Question

Topic: Website Critique

Why So Few Sales From Our Underwear Website?

Posted by Anonymous on 4/15/2012 at 10:12 PM ET 500 Points
Hi there. I would appreciate it if you could visit our website and tell me why you think our sales are so low. We only use Google Adwords at this time, and only on a few product types at this stage. Google analytics showed that we got approx 1000 visits in March 2012 but only 7 sales. The cost of Google clicks is at least half of what we sell each month.

I altered some of the home page in early April to highlight info on our weekly deal (65% off RRPs for VIP members), a photo of a half-price sports bra, and also a bit more about what we do, and sales since then have been slightly lower compared with last month, with 3 so far in April.

In addition I emailed each of our VIP members (approx 120) re the new weekly deal and have had no sales response from any of them.

This site was built by a professional company, but we have been uploading content ourselves and it may look a bit messy - I can't really tell because I have seen it so much it just looks normal to me.

Once it looks perfect we will invest in advertising, just need to decide whether Google, print or radio is best.

I look forward to your comments. Please feel welcome to ask me any questions. Thank you.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 4/16/2012 at 8:31 AM Accepted
    Can you provide the web site address?

    Also my experience is that only 1000 per month visits generated from organic or Adwords is not enough to generate meaningful sales.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/16/2012 at 8:57 AM Accepted
    Harry's right - 1000 leads is not much data to base analysis on. But here's a question back to you - what's the profit on those 1000 clicks/7 sales? If you're generating a profit, then ramping up seems obvious. You can always experiment with other keywords, improving natural SEO, later, but if $1 invested can reliably return (for example a) $1.02 profit, you have a money machine.
  • Posted on 4/16/2012 at 6:03 PM Author
    Sorry, I forgot to actually let you know our website address (!): www.bodywear.co.nz. Thanks.
  • Posted by darcy.moen on 4/16/2012 at 8:32 PM Accepted
    The web site is NOT cross browser compliant, it doesn't look very good in Firefox.

    To me, the site looks rather plain.

    Is the site secure? I don't see a security certificate seal listed.

    Do you guarantee satisfaction?

  • Posted on 4/16/2012 at 9:02 PM Author
    Thanks, Harry, that is interesting - I thought 1000 a month was quite a lot. Do you have an idea of what a viable apparel site would be getting?

    Jay, you are right, as usual - I will look at the actual profit generated from the ads and then work out how much to spend. Of course, some sales might come from organic results and I cannot interpret that in Analytics - I will find out how to if it is possible.

    Thanks, Darcy, I will talk to the developers. Yes, I believe the site is secure but as there is no certificate I will check up on that. We do offer satisfaction - on our home page bottom left (although it is not worder that way) and at the top of our Refund Policy page - I will make it more clear on our home page.

    Thanks to you all - any other comments on anything that may put prospective buyers off are welcome.
  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 4/17/2012 at 10:16 AM Accepted
    There are many reasons your site may not be doing well. As I said before traffic of 1000 is not anywhere near what you need to get sales.

    But I have some other possible solutions.

    1- The site is anything but sexy and you are selling underwear and using sexy people in photos. Try looking at other similar sites to get ideas.

    2- You have too many choices on your menu. Take off the ones that people don't need to use to shop. Put them somewhere out of the way. Like Refund Policy (change that to Policy), shipping and delivery.

    3- The home page should be your store. Why should I have to "Go straight to our online store." I also think you have too much copy on the home page.

    4- You have a an item in on your menu "Brands". I don't think you need all this info. People know these brands and if they don't they will learn about them when they look at your inventory. Make that a search by brand where all items from that brand comes up.

    That is a start, but you have a lot of work to do getting people to the site and then getting them to buy.
  • Posted on 4/17/2012 at 10:53 AM Accepted
    I'm looking at things from customers point of view. Only one suggestion - You home page should be your shop page (https://www.bodywear.co.nz/shop_10.aspx).

    Otherwise when user will enter the site will think this is not a shopping place but corporate profile of the manufacturer.

    If you just do this thing then your turn over rate vis-a-vis total web visitor of the site will increase.

    Then you can think of other SEO measures and offline campaign as well to improve on that.

    To be honest without that change any campaign you do will all go in vain.
  • Posted on 4/17/2012 at 6:42 PM Author
    Thanks again, Harry, I see what you are saying. I will have a think about what we can do to make the site more "sexy". And I agree about the top menu, it looks a bit messy and distracting. I did wonder about landing on a home page that is not the shop - the site is actually a slightly edited duplicate of our wholesale one so the wholesale site's catalogue pages became the shop on this one, hence the landing page and the brands page.

    Hi Ashim, thanks for your comments - as with Harry's suggestion we will alter the site so that the home page is the shop page.

    Thanks to all, I will close this question because I think we have enough to work with for now.
  • Posted by donaldtepper on 4/18/2012 at 11:29 AM Member
    I'm surprised you're getting any sales at all.

    First, since you're using Google Adwords, we'd have to see the ads. There has to be a near-perfect alignment between the ad's message and what they find on your landing page. My guess is that there's a disconnect, a mismatch. People are clicking expecting one thing, then ending up on a page that offers another.

    Second, your sales copy is weak. Maybe this is a cultural thing, but here's your guarantee: "OUR GUARANTEE TO YOU: Every product has been assessed by us to make sure that the quality of materials and manufacture is high, and that the products do as they promise. We guarantee that the quality to price ratio is more than fair. If you don't agree with us, then send it back. Simple!"

    Problem is: You're not selling garments. You're not selling fabric. You're selling the promise of a better look. So why emphasize quality of material . . . quality of manufacture . . . quality to price? Your potential buyers don't care about that. Your underwear could be made out of recycled truck tires and it wouldn't matter. Sell the sizzle. Sell the promise of a better looking you. And don't be so apologetic. "the quality to price ratio is more than fair"? No! Use your own words, but say: This is the best darn investment you can make in yourself.

    And this is the copy for your Capprico G-String with a very provocative model: "Small G-string by Lilly Italia, made from super-soft Lycra tulle in fashionable animal print. The hems are trimmed with a decorative edging and the side-straps are adjustable. The front left of the g-string features a small heat-fixed gold studded snake." That's appropriate if I'm a buyer for a retail chain. But if I'm selling to consumers, I want to tell them that they'll look just as sexy as the model.

    And to borrow the advice already offered, your landing page should be the shop page. But, more specifically, try different Google Adword ads for different products, and make sure that each ad lands the user on the page for that specific product.

    Hope that helps.
  • Posted on 4/18/2012 at 7:26 PM Author
    Hi Donald, thanks for your considered response. Yes, our sale copy is weak, and it probably is partly a cultural thing. I take all your points on board and will work on being more convincing/enthusiastic. Much of the copy for each product was written for our wholesale site, so you are 100% right when you say it sounds like we are selling to retail buyers.

    I will certainly be working on our google adwords - the keywords are too broad and the landing page is often the same for each search term so will spend some time on that.

    Thanks so much!
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