[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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