Filed under: FREE Site Reviews
A post on DigitalPoint gave me the idea for this site:
One look and it was obvious why the conversion rate was so painful:
I wasn’t sure if this was a store or an informational site on how to make your own Victorian nightie. There wasn’t one shred of a “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” or “Click for more details” button. The sole product image didn’t look like a product display but rather a decorational image. I doubt many users took the time to figure out they could even shop on this site and simply moved on to the next.
It is a shame to waste a #1 Google ranking for “nightgowns” so I replied with a few places to start:
- concentrate more on selling on the landing page
- consider that not everyone searching for cotton nightgowns wants something from the Victorian Era. I realize that is her niche, but you could certainly increase conversions by offering more mainstream alternatives (either in store or through affiliate links)
- list out some of the actual nightgowns on the home page and put some “Add to Cart” buttons nearby rather than waiting for the user to click the small text link to see more
- a quick search of CJ showed a number of vendors offering between 6 and 10%
What about that last one? 6 and 10% on what? Affiliate Marketing!
While the main business of this site is Victorian Nightgowns, it already has #1 for the more generic term. Why not use that traffic instead of letting it hit the back button? Commission Junction has merchants that will pay between 6 and 10% of any sale that you send them. It is common sense to realize not everyone who searches for ‘nightgowns’ will want something Victorian. Since you have them on your site already, why not sell them what they want? Use an affiliate link and you don’t even have to stock the product.
Thistledown implemented a few of my suggestions and came up with this:
MUCH better! Coupons, info links, and more product photos will certainly increase the lagging conversions. I’m still waiting for them to implement a few affiliate links and to report back on if these changes have helped.
3 Comments so far
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I have to say that I wish you were still actively blogging. You have very interesting articles but it looks like your last post was ’07! Get back to it and get your feed burner up. ![]()
Amy
Learn How to Make a Website
This really is absolutely a succulent corner on the world-wide-web, I have subscribed for your Really simply syndication feed to receive instantaneous updates to your site on my cell phone.
Comment by Sandy Bark 05.01.12 @ 9:15 amThe baton was a bib on a stretchy belt. We were careful not to drop it, of course, tee hee, but the clip was broken and I had to knot it as I ran, then start my watches and commence the climb. The trail switch-backed its way up the side of the valley, and for a while I could catch glimpses of other runners, above and below, as we worked our way up. But this would not last, since the top of the ridge was hidden in cloud. I was winging the pace, running at about 88% Max HR, threshold pace, with the Garmin showing speeds ranging from 10:30 to 11:20 or so. Not bad for the gradient. At the top, the fog closed in, and I started up the ridge, the so-called Ocean View Trail, heh. 400 vertical feet done, only 900 to go, yay! I picked up the pace a little. Begone, you elevens, only tens and nines from here to the top! Diana, my opponent on this leg, started with a hefty lead, and is no slouch, so my chances of catching her looked dim, unless she blew up on this hill. I looked ahead hopefully. The fog was getting thicker, my spooky little world had a radius of about 30 yards of trail, low scrub and an occasional big rock.Hey, I was catching someone! Oh, not a runner, but a mountain biker in low gear. Passing on your right! Not often I get to say that to a cyclist. Later another figure came into view. A runner, but not Diana. Oh well, picked up a place, anyway. I slowed a little, since it was getting really thick and there was a turn coming up. Heres a group of hikers looking intently at a map and Theres the Dipsea Trail marker!The Dipsea rolled for a while, then started downhill. Check the Garmin: 6:20 pace. Yup, Im fast downhill, but not the fastest. One guy actually passed me here, so I lost that place Id gained.Most of it was not that fast though. There were some sharp turns and steep parts. The fog thinned, and took on color. That blue tint to the left must be the ocean, but what the heck was that diagonal white slash in front? Was I about to be kidnapped by aliens? Clear air revealed it to be the surf at my destination, Stinson Beach. Still more than a mile away, and a long way down, but a welcome sight.Then into the trees, and it got really steep, with switchbacks and stairs. A short uphill came as (almost) a relief after all that quad-workout. Three hikers stood aside and applauded as I stormed up the slope.Another fast bit, then a road, and a turn to the finish.I ran my leg in 55 minutes at an average pace of 8:12. We were 13th out of 25. The B&Bs were 11th, beating us by 5:55. But we were the 2nd all-masters team! I could have done it better, I think. Hmm, could get a taste for this trail racing game
Comment by plastic chain guard 05.16.12 @ 11:49 amLeave a comment
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