I could use some feedback please

smiley · #1 (**permalink**) 08-29-2008, 06:20 PM

HI guys

I've here for a week or so, and I have been reading alot of post great info by the way.

anywho, I have gotten a few people telling me to do a few different things. So I am a bit confused on which way to go, so I made 2 sites and a blog

I have no idea which one is better or if I should even do the 3rd thing I was told.

first here is site one, just a sales page,
http://www.laurasbasicstowebdesign.com/ebook

the second site someone said to tell my story a bit,
http://www.laurasbasicstowebdesign.com/special

Now I've also been told that this like an impossible niche to get into, but I love web designing, building and teaching. I've beentold that I should put up a site that is more on the tutorial side, kind of like Lisa's 2createawebsite.com which I absolutely Love.

I have affilaite products and my own ebook I wrote (it is being revampled as I type this ) I have always heard you must have a product to be successful that's why I wrote the ebook.

I'm just not sure which angel to take between the 2 websites or even to put a site up more like a tutorial site with affiliate links and adsense I know how to do all that stuff.

right now this is how I feel

Just would love some feedback from you guys, so far you guys are all awesome with feedback, I like that alot.

Thanks in advance and please do be critical or whatever I can take it

Right now this is how I feel

jennyc123 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 04:00 PM

The kind of site you have right now (both of them!) need lots of advertising and promotion to do well. You know, Google adwords and so on. Would you be willing to put money into that? It's risky...

I actually think the idea of a tutorials website is good, especially if you enjoy writing that sort of content. But it's a saturated niche - your site would have to have an angle of some sort - maybe aimed at girls or something?

If you did decide to do something like that, the e-book would be a great traffic-puller if it was free.

Good luck with everything!

conceptskateboarding · #3 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 06:04 PM

hello i agree with jennyc123,

You will need allot of targeted traffic to make this site work but its possible, it looks really good so far.

One suggestion i would make, how come you say you will take the page down after you sell 200 copies of your book? this is telling your viewers you have sold under 200. It would be a good idea to make it come across that you have sold thousands.

You may have a reason for this.

Anyway good luck with everything and i belive you could make it work.

smiley · #4 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 06:40 PM

Thanks both for the vote of confidence, I know I can make it work just having a major hard time to get good quality targetted traffic to the site, it trickles in.

The reason I put 200 copies is I was told it is an incentive to get visitors to buy now instead of putting it off. I really don't like it so have been considering to take it off

I do a lot of article marketing, posting to forums, blogging, but sitll very very little happens. Been at this for months now and with very little happening it's easy to get frustrated when you have no income.

But I refuse to give up, no matter what, if I can just tackle the traffic issues and start to see more than 12 visitors in a month I'd be happy camper

Still would love to hear what others think, I am seriously going towards just putting up my blog and making it a training site for others. I am stuck if I should do a blog or static website? I hear that blogs are better as Google loves em so am kind of heading that way.

Thanks for comments

mrsb52 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 08:25 PM

I have visited both of your sites and my first thought was that they are trying to sell me something and my second thought was "next!". There was no warmth to the site, just a cold hard sell feel. I am new to web design and I can get free info anywhere on the net, but there is one thing that is extremely hard to find and that is someone who shows you, through video, how to do the things that you need to do in order to get started with website building. Lisa does an excellent job of this in her videos that she has on her site. There is a gentleman on Youtube that is also quite interesting and informative, this could be your niche too! You have all the written material to get started, just remember what it was like when you were first starting out and build how you approach your audience from there. Remember baby steps, that's what they need. I would be more than willing to be one of your test people! Let me know what you decide. Sorry if I sounded hard, but that is what living in Massachusetts does to a person.

lisa · #6 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 08:35 PM

Both sites have good copy that is quite compelling.

The approach you take (tutorial site like mine vs. squeeze page) is going to depend on how you plan to promote it. Right now you are using the squeeze page approach which can work well for pay per click marketing or even advertising on other sites - but not as well for organic search traffic, due to the way the engines rank websites.

So I throw this back to you. Are you more comfortable trying to work the pay per click market or do you want to build more organic traffic? If it's the latter, then it's best to take the tutorial/information route than the squeeze page method.

I agree regarding the 200 sold issue. If someone happens to come back to your site 6 months from now and that message is still there, it's going to make your site appear smallish.

smiley · #7 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 09:37 PM

WOW thanks both Lisa and msrb52, I love both inputs and the honesty there. When I started a while back most people asked me if I would put up some type of training website on webdesign, I just never did.

As for putting videos up I know this is a big thing right now, and probably will last a long time, I haven't yet attempted that but am working on learning it and finding the right software and stuff, as I am broke.

I am dabbling with it but still not very comfortable Yet!

I will work on putting my site as an informative site, and use my blog to drive traffic to it and I do have an opt in form on my blog to build a list.

I was doing some research today on landing page templates and it doesn't seem to be that bogged down and saturated, I need to find a niche inside the web design niche I can focus on and I do enjoy building simple landing pages and thank you pages. and teaching how too.

Thanks for all the advice and support and honesty I really appreciate it a lot keep them coming please giving me lots of ideas here

I will keep you posted on how I am doing if that's okay?

Laura

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