Is it my website or products?

We've recently updated our website, it's now easier to navigate and view the product for what it is, fantastic art.

We're using google adwords, our CTR ranges between 0.4 and 1.5, to me this is nothing to brag about and wonder if it's worth the little traffic it generates? There is little ROI.

From your perspective is it our products or website that is not helping to generate sales? I've been reading through a lot of other posts and find that there are lots of us that are having the same problem. Has anyone been able to find a solution that works or increases sales?

After looking through our website can you see area's that could use improvement? Do you have any solutions that might be more effective than adwords? Is the copy easy to understand? Do you know what we are selling and what makes us different from everyone else?

Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

http://www.bigdoorart.com

I searched Google for "art prints", then "fine art prints" and looked at several pages of results in both cases and did not see your site mentioned.

The web site looks great and is very functional. Obviously a lot of work has gone into it.

If I were looking for a nice print, and did not know about your web site, how would I learn that it exists?

That is the big issue we all have. The searches above returned many web sites to me, but not yours.

I have only just submitted our site to Google, Jayde and others for spidering, I'm new to this and am learning as I go. If there are others please let me know....from what I understand it takes several weeks to get a site spidered? From what I've researched and been told that paying for site submissions is not worth the money?

If you have suggestions to increase traffic, ranking or suggestions to "get our name out there" I'm all ears, any help would be gratefully excepted and appreciated.

Thank you for your comments so far, please tell me more!

Get all the links you can pointing to your web site. Always use a signature with your url in forums. If you have not already, check out the Web Pro World forum. http://www.webproworld.com/ I have obtained many good link exchanges there.

I created a Link Partners page on my site just for this purpose.

Hello,

Your site looks great so you're off to a good start, but you need to work on the copy. The home page right now is all about your business - customers don't care about you. Develop a USP and copy that tells the customers what's in it for them.

Play up the dream of owning these beautiful works of art. To do this consider what it is that you actually sell. Art? No. You sell a more beautiful home, a status symbol, the ability to show off to friends.


Google has already found your site, so now it's time to work on getting links and doing on-page optimization. This will help you rank better in the organic search engines. For a series of great articles check out http://www.highrankings.com


As for Google Adwords, the key to success is being relevant to your customers. This includes:

1. Choosing Relevant Keywords - What keywords are you bidding on? If I was looking to buy art online I would search for an artist's name or a style. Try bidding on all of the artist's names that you represent as well as styles of art. Perhaps you can also bid on keywords for well known artists that are similar to your artists. For example people interested in Ansel Adams may like the work of Yvette St. Amant.

If it were my site I would create style categories because I think that's how most people think about art (watercolors, oils, photography -- and also landscapes, cityscapes, abstract). More categories will make the site appeal to a wider range of visitors.


2. Writing Relevant Ads - Make sure that your ads give your USP. Remember, you have to tell people why they should buy from you and not your competitors.


3. Creating Relevant Landing Pages - One of the worst things you can do is take a clickthrough from AdWords and deliver that potential customer to your home page. It's not relevant enough to what they're looking for. Instead take them to an artist's page, a category page or even create a page specific to the ad. For example, create an ad designed to educate people on purchasing art - such as "10 mistakes people make when buying art". Then deliver people to an article that is designed to both educate them and show them what you offer.


You may already be doing these things. If so then great, keep working at it. If not I hope these suggestions help.


All the Best,
Jennifer

Thanks Jennifer, your tips are very useful and I will implement them asap. Now if only I was any good at copy writing! What is a USP?

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated this has been a great help already! I will check out the links you have suggested.

Happy New Year

I'm happy to help :)

A USP is a Unique Selling Proposition and is a statement that conveys what makes your business unique. Here is an excerpt that may help you define yours...


To find your USP, answer these questions:

1. What benefit is unique to your business, and what is the basis of this claim?

2. Who is the target market for whom this benefit is of compelling interest?

3. What USP has been claimed by significant competitors for this target market?


Creating a USP is a matter of balancing these components, to describe a position you will hold in the target market's minds that differentiates you from your competition. Remember, the key is that it must differentiate you for your competition.

Many small business owners look at their competitors and, seeing how successful they are, decide to simply copy their exact strategy. After all, if the competitor is successful they will be as well. Right? WRONG!

The fact is that customers rarely change their mind about who they think is the best business. Many entrepreneurs have lost fortunes (and undoubtedly their sanity) trying to change the the minds of customers. It can't be done! If you're entering a market with competitors (and very few markets don't have competitors) you have to find a strategy that will allow you to be seen as different.

A great USP has several key elements:

1. Focuses on the Customer - Instead of talking about you or your business, your USP should focus on the customer.

2. Targets Your Specific Niche – The best USP statements are personalized to the group or individual you are addressing. Use the language and terminology they use to make it effective.

3. Is Easily Understood and Retained - Stating your USP clearly and quickly makes it easy for your prospect to remember you when you follow up.

4. Mentions an Obvious Benefit -Tell your prospects exactly how you can solve their problem.

5. Avoids Jargon -Even if your target market is highly specialized, you should avoid using terms that the average person can't understand.



I'll spend some more time on your site tomorrow and see if I have any other suggestions. It would also help to see your AdWords ads if you're looking for feedback on how to make them more efficient.

All the Best,
Jennifer

Here is how are adword ad reads, I think it is very specific and to the point considering the limited amount of words usable. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Big Door Fine Art
Fine art prints, canvas art prints,
art cards & originals. Order online
www.bigdoorart.com

Jennifer just out of curiuosity I've noticed you have no profile within this forum, how are you so experienced in this area? Just wondering? You sound like you do this for a living?

You're right, this is what I do for a living :) I'm a small business coach and specialize in teaching others how to create sales and marketing systems. But my newest passion is creating an online gift site so I'll add the details of that to my profile when I launch it next month.


Your AdWords campaign is typical of what others in your industry are doing. Although you're right that it's to the point, it's got no "sizzle". Why should a customer shop with you? What is the one thing you do better than your competitors?

Price?
Variety of artists?
Variety of styles of art?
The fact that you offer online ordering?
Your customer service?


There has to be at least one thing that you do better then everyone else. Figure out what that is and then make it the focus of your ad. For example, an ad where low price is what makes you unique may read:

Want Fine Art At Low Prices?
Impress Your Friends With Beautiful
Art That You Can Afford. Shop Online Now
www.BigDoorArt.com


This is just off the top of my head - and I didn't do a character count - but I'm sure you get the idea. Use the benefit to get attention and give them a reason to check out your site. Obviously you know your customers much better than I do, so think of the things that will really make them sit up and take notice.


Some other AdWords tips:

1. Include the exact search term in the title and, if possible, again in the body of the ad.

2. Put a capital on every letter, even in your URL.

3. Include a "call to action". This is a statement that tells people exactly what you want them to do.

4. Use as many action words as possible. Studies show that headlines and ads with lots of verbs get the best response.

5. Tell the customer WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM! They already expect that there are lots of companies that offer "Fine art prints, canvas art prints, art cards & originals." They want to know why they should shop with you.

6. Try several different ads and then test the conversions. The clickthrough rate doesn't tell you whether you have a successful ad, you need to know whether it made you money. I use around 100 clicks to see whether an ad is profitable.


All the Best,
Jennifer

Thanks again Jennifer.

Yet again you have impressed me with these very helpful and wise tips. I will dig a little deeper into the sales side of things and see what I can come up with. A sales pitch if you will?

It is all making sense now, your insight and direction has clarified what I thought was missing but couldn't put into words.

Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated. I will be working on improving what I have now and will keep checking back to see if there are more suggestions.

I need to work on copy writing, I'm admit this is a weak point.

All the best. Again thanks

I know it's ironic but on a website words are the most important element - even when you sell beautiful art. So much for a picture being worth a THOUSAND words!

Work on the copy and everything else should fall in place for you. The only other suggestion I would make right now is to use larger images on the Home Page. Really hit people with the "wow" factor. Perhaps 2 rows of 2 (so 4 images in total) that rotate every few seconds. That will get people's attention. Then have strong copy to convince them to go deeper in to the site.

Feel free to update this thread if you'd like me to take a look at your site once you've made some changes. I look forward to seeing what you do!

All the Best,
Jennifer

Taking some of your advice I have made some changes. When you have a moment take a look and tell me what you think. So far it is only copy but it's a start.

Hello,

I read the new copy on your Home Page and it's better. However, I still don't think it focuses enough on the benefits - and it doesn't give a compelling reason why a visitor to your site should shop with YOU and not continue on to your competitors' sites.

Most of the visitors to your site (and certainly anyone who is likely to make a purchase) already knows that art is a beautiful expression and that it looks pretty in their house. You have to tell them (and SHOW THEM) something that makes them want to stay on your site long enough to buy that art from you. Studies show that the more time someone spends on your site, the more likely they are to buy or refer someone else who buys.


Have you completed a detailed profile of your ideal customer? Some information that can really help when writing copy...

How old are they? Married or single? Living in an urban centre, small city or the country? How much money do they make? Do they own their own home? Do they have kids? Where do they shop offline? Where do they spend time online? What magazines do they read?

I would consider myself an excellent prospective customer for your business. In fact, I really like a few of the artists and will most likely buy a piece or two as soon as my husband and I agree on which ones :) So what is my profile? Well...

I'm married with no kids. My husband and I are both professionals and our annual household income is in the six figures. We own our own home and we also invest in rental properties. We live an hour and a half outside of Toronto. We have purchased several pieces of artwork in the past and although we don't consider ourselves collectors we have very specific tastes. I read quite a few home decorating articles and enjoy purchasing items for our home.


But I'll be honest and say that your Home Page doesn't excite me. It doesn't inspire me to learn more about what you sell. The reasons why I'm considering buying from you and not a different site are:

1. I really like the artists you profile. (An important point to note is that I only know about them because I went deeper in to your site and spent time looking at the images)

2. You seem like a nice, trustworthy person who I don't have doubts about doing business with. (But this personal element really doesn't come through on the site)

3. Your prices are reasonable.

4. I have recently moved from Toronto to a smaller town and finding art here is difficult.

5. I want to be able to have nice things in my home so that I can enjoy them and, to be completely honest, as a symbol of my success.



Now maybe I don't fit the profile of your typical customer, I don't know. But if you had all this same information about everyone who bought from you, imagine how impactful you could make your copy!

I hope this gives you something more to think about. Let me know if you have any questions.


All the Best,
Jennifer

I did create a profile of what I believe a potential customer would be and I believe I'm on the right path. I agree the copy needs to be refined and given a little more direction. I hope you don't mind me using some of your inspiring words? My direction was along the HGTV designer type of inspiration. As many more people would relate to that.

When you say "I'll be honest and say that your Home Page doesn't excite me. It doesn't inspire me to learn more about what you sell." What would do that for you? What would peek your interest to dig deeper and explore the possiblities?

You are an ideal client but we do cater more to wholesale customers.
This is more of an online catalogue for that purpose. We are trying to serve two purposes, online retail and wholesale. Most publishers do not sell directly to the public, like we do. Our artwork and printing methods are unique and not commonly found in stores, yet.

Did you get a chance to read the copy on the gallery page? it has additional info that reflects some of your suggestions. Maybe it needs to be changed around a bit with the home page? I'm interested in your thoughts and any others who might read this.

Again thanks for your thoughts.

Hello,

That's good to know that you cater to wholesale customers. They have a very different set of needs then retail customers. Balancing these needs is always a challenge.

When I said it didn't excite me or make me want to go deeper in to the site I meant that if I found your site through the search engines the Home Page wouldn't draw me in and make me want to learn more. There's no big benefit there. I'm there because I want to purchase art, I already know that, but I don't know why I should buy it from you. Are you the lowest price? Best selection? Best customer service?

If a customer does decide to look around they may find something that they like, but the attention span is very short on the Internet and without a strong Home Page the majority of people won't take the time to go deeper.

Online copywriting can be a lot of work. You're definitely on the right track. Maybe doing a Split Run test with two or three different sales letters would answer your questions about what direction to take with your Home Page and Gallery page.

All the Best,
Jennifer

A quick note to say thank you. Your words have been inspiring and your tips very usefull. It has been very appreciated. These forums are a great source of help!

Best regards!

After taking your comments and applying them to our site we have noticed a steady climb of traffic, which is great! Thank you. But little are converting to sales, anyone know some tricks or tips to convert into sales.

Online surveys?I don't like the idea of bugging potential customers to why they are not buying or having a "pop up survey" because they are annoying as all get out but has anyone had success with them? or find them usefull?

Any comments would be appreciated?

BigDoorArt, Are you still looking for feedback?

I just so happened to take a look at this. One thing I noticed is that it is a month after the posts and the site has not changed.

I attended a 1-day seminar from Edward Tufte and it opened my eyes into the 'Visual Presentation of Data.' Now, at first, that doesn't seem applicable here since you sell art, not data. However, one thing that Tufte did was measure the size of a graph/table, etc. and calculate the amount of information presented per square inch. This struck me as an awesome way to evaluate the effectiveness of any presentation...how much of it is fluff and how much of it is the INFORMATION!? Your site is about ART, not 'blue-on-gray grid.' Only 5% of your site's homepage is dedicated to ART!

In addition, the first thing you see at the top is a Keyword search bar. Do you really have that much art? I would put the search bar on the bottom of the page or on successive pages (i.e., when a user clicks on a category and gets page 1 of 57 pages...that's when a seach bar springs onto the page...when the customer realizes that he needs to narrow it down further.) Also, the top 40% of your page is not art. Put some art up near the top in case users have low resolution and a million extra 'toolbars' tacked onto their browsers. Make sure that they don't have to scroll to see some of your art.

Put the best work you have right on the front page in BIG size. (Keep the image size low through proper web optimization.) It's OK to have one big file, but not many. Put a good price on it too, right on the front page...with a 'add to cart' icon so they know immediately that they can buy online. Would it be a bad thing? No! It would become your best seller and you would have customers who will come back for more when you have offered good customer service. This is what they tell authors to do, effectively, if your chapter 14 is awesome, then figure out how to re-write the story to put your that chapter right up front or else the evaluators at the publishing houses will stop reading before they get to chapter 14. That's a lot harder to do than moving a product to your home page...

I saw that one of the recommendations was to create a category list of types of art. I recommend this too.

Your font is too small for my eyes and contrasts bad (white on light blue?) I can't Ctrl-Middle-Mouse-Wheel scroll on it either, which measns that I am stuck with this impossible to see font. Make it bigger by default and use the style that allows the users to change it's size for their eyes. Your bottom nav menu on your gallery page already does this, so take a look at that code for an idea how to do this.

Let me know if this has been helpful. If you post, I will get an e-mail.

-David.

Dunno bout anyone else's reaction, but I think that may be the most useful site review I've seen.

Wow! Thanks for that JPnyc! Your profile says 'Adiministrator.' Does that mean that this is your professional opinion? ;-)

It means I'm an administrator of the Online Communities that Jupitermedia publishes but it doesn't mean I'm a de facto expert on owning or running an online or small business. And you're welcome. That was an incisive, direct appraisal and all of it backed up with sound reasoning. I sure got something out of it.:D

Your site image looks great. I found it difficult to see the images and know what I would be buying though. You have received great help on this thread. If you would like to talk to someone, I work for Kendall & Associates, which specializes in an ecommerce system. Please give a call if you are interested. 330.920.6185 or check out the website: www.kendallinc.com.

As much as the tips and suggestions are great, I have come to the conclusion....you can't create a website that will be perfect for everyones computer settings.

The site has changed considerably since the first posting, 85% of the copy has been reworked. We have addressed several main issues that arose from this posting. Unfortunatley you won't be able to see what the site used to look like since it's been updated.

It has been a rather eye opening experience. This has been a great posting as a lot of fantastic comments have been brought up and a lot of change has come from it. We'll continue to take note of your comments and may implement the ones that will make the greatest impact. Thanks again.

Well you can, but it's a major pain to do. I have built one site that will display exactly the same at every resolution and screen size. In fact, it will change if you just resize your browser window. But this requires that the browser have javascript enabled.