[thelist] RE: site check - deltatraffic.co.uk

ANDREA STREIGHT astreight at msn.com
Wed Nov 3 14:12:27 CST 2004


Alex Beston, good buddy:

Per your request, here's my web text-focused BUR (Basic Usability Review) of 
the Homepage of www.deltatraffic.co.uk:

1. "here to meet your online needs" is a vague tagline that any competitor 
could say. Tagline must reveal a highly desired specific benefit, or 
solution to a problem. Can you think of what makes you superior to many 
other web designers you know of? What horror stories do disgruntled web 
design clients rant about? What do you offer that others don't, or fail to 
mention? Beef this up, it's a boring, nearly meaningless line.

2. Why "deltaTraffic"? What does this mean? Why these two words combined? I 
bet you have a great explanation. But customers may be interested in what 
this catchy word combination means. We know what "alpha" and "beta" signify, 
what about "delta"?

3. Really want to say "build" rather than "create" [i.e., web sites]? Why 
not say "design and create effective, economical web sites that draw 
customers and drive sales"? Or some similar high-powered copy? Say something 
positive, not vague or lackadaisical, this is no time to be laid back.

4. Bullet item "sell products or improve your sales" CHANGE to two bullets: 
"sell your products online" and "increase online product sales". Could be 
beefed up even more, but "improve" is weak word for sales, people want 
"increased" sales, not "improved" sales.

5. Consults "over" important areas of web practice? Why not "consults with 
you on best web practices for your specific business"? #1 RULE FOR COPY = 
you-oriented coupled with powerful, desirable benefits (problem solving, 
life enhancing).

Define these areas of consulting expertise, brief but powerful descriptions 
that customers will drool over:

Content Management: keeps site current, fresh, motivates customers to return 
and learn more, etc.

Usability: makes site easy and fast for users to find information, peform 
tasks, order products, etc.

Web Standards: makes site browser friendly, for optimum viewing by all 
customers, etc.

Keyword Focused Web Pages: (CHANGE TO "Search Engine Optimization: uses 
keywords to boost your ranking in search engine results, so customers will 
see you listed higher on results page, thus be more likely to visit your 
site)

Ecommerce: maximum online sales is a result of an effective, efficient web 
site that helps customers choose the best product for their needs and 
assists them in purchasing it.

6. Use of "appropriate" technology? Another wimpy word, my friend. Say: 
"targeted technology best suited to your business operations and goals".

7. "Whatever you want, deltatraffic will be able to help" is vague, too 
generalized, weak. Say: "Look to DeltaTraffic [note how I beef up the name 
for prestige and power] for all your web strategy, design, and creation 
needs." This is still not good enough, but then this is free work. Ha! Maybe 
this will get you headed in right direction, though.

8. "articles to read" = oh my, I'm so excited. Seriously, this is weak. Come 
on Alex, get enthusiastic and think in terms of web users, customers, 
clients being in a big flipping hurry all the time, skimming, scanning, 
skipping like crazy, racing and rushing through your fine web site, hunting 
like cavemen for juicy details and reasons to contact you and trust you with 
their web site.

Categorize these articles: "Blogs as Marketing Tools", "Learn HTML Tricks", 
"Content Management: Make or Break Your Online Presence", "Dangers of 
Non-standards Compliant Web Sites", "Worst Mistakes Web Sites Make", "How to 
Drive Traffic to Your WWeb Site", etc. You know better category heads than I 
do, but think "You" and "Your" and hot benefits, problem solving, life 
enhancing, sales boosting, customer satisfaction, etc.

9. Need bottom text links "back to top", "contact", "free estimate", "about 
DeltaTraffic", whatever.

Alex, hope this helps. You and the other evolt list folks are a tremendous, 
kind, and smart virtual advisory staff to me.

Hope this isn't too wordy.


Steven Streight
Web Usability Analyst/Web Artist
astreight at msn.com
www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com
www.streightsite.blogspot.com
www.arttestexplosion.blogspot.com
http://fulldigitalart.com/@/stevenstreight 


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