Pain Free Review requested ;)

[custardfish]

The bottom line is does it work and as I am getting clients, I'm happy

The goal is whatever you want it to be. If it was to get the exact same amount of clients your getting now and keep EVERYTHING the same! There does seem little point in asking for a review, where your asking people to suggest changes!

If your future goals are in any way different though ie increase website traffic, more clients, better client retention, increase hourly rate, work less hours, win better projects etc etc then you need to change something.

But if you happy with the status quo it does seem strange asking for a review that stretched on for so long.. you could have put everyone out of their misery 10 pages ago!

[PainFreeMarketing]

That is the bottom line...so no real need to ever ask for a reveiw Best of luck...

The website had changed a lot as per the review so the review was valid.

But my very first attempt got me the best results which is why I have switched (after testing) back to that simplified (non webby-addy) look as for me that is the style that sells. I didn't just get reviews from you guys either, I got reviews from customers and they warmed to the simple look. They preferred it.

Reviews are thus very valid, hence why I asked for them.

I'm not making more changes now though re latest remarks as the website is doing it's job and that IS the bottom line.


I don't need to be web designer to know what works re conversions.

I understand how to write for the Internet and all the glitz and glamour and styling in the world won't convert traffic if the content and the assembly of that content sucks.

Content sells.

[custardfish]

But my very first attempt got me the best results which is why I have switched (after testing)

I don't believe you had enough traffic in this short amount of time to draw any decent/real results. How many visitors has the site had over this period?

I don't need to be web designer to know what works re conversions. Content sells.

How much content do you think people read in less than a second?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4616700.stm

I don't want to be as harsh as some of the above reviews but if I searched for a copy-writer and found your site I would click back so quick it would be untrue.. the site and therefore YOU just don't look like a decent professional business or one I could trust with my marketing!!! There are going to be lots and lots and LOTS of visitors who think the same.

For someone who sells design I find your concept re the usefulness of design a bit strange!

Web design isn't art - its not just to look pretty!

But as I say if your happy with status quo then its all good!

[PainFreeMarketing]

I don't believe you had enough traffic in this short amount of time to draw any decent/real results. How many visitors has the site had over this period?



How much content do you think people read in less than a second?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4616700.stm

I don't want to be as harsh as some of the above reviews but if I searched for a copy-writer and found your site I would click back so quick it would be untrue.. the site and therefore YOU just don't look like a decent professional business or one I could trust with my marketing!!! There are going to be lots and lots of visitors who think the same.

For someone who sells design I find your concept re the usefulness of design a bit strange!

Web design isn't art - its not just to look pretty!

I don't need a lot of traffic to draw decent results. I need 'targeted traffic'.

I told you from the beginning, I don't need an SEO'd site as I know how to get targeted traffic to my site. Why do you think people hire me?

I manage websites for others and sending targeted traffic to their sites is what I do.


Before I had a website for this purpose I had work offers via a simple (free) blog.

Blogs are the best ( I know you'll disagree as it goes again the grain) way to gain targetted traffic and they don't cost a bean.

My only regret re the 123 reg website is that I bothered to pay £44 when I could have done just as well for FREE.

I asked for a review for valid reasons and took lots of advice.

I don't know why you're getting sore because I am getting results?

That's a childish response.

I thanked everyone in this process for the helpful advice, it was heeded. I just didn't heed the 'buy a designer website' advice as I don't need one.


I've seen a lot of great ones and if I wanted to go that route I know who I'd hire and it'd be the one with the impact and the appeal of a site I aspired to have.

[PainFreeMarketing]

Meanwhile if you Google

Marketing Dunstable

(my target area) I am now on the front page

If you Google

Printer services Dunstable

I am on the front page of Google

If you Google website content Dunstable or Writer Dunstable

I am on the front page

(Top 5 for all these phrases)

and also for other terms relating to my business

How many people Google these 'Dunstable' related terms? Probably not many, but should anyone want a local marketer, printer, writing service, they'll find me.

These are the phrases I have so far concentrated my efforts on re advertising my service & website and they have come up trumps. It took me a few days mind you.

I will widen the net for other local areas when I need to.

I get flack all the time from competing services for getting good results for little or no money. It's a great pity as the pool is roomy enough for all.

[custardfish]

I don't need a lot of traffic to draw decent results. I need 'targeted traffic'..... I told you from the beginning, I don't need an SEO'd site as I know how to get targeted traffic to my site. Meanwhile if you Google ... Marketing Dunstable (my target area) I am now on the front page

To get good data to compare one design from another you need decent traffic, a few hundred visitors at least. I'm not talking about results in the 'contacted me' sense I'm talking about in the A-B (this design works better than this one) testing sense. Do you really have good data as to whats worked? Most posters above seem to say the latest design is the worst? And visually I would agree, -visually- as I haven't ever read the content but then the site is so poor visually I'm never realistically going to bother reading it. If I'm looking for someone to do my marketing & PR I'd expect them to look like they know what they're doing.

Also I didn't specifically mention SEO, just that you could have some 'future' goals - ie something other than 'its working for me now' which is usually the answer from a client who doesn't want to change things - not one who asks for a website/business review!

Also your site ranks through directory sites - which isn't quite the same as your own site.. You'll also find those types of site drop in and out of rankings as google doesn't really like them too much.. However OUR site ranks high for: logo design ipswich - web design ipswich etc which is at least under our control and what your after with SEO - but as you said, SEO wasn't important so it's all besides the point right?

Blogs are the best ( I know you'll disagree as it goes again the grain) way to gain targetted traffic and they don't cost a bean.

Well what ranks is content - 'blogs' usually have nice regularly updated content, and especially content other sites like linking too. But it all comes down to the needs of the business/site really. Most business sites these days has some sort of 'blogging/news' facility anyway.

I don't know why you're getting sore because I am getting results?

! Didn't think I was! Honestly if your happy with your site and business etc - fantastic! Really!

But I'm not going to say I think the sites amazing and you couldn't possibly do any better because that's just not true. I've just tried to give honest useful professional advice.

Its not easy when people are critiquing your work but that's the only way to learn, you've spent a large part of the last 10 pages defending your site from numerous posters - if everything is rosy ask yourself why that's been the case?

My Adivce: If you don't want the expense of a good web designer and want to add content & do most the build yourself just go and buy a nice wordpress business looking (not 'blog') template for £30 or so.

You'll have a much more professional site in a few hours.

[custardfish]

Anyhows last post by me, good luck with it all!

[PainFreeMarketing]

Custard

The people who've contacted me for services clearly read the content and it is the content that affects conversions not the design.

Conversion content is why direct response copywriters get paid (the good ones) £8,000 + for a single sales letter that took 1-2 weeks to write.

That is considerably more than the client will have paid for their ONE PAGE website that carries these types of sales letter ads.

I don't need hundreds of hits when my conversion rate is high. I can't process hundreds of orders, I'm only one person.


I have changed the design again and may again, but that's me being fickle.

I appreciate your concern, have heeded advice but now the business is coming in, I figure I should leave well alone for now.

Thanks for your input.

Meanwhile, I haven't as you claim spent 10 pages defending my design, I've changed it as per most of the advice. What I haven't done is scrapped the site all together as per some people's advice. I have no need to scrap it. It is serving it's purpose.

Re the ads on directories, I've used that system of advertising for ages and thus far none of my sites have fallen off the top page and eventually my site will be there too but that will take slightly longer.

[Alvin]

Conversion content is why direct response copywriters get paid (the good ones) £8,000 + for a single sales letter that took 1-2 weeks to write.

Blimey 8k for one letter,nearly as bad as me solicitor.

And I thought SEO was expensive.


Alvin

[PainFreeMarketing]

Blimey 8k for one letter,nearly as bad as me solicitor.

And I thought SEO was expensive.


Alvin

I know

Some charge even more than that too, but as they make their clients millionaires, it's a justifiable fee.

One of my recent inquiries is from a client who is number 1 in the world on Google for his niche but his site isn't converting at all.

I can see why too. All his content is SEO content, and it's not Internet reader friendly, so while he gets the traffic he doesn't get the sales.

My tip for today
It's a very fine balance to write for two mediums, bots and humans. But human's take priority when it comes to converting a browser into a buyer.

SEO content thus needs to be integrated in areas that are not directly attached to the main sell.