Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

In this quirky area of commerce (it's music related), asserting yourself as #1 can have the opposite effect. You can be seen as pompous because music is "subjective" Beyond hundreds of written testimonials (actual testimonials, not just "thanks, love your product", we also provide video testimonials (submitted by the customers) of the actual work product, i.e. the gains made by the students from our products. It's inconceivable that with feedback like we receive and having been on the scene for numerous years, that we could go multiple days with no sales.

Subjective or not, if you have done more of something or been doing it longer than someone else, or you've been doing it better NO ONE ELSE can say these things.

Perhaps it's your website? Got a link? The term "music related" is a tad vague. Violin lessons, trumpet polish, guitar picks, and mic stands are all "music related" but in and of themselves, they do not a musician make.

Perhaps it's your sales path (how many steps are there between entry and download?) How cluttered is this path with elements that may be derailing your sales?

Perhaps it's your messaging? Or your positioning? Or your prospect conditioning?

What do people currently believe about your product? What do you WANT them to believe?

Positive feedback is great, but if its not driving sales, perhaps you're placing too much stock in an element of your sales process that's generating little dividend.

I understand it's hard to give any type of advice without seeing what's going on, so here's a link to the site, just remove the asterisks from the URL. Also, please don't post any identifying information in your replies, thank you... I already know that the site is dated and we're in the process of getting it updated. bit.ly/1*l*4*e*h*I*l

One other thing, if you go to the link, please copy the bit.ly link into a blank browser window so that this site doesn't get logged as a referrer anywhere.

Your bit.ly link didn't work, even with the asterisks removed. REVISION: I got it to work this time. Sorry for any confusion.

Question: Are you relying solely on organic search, or do you augment with Google Adwords? It will also help to know what the leading keywords are. How about the bounce rate? Time-on-site? Path taken through site?

Who is your competition? Where/how do they go to market? Websites?

OK. Now I've had a chance to look at the site, and a few things jump out at me that could explain the problem(s).

First, it's not immediately clear on the homepage who the target audience is or what it is you're offering them. I see crowds. I see the musical instruments. I see bundles of letters. I see album covers/pictures. (More, but it would identify the site.)

But it's not clear what this site is all about. Who is the primary target audience, and what benefit are you offering them? That needs to be crystal clear without having to click around, scroll down the page, or read a bunch of copy. Site needs a strategic focus and a big-idea benefit promise.

Second, there is no call to action. I see a "shopping bag" icon, but no clue what I might want to buy.

If there really are 11 different product categories (as suggested by the "products" tab drop-down), then you probably need to have a separate landing page for each. That way you'll be able to focus on the specific target audience and key benefit for that audience. The way it is, there's no obvious target audience and no clear benefit!

I have a few other thoughts, but I'm not going to post them because they would help someone identify the site.

Earlier question about the keywords still applies. My guess is that you have a pretty high bounce rate and low pages-per-visit, since it isn't clear what a visitor is supposed to do, or whether they are even in the right place.

Thank you for the feedback, I know the site is outdated, and it never really had a cohesive plan. But then again, this is a niche and people who come to the site more often than not, know what they're seeking. The site is not just a store, but it also is supposed to establish credibility and experience in the field prior to the customer ordering the products. As I previously mentioned, everyone and their mother on the internet today puts themselves out there as a qualified educator, but truly, in this field, there are about maybe half a dozen at the same level, and with the experience to make such a claim.

Although I'd like to help you your bitly link does not work. What's the name of your site?

Just remove the *s from the URL

I did that: your link does not work.

As the link you posted still does nothing (even with www and https:// in from to it), I have little to go on.

That said, if, on your site, there is no clear sign to first time visitors that tell them what you do (clearly, concisely, and in a compelling way), and if there is no clear call to action (to get this result do this), and if you expect people to know what to do (they don't, so it's your job to tell them), people coming to your site will do nothing. Or they'll do very little.

Confused people, or people who are not finding what they're looking for within 3 seconds of landing on a site, do not buy. You cannot assume anything. You must presume all people coming to your site have no idea what you do (regardless of your organic positioning), you must tell them.

Your points make a lot of sense. Probably the biggest mistake we've made is to assume people (who are seeking our products) know what to look for and how to find it. We have so many accolades, and we want everyone to see everything, I think it just becomes overwhelming.

Less is more.