Re: Web Site Selling process

From: Dee Hauck <dhauck_at_kingcanopy.com>
Date: Wed 01 Nov 2000 18:20:04 -0500

JEFFREY STANIFORTH <affirm_at_affirmware.com.au> WROTE:
> I have a site (www.affirmware.com.au) that is currently
> getting about 150 hits per day...
> Could someone give me some feedback on what I am doing
> wrong. I am guessing it might be the copy? I am going
> to add a FREE 7 part Affirmation Course next week, also
> a FREE raffle.

Hello,

I took a look at your website and notice a couple of
no-nos right away. We also have a website that doesn't
generate a lot of traffic - only about 50 hits a day,
but manage to make about 4-10 sales a week. I assume
our sales will increase once our long-awaited shopping
cart upgrade finally comes through (currently our
shopping cart does not calculate shipping-the major
problem with the cart). Because our shopping cart is
not what I consider fully functional, I have not, as
yet, engaged in any major undertaking to try to drive
visitors to our site. Regardless, the first thing I
noticed on your site was not only your hit counter, but
the fact that it appears to be malfunctioning.

Hit counters are (rightly, IMHO) thought to be
unprofessional. My first suggestion would be to simply
lose the hit counter. You are probably the only one
who really cares about this and to have it displayed so
prominently on your page turns many people off from
checking out the rest of your page.

The other thing that I noticed was that I really didn't
get a good idea of what your website was all about -
not that your information wasn't clear but the question
in my mind was "what is the purpose of this page?" Is
it an information only page, to make me feel better
about myself? Are they selling something? Do they
want me to convert to another way of life? It wasn't
until I reached the end of your very long page that I
finally figured out that you were selling something.
Have you considered putting some navigational devices
at the top of your page? If you don't want to split
your page up into several pages (using the main index
page as a way to capture and direct your audience) then
at least put in an index that corresponds to the main
headings that the user can click on to be taken to that
particular part of your page.

Waiting until the bottom of your page to talk about
what you are selling may seem like a good idea to you,
since you explained all the whys and whats already, but
have you considered changing the text around, so your
ordering information is at the top of your page and if
people are interested THEN they can go on to read what
it is all about? I think you are losing people way
before they ever get to the information about ordering.
This is just my $.02.

Dee Hauck
Powell & Powell Supply Company, Inc.
For all your canopy needs.
t 919.552.9708 x235 f 919.552.8884
Email: mailto:dhauck_at_kingcanopy.com
visit our website at http://www.kingcanopy.com





Received on Wed Nov 01 2000 - 17:20:04 CST