Hi guys, Just thought you might like to see the first few pages of my new Houdini website. It's my first attempt at building a website, so over time, I'll get used to how to improve it etc. I'll be adding stuff regularly, so if anyome has anything they think would be cool to include there, please let me know.

Here's the link;

http://www.loxandkeys.com/houdini.html

If you'd like to see my locksmith site, just click on "back to magic" and then click the old key to go back to the locksmith pages.

I'd appreciate any comments on how to improve it all, and any links from your site to mine, would be appreciated in order to increase google ratings!

Regards and Happy New Year

Mick Hanzlik, Northampton, England

Mick,

I think you have built an excellent web site. What could you add to improve it? This is a hard question.

You could add...

- personal photos of Houdini, Bess, and friends
- Video clips from the films
- Newspaper articles
- specific photos from your collection
- other magicians Houdini tribute showss
- other stuff I am sure

but... all that is av improve available from other sources. Would it really improve your site to add material from others? I don't know. I really like your site as is.

Excellent web site. Of courswe a few pictures of rare handcuffs would enhance it.
Stan

Thanks for the comments, I'd like to try to make the site different from the other Houdini related sites, as not to duplicate things. Of course if anyone has any rare pictures they would like me to include, please let me have them via the "contact me" button.

I will be adding a couple of pages from contributors, so that is where you'll locate this stuff.

I would particularly like any info anyone might have on unusual handcuffs that Harry has escaped from, including of course the Mirror Cuffs, but also there is little known about the Seance Cuffs, so that would be useful.

Anything I use will be credited to whoever sent it to me.

Many thsnks

Mick

I like how the site is easy to look at without the eye strain that so many out there produce because of poor contrasts. Excellent colour balances as well.
And yes, in Canada we spell it with a U.

I agree, excellent work on the site. Makes me want to start reading about Houdini again. Havent read much on him in a while.

I agree, excellent work on the site. Makes me want to start reading about Houdini again. Havent read much on him in a while.

Mick

You're off to a good logical path but I'd like to see you set up two indexes. The first allows people going to the Houdini pages to also see your lock business.In this case, being a locksmith gives you insite BUT The lock index stays in it's own circle.

Retail customers looking for a locksmith only need as much information, as they need, to hire you. In a few rare cases, a customer might find your lock site - tour the Houdini pages and assume that your more of a lecturer then a locksmith.... There goes lunch money. In retail..... you need to keep focused.

I would also like to see more pictures of what services you offer. As an example: In the key cutting link. we see a few skeleton keys. I'd like to see the full range of what you cut and a photo of TWO people standing at a bank of machines cutting keys, wearing vests or long coats.


In my own experiance, I keep our retail web site separate from the show web site. People buying illusions from me don't care that I can perform them.... they want to be the star of their own show.

I have 6 different web sites that do different things, never shall they meet. Someone wanting me to make a 3D carving for their kitchen could care less that I have a wall of trophies for showmanship - they only care about their kitchen.

As a matter of business, I hand out various cards after a performance that involve sculpting and remodeling. I have never been hired to do a sculpture after someone has seen a show - conversely. after I install a sign for a company, I'll pitch them on having me come do a show... Not once has anyone taken me up on the offer.

The only conclusion I can come to is A I am either a great performer and a lousy craftsman. B A great sculptor and a lousy magician. or C. lousy at both but good at getting the job.

mmmmmmmmmmm

At least, in America, we are held to, only being good at one occupation. No one is good enough to be talented in two areas. It is different in Europe but I don't consider the UK Europe. It's the UK.

I'll go one step further. After a birthday show, where I'm acting energetic and silly, I'll aproach people to hire me for a mentalism or escape show - for adults....... They can't concieve that I was using acting skills to entertain the children,,,, to them. I am that silly energetic bafoon.

After a mentalism/ecsape show I hand out cards to come to the house to entertain at a kids party. Do you think I've ever been hired to do that? No... once people see what you do - that's it brother - that's the image that's burned into their mind.

So to recap. Keep the retail separate from the performance.

Thanks for the advice Jay,much appreciated. I understand what you are saying,and although the Locksmith site is my first priority I realised I could start a Houdini site "the easy way", and just added it. I'm a total novice in website building, so at the moment it will have to stay as it is, until I find a way of separating them without having to get a new domain name, and pay again to get it up and running with my host company.

Is there a way I can do this easier that I just mentioned?

I'll be adding to the locksmith site when I have lost the "novelty" of building the Houdini pages.

Regards

Mick

Yes

From the original lock site (index) , there is no link out to anything other then retail pages.

From the Houdini site, the links may point back to the lock business but land you on a duplicate index.
It's duplicated in every way including magic content - the name of that page will be http://www.loxandkeys.com/index2.html. All the links on that page work as they do at present.

The fact that you have a houdini/magic site that links to a locksmithing site CAN work in your favor, because folks would think you are lock-savy- - but the lock smithing site will then be it's own business.

I am assuming that any advertising for the magic pages will have a direct link here. http://www.loxandkeys.com/houdini.html

Last point. I've transfered one site and 6 related URL names, that I've registered (which point to the same link artcarvedphotos), to GMBwebworks. Gene and Mary host the Café site. They have a deal where 5dollars american, will host your site, per month. that's 60 dollars a year per site. I was paying 30 per site....per......month.

At that rate, I'm willing to wager, you can have a lock site, a Houdini site, and a Mick Hanzlik web site - all separate from each other - AND - still pay less then you're paying now

I don't know if this is the absolute correct Email address for Mary maryb5555@chartermi.net
The correct address is somewhere on the tech pages in an announcement by Mr. Steve, mention that you're a Café member to get the price.

I hope I could help.

Any other questions, pm me

JL

Thanks Jay...I'll try to get my head around all that information and work on it soon.

This is where a cyberspace community really works!

I'll P.M. you when I get started, and maybe you can guide me through it.

Regards

Mick

I think its just fine and what a clever little bu***r you are !!
Jay has given me a headache.

Ken.

Ken....Thanks for the kind words.

If you'd like to let me have your piece about Houdini and the Fenton Lock, I'll put it on the website.

Cheers

MH

Ken

All those chains around your neck are cutting off the circulation - that's what's giving you the headache.

Mick,

Great job on your website! You made it so interesting I had to look over the entire site before leaving.

Clyde

So now you know where to get strange keys cut!!!

Good to hear from you again Clyde. Happy New Year to you and all other Café members.

By the way, If anyone has anything Houdini related they would like me to add to the site, please p.m. me

Nice site Mick. I found that Houdini pic we were talking about recently, I'll send it to you.

Riley

Thanks Roy, I'll include it when I add stuff to the Houdini pages

Mick,

Love the site so far mate.

Something I was wondering, do you have any info on what Houdini would have performed in his theatre shows whilst in the UK?

Found the info on dates of his performances really interesting. Just a shame a lot of the theatres he used no longer exist.

Ros, From newpaper cuttings I have of Houdini's performances here in South Wales, little is mentioned of what Harry did during his shows, other than the challenges he accepted e.g packing crate, straight jacket, handcuffs etc and also the Water torture cell escape.