Looking For Warriors To Critique My Brick & Mortar Website

You're not getting any phone calls or emails because your phone number is at the bottom, in the same size of text as your content.

You need a STRONG call to action. Tell people what you want them to do. Put the lengthy "about us" style content that's on your home page on another page.

Eliminate the clutter and focus on the call to action. When you do that, things will start to change.

Justin,

Well, instead of just telling you it sucks... maybe this will help.

First, start at the end and work backwards.

You want them to call or email you?

What is the preferred contact method? Does one work better than the
other? Do you get more emails than calls, or calls than emails?

Because at the end, you want a clear cut call to action like...

"Call me right now at 555-555-5555"

So, you need to figure out what it is you do for people?

What is the ultimate problem you solve for people, what do
you help them achieve?

Try to narrow it down to the most important thing. What's the biggest
problem you help them solve, what's the biggest benefit you offer?

Once you find it, you need to stick it in a nice big headline at the
top, to catch the site visitor's attention.

I mean, something as simple as...

"Do You Have Stuff You Need to Sell?"

now, that's just right off the top of my head,
I don't know your biz... but you need to catch the
attention of people.

Then, you need to tell them, in plain terms, what you
do and how you can help them get what they want.

Make it easy to understand... and not plain, boring,
cutesy, etc....

What are your site visitors motivated to do?

Write to target that.

Give them what they're looking for.

Lead them right down a path so that way
they want to call you because you're offering
them exactly what they need.

Give them the solution they want, and why they'd
even call you in the first place.

write it like you'd be telling your mom what you do
and why she needs to call/come down.

right now, it's pretty bland and boring.

Also, if there are others in your town who
are in the same business... you gotta separate yourself.

Why your biz and not the others?

what makes you unique/better/different.

What would you like to do for people, so that
they're giddy happy with your services.

Try to provide that to them... and tell them
you do that.

It's called your USP or unique selling proposition.

why you and not any other auction site.

If you could help them do something amazing... what
would it be?

try to weave that into your sales pitch to help you stand out.

Bottom line, just target the biggest reasons why people would
call you... and then make you and your biz stand out as the one
to go with.

and then tell them to call you, like, right now.

right now, your site is just too bland, and not enough direction.

be direct and tell them what to do... and why.

Thanks for the advice. I do need to clean the site up and take a better approach to it. Does anyone have a reasonable web designer who uses wordpress they can recommend?

Thanks

I own a successful niche auction site and was an estate liquidator for years, so I know something about your market.

First, auctioneer and estate liquidator websites notoriously suck. Yours is not the worst I've seen, not by far. But that doesn't mean it's good. Not by far.

Your main problem is it reads just like every other auctioneer's site. "We specialize in blah blah blah... We pride ourselves blah blah blah."

Most people looking for your services have never hired an auctioneer. As for liquidating an estate, it's something people only do once in their lives if they're lucky.

They don't know what to expect. They are intimidated. They're leery. Confused. Overwhelmed.

Your job is to tell them exactly how it works. Make them comfortable. Demonstrate you know your business and can be trusted.

You need a full rewrite. If you prefer to do it yourself, try this: pretend you are talking to a bereaved widow. Then tell her how you can help her and how the process works. You probably do this all the time in person. That same stuff you tell prospective consignors in person is what needs to be on your site and in the exact same language. Seriously, just speak it into a recorder then transcribe it.

You should also convert all those blog posts to stories. I'm sure you have stories about people and businesses you've helped. Tell those stories. Use them to demonstrate how you help people with excess inventory, or who have inherited a collection, etc.

Finally, you need a personable, human call to action ON EVERY PAGE.

Something like:

"Give me a call right now and we'll chat about what you need. I'll tell you exactly how we can help and explain anything you don't understand in detail. 555-5555 Ask for Justin"

How is it hyphey and untrue?