Humbly requesting constructive criticism

darrelrichards · 08-30-2008, 11:46 AM

This is my first effort preparing a site to sell a product.
I seek the input of experienced warriors to help me do things to increase conversions, including (but not limited to):changing the copy and adding elements to the pages.

Here's the site:
Tearless Discipline

The product is great, but I don't think the site conveys that...but I've been looking at this long enough that I can't quite tell what's missing--what would make potential customers more likely to buy?

Thanks for your help.

D.R.

John_S · 08-30-2008, 01:45 PM

It's a very common structure to chop up a sales message and sprinkle a little on each page ....all the user has to do is go from page to page, collecting the breadcrumbs which make for a full proposition.

This is all well and good, if it works. You should also try a single page with your whole story and drive traffic to that one page.

If you test these different approaches, I think you'll see the multi page site loses you people on each additional page you force users to. You can't afford to leak potential customers.

Just because common wisdom says you have to have a multi page site, with a little sprinkled here and there, doesn't mean that's the way to higher sales. Try alternatives, as the examples you see here show.

What's not commonly done is making bullet points look like navigation (like Sibling Rivalry). These nonclickable elements which look clickable distract users from the actual navigation, which will likely result in even more visitors abandoning the site without buying.

The typical strategy is just to drive enough traffic to overcome whatever roadblocks to conversions the design puts in the user's way. That only makes money for the SEO, not you.

Designers are a threat to your wealth, on average. Most do not know, nor care, what converts sales. To these designers, whatever looks good must work well. There is absolutely no foundation in test results to this opinion, and many designers often prefer the opinion of other designers -- who in no way, shape or form use the sites they praise.

They don't order. They're not in the market. They aren't the target user. Yet designers follow the critique of other designers. What they should do is test with users, but that type of designer is as rare as hen's teeth.

Study the direct response design you'll find here. It's different from what you're used to, but more profitable.

08-30-2008, 11:46 AM	#1
darrelrichards Warrior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Denver, CO, USA Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Humbly requesting constructive criticism This is my first effort preparing a site to sell a product. I seek the input of experienced warriors to help me do things to increase conversions, including (but not limited to):changing the copy and adding elements to the pages. Here's the site: Tearless Discipline The product is great, but I don't think the site conveys that...but I've been looking at this long enough that I can't quite tell what's missing--what would make potential customers more likely to buy? Thanks for your help. D.R.

08-30-2008, 01:45 PM	#2
John_S Advanced Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 858 Thanks: 22 Thanked 384 Times in 231 Posts	Re: Humbly requesting constructive criticism It's a very common structure to chop up a sales message and sprinkle a little on each page ....all the user has to do is go from page to page, collecting the breadcrumbs which make for a full proposition. This is all well and good, if it works. You should also try a single page with your whole story and drive traffic to that one page. If you test these different approaches, I think you'll see the multi page site loses you people on each additional page you force users to. You can't afford to leak potential customers. Just because common wisdom says you have to have a multi page site, with a little sprinkled here and there, doesn't mean that's the way to higher sales. Try alternatives, as the examples you see here show. What's not commonly done is making bullet points look like navigation (like Sibling Rivalry). These nonclickable elements which look clickable distract users from the actual navigation, which will likely result in even more visitors abandoning the site without buying. The typical strategy is just to drive enough traffic to overcome whatever roadblocks to conversions the design puts in the user's way. That only makes money for the SEO, not you. Designers are a threat to your wealth, on average. Most do not know, nor care, what converts sales. To these designers, whatever looks good must work well. There is absolutely no foundation in test results to this opinion, and many designers often prefer the opinion of other designers -- who in no way, shape or form use the sites they praise. They don't order. They're not in the market. They aren't the target user. Yet designers follow the critique of other designers. What they should do is test with users, but that type of designer is as rare as hen's teeth. Study the direct response design you'll find here. It's different from what you're used to, but more profitable.
	Last edited by John_S; 08-30-2008 at 01:50 PM.