Question

Topic: Website Critique

Need A Complete Overhaul?

Posted by Anonymous on 7/29/2008 at 6:22 PM ET 500 Points
Hi - please review [inactive link removed]

I am not sure where to begin "fixing" it. Aside from the fact that I find WordPress to be "dry". Any ideas? What can be said to interest potential clients in this life coaching service? She is a "divorce financial analyst" who works in the mediation field so her goal is to keep everything non-adversarial but that goes against all of the "call to action" stuff I can come up with. I defer to the experts!

Thanks!

Kate

[Moderator: Inactive link removed from post. 2/14/2011]
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by Levon on 7/29/2008 at 6:35 PM Accepted
    There is no differentiation in what you do considering there are millions of life coaches out there. I noticed a recently divorced tele-class -- I would focus on an area such as this and become the authority. Your photo should be above the fold.
  • Posted by Mikee on 7/29/2008 at 10:23 PM Accepted
    Kate,

    I agree that there is not really a call to action. I don't necessarily see a call to action as needing to be adversarial. Try to view it more as an invitation. Perhaps people need to sign up for a free session or download an article.

    I was also surprised that is was so hard to find testimonials. This business is one that needs to have the testimonials obvious. I think it should be its own menu item. Most of the menu titles are too long for the space provided. It would be great to have one or two word titles. The menu could also stand to be wider.

    The front page is too busy with words. It needs to be condensed down to some shorter text with larger easier to scan headings and more of them. Headings make it easier for people to get the jist quickly.

    I think that the site needs some more images. Stock photos would be fine from this. Coaching is somewhat like counselling. I think some images that give people a peaceful feeling would help.

    Teleclass had be confused a little bit. I guess it is jargon I was not familiar with. Perhaps a Telephone Seminar would make more sense to me. Even if it was just called a free seminar it might be clearer to me.

    I did have some page issues in IE7):
    /about page has bullets right on edge of image
    /view-slideshow has a broken image? with the slideshow below that.
    /teleclass/ has some coding issues for steps 1-2 (the html comments seem to be showing up on the page).


    Hope this helps.

    Mike
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/29/2008 at 11:51 PM Accepted
    People are not generally searching for coaches - they're searching for a solution to their problem. What problem are people searching for that she's be the answer? Recently divorced support? Newly re-married? Focus on the benefit they provide, not the service they offer.
  • Posted on 7/30/2008 at 9:37 AM Accepted
    Jay is right. People want solutions to problems. Focus the site on how Sandra helps people - the kinds of problems she solves, how people have been helped. Put testimonials upfront; use "you" and "your" not "I" and "we". Less focus on philosophy, and more on benefits.

    If you're going to focus on transition from marriage through divorce to a single life, make it more prominent. Talk about that service throughout the site.

    Also, I didn't take the quiz, but I would change the heading from "are you coachable?" to something that offers to tell me something or put me on the road to a solution.

    Jodi
  • Posted on 7/30/2008 at 9:56 AM Accepted
    Start with a free report from www.WebsiteGrader.com to do a data driven evaluation of the website.

    You should also review the website redesign webinar before you redesign a website. You should want some software or other tools to figure out which pages work, which pages have inbound links, which pages rank for keywords, etc. before you go hacking up a website.

    If you are not careful, redesigning a website often results in worse results, not better.
  • Posted on 7/30/2008 at 11:36 AM Member
    Several more thoughts. Who is your target audience? I'm guessing women over age 40. If so, your typeface is too small and difficult to read.

    The copy promises coaching on everything from divorce to body image. Way too broad. How about focusing on the empowered non-adversarial approach that protects your client's financial interests and the best interests of the children while offering ways to decrease stress, creatively cope with ex-spouse bad behavior, build a life plan and welcome the re-imerging self.

    Find out what terms your clients searched on to find your service. Then make sure to use those terms in your copy. Focus on the solutions and the benefits instead of features.

    Many people shy away from open-ended coaching because of a fear of long-term cost. This may be especially true of women who are in the midst of a divorce and are tight on cash. You may also want to indicate that your client also provides single-session "laser coaching", discounted rates on coaching packages.

    Although the language of the site was trying to be warm, it struck me as a bit condescending (oh you poor dear). I don't know that it would be appealing to a woman who has a good likelihood of successful transition (as opposed to someone who is still mired in negative emotions and not ready to move on).

    I think you can do calls to action without being adversarial. Here are some:

    --Reduce stress by taking charge of your financial independence
    --Gain confidence by understanding your personal life goals and charting an action plan to achieve them
    --Improve your children's transition by learning to let go of negative emotions tied to financial fear
    --Create the future you deserve by discovering how to become the CEO of your own life
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Website Critique)