Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

The images at the top of your site? As a potential buyer my IMMEDIATE questions is "If I can go to ToysRUS or Target and buy the same games, why would I come to you?"

Your site needs a far more compelling header that includes a powerful positioning statement about the benefits of buying from you.

On first blush there is nothing visual or text wise that telegraphs to be that you're meeting my needs, that you're exclusive, that you can teach my kids anything, and that you can excite them into learning something that they can't find online or on TV. Nail this and you'll be better off.

You might also want to look at individual landing pages PER offer, PER toy or game. One these pages you will offer discounts above and beyond your normal rates to stimulate sales. And free shipping on orders over $75? Er, Amazon can ship free, so you need to think like them or face the real possibility of losing more sales. Another thing that's killing your sales is those "catalog 1, catalog 2 links that take me to a PDF. These links need descriptors AND they need to be specific web pages NOT links to PDFs I've got to wait to download.

The image of the Christmas stockings? Lame, lame, lame! Dude! Really? It screams "boring!"—show me images of happy, excited kids learning and having fun, BECAUSE THEIR MOMS AND DADS BOUGHT TOYS FROM YOU—not your fireplace.

Buyers want a simple, clutter free sales path and they want everything done for them: make the sales process easier with images that have appeal, and with copy that telegraphs benefits. Then link the living day lights out of those landing pages—one landing pager per offer, per category. You can promote these offers through social media, AND through PPC and banner ads on related sites.

My first impression is that you are selling school equipment as toys.

Now that is a little harsh, but to your intended customers that''s not an impression they are going to see changed in the two seconds they stay around.

Suggestions: find a success story of one of your clients and describe their journey through your games to success. Describe it in as direct and as fairy-tale a manner as you can. Even the adults will read it. If you keep the ideas and sentences simple it will not tax a stressed parent to read.

Now there is one big thing missing: there aren't any games being played! All you are doing is talking about games. Because people only talk about games when they are relaxing and having a drink, and then they are discussing games that they saw. What you need is to cut 90% of the words and get people involved in one of your games from the word go. Once they win (or lose) they go onto something that tells them how you work. Make it the kind of game that is fun to lose, because lots of them will lose.

Having been a maths teacher, I know just how hard it is to motivate kids who keep getting things wrong. You don't get many chances in maths when you get things wrong. Too much logic and too little fun.

Now because they are involved in the game, they are already converted (as it were). The next step will simply to click on "finish" - which takes them to a video presentation or whatever you choose next.

So: what are your most popular games? Can you make it playable on the website?

Just a few scattered thoughts.

Moriarty

Good input from above posters. You would add that if you're looking to gain more traffic from natural or organic search, you may have an SEO problem.

Your home page has the following title tag ...

<title>Play Board Game, Educational games for kids, Kid’s educational games, Word games, Homeschool learning, Greater Cincinnati, Northern Virginia</title>

... the problem is all your other pages have the same title tag as your home page. EACH page can have different key word phrase, or you can reorder your phrases for some of your pages. There is a lot to developing a good SEO (PPC) program. Best to hire an expert to review for the opportunities to generate more traffic and sales.

Check out this link:
https://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo

The catalogue is difficult to search. "Catalogue one, catalalogue 2. No one wants to sort thru this. The games are classics, some new but mainly -- as others pointed out, you aren't providing a measurable benefit to purchase from you vs anyone else. Especially with today's educational games going electronic.

You need to look at what and how you are selling. Sales is not about creating traffic, it is not "build it and they will come" You need a cause to pick you and be urgent about it.

Again, some of the games are classics, but some I've never heard about. It will be very difficult for you to create excitement about a game that the manufacturer isn't creating excitement about. Why is a game on the most sought after list -- the marketing the manufacturer, not the retailer creates.

Your descriptions are features vs benefits. I'm looking at one now

Have you mastered the game of Khet? These mirrors add another dimenson of difficulty. By reflecting half of the beam and transmitting the other half right through, it will force you to recise and refine your strategy. 2 Pieces included in the set. Silver and red

What does this description tell me about the educational value of this game.

If you are going to market yourself as an educational game provider, you need to base your descriptions on the educational value of the game.

If I were you, I'd start marketing this locally to schools, etc as a brick and mortar store (without the bricks and mortar of course). Make yourself an expert in educational quality games. Do blogs and post anywhere you can about education and games and their specific merit.

And rewrite your descriptions to let people know what they'll gain from buying this. Cause refracting a beam fails to tell me I am learning anything. Educational games must also capture interest, and I dont see anything in refracting a beam that seems interesting either.

Sorry, but please look into what we are all saying as we are here to help.

Sell Well and Prosper tm