Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

What's the purpose of the website? Who is in the target audience for which it's intended? How do they find it? What do you want them to do if/when they find it?

It's hard to react if we don't understand the objective of the site or who is in your primary target audience.

It's a little like asking, "How was dinner?"

You can't really answer the question unless you understand what the person asking really wants to know. Do they want to know if the food was tasty? Do they want to know if the company and conversation were satisfying? Do they want to know if it was nutritionally balanced? Do they want to know if there was enough food? Do they want to know about the service? Etc.

Same kind of thing with your question about the website.

To add to the website, you'll need access to the software that created your website (in your case, with Content Active). To add a video, go to the page with your YouTube video (for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c02lWEEgal8), click on the Share button, click on the Embed button that appears below the link, and copy the code shown and paste it into your website HTML code where you wish to show it.

However, the video I looked at is quite long and isn't packed with information, which means it'll be quickly ignored.

To answer your question about your website, if you're positioning yourself as the top caterer in Houston, then I want to believe it with a website that feels "top" as well - better imagery, larger font, fewer words on the home page about YOU, and more about what you can do for your clients.

And why start a blog at all? If you have some recipes to share, put them on your website on a "recipes" page.

I like the "be a guest at your own party"

You sort of lost me with "Who's your caterer?" That's not at all engaging. "Searching for a caterer?" or "5 questions to ask your caterer" would increase your chance of quoting on an event.

Michael

I liked the music with the YouTube video, a nice touch of class, but then quickly move to presenting your USP. I completely agree that the landing page should move the viewer to subpages for your three market segments.

Consider having a brief video testimonial for each of those segments. Video testimonials have more punch than written ones.

An approach I like better for your business than a blog is to provide value on the website itself. Possibilities could include: "Questions to ask your carterer," or "How to choose a caterer" Perhaps you could add an upscale, takes some real cooking skills to get it right, recipe of your own on the website.

I also felt two extraordinary strengths were buried in the website. First, you have catered for U.S. Presidents! For whom, when, what occassion? How about a White House Testimonial?

Second, golden truffels? You should be able to buy those on your website. One possibility would be sky-high pricing. "Yes, our truffels are $129.57." And how many do I get in a box?" "Box? No, no, you misunderstand. That is for one truffel." "However if we cater for you, then you can get them in a box especially designed for your occassion. As a courtesy and goodwill gesture, you may order boxes of 6 at $129.57 per box."

Show some pictures of them too. Consider selling them wrapped in the finest silk, placed in a hand painted Chinese jade box, perhaps a refillable music box. Refills are $129.57 for six (only for catering customers), because the magnificent box was "our free gift to you."

If you think all this is silly, are you familiar with Kopi Luwak out of Indonesia? It is the world's most expensive coffee, with an annual production of about 450 lbs. 100 grams costs 50 English pounds, ca. $80. For $36,000 and change you could buy a whole pound (lb.) of it.

A final point is that I did not see anything about a guarantee of satisfaction. People like guarantees. The best guarantee I know of is by Land's End: "Guaranteed. Period." And they indeed do "put their money where their mouth is:"
https://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/help/0,,1_36877_36883_37024___,00.html

Regards,
JH