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Website Critique     
 
This question has been closed, and points have been awarded.
Quick-hit Improvement Suggestions To Site
Posted By: Dyer on 7/6/2005 1:03 AM (CST) 500 Points
Your thoughtful suggestions to improve our web site (
http://www.factor-ten.com) would be greatly appreciated! Quick hit wins are especially valued as well as more detailed advice.

I'll implement the quick hit wins myself and will likely seek out a firm to help with some of the more complicated and strategic changes. If you have recommendations on firms to work with -- particularly if they're good at SEO, please list. Thank you!

Posted by: mgarrick* Accepted Answer
7/6/2005 1:37 AM (CST)
Some quick thoughts:
__________________________________________

>> KEYWORDS

What keywords are you trying to optimize for? I'm not very familiar with executive recruiting, but I noticed that your Employers page doesn't include the words "Executive recruting" or "recruting services" or similar in the title meta tag. Pay close attention to what keywords you put here, as search engines give them a lot of weight. Focus on who the audience of the page is. "Executive jobs" will work better on the job seekers page than on the employers page, where "executive recruiting" might work better. In general, focus on 2-4 word keyword phrases.

__________________________________________

>> SCANNABILITY

The copy isn't very scannable. On the Job Seekers page, I can't figure out what the page is about without reading all the copy. Here a quick draft of what I would do to increase the scannability of the first two paragraphs:

If you’re an accounting or finance professional, register with Factor Ten Executive to:

* Tap into our network of companies in Southern California, including Fortune 500 Companies and smaller high-growth companies.

* Find "hidden" jobs only available through a reputable search firm.

* Maintain your confidentiality and privacy as you search for your next position.

>> Register for Factor Ten Executive Search now

Note: Adding keyword-rich subheads using header tags (e.g.,

,

) will break up your copy (increasing scannability) AND improve your search engine rankings.

__________________________________________

>> CALL TO ACTION

There's no clear call to action on many pages. On the Job Seekers page, should I submit a resume? Search jobs? Register? The main links highlighted, "Our Focus", "Our Process", and "Our Ethics", aren't about me and what I want to do (get a job), they're about you.

It would be better to link and call out phrases like "register with Factor Ten Executive Search" and "contact us" so that the user can get started.

__________________________________________

>> ABOUT US

Your "About Us" section is very promotional instead of informational. I would include more information about your history and what types of companies you work with, what results you've had in the past, etc. That information will build more trust with your potential clients. Check out TheLadders.com for a good example:

http://www.theladders.com/about

__________________________________________

>> LEGIBILITY

The font used appears really small on my monitor (1024 x 768). I'd increase the size to make sure that everyone can read it, especially the left column text.

__________________________________________

Hope this helps,

Misty
 
Posted by: Jaded* Accepted Answer
7/6/2005 2:15 AM (CST)
Also the job listings are hard to browse, your sidebar seems to be acting as a "primary content" zone, but the page postion suggests it is less important and should be used for navigation. It is a bit confusing.

Your site is attractive and nice looking, but I would like to see a bit more proof.

It would be nice to have some more content: advice from you senior staff on job seeking recruiting the "Factor of Ten" and quotes and testimonials from your customers on the efficiencies they have gained.
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
7/6/2005 11:33 AM (CST)
Don't like the font size - too small.

Too many words, no graphics to break them up.

It's becoming a "standard" to have a left rail menu, but your left rail keeps changing from page to page.

I expect to see secondary menus off the primary menus, but you have none.

The site does portray somewhat of a professional "feel" but the organization and content come across as a generation or two behind the current state of web site development
 
Posted by: skoobie99 Member Response
7/6/2005 12:10 PM (CST)
Dyer,

The above comments are all valid, especially regarding the font size and the feeling of vagueness that seems to permeate the site. My biggest turnoff was that this appears like a startup company with no track record.
- If this is the case, you need to find a way to instill trust (you need to go way beyond the content you currently have on your website)
- If this is not the case, then show some proof like Jaded suggests.

Finance and Accounting sound dry and boring, so that may explain the conservative color scheme and graphics, but SoCal is supposed to be "happening", so I would expect you to "jazz-up" the site a little due to the locale you serve.

Hope this helps,
John
 
Posted by: Dyer Author Response
7/6/2005 12:20 PM (CST)
Thanks for all the great input so far. One question: Regarding testamonials, we've avoided them so far because of the cut-throat nature of the business. By providing a company name and contact you're almost inviting other recruiters to deluge your client with calls -- not great customer service or a fun markeitng outcome. Any ideas to get around this while still keeping the integrity of the testimonial?
 
Posted by: Ambidextrous Member Response
7/6/2005 5:33 PM (CST)
Check out: http://www.ritesite.biz. This will give you an admirable model. I think you really need to (1) Do a competitive analysis -- what can you do better/know more about either from a geographical or vertical position comparatively speaking.
(2) Position your company better -- Are you retained or commissioned? Do you have insights into what's hot/ what's not in your field of specialization (I hear Sarbanes-Oxley is)? What added-value do you provide? You say you don't waste time, but
I'm not buying it from your methodology list -- one of the bullets talks about employee resignation. That belongs in a different section, and could actually be a completely different and interesting niche.
 
Posted by: Dyer Author Response
7/6/2005 6:29 PM (CST)
Thank you for everyone who took a look at the site. The feedback was great and give me a great guide for some quick improvements. As you can imagine, it's easy to become too used to your own copy, so having an outside opinion really helps! I truly appreciate the time and thoughtfulness. Thank you.
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
7/7/2005 8:51 AM (CST)
Regarding Testimonials, they are well received by visitors to your site and should definitely be included. Our approach is to put them in the Right Rail and have them cycle through a rotating list as each page is displayed.

You don't have to use the person's name, as a title will work (i.e. CFO, Large Corp.). The next level would be to make it completely "hidden" by saying CFO, major financial institution. However, using names does enhance the "value" of the testimonial to site visitors.
 


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