I am new at web design and need some advice for site

[Dominic]

I have built a site to showcase my services as a freelance designer, and did not like the look of it, so I have just used a wordpress theme. I am starting to write blogs on my site to get some traffic to the site, however checking google anyaltics everyday, it is not a working. Apart from seo, how can I get traffic to my site and people interested in my blogs, or in my case find the blogs.

My site is [EDIT: moved to the "Update URL" box. TheGAME1264]

[Ronald Roe]

You need to write useful, relevant content and wait. There are ways to jump your site to the top of the search pages, but that'll only last long enough for it to be blacklisted when Google figures out what you're doing.

Besides, you can get tons of traffic, but it won't mean a thing if no one's contacting you. You'll have to get up from behind the desk, go physically get in front of people who need websites and talk to them in a language they understand. I get about 1400 visits/month to my site. It isn't huge, but considering I only do this part time, I think it's pretty good. How many of them do you think actually contact me for services? 1/month if I'm lucky. I've had more work from people I've met in person, a few times by accident, than I have ever gotten from my site.

[Dominic]

Thanks ronald, I know it is all about getting out there and networking, I really appreciate your feedback, and I will take your advice thanks. That is a good amount of traffic your getting in my eyes, well done mate.

[AlphaMare]

I have built a site to showcase my services as a freelance designer, and did not like the look of it, so I have just used a wordpress theme.

Wow. Another "designer" who uses WordPress with a free theme - because he didn't like the look of his site when he designed it himself!
How can you call yourself a designer?
I am really getting sick of people who think that sticking a site up in Wordpress and using someone else's work on their site can qualify them to take money from people under what amounts to false pretenses. I'd like to know if you disclosed to your client, Beauty by Kelly that her site was created on a free open-source platform, using this free theme.

[TheGAME1264]

I have some thoughts of my own, but I'm going to save them pending Dominic's answer to Mare.

[Dominic]

Mate, what is with the attitude because you are on a forum, you speak to people like they are **** on you shoe, if you were talking to me in person you would not say it, however on the other hand I am still learning and came on the forum to get advice, as I want to be able to design top notch sites, I am not at that point yet. I edited the site for beautybykelly and yes she was aware as it was my wife and it was for a project. I have not been paid for any of my work because I have not designed anything myself. I only want to get advice and develop my skills.As for your attitude mate it stinks and you dont need to talk to people like that, because you know you **** gives you a bit of power and you get a big ego. Show respect and you get respect. As for me I will get advice from a different forum that helps and advises people, and shows some respect.

[AlphaMare]

I have some thoughts of my own, but I'm going to save them pending Dominic's answer to Mare.

Game - do you think I was too harsh?

[AlphaMare]

Mate, what is with the attitude because you are on a forum, you speak to people like they are **** on you shoe, if you were talking to me in person you would not say it,

Yes, I would.

however on the other hand I am still learning and came on the forum to get advice, as I want to be able to design top notch sites, I am not at that point yet.

In that case, do not advertise yourself as a designer and developer, advertise yourself as a student or as someone just learning the profession.

I edited the site for beautybykelly and yes she was aware as it was my wife and it was for a project. I have not been paid for any of my work because I have not designed anything myself.

Again, if you have not designed anything, don`t call yourself a designer. If you are including things in a portfolio that you have customized from someone else's work, say so. In detail.

I only want to get advice and develop my skills.

My advice - honesty is the best policy. Don't claim to be what you are not.

As for your attitude mate it stinks and you dont need to talk to people like that, because you know you **** gives you a bit of power and you get a big ego. Show respect and you get respect. As for me I will get advice from a different forum that helps and advises people, and shows some respect.

I have respect for people who represent themselves as who they are. I may have what seems to you to be a big ego - if so, it is based on over 12 years of design education and experience, and over 9 years of coding experience and training.

[Dominic]

Fair enough you advice is taken on board. I am still learning, I just finished a HNC level 4 In Interactive media, but we seemed to just scratch the surface in most topics. So I am trying to build on my desig first as my development skills are good. I just cant develop without a good design. I am writing blogs in everything I learn and trying to get some traffic to my site. So I can help other people in my situation This seems to be harder than I thought.

[TheGAME1264]

Mate, what is with the attitude because you are on a forum, you speak to people like they are **** on you shoe, if you were talking to me in person you would not say it, however on the other hand I am still learning and came on the forum to get advice, as I want to be able to design top notch sites, I am not at that point yet. I edited the site for beautybykelly and yes she was aware as it was my wife and it was for a project. I have not been paid for any of my work because I have not designed anything myself. I only want to get advice and develop my skills.As for your attitude mate it stinks and you dont need to talk to people like that, because you know you **** gives you a bit of power and you get a big ego. Show respect and you get respect. As for me I will get advice from a different forum that helps and advises people, and shows some respect.

I had a hunch this was the type of answer we were going to see. Before we go any further, Dominic, I want you to know that I'm not piling on. I would have said what I'm about to say regardless of anyone else has said or will say, with one exception (which I'll make clear later on). This is my own opinion and isn't influenced by anyone else.

So you're learning. That's fine. No one knows everything. I can understand that. But here's the problem with that thinking (and where the exception comes into play)...you're using a free template to build a W*rdPr*ss website and all of a sudden you're a professional designer and developer. That's like saying you're an auto mechanic because you once put the little rubber tire back on a Hot Wheels car. You're not even close, kid. Developers solve real-world problems and usually have to tailor solutions to meet those problems. They code things from scratch, or at the very least start out with a code base that they take in their own direction in order to solve those problems. They customize things. They build things. And you have done exactly none of those things. You've got a couple of screen captures in a portfolio, at least one of which is your own site, and that in no way indicate that you've even built the sites yourself...anyone can throw a screen capture up and say they built something. You want to show how you built something? Tell us what you did and how it works. Establish a little credibility.

Your "it's all about networking" statement, while not related to your site directly, shows how little you really know. Yes, you can go out and "be active on social media" and get all sorts of "friends and followers", but they generally won't help you. Why? Because most of the people who are going to follow you or befriend you will have an agenda of their own and couldn't care less about yours, which means they're not out to help you...they're out to do to you what you're trying to do to them. Social media marketing is the 21st century's first major Big Lie. You want to network? Show people that you're trying to help them and not sell to them and maybe you'll get 5-10 good solid people to deal with. If you do that, you'll be far better off than with 1,000 Twit followers.

It's also the reason your blog posts aren't generating traffic. It's all recycled material and unoriginal thought, and it shows how little you understand marketing or your target audience. Who's going to install PHP on a Windows 7 machine? Other designers/developers. Who isn't going to use you as a freelancer? Designers/developers who would install PHP on a Windows 7 machine. By the way, that's not necessarily the easiest way to install PHP...the easiest way is to install it either using the Windows binaries or through Microsoft Web Platform installer and avoid the whole XAMPP thing. And yes, it will work with WordPress blogs.

Based on your misspelling/misuse of certain words, your egocentric defense (complete with "I'm going to go to another forum that offers advice and is helpful" child's rant...what is that supposed to accomplish, anyway?), you're obviously a millennial, and part of that coddled Gen-Y group who needs a swift reality check and a corresponding kick in the ***. You want respect, kid? You earn it by not talking to people who have experience the way you did, you earn it by showing a legitimate willingness to learn as opposed to just saying "I'm new" and expecting an automatic free pass, and you earn it by actually showing you're not just someone looking for a quick buck. You've done none of those things, and you don't deserve respect until you get them. Mare's been doing this a lot longer than you have, and it probably took her about 30 seconds to discover the theme. You're damn sure not the first guy she's busted for this, and all you've done is validated what she said.

So you've got two choices...you can either take this as an asswhipping, stand up like an adult, realize what we're telling you is for your own good and that sugar-coating explanations doesn't help you in the long run and vow to do better...or you can take your ball and go home. Choice is yours, although I've got a bad feeling I know which one you're going to pick. Please prove me wrong.

EDIT: I posted this/typed it as Dominic was typing his response. Therefore, I didn't see what he had typed. Hopefully he does prove me wrong.