review my site please.

Clownfish · #1 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 03:33 PM

Its a new blog/website that ive been pushing on online aquarium forum sites. So far ive gotten pretty nice comments, but i know theres room for improvement. My traffic is in a rut( below 50 views a day), but i think it is becouse of my lack of content, which is something im working on. So please tell me what you think and where i can improve, this is my first website so let me have it!!

http://www.brettsreef.com/

Lajocar · #2 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 04:35 PM

Hey Clownfish,

I like your banner. It is cool
The layout and pictures in the posts is also good
Simple is best.

Just keep on posting articles on a consistent basis and your traffic should increase

danng · #3 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 05:44 PM

Hi,

Nice work so far!

I really like the graphics and your simple clean design. Maybe you could offer a free ebook or something to boost traffic, or simply add a picture slideshow. Good luck!

rohan · #4 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 06:12 PM

Great blog. I really like the layout and the simple clean design. Don't change a thing!

NewMama · #5 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 06:27 PM

I love the look! It's so clean and the banner is great. Your content is great too, you really know what you are talking about. There is a typo in the first sentence on your home page "when we where (should be were) young and naive..."

I'm new to all this, but as long as you are writing pages based on keywords that you have researched and found to be searched, then eventually your traffic will build.

Also, you want to think about building in-bound links from other websites as that builds credibility with the search engines. For example, DMOZ.org, is a free directory that will list your site if they accept you. But there are many other directories too.

Good luck, it looks great!

Clownfish · #6 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 08:24 PM

oops thanks for the typo newmama, Its something that I have to work on. Thank you everyone for your replies!

James · #7 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 10:05 PM

Nice site, well done.

You probably have it right. Building more content will help in numerous ways, bringing visitors back for more and encouraging referrals.

I did notice another grammar issue but didn't note where. It was using "your" instead of "you're." I am fairly experienced doing proof reading and I still find corrections in my own work almost every time I review a piece. Important to keep at it, though. It does matter.

Your longer pieces could use a few subtitles, lists, or something for better appearance and readability.

Really good site. Hard to find anything seriously wrong with it. Just keep plugging away and you should do well in my opinion.

jmarshall · #8 (**permalink**) 04-14-2008, 09:11 PM

Very nice, clean layout. Great spacing. I have 2 points. Is "dosing" or "dose" one of your keywords? It seems to be repeated a lot in the 2nd paragraph.

Also, your April 7th post is in a different font than the others. These are fairly petty things though as everything looks very nicely done. I especially like your header image. Very appealing to the eye. Great job!

Maybe you could ping your posts for more traffic or like others have already said - keep article marketing.

rwskate · #9 (**permalink**) 04-15-2008, 04:55 AM

Love that banner! I wouldn't change anything either, you just need to add more content and it will grow and so will your visitors. Content is the key that you focus on.

You can 'advertise' your blog, check out Yahoo Answers and see what questions folks are posing about your topic, answer the question and add a link to your blog. That has worked wonders for getting traffice for my blogs. You may also want to check out BlogRush, that helps with getting traffic as well.

Good luck!

Clownfish · #10 (**permalink**) 04-15-2008, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwskate

Love that banner! I wouldn't change anything either, you just need to add more content and it will grow and so will your visitors. Content is the key that you focus on.

You can 'advertise' your blog, check out Yahoo Answers and see what questions folks are posing about your topic, answer the question and add a link to your blog. That has worked wonders for getting traffice for my blogs. You may also want to check out BlogRush, that helps with getting traffic as well.

Good luck!

Thank you rwskate I will check out Yahoo Answers and BlogRush.

jmarshal, I use wordpress that automatically pings some sites such as technorati but i havent yet noticed any traffic from the sites it pings.

Johnny · #11 (**permalink**) 04-15-2008, 09:36 AM

I'll have to go with everyone else... it looks really really good. It's super clean and very easy to follow. I love the white, It looks very professional... nice job. My biggest suggestion would just be to keep on posting informative articles. You seem to know what you're talking about and it's obviously something you love. Once you develop a big content base I'm sure you'll be drawing mass traffic. Good luck!

1lear · #12 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 01:09 AM

Had to make a pun, thats the joker in me. Nice site and you do have some content. I know some people take their water hobbies seriously and will enjoy your site when they find it. More content gets you more traffic also linking with other sites in the same family helps exposure-It takes time but so does cleaning aquariums.

Topchoice_1 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 11:36 AM

Brett, I could talk about you badly

.....NICE WEBSITE

....where were you about 5 years ago when I was trying to learn to setup a reef tank.....most info is too technical....yours is real cool and easy.

Keep up the good work

Clownfish · #14 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 08:08 PM

Thanks guys

Jewel · #15 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 06:06 AM

Beautiful, very professional-looking site Brett.

The only thing that struck me was it does have a lot of white...but everyone else seemed to like that and I am no expert...and that would not be a reason for me to leave a site.

Your credibility and content will draw a good following to you in the long run, so don't worry about the traffic yet. Your expertise and sincerity come across nicely in your writing.

We have a 30-gallon octagonal salt-water aquarium..with nothing in it right now but a spider starfish, live rock, and some crabs...and we also have a huge, empty 250 gallon tank that someone gave to us that we want to set up...maybe when my site finally takes off

. My kids could swim in that thing!!! But I am not buying $1900 fish!!!!

I begged for a salt-water tank two years ago and hubby obliged and found he loved taking care of it (fine with me!) At feeding time we would pull up chairs and watch all the action in there. It did well over the first summer we had it...but then school started again and all of our extra activities slow us down....but especially between January to April when we are nonstop we have let it go and have no fish in it. I will send DH your blog...we should get motivated!!!!!

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