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Website Critique     
 
This question has been closed, and points have been awarded.
Help..need Website Critique !!
Posted By: makeadeal* on 7/28/2006 1:00 PM (CST) 250 Points
I have had my website up for a year. I am not a professional, just a beginner. I really would like some critique on my website. Good or bad...I am not making much money, but I have sold a few of my own things.
It is a "sale used items" website and I want to keep it local.
Any suggestions????
www.yall-sell.com
Thanks in advance !

Posted by: Tatyiana Accepted Answer
7/28/2006 2:05 PM (CST)
So on a whole your website is... well the sell is long and somewhat confusing. But I don't think that is why you are not making money.

Here is the deal. I think your business model needs tweaking. And I have not done the research as to how popular this would be on a pay per ad model but I will tell you about a local used stuff website in my neck of the woods that is SIMPLE, wildly successful and pretty low maintenance.

Check out www.usedottawa.com (scroll to the botton to see the other cities)

It is free to post your for sale items. And I am willing to bet that if you DO not already have a competitor that uses this model, you will soon enough. So if you don't.. be that competitor and set the bar. It is very successful and well known because of the cheap but clear and effective signage that was posted around the city. Word of mouth, newsgroups.. the whole smash.

I am just not sure why people would pay to use your site over newspapers that generally give you print and web access.

I'd be willing to bet you could turn this around with little investment in dollars and time.

T.
 
Posted by: Jon Aston Member Response
7/28/2006 2:11 PM (CST)
There is no gentle way to put this...that is a terrible website.

Assuming this do-it-yourself effort reflects a limited budget, you might try hiring a local college kid to re-design your website for you. You'll get (and give) a much more professional appearance without breaking the bank. Keep it simple; focussed on making it EASY for locals to sign-up yall-sell.com as their sales agent...then (make it EASY on yourself) peddle their merchandise (globally) through your own e-bay store (see http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/start.html)...also quite inexpensive.

What are you doing to promote your website?
 
Posted by: shadysamy Member Response
7/28/2006 10:09 PM (CST)
Well, I'd unfortunately have to agree with Jon. The site is a page once opened I'd definitely want to close. Now the first thing you need to do is build customer confidence as well as awareness that yon actually exist. Confidence can be achieved through initially the WEBSITE DESIGN and please remove the banner that says "Get a business website in just five minutes", its bad for the image. It'd be very crutial that you have the site very user friendly. Start off with a search feild available in your homepage. Secondly you'd definitely need to update, or validate all data postings so that your site would be credible.

As for the awarenss part, just place a simple straight forward ad in your ocal newspaper, inconjuntion with some flyer distribution. Nothing really costly.

Was wondering why you picked such a domain name??? does it mean anything? yall-sell.com. Can't you have chosen something simpler and more attractive??

Appologize if I'm a little too straight forward, but I believe it'd only be for your benefit.
Its either you take up the business seriously and invest time and $$$ in it or you don't and stay where you are making the minimal profit possible.

Good Luck.
 
Posted by: rbauman* Member Response
7/29/2006 9:00 AM (CST)
You seem to have given a lot of thought and planning to your site as it has a lot of functionality that it provides - although some of the sections I looked at had the shell and did not have any listings or items posted. (That's not good for a site that's been up for a year!)

Unfortunately, your home page does not seem to add value and present a simple message of what you do and how to use your site. I suspect that you've sold space for the "get a business website in just 5 minutes" banner, but it does detract from your core business and cheapens your site.

I suggest you narrow your focus and concentrate your business on fewer aspects of your current business as reflected by the sections on your website. Do you want to be an on-line clearing house for people selling items? Do you want to be an on-line clearing house for people looking to buy items? Do you want to advertise for someone who makes/sells business websites? Do you want to advertise for garage sales? (I think you get the picture.)

You can do a fair job at a lot of things or a really great job at a limited number of things (and then expand by using your knowledge and resources gained).
 
Posted by: makeadeal* Author Response
7/29/2006 9:55 AM (CST)
All I can say is....Thank you. You all have given me new insight to my website and showed me things about it I hadn't even thought of before. I have always thought that my website was confusing, but really just haven't known how to make it "EASY". I looked at the "Ottawa" site and I think it is a very good one. They have a lot of hits. I have advertised every way I can think of, including putting signs up, passing out business cards, putting ads in local free papers (but they refuse me now, because they say I am competition?? and the local big newspaper refused me from the start), word of mouth, links, and email to past customers. I have offered free listings and monthly specials. I thought about making the site listings for free, but don't know how I would make money??
I only have minimal money to invest, so everything I do has to be with little or no cost.
Sorry, the name stays. It was chosen by my husband, and it stays.
I will try some of the things you all suggested and I will remove the "get a website" banner. Please check back in a couple of weeks and let me know what you think of the changes.

Thanks again..
Does anyone know where I can get a list of things that make a site "user friendly"?
 
Posted by: gurubaba* Member Response
7/29/2006 8:54 PM (CST)
Web design "seems" easy, which compells many to design their own Web site, yours included. The result is not much different from if I tried to paing my car. I am not a painter and the paint will drip, ripple, orange-peel, etc. You do not:
1. Offer a value
2. Offer easy use and navigation
3. You have nothing listed on your site

and you want me to bring my business to you?

1. Get a better site designed
2. Allow the first 500 people to list their products free of charge
3. Do not put too many clicks between the buyer and a product
4. Likewise, do not make it complicated for sellers to list their items

Then, hope that your stars are lined up to help you. Part of success depends on luck, but don't forget what Pasteur said "luck favors the prepared mind".

Cemal
 
Posted by: Tatyiana Member Response
7/31/2006 7:49 AM (CST)
Hi there:

You cna make money at offering free listings on the site by charging for advertising on the site. Once you gain the momentum and a higher click rate target some businesses to advertise with you.

T.
 
Posted by: MANSING Member Response
7/31/2006 8:14 AM (CST)
Hi there!!!!!

To be honest as a customer I don’t like your website. Website is not a tool which will tell you what you do; but this is most important marketing tool to show how professional you are and your service is?

I am sorry if I hurt you but you need to change few things:

1. Check other websites – your competitors who is providing same service
2. Change the red colour or mix with some other colour which will give you present eye feeling
3. Don’t show any thing o the screen if you don’t have any thing to offer. “Sorry there is no sale” They will close your webpage
4. Advertise on other website about your sale
5. Decide which is your business colour don’t mix every thing
6. Put “Search” Link for your website
7. Please describe what is your selling strategy- free delivery
8. Please divide the web content: 1. web content 2. business content

I hope this will help!

Regards,

M Bhor
 
Posted by: Tatyiana Member Response
7/31/2006 10:06 AM (CST)
Here is another pretty successful site:

http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/

Cheers,
T.
 
Posted by: makeadeal* Author Response
7/31/2006 10:19 AM (CST)
To Tatyiana:
Yes, I figured that out about advertising for businesses. Also I thought I might just charge for one thing, like maybe to list Garage Sales, then everything else would be for free. Also, I looked at the other site..talk about a wild name !!! Still a great site. I'm learning now what everyone is trying to say: Easy navigation, straight forward, get right to the point, no fluff or big sell, and try to give customers a reason to go there and then keep coming back.
I'm learning....
Thanks

To MANSING:
I had thought about the color before. I will work on that. And thanks for the other suggestions.
 
Posted by: Frank Hurtte Member Response
7/31/2006 10:52 AM (CST)
you might want to check out http://qconline.com/class/
they are associated with a local newpaper but started off and ran for nearly a year only charging for items that sold for more than 100 dollars. it built interest and business before they finally began charging.
 
Posted by: makeadeal* Author Response
7/31/2006 11:37 AM (CST)
Thanks to everyone for all your advice. I am closing the question so I can go right to work on my website. I awarded points to the person I thought gave me the best advice. I appreciate everyone's help and maybe someday you will see my website in the number one spot on search engines and maybe in the news??? Who knows?? And it's all because of your help !!!!!!
Thanks a million !!
Have a GREAT day, week , month, year, life !!!
 


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