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Peer Review of Ruthie's Music
By Roxanne McHenry
Contributing Writer
Article Date: 11.21.02
I didn't find the keywords you are targeting on Overture, but the rule of
thumb for PPC campaigns is to use the targeted keyword in the ad title,
again in the description with compelling text, and _make sure_ that the link
to your site goes to the actual page related to the targeted keyword. Make
it easy for the potential customer to find and buy the exact product they
are looking for. Keep tweaking the ad content to obtain higher click
through rates. Keep the ads with higher click through rates - shoot for 8%
vs. 2%, for example.
The Ruthie's Music site homepage, at first glance, is bland, tries to cover
too many products, and doesn't help the buyer get to the point of sale fast
enough. Someone with a small screen, sees only part of the navigation bar
and "free shipping" banner and has to scroll right/left, up/down to see what
you offer.
The navigation bar is too wide and too long. Consider shortening the
navigation by combining instruments into groups, for example, String
Instruments. Then a click on "string instruments" brings up a page that has
the sub-categories by pull down menu or tabs. Consider text links in the nav
bar instead of the GIFS, for a boost with the Search Engines.
Get rid of the large Free Shipping Banner and place a bright, not big "Free
shipping on all orders over $150" smaller button or text link in the header
area, near the logo. I don't want to click on the text "Search" to do a site
search. I would place a site search field in the header area, near View
Cart on every page. These changes can be added to a template and appear
throughout the site.
Place an attention-getting headline near at the top of the homepage - check
out the ads in today's paper....what grabs your attention? Put your intro
text, then a montage of your best selling products (try 4-6) underneath that
with pricing, linked to the product page, and a buy it now button right
there.
Move the "Holiday Deals" Image to a less intrusive spot and have it link to
it's own page that shows the specials, info link, price and buy button.
When I click "Violins" I get a product page with violin products and prices,
but no way to buy. I would move the "Add to Cart" button up to this level,
instead of on each individual product's page. I would consider changing
from "Add to Cart" to "Buy it now!" to get a sense of urgency. Plus "Add to
cart" makes me nervous, as if you're planning for me to buy out the store!
In any case, I found adding to the shopping cart was easy and I could
continue shopping with one click. GOOD!
Build confidence in your customer. On the product page, I would include a
"satisfaction guaranteed" statement or blurb. Instead of just a
testimonials page, place a customer testimony on the products pages with a
link to the testimonies page. How about a Company Info page and real world
contact info. Who are you? Do you have a brick and mortar store? How long
have you been in business? I want to know I'm dealing with a reputable
company.
Metatags are not dead! Your current site metas need updating. The title
tag is most critical, then the description tags have the most weight. All
those keywords in the keyword tag aren't helping; most search engines ignore
them. Rather than the same, all-inclusive metatags on every page, think in
terms of customizing the metatags for each page according to the
information/products on them. Put violin relevant metatags on the violin
pages, for example.
This is a start, I wish you the best!
About the Author:
Roxanne McHenry
BumbleB Media |
