40% conversion rate yet no sales

Then why does it say "Build my blog, please" on the submission button?

That's terribly "committal", isn't it? Wouldn't "tell me more, please" or something like that, perhaps be a better start?

I think you should make it clearer, where you ask them to opt in, that they're not committing themselves to anything by giving you their email address.

I think you should have the opt-in box in a more prominent position, too.

And I think you could give a lot more information than you do, on the site, but I don't think that's actually the problem, is it? I need examples, not just information.

If I were interested in your service, as a customer, the very first thing I'd want, expect and need to see is a little portfolio of the blogs you've designed. I suspect that very few people (if anyone?) is going to employ the services of someone as a blog designer without seeing their previous work? That's like being an article writer but not being able to show someone anything you've written. Sorry if I sound very critical, but I can't help thinking that this might be so glaring an omission that it might prevent your ever getting a customer at all?

You're asking me to click on a link and buy hosting through your affiliate link before you've even shown me what you can do?!

That surely can't be right?

In your position, I'd certainly want that problem to be taken care of before spending money on traffic!

Could you not have it that the blog spec text box is on one page then when they confirm that they then get the email sign up form to complete the process?

So:

1) Tell us the blog you require
2) Confirm your requirements
3) Enter name and email to complete the process

You most definitely need to make things clearer on your page..

As it stands, all you have is a couple hundred words explaining what you do, but no examples. Your site looks bland, unprofessional and doesn't do anything whatsoever to build trust.

I know it's only a basic website your setting up, but to the complete newbie, they definitely need a lot more than an article explaining what you do, what they get etc. Put a few testimonials up. A few images. Examples of websites with professional looking themes.

As it stands, I wouldn't even contemplate for one second signing up based on what I see (which is nothing much at all mate)

Have you thought about getting people's contact details (build list) and then build a little bit of trust by sending them to websites you've set up for other people? Remember, trust is big issue online, and I doubt anyone is paying up front for something without having some reassurance that you're not sitting behind a computer screen with a mask and striped jumper ready to run for the hills with their hard earned cash.

You most likely need your own blog to look a little bit more professional. Make it more trustworthy since you're asking them to give money first, and receive their purchase in 5 days time.

I still think the best option is to build trust by building a list and sending them relevant info via email messages.

I don't see much happening the way it's set up at the moment. I could be wrong. Have been before, and will continue to be occasionally in the future

First thing I'd do is remove the option to select their hosting option, instead of offering them two, just go with one.

Next I would add more structure to your page,

1 - Offer and opt-in
2 - Select domain name/hosting
3 - Enter their specific info

Then of-course set-up a 7 day follow-up sequence.

I've done things similar to this in the past, and when you emphasise on the "Free" aspect, the user really expects it for free, not to have to pay for hosting/domain.

Think about the wording you use...

Make it shorter and easier, users hate it when it looks like they have to put in any type of "effort"

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems that people think I'm charging the potential customer?

The "selling point" of the service is that they don't pay me anything, they simply need to sign up for hosting, which they'd need to do anyway.

Thanks for the responses so far, they've been really helpful.

I've looked at your website, and ...:

1. It looks, like other have noticed, unprofessional. As far as I know, ellipses look like this "...", not like this ".."

2. Why two pages and not a single, longer one? makes no sense to me

3. Your website has no contact page, no about us page, no nothing. It looks my websites in their first 45 minutes of life: almost empty.

4. It may be just me, but I'd like to see to font a little bigger

5. Everything looks amateurish: the color of the button in the opt-in box (pink? what's up with that?), its position (why not center it?), the header of the opt-in goes over the arrow, etc. It needs more polishing.

6. On your second page, on the sidebar there's a link to Wordpress.org named "Mr WordPress on Hello world!" Are you kidding me?

7. Your use of all caps right under the opt-in and in the headline looks amateurish

8. Your theme's social buttons aren't working, they redirect to your homepage

9. Why do you have a search field for a 500-word website?

10. Change your font: when you use words in italics they lean too much, and they "kiss" the next word.

11. Everything else the other forumities said

12. Interesting business idea!

Hello,

I'm a WP developer without a site of my own - I work only by word of mouth. So I understand that sometimes devs have pretty thin sites of their own.

But since you are out there selling your talents, I have some specific advice:

1. Get rid of the test comment and encourage some real ones
2. Get some real content up there - do a before/after with a real client
3. Don't make your offer sound as great as it does now. It sounds suspicious to me, looking at it through a client's eyes. A blog client knows it takes thousands for a good quality site to happen, and it doesn't happen overnight. And you're going to do this for free? Sounds too good to be true, and I don't trust it. Put your limitations out there so I know you are for real.
4. Consider prettying up your site. It's a little barebones. Yes, your logo is custom, but I can tell you right now that people will say "it's just text, i could do that!" or some junk like that. And a lot of newbie blog people like lots of color and whizbang. I don't, but they do and that's the point of all this.
5. Do some teaching. Teach people, via some blog posts, what distinguishes a great blog from a crappy one. Establishes you as an expert.

And a question: why not just collect a hosting fee from the customer directly and throw in the blog work? I mean, you could become a HG reseller, host their site, and charge them $20 a month for hosting....perhaps I'm misunderstanding your business plan, but that would guarantee you got paid, right?

Keep it up, you'll get there. Just make sure you send Alexa some virtual flowers or something, her advice is the best.

You have a really good idea here mate. But your site looks really bad. Too much text and not enough images. You need to have the Call to action higher up on th page and at the bottom and actually make it a button.

Also make it very clear from the start that it is a free service.

By putting your affiliate links before the opt in box you're sort of putting the horse before the cart, arent you? Tell them they will need their own hosting and domain name in order to take advantage of your offer, but don't provide affiliate links or recommendations until after you've gotten them to opt in.

Had some golden advice here, thanks guys!

Here's what I've decided to do.

first of all erase all content on site apart from logo

get rid of social buttons/comments

make text larger

change font



I'll structure the 'home' page as a static landing page .. no fluff just with a (more professional) opt-in box & a few lines explaining the benefits of blogging & the service etc

Once they've entered their details they'll be taken to the 'Hosting page' where I can explain the need for hosting & domain, how I get paid etc.

They can then choose a domain and once they decide, they click 'register domain' which is my affiliate link

I'm also going to set up an About us & Contact Page


Also thanks very much for all of the advice, very useful. I'll be sure to buy you all a virtual pint.

Cheers
- Ben

I feel like you're re-inventing the wheel on this too much. There are too many unknowns at this point for you to know what is actually causing this problem.

What would I do in your case?

Look around the internet in the same niche and see what your competition is doing. Spying on my competition and pretty much copying them has been one of the reasons why I'm successful at my campaigns.