Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

Some thoughts, Sarah.

The website template you're using has some problems (when I use Firefox/Mac): clicking on the "Contact Us" tab changes the text to "Contacts" and the web page width changes.

The picture of you (on your "Philosophy" page) should be either a headshot of you or you working with kids. A picture of you in snorkel gear is the wrong image (unless you're teaching snorkeling).

Get rid of your Philosophy page, and move some of your text onto your home page itself. I would strongly suggest not making your text read "rite of passage, social benefit, etc.". Instead, you could say something like every year 1000 children die in home pools. Make sure your child is safe (and has fun) for a lifetime by teaching them swimming skills.

Change the page titles from "index-1" (etc.) - it makes your website look more like a template, and not as attractive for your prospective clients.

I am not getting any errors. The contact us rollover image is wrong. Just change the roolover image to be the same as the menu item.

I think your page is fine. Very simple, easy to us and will show up on mobile devices well.

You might want to pay a little more attention to SEO. Be sure the right text is on the pages. Make page titles more descriptive. Like swimming programs instead of just programs.

The site was easy to navigate, colorful and well-designed! The concept is excellent, and yes, if I lived in your area, had a pool and young children, I would definitely consider your services. Good luck!

Dear Sarah,

Great advice above. All of it.

My two cents worth: tell people UP FRONT, at the top of your MAIN page WHO you serve, WHAT you do, WHERE you operate, and HOW you work.

You've got some of this already:

Swimming Lessons in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego.

This is good.

It needs to be higher up the page where people can see it.

Avoid the temptation to bury this kind of detail below the fold of your browser's page. Put it front and centre. Your main goal is to TELEGRAPH primary benefits to your customers.

The INSTANT someone lands on your page that person must
know that they are in the right place and that they'll find the right information for their specific needs.

You need to OWN the search engine real estate for targeted, geographic phrases:

Swimming Lessons in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego
For this term ALONE there are 110,000 results on Google.

You also need to optimize for the following:

Swimming Lessons in Los Angeles
Swimming Lessons in Orange County
Swimming Lessons in San Diego

You can do this with text for specific pages.

You can also do it with simple videos.

Note this and note it well: NO ONE ELSE IN YOUR NICHE IS USING YOUTUBE VIDEOs THAT ARE OPTIMIZED FOR THE SEARCH TERM "Swimming Lessons in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego"

Do this ONE THING and you'll stand a great chance of gaining a page one ranking on Google based on organic searches and it's ORGANIC searches that people use when they're looking for key solutions.

If you live in San Diego and you're looking for a plumber, what search result will offer greater significance to you as the person looking for the term term "plumber"? (10 million results on Google) Or the term "plumber in San Diego" (3.2 million results on Google), Or chunking it down even more for the term best plumber in San Diego (1.7 million results on Google)?

Narrow this by county, or school district and the number of results comes down and each time there are fewer results, the solution provider with the most SPECIFICITY, with the most RELEVANCE, increases its VISIBILITY.

The BEST way to increase visibility is with video. And right now, it's cheaper, faster, and easier than it's ever been for small businesses to use video online to their advantage.

Buy a Flip camera ($180) and get busy making short, fun, happy, result rich, benefit powerful video testimonials from happy moms and dads, and from splashing, happy kids.

Set up a YouTube channel and get these videos out into the world.
Use social media to your advantage. Set up Facebook and Twitter accounts and fan pages and link videos to those pages, Invite all the people on your list to join your Facebook group or fan page.

Offer some kind of sign up form on your site that gets people into your cycle of communication.

You offer a GREAT service and it's one every parent and grand parent needs to know about. Consider party packages, grand parent options (learn to swim with granny and grand pa).

I hope these few thoughts are of value.

Good luck.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA