|
|
Site Review: How
a Few Simple Changes Can Make A BIG Difference for Your Website
by Erin Emmerson
Erin Emmerson of www.marketingtips.com reviews Derek S's site, http://www.electricgenesis.com
in part because some of the mistakes on his site came up on a lot of the
other entries. So chances are good that the advice we give to Derek is
going to help you, too.
Derek offers a computer upgrading service that can save people money by
taking their current computers and making them state of the art.
When he entered, Derek told us his site "has come under heavy fire for
its lack of cosmetic features." So let's look at the appearance of
Derek's site first...
1. Make it easy
on the eyes and more people will read it
Derek, the first thing that struck us about your site was the white text
on a black background. Studies have shown over and over again that
website copy is easiest to read with black text against a white
background.
Right now, your white-on-black scheme makes it tough for your visitors
to read your copy and understand what your site is about. And your red
and blue scheme for the navigation is even harder on the eyes.
The first rule of web design is make everything easy. People searching
the Web for information are brutally efficient. The second they run into
an obstacle, they're gone.
Compare side
by side and see which one is easier to read -- black text on a white
background, or the opposite, white text on a black background?
Compare side by side and see which one is easier to read -- black text
on a white background, or the opposite, white text on a black
background?
It's natural to try to make your site look exciting, but test after test
shows that boring -- i.e., easy to read -- is what people actually want
on a website.
Derek, you also told us that "... this website is also designed to have
accessibility options and any cosmetic adjustments cannot interfere with
that."
Your accessibility options allow visitors to choose a different color
scheme -- black text against a lilac, yellow, or peach background --
but, again, dyslexia experts recommend sticking to classic black-on-
white.
2. Keep your
copy in the ideal margins
Here's another tip to make your site easier for your visitors to read:
Make sure the main copy section of your site is no more than 600 pixels
max.
Studies show that the human eye can only scan from left to right so far
before eyestrain sets in. On the Web, people scan down the page, with
very little horizontal reading, as this "heatmap" shows. They'd far
rather scroll down to read a longer page with narrow margins than move
their eyes across a wide page.
With your copy stretching all the way across the browser window, readers
are missing most of what you want them to see. You would be doing them a
huge favor if you narrowed the copy section of your site to 600 pixels
max.
And if you make it easier for your visitors to read your words, you make
it easier for them to sign up for your service... which is doing
yourself a huge favor, too.
3. Simple
navigation means more sales
Remember that with every click you make people take to accomplish
something, you'll end up losing a third of your visitors -- so you don't
want to give them too many options. Confuse them... and you lose them!
One of the biggest issues we ran into among the contest entries was too
many web pages. With 12 pages of navigation, Derek, you're not alone. We
recommend a maximum of eight navigation links at the top or left-hand
column of your site. It should be easy for you to compress your 12
navigation options into eight... or even fewer.
You could combine your "Pricing" and "Offers" material on one page so if
people are looking into what you offer, it's all there. It would also
make sense to incorporate any relevant information from the "Legal" page
here, and eliminate that page altogether.
We also recommend eliminating your "Charity" and "Survey" pages.
Because your homepage makes it clear that your main service is computer
repairs and upgrades, everything on your site should be focused on
achieving one goal: to get people to sign up for that specific service.
You don't want to distract them with a donation request for your
favorite charity, or a survey that only applies to pre-existing
customers, for example. Those could be better handled by email.
The "book an appointment" opt-in form is now on its own page. It should
be on every page so people don't have to click to it when they've
decided they want to contact you. One more obstacle removed! We'll
suggest some effective wording for it in a minute.
Now let's focus on your site's content, which could use a few tweaks to
target your audience more effectively.
4. Keep your
niche NARROW
To succeed online, your site needs to appeal to a targeted group of
people who are searching for a solution to the same problem. At first
glance, we thought your site did a good job of that. Your homepage
speaks directly to the needs of people in the Toronto area who want to
save money by upgrading their existing computer system instead of
investing in an entirely new one.
Then we clicked on your "store" link at the top of your site... and were
surprised to discover you're also selling products ranging from computer
performance-enhancing tools to software for card collectors to CDs on
pain management!
Each of these products appeals to a very different group. People who are
going online to find someone to fix their computer are not looking for
pain management CDs, and people who suffer from chronic pain aren't very
likely to be interested in software that will help them manage their
card collections.
If you want to keep marketing all these diverse products, you should
strongly consider selling each one on its own separate site. You will
find it far easier to appeal to the different niches you're targeting
that way.
5. Emphasize
benefits in your headline
Here's your headline right now:
Great work! This headline does a good job of relating to your market and
establishing exactly what your site is about. That puts you way ahead of
about 80% of the websites out there.
Now let's see what happens if we emphasize the benefits of your service
a bit more, like so:
If Your Computer
is Less than Five Years Old,
You Can Save Hundreds of Dollars
Turn Your Clunky, Slow Computer into a Fast, Powerful Machine
For 1/10th of the Price of a Whole New System!
This way, not only are you relating to your visitors' problems (a
clunky, slow computer) and advertising your services, you are also
emphasizing the fact that you can help them save a LOT of money -- which
has a lot of appeal in today's economy for sure!
(Note: Avoid using ALL-CAPS in your headline. It's hard to read and
often comes off as "shouting." It's usually better to just capitalize
the first letter of every word.)
6. Write copy that strategically leads your visitors to your call to
action
After your headline, your copy should speak directly to your visitors,
relating to their needs and presenting you as the logical person to
provide a solution. Right now, your copy consists of an introductory
paragraph that repeats itself too much and includes a call to action
buried at the end. That's followed by a long list of questions and a
testimonial that doesn't really address the specific needs of your
visitors.
(Click here to see Derek's
current copy.)
Here's how we would change it:
Dear
Toronto-area Computer Owner,
Are you sick of having your computer freeze up on you right in the
middle of working on an important project? Or waiting forever for your
web browser to load a simple website?
When you see the latest Dell or Mac commercials, are you green with envy
at the idea of owning a computer that can run a dozen high-powered
applications at once without ever crashing or going all "buggy" on you?
Even the best computer systems can go buggy after a while. Maybe you've
unknowingly downloaded some adware or spyware or a computer virus... or
maybe your inner circuitry is starting to short out because there's too
much dust on your motherboard.
Whatever the problem is, I can help you fix it -- and save you $100s in
the process!
If your computer is less than five years old, chances are extremely good
that I can perform a simple upgrade that will fix your system and have
it operating as fast and efficiently as the latest models currently
being sold for hundreds of dollars at your local Future Shop.
How do I know this?
I'll admit it: I am a professional computer geek. In the ten years I
have worked as a professional computer programmer and software designer,
I have experienced every kind of computer mishap imaginable, and have
figured out how to solve these problems with minimum fuss and bother. I
can build computer systems from scratch and take apart existing ones and
immediately out how to make them work better and faster.
So if you want to turn your clunky "Edsel" of a computer into a
top-of-the-line Ferrari, I'm your man!
Here's what some of my satisfied customers say about me:
[Here you should include some testimonials from clients who can
specifically talk about how you fixed their computer or upgraded their
systems and saved them lots of money in the process. If you don't have
any testimonials like these then we strongly suggest you email your
clients and ask for them or do some computer repair/upgrade work for
your friends and get them to provide testimonials to this effect.]
To discover how I can turn your bug-infested computer into a
web-surfing, data-crunching powerhouse, call me at: (your phone number)
or sign up for a free consultation now. Guaranteed response within
24 hours!
[Here you should include your opt-in form where people can enter their
name and email address. This contact information and form should be on
every page of your site.]
... Do you see how this sample copy relates to people by identifying
with their problems and then building up your credibility before
presenting them with your call to action?
Most successful online and web
business signup for PayPal, you can start accepting credit card payments
instantly. As the world's number one online payment service, PayPal is the
fastest way to open your doors to over 40 million member accounts
worldwide. Best of all, it's completely free to sign up! To sign up or
learn more,
click here
<< Back to web businesses
|
|
|
You may be
eligible for
FREE
Membership to our
Exclusive Members
Area
Click Here
for details.
|
|
