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Rip My Membership Website Apart! (I bet you havent seen a site like this)

by New Comer
35 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
Ok here is my site!

Had to make the headline interesting to get some people in here

I'm gonna provide as little detail in this post as possible so you guys can get the full user experience. I want to see if a cold user can navigate and use the site efficiently!


Please respond with any advice/problems that you find!


Greatly appreciated!


**Also, does anyone know how I can integrate Aweber with s2 member? I'll look it up. I'm about to take a nap real quick though.

What I'd like to be able to do, is email all my members free or paid when I upload new beats. I know I could use an aweber broadcast to do this, but how can I get it to where new signups to my site are automatically on a list?

Only way to take their info (which s2 member collects for me) and put it in to an aweber list my self? Then have the confirm email say hey its agbeats, if you'd like to stay updated with when we upload new beats please click the link below!


I can provide you with a name and PW to log in to my back end upon request, but they have limited IP allowances so I don't wanna post here and have random people using up all the adresses then blocking access haha
#beats #download #membership #review #sign #website
  • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
    Rip it apart? OK, you asked for it!

    1) The site screams "amateur" and "boring".... where's the life? (no color, no graphics, etc).

    2) The layout is way too busy and unorganized... text and links scattered all over the place, but nothing really sticks out. No obvious "call to action".

    3) The copy (what little there is), is weak.

    Sorry to be so blunt, but you asked for it.

    Here's an example of a much better looking site in that niche...

    Beats365: Beats by Jamie Lewis | Hip Hop & Rap Beats | Download Rap & Hip Hop Instrumentals, Sound Effects, Stock Music

    Notice that the layout and graphics are very professional. There's not a bunch of cluttered little blocks of text "above the fold" to distract the visitor -- it's much cleaner, with a very obvious benefit / "call to action" above the fold ("License and download 1000+ beats with a membership"). Then several more benefits are listed as you scroll down the page, along with a bunch of audio samples.

    I don't think the copy on the Beats 365 website is outstanding, but it's decent. Even so, I bet that website would out-convert yours (in its current state) about 100 to 1. Literally.

    So... you got some work to do! You can get a great looking minisite designed for really cheap these days, so even if design / graphics are not your forte, there's really no excuse.

    Check out some of the other top-ranked "beats" websites on ClickBank to get more ideas for graphics & copy, etc.
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    • Profile picture of the author New Comer
      Originally Posted by Brandon Tanner View Post

      Rip it apart? OK, you asked for it!

      1) The site screams "amateur" and "boring".... where's the life? (no color, no graphics, etc).

      2) The layout is way too busy and unorganized... text and links scattered all over the place, but nothing really sticks out. No obvious "call to action".

      3) The copy (what little there is), is weak.

      Here's an example of a much better looking site in that niche...

      Beats365: Beats by Jamie Lewis | Hip Hop & Rap Beats | Download Rap & Hip Hop Instrumentals, Sound Effects, Stock Music

      Notice that the layout and graphics are very professional. There's not a bunch of cluttered little blocks of text "above the fold" to distract the visitor -- it's much cleaner, with a very obvious benefit / "call to action" above the fold ("License and download 1000+ beats with a membership"). Then several more benefits are listed as you scroll down the page, along with a bunch of audio samples.

      I don't think the copy on the Beats 365 website is outstanding, but it's decent. Even so, I bet that website would out-convert yours (in its current state) about 100 to 1. Literally.

      So... you got some work to do! You can get a great looking minisite designed for really cheap these days, so even if design / graphics are not your forte, there's really no excuse.

      Check out some of the other top-ranked "beats" websites on ClickBank to get more ideas for graphics & copy, etc.

      Sorry to be so blunt, but you asked for it.
      See me, I think beats365 looks like outdated shit haha

      1. This is the stock wordpress theme, but maybe I can spruce it up some. In my mind though, it's not about flashy graphics of some fake stuff, or colors, it's about navigability and ease of use

      2. no call to action? what is this:

      • Create a free account here at agbeats . com
      • Download the beats you like
      • Start rapping!
      3. copy is weak sure, I can't really argue there that's not my specialty. My specialty is making beats

      Im basically copying jamie lewis here. But at the same time being a little different.

      I guess people really buy into all that hyped up, bullshit copy. I mean I don't and never do...but I'm not your average consumer.

      I think my site is a little more appealing than JL's because of how "real" it is...

      his seems a little....eh idk how to word it. My site is just different than his. same model, a little different.

      Did you try and sign up for the free access?

      Did you watch the video?

      Did you do anything on my site other than take a quick glance?


      Not trying to get defensive, but no call to action? come on now

      I thought the 1. 2. 3. steps were clear as day....

      if you couldnt figure out what to do on the site is it really because i dont have pictures and graphics on there?

      I mean im basically copying the idea of beats365 and it def worked for him, but I don't think i need flashy color or graphics.

      One guy I showed it too even was like nice simple site i like how easy it is to get around.

      But maybe I'll try some different themes out

      Is that what you look for when purchasing a product?

      Oh gee idk....this isnt colorful and flashy enough for me NEXT

      its all about the beats not how pretty my site is
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      • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
        You're letting your emotions get in the way of common (copywriting) sense here. It doesn't matter what YOU think about the site -- all that matters is what your site's VISITORS think (if you want to convert them into BUYERS, that is)!

        I've done a LOT of split-testing for a lot of sites in many different niches over the years, so believe me when I say that you need solid copy AND a great-looking design to get the best possible conversion rate.

        But don't take my word for it - test it yourself. Go ahead and send 1000 PPC clicks to Beats365 via your affiliate link, then send 1000 more clicks (for the same keywords) to your website, and let me know what happens. I guarantee you the difference in conversions will be night and day.

        I'm not trying to discourage you here... just giving you a little dose of reality.

        You should read this.
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        • Profile picture of the author New Comer
          Originally Posted by Brandon Tanner View Post

          You're letting your emotions get in the way of common (copywriting) sense here. It doesn't matter what YOU think about the site -- all that matters is what your site's VISITORS think (if you want to convert them into BUYERS, that is)!

          I've done a LOT of split-testing for a lot of sites in many different niches over the years, so believe me when I say that you need solid copy AND a great-looking design to get the best possible conversion rate.

          But don't take my word for it - test it yourself. Go ahead and send 1000 PPC clicks to Beats365 via your affiliate link, then send 1000 more clicks (for the same keywords) to your website, and let me know what happens. I guarantee you the difference in conversions will be night and day.

          I'm not trying to discourage you here... just giving you a little dose of reality.

          You should read this.
          Ok cool thanks for your feedback.

          Do you have anything more specific to say? Anything at all more then HEY YOUR SITE KINDA SUCKS, BEATS365 IS WAY BETTER.....

          What would you suggest doing? do you understand the mission of my website? or is it really THAT unclear?
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          • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
            Originally Posted by New Comer View Post

            Do you have anything more specific to say? Anything at all more then HEY YOUR SITE KINDA SUCKS, BEATS365 IS WAY BETTER.....

            What would you suggest doing?
            1) Hire a professional to design a nice looking site. Or, if you can't afford that, do as Kevin suggested and find a nice looking theme / template for that niche.

            2) Hire a copywriter, or at least learn the basics of good copy if you want to do it yourself. Pay attention to what the other top ClickBank sites in your niche are doing. The reason I mention ClickBank is because ClickBank makes it relatively easy to see how well each site is performing. If a site is performing well, that means the copy is working.

            And you should seriously consider getting at least a part-time job while you're building up your internet business. It is a LOT easier to get things going online when you can afford to pay for quality web design, copy, advertising, etc. than to take the time to try to figure out how to do all of that (properly) yourself. Trust me on that.

            Kevin also gave you some solid advice. We're trying to help you by giving you some good, constructive criticism here. So no need to get all defensive if you don't agree with something we say. Check the attitude at the door, and show a little respect... and you'll find that people will be much more willing to help you out here.
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      • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
        You wanna know the truth?

        okay first... drop the profanity when you're using this forum...

        This is a professional internet marketing forum, these are business men and women your dealing with,
        this is not some ghetto fabulous forum, if you use that kind of language here all you're going to do is end up doing is getting yourself banned.

        you told us to rip your site apart and we are...
        If you can't handle the truth or tough criticism then get off the board and don't waste our time.

        secondly...
        I have worked with 100's of rap artists and beat makers...
        Brandon Tanner is dead on...
        I agree with everything he said...
        I was ready to click away within the first 3 seconds...

        If your beats sound anything like the way your site looks, I'll pass...
        your site screams amateur...it looks like a fifth grader did it.

        thirdly...
        do yourself a favor and just download a free hip hop theme and save yourself
        a lot of trouble, stick to what your good at and leave the web design to someone else.

        I listened to a few of your beats and you have some skills and potential,
        but you need to come correct and present a professional image.

        fourth....
        there are a million wanna-be's out there just like you and you're up against some
        tough competition. you need to step up your game, drop the juvenile attitude when
        people are trying to help you and act like a businessman.

        If you want people to take you seriously then you need to act like an adult...
        If you think you have all the answers and you can't take some constructive criticism
        you're not going to get much help and you're not going to last in the rap beat business.

        I know because I've been working with rap artists and beat makers for over 20 years...
        The only reason I'm spending time responding to you is because you remind me
        of myself 30 years ago...listen to the advice we are giving you, put your pride on
        the shelf and grow up, don't hate, when somebody's just trying to help you ...

        Stop wasting time trying to design your site, download a free hip-hop theme
        tweak it the way you want and get over it.

        Go to this page to learn how to integrate aweber with s2member


        hope this helps...
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        • Profile picture of the author New Comer
          Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

          You wanna know the truth?

          okay first... drop the profanity when you're using this forum...

          This is a professional internet marketing forum, these are business men and women your dealing with, this is not some ghetto fabulous forum, if you use that kind of language here all your going to do is end up doing is getting yourself banned.

          you told us to rip your site apart and we are...
          If you can't handle the truth or tough criticism then get off the board and don't waste our time.

          secondly...
          I have worked with 100's of rap artists and beat makers...
          Brandon Tanner is dead on...
          I agree with everything he said...
          I was ready to click away within the first 3 seconds...

          If your beats sound anything like the way your site looks, I'll pass...
          your site screams amateur...it looks like a fifth grader did it.

          thirdly...
          do yourself a favor and just download a free hip hop theme and save yourself
          a lot of trouble, stick to what your good at and leave the web design to someone else.

          I listened to a few of your beats and you have some skills and potential,
          but you need to come correct and present a professional image.

          fourth....
          there are a million wanna-be's out there just like you and you're up against some
          tough competition. you need to step up your game, drop the juvenile attitude when
          people are trying to help you and act like a businessman.

          If you want people to take you seriously then you need to act like an adult...
          If you think you have all the answers and you can't take some constructive criticism
          you're not going to get much help and you're not going to last in the rap beat business.

          I know because I've been working with rap artist and beat makers for over 20 years...
          The only reason I'm spending time responding to you is because you remind me
          of myself 30 years ago...listen to the advice we are giving you, put your pride on
          the shelf and grow up, don't hate, when somebody's just trying to help you ...

          Stop wasting time trying to design your site, download a free hip-hop theme
          tweak it the way you want and get over it.

          Go to this page to learn how to integrate aweber with s2member


          hope this helps...
          Sorry you don't like the way I speak first off. Can you point me to where it says it's against the rules to cuss? Is that against the rules? not trying to be a....smart-butt here....just asking.

          Second of all, thanks for a way better response than the other guy. I put in LOTS of work on the site and havent slept in probably 24 hours or more so I may be getting a little emotional.

          Third, I'll be back with updates later. I don't really know what to do this is my first year in it...but I'm trying so that's more than some other people do. I'll see what I can do with some different themes.

          I guess people really are so simple minded in this day and age that they need a bunch of FAKE thrown right in their face from the start.

          Maybe the headline to my site should be

          RAP ON MY BEATS AND YOU'RE PRACTICALLY GUARANTEED A RECORD DEAL!

          Ag beats is the HOTTEST producer on the entire internet. When you rap on my beats, the hood rats will swoon to you, guaranteed.

          bla bla bla I just hate that stuff man. I hate lying (it's technically not lying!) to people, I hate manipulating them and I hate getting in peoples minds and using that to my advantage...


          yeah yeah....if I dont like that I don't like making money. I'm coming to find out. People don't want real they want flashy appearance and sales copy.

          And by the way, I'm willing to offer 60/40 ownership of my "business" (sad excuse for one so far) to any "guru" on here that can help me get to where I wanna be.

          Guru gets the 60. What's good with that? Who wants to make some money? I make the beats, pay for my domain and hosting, you work with me 1 on 1 to help me do the rest.....


          haha fat chance of that happening but I figured I'd throw it out there.
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          • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
            I feel you...

            I was diggin the last two beats on your home page...

            I wasn't feelin' the first keith sweat loop tho...
            it's got potential but I think you may need to take it back to your room and remix it again.

            you got potential.. I wouldn't respond to you if you didn't

            don't make the same mistake I did and spend days and weeks trying to
            design a site when you're just learning.

            work on your grooves and download a theme and be done with it..

            I'll give you props becuz you figured out s2member...
            and you've got a full-functionally site...
            that's good...

            do a google search for free hip -hop wordpress themes
            and spend more of your time laying down tracks

            trust me on this, I wish someone had come along 30 years ago and told me
            what I'm telling you now...

            peace
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            • Profile picture of the author New Comer
              Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

              I feel you...

              I was diggin the last two beats on your home page...

              I wasn't feelin' the first keith sweat loop tho...
              it's got potential but I think you may need to take it back to your room and remix it again.

              you got potential.. I wouldn't respond to you if you didn't

              don't make the same mistake I did and spend days and weeks trying to
              design a site when you're just learning.

              work on your grooves and download a theme and be done with it..

              I'll give you props becuz you figured out s2member...
              and you've got a full-functionally site...
              that's good...

              do a google search for free hip -hop wordpress themes
              and spend more of your time laying down tracks

              trust me on this, I wish someone had come along 30 years ago and told me
              what I'm telling you now...

              peace
              What I REALLY need to improve my mixes is acoustic treatment in my room. Im in the worst possible mixing environment right now.

              Save the sob story, family is dead broke and my job is playing games with me.

              Trying to make things work on a fat budget of $0

              If I don't get some signups this month, I wont be able to continue my online venture. I won't be able to afford the fee's at that point.

              If that happens, everything I've built over the past 14 months trying to do this will be lost. My (small) list and everything. I don't really care cause I barely made $500 (that's total revenue, no profit im sure) in the past 14 months online doing this stuff, but I'd like to keep things running.

              If not.....I'm gonna take some time off the internet, get a real job, and save up so I can come back way harder. I learned a lot. And s2 member was no joke. I switched from weebly to wordpress, with a fully functional s2member site in about 56 hours so if nothing else I'm proud of that.


              60/40 still stands. I can make beats, rappers like them. That's no question. I've sold quite a few leases under my previous business model, I have rappers basically begging for free beats, and I have a "major artist" on one of my tracks. Lil B. Google him lol it means just about nothing because he's basically a joke, but some people "look up" to him.

              Just thought I'd throw it out there. I do all the hard work all I need is a mentor. I know no one on here want's to do that for free though. Maybe in the future when I have money. Oh wait when I have money I won't need a mentor (hopefully)

              I'm no dumby. Don't let the way I speak and the fact that I make rap beats fool you.


              And for the record I have about 50 already made tracks NOT on the site that I can start dripping in if I do get members. I just started making beats at the end of 2011. I've been online with it since January 2012
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              • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
                I've been on this board for almost 5 years...
                The moderators on here are pretty strict...that's why I told you to drop the language.
                They don't play that...just trust me on this one...

                I know exactly what you're dealing with...
                been there, done that, got a t-shirt, wrote a book, made a movie, working on the sequel...

                time is not on your side...
                that's why you need to download a free theme and be done with it.
                then you can spend the rest of your time promoting yourself
                while you still have an internet connection.
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                • Profile picture of the author New Comer
                  Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

                  I've been on this board for almost 5 years...

                  time is not on your side...
                  that's why you need to download a free theme and be done with it.
                  then you can spend the rest of your time promoting yourself
                  while you still have an internet connection.
                  Truth

                  I already told my self im not sleeping until I can atleast convince someone to sign up for free. Im about to install this free them I found now give me a second I'll post back with an update of at least the theme.

                  Hopefully it doesnt f- mess up everything i have on there now

                  Ok yeah that theme royally screwed everything give me a few more minutes
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                  • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
                    Originally Posted by New Comer View Post

                    Truth

                    I already told my self im not sleeping until I can atleast convince someone to sign up for free. Im about to install this free them I found now give me a second I'll post back with an update of at least the theme.

                    Hopefully it doesnt f- mess up everything i have on there now

                    Ok yeah that theme royally screwed everything give me a few more minutes
                    okay I signed up, get your free theme up, get some rest, clear your head,
                    then get up and get back on it again...

                    don't give up... you can do it

                    good luck
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                    • Profile picture of the author New Comer
                      Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

                      okay I signed up, get your free theme up, get some rest, clear your head and get up
                      and get back on it again...

                      don't give up... you can do it

                      good luck
                      Thanks man I truly appreciate everything, especially the kind words. Maybe sleep would help. I'll get my free theme up, take a nap, come back and revise my "copy" / sales presentation.


                      If you could keep an eye on the thread and post back with advice on the new site I'd REALLY REALLY appreciate it.

                      I know I seem like a hoodlum cussin' piece'o'chit but trust me I'm a good kid at heart and I just wanna get out of the rat race and do right by my family.

                      I love all this stuff....setting up a website...the idea of automated sales processes everything.

                      But yeah, next post I make will be about a totally revamped agbeats.com!
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                      • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
                        There ain't nothing wrong wit' you man...
                        you ain't no hoodlum...

                        like I said... you remind me of myself 30 years ago...

                        get some rest

                        I'll keep an eye on your site and see what I can do to help

                        peace
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  • Profile picture of the author New Comer
    AG Beats - Download Unlimited Beats! | New Rap Beats Every Month! Create An Account To Start Downloading Today!

    Whats up now?


    A lot better yes? I'm still emotionally involved of course though, so looking for more outside opinion.
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    • Profile picture of the author RimaNaj2011
      I think that top image is huge. I have a pretty big monitor and it takes up more than half my screen.
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      • Profile picture of the author New Comer
        Originally Posted by RimaNaj2011 View Post

        I think that top image is huge. I have a pretty big monitor and it takes up more than half my screen.
        Yeah, it's kinda like a splash page or something. That's just how my theme is. Is that bad? Is it bad to make people scroll down? I know theres a lot of talk about above the fold, but is it going to kill my site?

        I could always just put a different theme on I suppose, this one is messing up really bad anyway.

        Links are showing up to me in admin, but not to regular users.
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    • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
      Originally Posted by New Comer View Post

      AG Beats - Download Unlimited Beats! | New Rap Beats Every Month! Create An Account To Start Downloading Today!

      Whats up now?


      A lot better yes? I'm still emotionally involved of course though, so looking for more outside opinion.
      much better!

      I would cut the header in half...
      maybe bring it up to the bottom of the mic...

      nice improvement overall

      Istvan gave some excellent tips

      you're almost there
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      • Profile picture of the author New Comer
        Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

        much better!

        I would cut the header in half...
        maybe bring it up to the bottom of the mic...
        Thanks for the advice sir.

        I'm currently in the process of either fixing that theme or finding a better one because I'm having all these weird issues. Everything is fine for me as admin, but everyone else see's the site differently than I do.

        I'm working with a copywriter who did that copy for me for free, and he wants it tested bad so he can see how it performs, so thats about the only reason I'm gonna keep trying at this point.


        @Istvan

        I'll keep all your advice in mind. Like I said above trying to find a better theme now. I'll post back with a detailed description of my next issue, I'm sure I'll run in to something.

        I'm not trying to act like a jack ass it's just that....idk.... Its my emotions I know. agbeats.com has been my baby over the past year and Ive been working so hard literally to my fullest ability making SO MANY sacrifices so it's hard to hear all this criticism even when it is good.

        I know I said rip apart but I just wanted to get click throughs lol. I thought I was better than I am and now I've been humbled and I feel like crap. That's a good way to put it
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        • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
          If you want to test the paypal buttons you can sign up for free for the paypal sandbox...

          you can then run some test click-thrus, and it will take you thru the entire checkout process and
          allow you to experience everything your new members do when they make a payment
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          • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
            once last piece of advice...

            I've been where you are now...
            Right now your mind is on the end of the month...

            You might be feeling a little stressed because you have some financial obligations to meet
            (don't we all)

            You need to be able to relax so you can have more time to do what you need to do...
            You need to make time work for you and not against you...
            You need to be able to chill, take a deep breath and clear your head...

            Here's how you do it...
            Make a backup of your wordpress site...
            Learn how to backup the database and everything
            Learn how to transfer your site from one web host to another

            If the end of the month hits and you can't pay for your hosting
            we both know what that means...
            no snaps, no haps...

            The good news is you can be proactive, hope for the best but prepare for the worst

            start thinking ahead, google "Free web hosting, wordpress compatible"
            be prepared to move your site to a free web host so you can stay online longer.

            It may seem like a lot of work,
            but sometimes you have to crawl before you can walk...

            This is just a temporary fix, and an option that will give you some more time,
            especially if you're low on cash, and until you can get on your feet.


            hope this helps..
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          • Profile picture of the author New Comer
            Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

            If you want to test the paypal buttons you can sign up for free for the paypal sandbox...

            you can then run some test click-thrus, and it will take you thru the entire checkout process and
            allow you to experience everything your new members do when they make a payment
            I've tested with paypal sand box pretty extensively already, that's fine I got s2 member running like a pro


            My issue right now, is that certain links are not showing up in my nav bar to visitors.

            If you go to my site AG Beats | Download Rap Beats Instantly! right now you will only see

            AG beats library/member login/contact support


            There should be two more links, my members areas.

            They are showing up if I am logged in as admin, but not to visitors.

            I have a custom menu set up with all the pages I need to show up in the

            appearance>menus section,

            but I dont know why it wont show up?

            Im using an elegant theme, and when I use the epanel nav bar options the pages act all funny and out of order

            Im scouring google now trying to find the answer to my problems maybe someone here knows
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          • Profile picture of the author Daedalus15
            Originally Posted by RimaNaj2011 View Post

            I think that top image is huge. I have a pretty big monitor and it takes up more than half my screen.
            Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post



            This theme's header image is too big and useless: it is a big problem if visitors need to scroll to see the content of the site. The huge image doesn't convey any additional information, it is not appealing>inviting... so why is it there?
            Originally Posted by KevinBurns View Post

            much better!

            I would cut the header in half...
            maybe bring it up to the bottom of the mic...
            Hello Web Designers,

            I wrote the copy for the site and I am curious about why everyone thinks the giant header image is terrible? I read a lot of comments that say it is bad to make users have to scroll, but I have never seen any hard evidence about why. Does anyone have any data or a link to an article that goes into detail about exactly why having to scroll down is terrible?

            From my point of view as a copywriter I really liked the large image because I saw it as a good attention grabber. "Download unlimited free beats" and "create a new account to start downloading now" It spoke directly to his target audience. It made a direct promise and simply stated what they had to do.I felt it would generate enough excitement and curiosity to get them to want to read the first part of his copy.

            It wasn't my idea to have the image at the top of his page but when I saw it I encouraged him to keep it. After seeing everyone in this thread disagree with me I need to understand why. I am not a web designer but understanding lay out will ultimately make me better as a copywriter.

            --Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    not trying to be a....smart-butt here.
    Actually, you do. And not once.

    So, here are MY rules:
    - you do NOT need to reply to every line of critique! Say thank you and that's it (others would say: shut up);
    - everybody asking for 'site review" and then arguing with the opinion of volunteer contributors who try to help... is asking for their thread to be deleted!
    - be nice with the people that are trying to help you.
    _________________________________

    As for the site: I didn't see the earlier version. This theme's header image is too big and useless: it is a big problem if visitors need to scroll to see the content of the site. The huge image doesn't convey any additional information, it is not appealing>inviting... so why is it there?
    Next, there is a lot of wasted white space on the right. Maybe this is not the ideal theme for your site.

    Before jumping from theme to another theme and spitting out long-winded posts... maybe you should sit down with yourself and take a few minutes to figure out the structure of your website; i.e. its content. Take a piece of paper and draw a kind of 'organizational chart' (you can make it on the computer as well, if you are a MS Office wizard) and build a logical and working structure of your site: how the content is/will be organized.

    According to your posts (here in other subforums around here) you started all this from the wrong end: asking all the technical questions when you didn't even figure out how your site should be built/organized.
    (And yes, mods, usually, are very unhappy with members posting about the same in different forums - you may end up with all of them deleted!)

    - figure out the structure of your site and the features you need
    - find the theme that fits your needs (or, which is the closest to it, and let a webmaster do the necessary small tweaks)
    - figure out the efficient and proper hosting for the things you are going to do...
    - drive traffic and make money

    Warning: in this forum (Web Design) we discuss only design related topics. Mods tend to delete everything else.
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    • Profile picture of the author New Comer
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Actually, you do. And not once.

      So, here are MY rules:
      - you do NOT need to reply to every line of critique! Say thank you and that's it (others would say: shut up);
      - everybody asking for 'site review" and then arguing with the opinion of volunteer contributors who try to help... is asking for their thread to be deleted!
      - be nice with the people that are trying to help you.
      _________________________________

      As for the site: I didn't see the earlier version. This theme's header image is too big and useless: it is a big problem if visitors need to scroll to see the content of the site. The huge image doesn't convey any additional information, it is not appealing>inviting... so why is it there?
      Next, there is a lot of wasted white space on the right. Maybe this is not the ideal theme for your site.

      Before jumping from theme to another theme and spitting out long-winded posts... maybe you should sit down with yourself and take a few minutes to figure out the structure of your website; i.e. its content. Take a piece of paper and draw a kind of 'organizational chart' (you can make it on the computer as well, if you are a MS Office wizard) and build a logical and working structure of your site: how the content is/will be organized.

      According to your posts (here in other subforums around here) you started all this from the wrong end: asking all the technical questions when you didn't even figure out how your site should be built/organized.
      (And yes, mods, usually, are very unhappy with members posting about the same in different forums - you may end up with all of them deleted!)

      - figure out the structure of your site and the features you need
      - find the theme that fits your needs (or, which is the closest to it, and let a webmaster do the necessary small tweaks)
      - figure out the efficient and proper hosting for the things you are going to do...
      - drive traffic and make money

      Warning: in this forum (Web Design) we discuss only design related topics. Mods tend to delete everything else.
      I know exactly what my site needs to be for what I'm trying to do, building it my self is the issue. I want to build it myself, I don't have the money right now to just pay someone else to build it for me. That's why I posted in the web design forum looking for help (imagine that)

      Thanks for your feedback.

      I misunderstood the purpose of the warrior forum when I paid my money to sign up. I thought it was so you could post topics as newby as they may be, and try to get help from people willing to provide it. So far I'm finding out that's not necessarily the case.

      Report all my posts if it really gets under you skin THAT bad man. I see people posting way more stupid stuff then what I'm posting and no one flames them as hard as I continually get flamed here.
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    New Comer,

    Another basic rule: No need to quote the whole post when posting your reply. Quote, if needed, a line or a paragraph that you refer to but not long posts!

    I have seen many newbies coming here and asking questions, asking for guidance - there are a lot of members who regularly help them out with excellent and professional advice. Today some of those newbies are very very successful business owners and recognized online experts.

    However, some newcomers are jerks and full of entitlement and they like to argue everything that is posted as a reply to their posts. Those guys and gals end up disappointed and some of them even banned, when they lose their temper. I am not saying you are one of them, and I hope you behaviour around here will prove that indeed you are way better than those!

    I promise I will not report your posts here in the Web Design forum - but I can't promise more...

    I posted in the web design forum looking for help (imagine that)
    And people, including myself gave you advice exactly about design. It's just that you dismiss it because it is not what you wanted to hear.

    If you look for help about certain steps of the website building - ask concrete, specific questions, to the point. How to do this or that...
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    From my point of view as a copywriter
    Copywriters' opinion about design doesn't count

    There are some basic rules around the net; e.g.
    Coders are crappy designers...
    Designers are crappy coders...
    (now we can add)
    Copywriters are crappy designers...
    Designers are crappy copywriters...

    You should work on the text, the "copy" that sells the product, convinces the visitors why is this his/her lucky day etc...

    Leave the design for others that do it for years! That huge image is like a nonsense 'splash' page from the nineties...

    Read some studies about web surfers/visitors behaviour: how many seconds you have (i.e. they give you) for a quick glance at the content above the fold (=no scrolling) before they hit the Back button of close the tab/window.

    (OK, at this moment 1:37am the theme is gone, replaced by another)

    Next, despite your and the OP's effort to defend whatever is there on that landing page (where a visitor arrives, lands on it) nobody ever seems to think over what the site's structure is and what is that you offer on the first page:
    - Is this a sales page? Then you have lots of links that will take your buyers away. ON a sales page the only clickable thing should be the BUY NOW button!
    - is this a blog post?
    - is this a Page in WP with some special function? (I mean other than wanting it in the menu...)
    - what is your sales funnel? Where do you drive the potential buyer?

    Sorry, both of you like to get stuck on minor details and act without a plan... on emotional impulses.
    Go and sleep and think it over tomorrow
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    • Profile picture of the author New Comer
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Copywriters' opinion about design doesn't count



      Sorry, both of you like to get stuck on minor details and act without a plan... on emotional impulses.
      Go and sleep and think it over tomorrow
      No sleep for me, went to bed at 12PM got up at 7PM and will be working all night.


      How is the new theme?

      These are my options, I realize I should most likely limit this down.

      My "home page" at this point in time is full of copy. The only other links click able (on page, not counting nav) is to register a free account for people who don't want to pay.


      When members register for free on my site, they can SEE ALL the beats, but can only download 2 beats per year.

      Should I use page one as bait to get people to sign up thinking they can download unlimited beats, come to find out that they can really only get 2 and need a membership if they want more?

      Or should I leave it how it is?

      As the site is sitting at 1:46 EST 3/18/13 it is "fully functional"

      Hit me with some advice and I can get back to work straight away.

      Also, is the current theme too bland?


      --Maybe I should put the "sample all my beats for free" part at the very end? as a last resort to draw someone in who was on the fence? they get to the bottom of the copy and they're like nah no way I haven't even heard the beats then that pops out at them?

      is this the wrong section to even talk about that?

      I think I have it more thought out the my postings here let on....the website isn't TOO complicated, but being a site where users can sign up, and do different things at different levels it kinda is more complicated than an average site. I could lead them down this path:

      1. page one gets someone to signup for free to download beats

      2. they download their limit of beats, and it sends them to "download limit exceeded' page. this page explains users must register for paid membership to get unlimited downloads. To learn more about what you get with your membership click here and that leads them 2 page

      3. membership options page. i can relocate everything that's on page one to this page. in fact I already have this page set up. thats where users who arent signed in get directed too when they try to click a members area. its not in the nav bar

      Is that a better plan?

      Also, which element's padding do i need to reduce to bring the text up closer to the nav bar? I have firebug but I can't seem to figure out which element is causing the content to be spaced from the nav bar like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Daedalus15
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Copywriters' opinion about design doesn't count

      There are some basic rules around the net; e.g.
      Coders are crappy designers...
      Designers are crappy coders...
      (now we can add)
      Copywriters are crappy designers...
      Designers are crappy copywriters...


      Sorry, both of you like to get stuck on minor details and act without a plan... on emotional impulses.
      Go and sleep and think it over tomorrow
      I think you misunderstood my post. I was not trying to imply that I know better than web designers that have been doing this for years. I was just trying to understand why everyone in this thread disagreed and to give you an understanding on where I was coming from.

      I agree that each person has their own area of expertise and I am not trying to become a web designer but some things do over lap. I feel like this falls into the same category as finding an attention grabbing headline. My original advice was to just test it and see what happens, but if people have previous experience with testing these kind of things than I think I can benefit from them sharing their experience.

      I would love to read some studies about web surfers/visitors behavior and if you know of any good ones please share a link with me. I have read some things before about bounce rates and how many seconds you have so I am not completely unaware of it, but it is definitely something I can understand better.

      I did not write my post as an emotional impulse or to defend anything. The purpose of my post was not to argue that I was right and everyone was wrong. It was actually the opposite. I was trying to understand where my thinking was going wrong. It was pretty obvious to me that you all knew something that I didn't and I was just curious to what that was.

      I had nothing to do with planning the page or anything else, like i said, I just wrote the words for the copy.
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  • Profile picture of the author New Comer
    Ok so at this point this is what I have going on


    I have set up an experiment in Google Analytics to test some changes in headlines/copy

    Page 1: AG Beats | Download Rap Beats Instantly!

    Page 2: AG Beats | Download Rap Beats Instantly!


    The goal is for people to click on and buy a year membership.


    Should I have maybe just set the goal to getting someone to stay on the site for 30 seconds or more?

    Any suggestions?

    I feel like this is the wrong section for this but I don't want to make a new thread, what should I do?

    Oh and since I AM in web design forum, how can I get rid of the RSS link, push the nav bar all the way to the top of the screen and remove some of the padding between the nav bar and content?

    I know I need to edit I think the css files, but are there and code wizards that can tell me exactly what I need to edit in those files?
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    Yes, you are mixing a million different thing in a post... and want to ask all the questions at once. Slow down and try to solve one issue at a time.

    Yes, anything that is not design (like AB testing, conversion, traffic, SEO) will be deleted immediately. If you start another thread in a specialized subforum, ask only ONE question, don't ramble about everything that comes to your mind. It's called self-control...

    Removing the RSS link: edit the header.php file
    CSS: .blog-header <-- its bottom margin (48px) is causing the gap

    EDIT. And please, do not start to explain again everything, why you did this or that. Like you did above after my unusually patient warning...
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    • Profile picture of the author New Comer
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Yes, you are mixing a million different thing in a post... and want to ask all the questions at once. Slow down and try to solve one issue at a time.

      Yes, anything that is not design (like AB testing, conversion, traffic, SEO) will be deleted immediately. If you start another thread in a specialized subforum, ask only ONE question, don't ramble about everything that comes to your mind. It's called self-control...

      Removing the RSS link: edit the header.php file
      CSS: .blog-header <-- its bottom margin (48px) is causing the gap

      EDIT. And please, do not start to explain again everything, why you did this or that. Like you did above after my unusually patient warning...
      Thanks. Got it fixed!

      Off to another forum to ask the questions that don't belong here about my new-found knowledge of AB testing.

      Don't creep on me and show up in that thread too

      Kidding. But since you're the ninja guru master of the warrior forum, what do you suggest a newbie like me with TONS of questions do? Should I just make a thread each time I have ONE question, instead of asking a bunch of questions in one thread? (Obviously I should read and find answers my self, as well)

      I'm not new to forums but I'm new to places like this with guys as strict as you. I'm not trying to get banned since I paid money just to post here. I read the rules already but I'm gonna go read em again right now to make sure I haven't been breaking any.
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      • Profile picture of the author KevinBurns
        I think you need more color and excitement in your theme...

        You should check out some of these free themes

        Hip Hop Theme

        In Da Club Theme

        Music Space Theme

        Music Press Theme

        Sound Waves Theme

        google "rap beats" and look at what others have on their home page.
        study your competition and look at how they present their beats.

        right now I think the best thing for you to do is take some time to surf
        the web and look at as many rap beat sites as you can

        look at the sites that jump out at you and grab your attention...
        look at what they have on their home page
        look at how they layout their product

        then go back and look at what you have now
        then I think you will start to understand what I mean...

        download a theme with more color and excitement...
        look at how others have their sites laid out and follow their lead...

        you're not there yet, but you're getting warmer,

        hope this helps...
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      • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
        Originally Posted by New Comer View Post

        what do you suggest a newbie like me with TONS of questions do?
        1) Learn to use the 'Search' feature here. There are nearly half a million threads here in the WF, so no matter what questions you have, there are likely already many threads on each topic. Once you learn a little bit about each topic, you'll be able to ask better questions when you post, which will of course lead to you getting better replies.

        2) Seriously... lose the entitlement attitude. You're really shooting yourself in the foot with it. Nobody here is being "strict" with you. When someone new comes in here asking for help and then acts rude and ungrateful when we help them out, how do you expect us to react? Like I said... all you have to do is show a little respect & common courtesy, and most people here will be more than happy to help you out.

        I know you've been working hard on your project and you're emotionally caught up in it all, but you're not going to get ANYWHERE in this business if you make your decisions based on your emotions. You need to make them based on FACTS, and what works. And that's what we're trying to help you with.

        If you're not interested in doing what works, then stop asking us questions, and just go do what you want. But don't come back here complaining to us when what you thought would work isn't making you any money! That's a little tough love for you, because it's what you need to hear... so ignore it at your peril.

        PS - Kevin's last post is spot on... check out what the top guys in your niche are doing, and get your site's inspiration from that. You better believe that the guys in the top spots for a competitive keyword like "rap beats" know what they're doing. Learn from the pros.
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    Reminder: I will not tolerate any arguments related to the two posts above. Period.
    Suck it up and live with it. It's up to you whether you listen to the advice or not. But do NOT argue with them. Clear? (rhetoric question, no answer needed...)
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