[DeeGee2010]

Hi fellow Warriors,

I'm trying to resurrect a blog/site I was pretty active with - 2 years ago. I built in spring of 2012 the site using WP, and I actually got it to a PR of 3 within 4 months of it being active. It's down to PR2 currently. Soliciting critiques and suggestions for my site Bariatric Food Reviews. It's a site reviewing weight loss snacks and beverages, primarily for weight loss surgery people.
I've also added more generic helpful information regarding weight loss surgery, weight loss.

I think look/feel of my site is good, but my conversion or copy or Internet 1.0 experience isn't quite cutting it. My primary goal right now is to increase my conversion rate; my secondary goal is to get more subscribers.


I've been aggressively improving/adding to the site only about a month ago or so.

While I think that I only get about 50 unique views a day, my conversion rate for affiliate products really stinks.



:: putting on balistic vest and helmet ::

Thank you!
Don

[S1YMY]

I would be much more pro-active in getting their email details and building a list to remarket to. The site is getting uniques, but they may not be looking to buy. A cold visitor converts at 1% best, but if you build a list and get a dialogue they could become regular buyers.

[savidge4]

put the jacket on!

ok lets look here: Review: Wonderslim Bariatric Cappuccino - Bariatric Food Reviews

there are elements to creating sales pages. It doesn't matter if you are trying to get someone to put an e-mail in an optin, or you are selling a product. ALL of the core elements HAVE to be there. #1 NONE of your pages have a HEADLINE. well ok some have them, but none are effective "blah blah blah cookie review" does NOT count! LOL

Your images are great the overall level of information is good. In regards to your information. I read a few of your product posts. the one above... you rate it as not tasting good. and seriously.. who wants to buy a bad tasting product.. YOU just talked me out of that one. BUT... throw in the tip of adding the additional instant coffee to increase Flavor AND Caffeine, and you may have just saved the sale.

The other issue here is you are saying you are a bit of a coffee snob... you don't like most coffee's but hey this one tastes good... but the product rated bad on taste? and then you are showing an image of a product you like that only cost $5, and the one you are selling cost $12.

again here Bariatric chocolate chip cookie review your sales copy is saying one thing then the other, and your rating scale says it sucks. but you want me to buy it? hmmm

Back to the first link... you are writing a review for a product, and then selling something else... uh and why aren't you selling anything?

there is NO consistency with your call to action "HEY BUY HERE" sometimes its a link: Bariatric chocolate chip cookie review

sometimes its an image to a product you didn't review - oh missed that.. there is a text link too: Review: Wonderslim Bariatric Cappuccino - Bariatric Food Reviews

and then there is simply 2 text links: Review: Bariatric Caramel Nut Bar

im confused?!?!?! Goto the diet direct page you are referring people to. how many ways can you find to click and buy a product? One right? there is a reason for that. and there is a reason you need to do the same.

Here is my logic especially in diet food items. If they suck.. say so, and rate them accordingly. if they are good, say so and rate them accordingly. In regards to crap foods, If you are honest, and don't manipulate what you think, into trying to squeeze a sale, you wont sell that product, but you will be a voice of truth in a pretty non truthful market. and they will seek out the products you do rate well.

Develop a layout for your product review pages. I know you are not creating a e-commerce product page, but there needs to be consistency across the whole thing.

Hope that helps!

[DeeGee2010]

Great feedback! Thanks!

[MikeMizOne]

I'm gonna write a short little list of my first impressions, just keep in mind that I am no expert whatsoever.

You say it's a weight loss food website, but the feeling I get from entering the site is way different. None of your design tells me your page is about loosing weight, it tells me it's a food review blog.

I want to enter a site and know exactly what it's about without having to read anything. In other words design needs some work.

How about putting your introduction video on your home page? Feels a little more welcoming than just than plain text.

Why not combine your review videos with your written reviews? I don't wanna have to choose between the two. I rather just go to a single page and choose a review from there.

You have a supplement section but your videos regarding supplement is on another page.

That's about what I can be bothered with, hope it helps!

[Alex Frei]

Hi Don,

I just watched the video - you look good on camera! It will take a little getting used to, but you'll do great.

The biggest issue I see now is that there's no headline or benefit in the header. The title of the website is pretty self-explanatory, but it wouldn't hurt to answer the question "why should I stay on this page"?

I'm assuming your target audience knows what bariatric food means, but I didn't know. Even my spell-check doesn't know the word "bariatric". So, in the header I would in once sentence clarify what your website is about and why a person should explore it.

Hope this helps.
Alex

[DeeGee2010]

I have totally forgotten about concentrating on BENEFITS to the reader. I was pretty good at it, six or seven years ago. I need to start thinking along those lines. Thanks for reminding me.

And if someone has had weight loss surgery, they know what bariatric is. Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.

Originally Posted by Alex Frei

Hi Don,

I just watched the video - you look good on camera! It will take a little getting used to, but you'll do great.

The biggest issue I see now is that there's no headline or benefit in the header. The title of the website is pretty self-explanatory, but it wouldn't hurt to answer the question "why should I stay on this page"?

I'm assuming your target audience knows what bariatric food means, but I didn't know. Even my spell-check doesn't know the word "bariatric". So, in the header I would in once sentence clarify what your website is about and why a person should explore it.

Hope this helps.
Alex

[DeeGee2010]

My main focus is on food reviews, maybe recipes. I'm not going to start to unravel that rats nest that is weight loss!

And I did take your advice about putting the video on the home page. Excellent idea. I took some of the videos and put them to their posts.

And my top tier navigation is still under construction. I need to streamline my top level buckets, thanks for pointing out your confusion with that.

Originally Posted by MikeMizOne

I'm gonna write a short little list of my first impressions, just keep in mind that I am no expert whatsoever.

You say it's a weight loss food website, but the feeling I get from entering the site is way different. None of your design tells me your page is about loosing weight, it tells me it's a food review blog.

I want to enter a site and know exactly what it's about without having to read anything. In other words design needs some work.

How about putting your introduction video on your home page? Feels a little more welcoming than just than plain text.

Why not combine your review videos with your written reviews? I don't wanna have to choose between the two. I rather just go to a single page and choose a review from there.

You have a supplement section but your videos regarding supplement is on another page.

That's about what I can be bothered with, hope it helps!