Review of website: recycling mobile comparison site

[recycler]

Hi

Could I ask for a critical review of my website. This is currently a work in progress and I know some links are dead, please ignore, the links that are dead are just articles etc, they will be added. I am mainly looking for reviews on the design, any browser issues, I have seen some issues in older browsers, but in current ones it looks fine, but I would like this confirming from more people.

I am looking for tips on how to better SEO the site. The sites pages are generated on the fly from the database, so the whole site uses one single template page which the content is delivered to, as a consequence this means I am restricted on what page content I can show.

Also, I have not worked how to change the title and description tags and as such these tags have the text that is in the template file. How much of a disadvantage is this from an SEO point of view?

Here is the site
http://www.compare-mobile-recycling.co.uk

Thanks in advance

[recycler]

I have moved on somewhat since the above post. I have now managed to change one of the template pages to now include PHP includes to the title, description and keyword tags, so a little better SEO'd now.

I believe I still have browser issues, however, the site where the work is done shows the site as it is meant to look. So, I get a shock if I see an error on someone elses machine.

[recycler]

Question: why is my request for a review, that is now a month old got no comments, is this because I have done everything right?

[freshpurple]

The site looks OK, and definitely fairly user friendly - though if there was a good, logical way of breaking down the HUGE list of models that appears once you have clicked on a brand then that would be helpful.

The only thing is that the home page looks very empty - nothing much to entice me to click further (unless obviously I came with the very precise intention of finding somewhere to recycle my mobile phone - I guess it depends on what kind of traffic you are trying to attract?) or to explain why to use your site in particular. I think you need more exciting copy.

I like the idea though

[AccountingBasics]

A couple of things, first the site has not fully loaded on my computer, it is saying one item remaining. On the top of the white block the recycle mobile phone is not spaced out correctly, I do not know if this is because the page has not fully loaded.

The way you are going to get visitors to click through to other pages, I think is to promote the cash back more, even give an example.

[wood1e]

In IE7 the Recycle Mobile phones does not display properly, have you checked you website with W3C validation, even if you are not looking to validate the CSS or HTML, it will point out some errors, if there are any

In fact the titles/H1 tags are not displaying very well within IE7 at all.

The images look like they have not be re-sized correctly and so look less than perfect.

I know you said about still a work in progress, but I would find some content to fill the homepage as that is looking strange with the huge list down the right hand side and nothing to fill the left hand side.

Your footer is full of your other sites, or other peoples sites. Which is fine for them, but not doing a lot for you. I would place anchor text down there for your pages. With possibly keeping the partner sites as well.

I presume you are on a percentage from the partner sites, so you want to be ranking as high or higher than they are, otherwise no one is going to visit your website.

And what is the difference between your comparemobilerecycling and mycoolphone?

If there is no difference why give visitors the chance to move away from your site?

And if there is no difference and they are both your site, are you duplicating content/products?

The are several elements for SEO, to paraphrase, three of them is content, content and content.

[Centure]

Love the concept, really needs some clever advertising to get people to know about it. I think a Facebook marketing campaign would be a good idea as most FB users seem to be the demographic that churn through phones at a hell of a rate.

Colours - I would think about making it brighter and (excuse this word but I think it best describes what I am trying to say) "funkier"

Search system - I would have a think about doing a text search option for the phone aswell as the brand > model version. It took me a few seconds to figure out what I was supposed to be doing - saw the brands but did not immediately see them as the search function (maybe as they are located where alot of sites put advertising - I saw brand names and ignired it as 3rd party advertising.

Again great concept - just feels a bit serious and corporate for something that I would expect to be targetted at the media / entertainment sector.

Good luck with it - this must work

Rich
Centure Pricing Management

[LOS Design UK]

Love the concept, really needs some clever advertising to get people to know about it. I think a Facebook marketing campaign would be a good idea as most FB users seem to be the demographic that churn through phones at a hell of a rate.

Colours - I would think about making it brighter and (excuse this word but I think it best describes what I am trying to say) "funkier"

Search system - I would have a think about doing a text search option for the phone aswell as the brand > model version. It took me a few seconds to figure out what I was supposed to be doing - saw the brands but did not immediately see them as the search function (maybe as they are located where alot of sites put advertising - I saw brand names and ignired it as 3rd party advertising.

Again great concept - just feels a bit serious and corporate for something that I would expect to be targetted at the media / entertainment sector.

Good luck with it - this must work

Rich
Centure Pricing Management

This is not a new concept, in fact, it is now becoming old hat I am afraid. Affiliate marketing has been around for many, many years and that also includes free/bought scripts that allows Aff marketeers to import huge data feeds into their structure.

A new aff marketeer needs to come up with a new concept to get me excited and this is not one...

And now for my review....

[LOS Design UK]

Question: why is my request for a review, that is now a month old got no comments, is this because I have done everything right?

I stayed out Phil as it did nowt to excite me but as you are so determined...

OK.

1. The site layout is tired and boring
2. Usability is extremely poor
3. Colour scheme is....
4. Looks like a spam site
5. Poor usage of a concept that could be exploited with a little more thought
6. Poor effort to make it look trust worthy...fundraising??? yeah right!

Sorry mate, I gave your site about 2 minutes and they are my thoughts...so what do your visitors think after 2 seconds?

To sum up, rethink and relaunch when you have sorted out all the glitches. Act in haste yadda, yadda, yadda.

You did ask and you were insistent.

Regards
Daren

[recycler]

I stayed out Phil as it did nowt to excite me but as you are so determined...

OK.

1. The site layout is tired and boring
2. Usability is extremely poor
3. Colour scheme is....
4. Looks like a spam site
5. Poor usage of a concept that could be exploited with a little more thought
6. Poor effort to make it look trust worthy...fundraising??? yeah right!

Sorry mate, I gave your site about 2 minutes and they are my thoughts...so what do your visitors think after 2 seconds?

To sum up, rethink and relaunch when you have sorted out all the glitches. Act in haste yadda, yadda, yadda.

You did ask and you were insistent.

Regards
Daren

The fundraising thing. The site used as a hub would maximise fundraising efforts. I only earn the affiliate commission from phones recycled.. nothing about trying to make it look trustworthy.

How does it look like a spam site. Expand please.

Very sweeping review and as useful as the time you wasted typing it. Thanks.

Disagree with the 2 minute 2 second comment. Getting a high percentage of visitors actually converting. So in time as natural levels of traffic hit grow the site will earn its keep for sure.

I will take one thing onboard, I will introduce the search box for easier use