Please review my website and tell me what you think!

by 17 replies
20
Hi my website is girly reviews dot com and I haven't written any reviews yet (writer's block ) but I think this site will be neat when it gets going!)

I think "Jenny Reviews" must get a lot of traffic, if I write reviews like her than I should get traffic too right?

If I write an average of two reviews per day how long before will make $100 per day?

(Than I could quit my job!)

Thanks,
Aubrey
#main internet marketing discussion forum #review #website
  • Nobody wants to talk to me I c.

    (Sad face).
  • Hi Aubrey..
    The site looks very simple.. You need to put some work in to get traffic and conversions.
    May I suggest:
    1. New header (you can make it yourself or pay 5 dollars on fiverr dot com)
    2. The sidebar needs to be left aligned.
    3. Remember an "about me" page
    4. And most important! You need content! Unique content, not spinned... Write it yourself or outsource it. (fiverr, odesk, WF warriors for hire, elance etc.)
    5. If you want to do some SEO you need to mention your keywords in the articles and much more (google on page SEO)
    6. Maybe you should remove the banner in the left upper corner and make the page layout a bit wider..

    Hope it helps
    Ps. My inputs are not necessary correct, but now you got some inspiration.

    Kragsig
    • [2] replies
    • Kragsig, I can say you are a professional!
    • I agree with Kragsig

      Also you should add a optin form or a popup ad to help
      build your list.
  • Oh my lord Aubrey, you have a ways to go here. Have you done any research into this industry and what it REALLY takes to succeed? Your website is ugly as hell, but that may not be that bad, there are plenty of ugly websites that do well.

    You haven't written one article yet and you have writers block (how does that work?) Simply having a website with reviews doesn't send you any traffic. That takes a little bit of work. Getting a website up and running is a very simple task these days, getting traffic to that website is the hard part.

    I cannot believe you are even considering comparing your online space to that of "jenny reviews." Go back and take another look at J.R and then go back to your own website. The reason no one here is answering your thread post is because you are in la la land my dear. I'm not saying this to be rude, but you must seriously get your head in the game if you want to compete with the big boys and girls like J.R.

    It takes years and years of very, very hard work to get to that stage, and you have writers block on your first review. It's cruel to be kind sometimes, but i doubt you will be quitting your job anytime soon lady.

    I sincerely wish you all the best, but you MUST really sit down and think about this.
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Aubrey, ignore all hateful comments.

      Yes, you have a ways to go, but you can do it.

      1. I would install a wordpress blog (it's really easy) and you can pick a nice looking template, and won't have to worry about coding a new page every time you want to do a review. This should be your first task to look into and read all about WP.

      2. Learn basic SEO and get it memorized.

      3. Research "writing a good review for affiliates". Learn how to write good reviews by studying this, and if you review a product that you have never purchased, don't make it sound like you have used it and it "worked miracles" for you.

      4. Learn about link building

      5. Learn about keyword research (very important)

      6. learn about social bookmarking, article marketing, video marketing, etc.

      Seriously guys, let's not just criticize. Let's give Aubrey a go-to list here of things she needs to research.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Aubrey,

    The good news is that you're actually taking action! This puts you ahead of 90% of people on here. (I myself lurked and did nothing for at least 6 months upon joining this forum.)

    The bad news is - like others have told you - you still have lots to go. But everyone starts somewhere right?

    On your site, it says your boyfriend created it for you. The first thing I'd do is have him learn Wordpress. That's an easy platform for a newbie to get started. And it makes content focused pages look pretty. Youtube has a ton of guides on installing and using wordpress, so hop on there when you get the chance.

    I'm guessing you're aiming to monetize this site from affiliate income. For that, you'll need a huge amount of unique high value content. Honestly, if you have writer's block this early into the game, you need to re-examine how much you actually "love writing."

    If you want to make it as a writer, you should be writing at least 1000 words per day to hone your craft. In my opinion, writer's block is a myth. There are many devices that can help you get passed it. I recommend reading "Accidental Genius" by Mark Levy


    If you find out that you don't actually like writing then, you can always hire one. Be warned that any decent writer is expensive. I've paid $5 for an article and paid $40 for an article. The difference between the two was staggering to say the least.


    Also, you may be able to get an edge over your competition simply by making video reviews. Get yourself a Flip camera or something equivalent and have your boyfriend interview you with questions about products. Make it like a conversation between you and him. Post the vids on youtube and your site. On youtube put your link on the vids. This will get you traffic and provide you with content. (2 birds with one stone!)

    Just a thought...

    Finally, make no mistake, internet marketing is a REAL business. Consistently making $100 per day in any business takes A LOT of work. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking you can make a living with it by treating it as a hobby.

    There are some excellent blogs out there that can help you learn the basics; keyword research, seo, article marketing, paid traffic, etc... Problogger.com (Not affiliated with them. Just a fan.) is a great source for this.

    2 things any new business should always be focusing on is Traffic and Conversions. Keep testing ways to get people to your business, then once they're there find ways to turn them into buyers! It's really that simple. It's a formula that creates millionaires. But it's not easy. It involves testing, testing, and more testing. Then when you think you've got it perfect, you test some more.

    Don't give up! Like I said, just the fact that you have something up, makes you ahead of all the "someday" people on here.

    Good luck!

    -Jeff
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Kragsig:

      My boyfriend (and web designer) was under the impression somehow that people are more likely to click on an advertisement if it was "shockingly positioned" instead of the normal placement that everyone is so used to from browsing websites that all look the same; plus he said it increases the chance people won't hit the back button on their browser because the ad is right there (on the way towards clicking the back button) and it stands out.

      Does what he's talking about make any sense or is he on the wrong track?

      I see your point about making the layout wider, if the upper corner ad goes away than the website will be floating around on it's own little island so to speak (centered in a big space).

      I will let him know he should align the sidebar, maybe it will look better that way.

      I like your idea about an "About Me" page.

      As far as content goes I plan to write reviews myself plus people will be able to add their own reviews (and the site is going to be more than just reviews).

      I have another name of a website I want but it's taken and when we get the money we're going to buy it (hopefully). Someone is auctioning it off with an unknown reserve price.

      Content will be the tough part (until I get focused).

      I absolutely love writing. I fell in love with it when my mommy and daddy bought me my very first diary and I almost wore my fingers to the bone writing in it (or should I say them).

      Each year I've gone through at least one whole diary (cover to cover).

      I'm in college now (and I write so much in college but not about anything

      I'm interested in which drains my focus on the writing I want to do) plus

      I'm also waitressing part time so I never have much energy.

      I find myself napping a lot and even passing out from sheer exhaustion, but I really want to get this website going so when I'm not passing out in front of my laptop I plan to work on it.

      The other thing is it's just intimidating getting started with something like this. I'm happy to have actually started it instead of being like most people who never start anything but I feel stuck getting past the point of having a website. I should be writing more (and I don't usually get writer's block...I fall asleep and lose motivation, and unfortunately I procrastinate).

      I procrastinated getting this site going for a long time but finally I chose to do it.

      But still, I feel as though I'm stuck just getting to the next level. (When I first started writing in my diary I couldn't write for the life of me but now that I've written in my diary for so many years free writing is easy).

      I can go on and on and on (I obviously have no trouble writing here); but it's like I'm really intimidated and almost afraid to write articles for my site out of fear that it will go nowhere and I think that's why I'm procrastinating.

      I think my fear is holding me back.

      My hope is that someday the site will turn into an online magazine and we will sell a monthly membership to a "member only" area with extra goodies (free... ok not so free ebooks, more articles, live chat with qualified relationship advisors, doctors; a gossip column, forums, freebies, etc.)

      I value you inputs and I really needed motivation so I'm happy to say you helped me with that. And I think simply writing about my website here on this forum is possibly what I need to get to the next level and actually write my first review.

      I norally don't get writer's block but I do get it when I'm afraid to fail.

      Girly Reviews is my baby and I want everything to be perfect!

      Retsced:

      My website is NOT ugly as hell!!!

      I know it's not perfect and I can take the criticism (as much as I don't want to I will because I know I need to).

      But I'm not going to tell my boyfriend THAT because it was a mean thing to say and he's proud of his design and I don't want to insult him!!!

      Like I said in what I wrote to Kragsig; my boyfriend actually thought it made sense to have an ugly website because he read somewhere that ugly websites make more money and that people get used to sites that look the same so they don't click on advertisements.

      He's not a computer genius and it was nice of him to even design a website for me in the first place. He just knows the basics so I don't know how easy it will be for him to improve the design but it's a start as is and I will forward the suggestions (in a nice way) to him.

      I did look at Jenny Reviews again and I know my site can't compare (yet); but I hope to have my site be something that Jenny Reviews is not when it becomes an online magazine down the road if all goes well.

      I'm in school and I work part time and my boyfriend works two jobs.

      The economy is hard and we're barely scraping by so my website is unfortunately not our priority (even though I want it to be).
      When I get out of school and he gets a better job maybe that will change.

      And maybe I am in la la land a little bit but at least I have a website and it will grow even if it takes time, I was just hopeful that I could quit my job so I wouldn't be so tired all the time and could concentrate more on the stuff I love instead of the stuff I have to do.

      My website may never be like Jenny Reviews but a hundred dollars a day on autopilot is something that would relieve a lot of stresses in my life and it's something I'm passionate about which I think is a good thing.

      I know you weren't trying to be rude and you don't come across as being rude I understand what your saying even if I don't like some of it.

      I needed a push and you gave me one so thank you.

      CapitalAlchemy:

      THANK YOU!!!!

      YOU'RE REALLY NICE!!!

      I appreciate your niceness a lot.

      I will tell my boyfriend he needs to learn WordPress.

      If he doesn't get around to it before I have articles written will that lead to broken links when he makes the switch?

      My plan is to make money off the banner ads (which have affiliate links in them) instead of the reviews themselves. I'm using the reviews to give the site value and get people interested in it but other people will be writing reviews for my site eventually and I don't want them to have that bias you're talking about (making something sound better than it is).

      We may even set it up so article submissions can't have affiliate links in them but they can have links as long as they are not affiliate links.

      I want this site to be a good website, I don't want people associating it with SPAM even though it's supposed to make us money.

      I don't know much about link building but I know you need it to get your pages higher in Google I just don't know how to build the links themselves.

      As far as keyword research is that for writing articles to promote my website or is it "keyword stuffing?" because I thought that was a bad thing to do?

      I don't have a YouTube channel yet but will be getting one (we're going to need a camcorder though).

      Thanks again for being nice to me, I really like the way you handled giving me advice without criticizing me.

      swakd:

      Well, you didn't say much but I liked what you said.

      Thanks

      jjbalagosa:

      I may be taking action but I procrastinated for a real long time before I got to this point and I still feel stuck like I can't get to the next level.

      I don't want it to take me as long to get to the next level as it did to get to the one I'm at!

      I know I'll get there and than it will be easy but right now it's real tough for me.

      I am indeed just starting out and luckily I'm not going it alone.

      My boyfriend is being very supportive and he's doing everything he can to help; so between him and people on Warrior Forum plus some of my friends I've got a very good support network to help me make the best of this.

      You guessed right, I plan on monetizing my website with affiliate income (from the advertisements).

      Should I be more focused on Pay Per Click or Affiliate Links in the ads?

      I've heard that with PPC you get a bunch of money but with affiliate ads it takes longer to make a sale but overall your total is usually higher with affiliate links?

      In case you didn't read my responses to everyone else I absolutely love writing and am very passionate about it!!!

      I've missed maybe two days of writing in my diary since I got it (and I've filled the pages of several diaries; one was not enough for me!!!).

      Right now I'm in college and working part time, and between that and launching this website it's really difficult staying motivated.

      I really want to write for my site, I rarely get writer's block and I usually write way more than a thousand words each day (usually at least five thousand).

      It's just the love-hate relationship I have with college (and my job) that's got me down and a fear of my website not being as good as I want it to be that's holding me back.

      I think it will be a lot easier to pick up the pace once I finish that first review!!!

      I also agree with you that writer's block is a myth, (but going from one level of writing to another is it's own form of block).

      Like if someone who has no problem writing articles suddenly starts writing an eBook.

      I believe they will have writer's block at first but once they've finished that first eBook that person will be able to write eBooks as easily as they are able to write articles!

      I've never written an eBook but I intend to write several of them!

      I've written down the name of that book you recommended to me and I'll check it out.

      We definitely can't afford to hire writer's now; so for a while it will just be whatever I write plus once my boyfriend gets article submissions going than we will take articles that meet our standards.

      In the future I would like to pay for high quality articles on my site because

      I want it to be a really good site that people will bookmark and keep coming back to!

      I really like your video review idea! Maybe one of our videos will go viral once we make them!

      Thanks for the encouragement and being nice to me!
      • [1] reply
  • I would recommend softer colors in the background, maybe if you got a nice Wordpress install that would create a softer effect. That's a whole new ballgame of course.

    I truly would recommend that you focus on one particular product or service at a time, that is, don't have any "there's thing here yet" pages. Flesh out each product or service with maybe a page devoted to it's benefits.

    Maybe get some plr articles with some good content for the readers and then have the ads along the side, but make sure they are related to the content.

    Your niches look very profitable in potential, so you need to figure out the magic ingredient: traffic, and better yet, relevant traffic; i.e. people who have a history of buying such product already.

    Good start, be willing to listen to the people here, they make a lot of money.

    Curtis
  • Jenny,
    I have to disagree with everyone else about the ad placement. Your boyfriend is correct in concept to a degree. I didn't see the ad at first, but when I went to hit the back button there it was, unavoidable and almost irresistible. If I was the slightest bit interested in the ad I probably would have clicked. So good on him for that. Overall it's an eyesore, but the concept was still correct.

    The real problem that I see is that the site is built in what appears to be a static format, meaning that your boyfriend will have to create a new html page for every article you write. This will also make editing very difficult in the future.

    I know it's your boyfriend, and you want to be sensitive to that, but maybe you should ask him if he will install a Wordpress site for you, as that would be far superior for the purposes of blogging and reviews.

    Here is a beautiful, simple free theme: PressWork to get you guys started in the Wordpress world. You'll lose the ad placement though, but I think it's a good price to pay for all the functionality you'll pick up.

    I love the domain. One of the great things about the Penguin update Google just did is that it made great content king again.

    Good luck.
  • Thank you very much for your long answer Aubrey!

    I really want you to have the best start possibly. Starting an online business is not easy!

    I will not write a long text back, because I realize that I cannot answer you better than Cool Hand Luke already did! He is more experienced than me, and everything he is telling you, I know is right!

    That's a person like him you should stick together with. I'm sure he's the real deal and he sees positive things even when somebody talks bad! (that's constructive critic).

    I don't know him, but you could ask him or somebody else to be a mentor for you. It's important to have a person to tell you exactly what to do, when you're stuck!

    If you need further help or advices, I'm willing to show you some of my sites and give you exactly the persons I use for:

    proofreading, article writing, SEO, banner creation, logo creation, video creation etc.

    I started a thread you can benefit from. Read if you like:
    http://www.warriorforum.com/mind-war...-mistakes.html

    Ps. Your writing skills are far better than mine
  • Aubrey my Dear,

    Your attitude is clearly all wrong here. You're reminding me of the American Idol auditions where people who clearly can't sing to save their lives think they can actually win the show. You know the funny auditions where these people clearly haven't got a note in their head? And we scream at the T.V screen saying "jesus christ dude, did your mother, girlfriend or your friends NOT tell you that you cannot bloody sing?"

    It always amazes me how these people can't hear themselves sing. I mean, they're just terrible, and yet, they think they can actually win the show.

    Well Aubrey, your website is as ugly as hell, but for some reason you are blocking that out. Open up "jenny reviews" and go back and forth between that website and your own. Keep clicking back and forth until the "jenny drops" and you finally get it. You are a million miles away from where you need to be and your attitude is to question what others have pointed out very clearly to you.

    Tell your boyfriend that his website sucks b**ls and then have a good hearty laugh about it. Do what others have suggested and create a wordpress site.

    It's great that you have made a start, but don't fool yourself here, it takes commitment, perseverance, motivation and hard bloody work to succeed in this business. Sentiment and feelings come in at a country mile second and you need to take constructive criticism well.

    Now, let's have a good laugh and put this whole ordeal behind us and get back to some real work.

    P.S... Write your first bloody review by the way. You cannot have writers block on your very first one. Something tells me you are not taking this thing seriously. Get it done girl.

    Oh my good lordy god, did I just open up another can of worms...

    Anyways Aubrey, best of luck with everything. If you need any advice on ways to move forward I will gladly help if i possibly can...

    Have a great day, and get to writing ASAP.
  • Hey Aubrey,

    Have you considered writing publishing fiction on Amazon? That kind of writing seems to come more naturally for you. I bet you could turn some interesting tales from your waitressing job or from campus life. I mean you would still have a learning curve and still have to put in time to be successful... Just a thought.

    J.

  • How could you get a writer's block when you can respond to everyone here with that kind of "long sales copy"...?!
    Come on! You can do it! Just be proud. Make improvement. That's all.
    Good luck!
    • [1] reply
    • Hey everyone thanks for your responses!

      I appreciate them more than you know even if it seems like I wasn't taking the criticism very well.

      I know you are all just trying to help.

      I told my boyfriend that the website is "ugly as hell" and he agrees that the site needs a makeover.

      He has started researching WordPress and thinks he could have a whole new site design in WordPress up and running in a few weeks.

      I didn't feel like waiting until than to write my reviews so I finally got my first one done!:p

      I feel as though it will be a lot easier to get going now that I've done that.

      I write my best when I write emotionally.

      I know my writing isn't very fitting of a "traditional review site" but I didn't really intend to have it be a "product review site" I intended more for it to be an "emotional review site."

      I will review products but I want my emotions to show in my writing and even if it's against the grain I think other girls will be able to understand me and relate better to the points I try to make when I write from my emotions.

      Maybe I won't sell as much since I'm not saying "this product is amazing because of a, b, c and plus you get all these freebies and you should BUY THIS!!!" but than again maybe I'll sell more by writing from my heart about what I honestly FEEL rather than what I "think" I should write.

      I need to feel to write my best.

      I actually showed my boyfriend this thread and together we made of list of improvements for the new site design.

      He says it won't take him a long time but it will take long enough that we will have to copy-paste the reviews I will have done by that point into the WordPress site but it's just copy paste no biggie.

      He says he will have to do a 308 redirect (whatever that is) but he thinks he can manage it and suggested that I keep writing with the template we have now so I actually get something done; but when he figures out the new site (how to make it work) than we will put everything into it.

      And it will have an Opt In, an About Us page, the ugly advertisement won't be in the corner any more, etc.

      I know it's amazing that I can get writer's block when I don't seem to in here but it was just getting started since the site is something I've been looking forward to for a long time and I want it to be really good.

      I want to write in a way where other people understand me and I make them feel good about good stuff.

      I know I may have seemed unappreciative of the advice some of you were giving me but I actually do appreciate it even if you were telling me what I didn't want to hear but needed to.

      (I just needed time to process everything).

      As far as writing on Amazon I have thought of writing books and getting them published but getting published seems like a huge undertaking plus I've heard that royalties are very small (like you have to sell a million copies of a book to get a very small amount of money compared to maybe five thousand copies of an eBook on which you get a much bigger percent of the selling price in a commission).

      I plan on eventually writing some of my own books (fiction, nonfiction, and even light erotic stuff); but I want to get the most out of my efforts because for instance with waitressing I feel that I've gone above and beyond and gotten little in return and if I pour my heart and soul into something I should have something to say for it.

      (I really don't like my boss in case you haven't already guessed that )
Join the discussion

Next Topics on Trending Feed