, or loading incorrectly. With many new clients, it's all about "right now," instead of "once I get back to my office."

I still tear mine down and re-build it pretty regularly. (www.newvideoaz.com)

Used to be complex. But I made it much simpler.
Used to be static. Then I made it active. (lots of video)
Used to be white. Looked great on a big computer monitor, but terrible on an iPad or iPhone
So I reversed it and now it's much more legible on small screens.

Now my major issue is that I've got to get it from iWeb over to WordPress before they shut iWeb down.

This web stuff never ends! ; )

I think a dedicated site will be much better than using social networks. It is also important to use a simple name as domain. It doesn't need to be your own name.

Wordpress has many templates and you can design it to give a professional appearance.

Social media will help in spreading the reach. With the kind of amateurish behaviour displayed in social media, it would not be prudent to make your social media page as your home page.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

I built a pretty basic website to sell product:

www.islandstylefilms.com

I have a wordpress site also and am thinking of doubling down on that one and adding more glitz and info like client feedback, equipment, and stock footage.

I used a CreLoaded template (believe it cost a few hundred dollars) and then modified it mostly by myself, but also spent a couple hundred on outside help (primarily for the video playing). I'm now quite happy with it. You can see it at HDNatureFootage - HD Nature and Wildlife Footage (http://www.hdnaturefootage.net)

Dan