Hey Webdev,
I'm wondering if your traffic is the problem. Writing reviews is usually a good way to convert hosting and if you have the right kind of audience for hosting, it doesn't usually take much to convert if you have the traffic levels.
Also keep in mind, your site is about learning PHP so many people that arrive at your site probably already have a web host so that may be why your conversions are bad. Remember to think like your average visitor. I don't know what keywords you are getting found for but analyze them and sometimes you can get an idea for the stage and frame of mind your visitors are in when they find your site.
That's why it's important to study those keyword reports. You can learn a lot about your visitors by the keywords they are typing in.
I'm not sure the company you promote really matters, it's learning how to convert your existing audience.
So let's say for example, you determine most of your visitors already do have hosting accounts. Is there a way you can capitalize on that? For example if you're teaching them how to do something in PHP (create a message board, etc.) then you may want to convince them to choose a dedicated host instead of shared hosting and then recommend a shared hosting plan. (That's just an example, you know more about PHP than me but I'm just trying to point out specific reasons they may need a certain kind of host)
Knowing the stage of your visitors when they arrive at your site is so important and often overlooked.
When I first launched 2create in 2002 my hosting sales were pretty low. Part of that was my traffic was still low but another part was that I was missing my audience's needs.
So I put a poll on my site and found out over 80% of my visitors were looking for a free site.
So instead of pushing the hosting upfront, I wrote an article on the disadvantages of free hosts. Instantly my sales started to increase because I learned most people that arrived at my site were looking for a free host. My article began convincing them why it's important to invest. So I was missing the mark by immediately pushing my visitors to spend money.
So after I published the article, my bounce rates improved and so did my sales.
I think I told that story on this forum before but it's an important point because people often assume they know what will appeal to their visitors, but you may be surprised what you discover if you simply ask them.
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