You guessed it! I'm asking for a Review too...

[Amel]

Hello Everyone,

Please take a look at my website and share with me your honest comments even if it will hurt to hear (I mean to read) them.

What I would love to know is:

From your point of view, why my affiliate pages are not converting?

Are my site navigation easy to follow and lead to a Call to Action?

What should I change, add or remove to make my website convert better?

I just want to know what I'm doing wrong! Please help!

Thanks so much,

Amel,

[captain]

why did you get into this in the first place? what's your experience? what's you passion?

for me it's too loaded. Pick two or maybe three affiliate programs at the absolute most.
It also looks like you've built the site with a website package called Site Build It (SBI). if you're wondering why it doesn't work, then you've just blown a whole load of money on a website package that doesn't work instead of paying month to month for a blog.

I hope you haven't used SBI! I hope you didn't fall for all that hype

anyway back the the affiliate programs. You seem to pull people in a thousand different directions with sign up links, this link that link, i was just overwhelmed.

visually, it looks.......kinda hard sell....a bit lifeless. there's no warmth, no pictures of you, just graphics obviously chosen form a professional site.

Now don't get me wrong, i'm not perfect and there's a lot about my blogs that could be done better, but i's say, if you are using SBI ditch it, go to hostgator, buy a $6.95 (i think) hosting package, get a professional looking blog, and start blogging about you and your experiences.

get rid of the clutter, let me see some articles, instead of three hundred adverts on each page. It's like those magazines you get nowadays. Thicker than the Bible (no disrespect), costs a fortune, you get 3 pages of new and articles and the rest is adverts. I hate those magazines.

Join a few golfing forums and find out what people want and if you don't see any comments about "junior golfing" then don't do it because no one is interested in it.

Before i got my blog up, i spent three months on 4 different forums, then I went for it.

I target very low key products, and as such I don't get much traffic, but I've done alright on the money, considering my commissions are so low.

I never thought that I could retire on what I'm doing now, but i'm enjoying myself. And my ARTICLES get a lot of traffic from relevant forums and other sites.

But I have some work to do. This is what Lynn said about my blog

http://www.clicknewz.com/1163/website-r ... honedeals/

so i'm not claiming to be perfect. Let's recap because i can go on a bit.

1) Join three golfing forums at least, and try and find out if anyone is talking about junior golf. Join, participate and enjoy talking about your passion! this is me participating in a forum, if the moderators will allow me to show you.

i'm captainnewbie. look at the headphones in my 'current collection' in my signature. unfortunately that was a few months ago, and you can add a fair few more to that list.

http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?t=210703


and another. here i'm mattski73

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=648122


get in the forums and start participating.

2) Where are you? put a picture up, an amateur picture even. show us you're human.

this is an unfinished page, and the pictures are rubbish, but it's me it's real and you can see me with the headphones on, so people know that I know what i'm talking about, and it's not a load of (pardon the phrase) bull, to get people to p[art with their money. you can even see my cut finger from trying to open the packaging. does it help conversion? I haven't a clue, but i've done it more than once, and it's real, and it's my blood....what the heck stick it in!

http://headphonedeals.org/category/gallery/

3) help people beyond the usual garbage advice. 'How to choose this' "how to use that' write you own reviews on the products you have, the courses you've been to, the golf shirts you wear.

if i spent $100 on a golf shirt, i'd want to know what the quality is like. If I spent $300 on a golf club (you can see i know nothing about golf) i'd want to know how it feels in your hand, how heavy it is, what's the handle like.

This is stuff you need to find out from the forums you join. If i had $200 what golf club would you buy and why? what golfing ebook would you buy adn why? review golf ebook A, and golf ebook B. Give me your point of view.

anyway i've got to go and draw some naked people (life drawing for my Drawing and image making degree) all images are certificate U because i don't (want to) put any details in, if you catch my drift. www.scarlettsart.wordpress.com

good luck, and as usual i hope i haven't been too hard. my wife tells me i'm good at being tactless.......well at least i'm good at something.

all the best!

[Amel]

Hello Captain,

Thanks so much for your comments!

Indeed, I'm using SBI! (which even Lynn recommend) and I'm happy with the tools and the action guide they offer. However, because I'm new to Affiliate Marketing I was missing some knowledge and experience and this is why I asked for help.

Anyway, following your suggestions....here is the things that I should implement:

1) I'm actually member of about 4, 5 golf forums but I should to participate more on them.

2) I will follow your advice about putting a picture on my website (I was too shy to do it.).

3) I will work more my wording to help people beyond the usual garbage advice!

4) I will stop pulling people in a thousand different directions and only give them at least 3 choices with a good review and a honest recommendation.

Thanks again, Captain, for taking the time to review my website and for sharing with me your priceless recommendations.

I have a lot of work to do...but thanks to you I know exactly what to do now!

I wish you the Best,
Amel

[captain]

[Amel]

[captain]

[Amel]

[captain]

the .org has been up around 5 months, the .com version (my first serious blog) a little longer. I guess we're in the same boat, work, other commitments etc, and tryign to make money form our passions.

When i first started i set myself a goal to post everyday for a month, now i post a few times a week.

But i do want to end up with a few forums, and let the blog be a back up.

like i said, i learn best by watching rather than reading, and when i pick some new software, i make sure that it had flash videos to back it up.

i'm trying to get more companies to sponsor me, sort of.......it's a matter of being able to devote time to write a serious review. I've got 2 more headphones coming this week, and another 2 that i've brought to review.

But i'm getting to the point where i'm beginning to trust certain members of my forum, and i might give out a load of my headphones for them to review for the site.

I have competitions and have gotten a few reviews from that, but with 35+ pairs of headphones, Mrs Headphonedeals is going nuts. everywhere we step, there's a pair of headphone lying around!

But like i said, i enjoy forums, and have one big forum idea (as we all have a few big ideas) but i might bridge that by starting a separate forum that concentrates on one pair of headphones. that's right a forum based around just one pair of headphones, and squeeze every drop of info on them.

[Lynn Terry]

Hi Amel (& Matthew ),

I see you found to get a personal review from me - I've replied to you there . SBI is a good match for some, not for others. There are different types out there - the tech minded, and the not so tech. There are so many options now to compete with SBI, for those that want to spend the time learning the different elements of web development (like me) - but SBI is not bad at all for an all-in-one package (guide/training/tools/etc).

At any rate, I'll see you at the Private Forum Amel. We'll work there on the focus for your site, and things like the Title, headlines, and the call-to-action in various sections (particularly the newsletter - as that's all-important!)...

[Amel]

Thanks Lynn for answering my post.

See you at the Private Forum!

I wish you the best,
Amel

[captain]

[Lynn Terry]

You're in Sorry for the delay!