Please review my website - www.newbiesecurity.com

newbiesecurity

Hello,My current website design is based around providing free content to users and using Google advertising tools to generate revenue.  I am a computer security professional trying to target the security needs of users new to the internet and computers, newbies.  While there is a lot of security information available on the Internet, I feel it is sometimes targeted at savvier computer users.  I am especially interested in feedback relating to the layout the site, if the content is written in such a fashion that a "newbie" could understand it, and topics that you would like to see covered.  I am aware that the books section needs some formatting.    Any feedback is appreciated.http://www.newbiesecurity.com
newbiesecurity2006-11-8 19:35:41

yourNAMEinDotCom

I like it too. Too many websites are going the way of clutter. I like simplicity.I don`t know if the clutter trend is something people like but I certainly don`t.Anyway, your site looks good in my opinion.The one thing I would do, though, if it were my site, is to bold that first sentence "I created this site to help those new to the world of computers and the Internet, a newbie, have a safe and fun experience" just to re-emphasize what the site`s about but that`s just me.Otherwise, I love the simplicity.

newbiesecurity

Thanks everybody for the great input!  I really appreciate everybody taking the time to review my site and give me thoughtful feedback.  I am taking notes and working on implementing some of the suggestions.CraigL,I agree about the paragraph formatting and trying to be more inclusive with my audience.Jonese,Thanks for the formatting information and the book review idea.  I will also put a little more meat into the security notices.  I was keeping them rather simple because my target audience, to some extent, wouldn`t know the difference between HTML, POP or Google and I didn`t want to overwhelm them with a bunch of technical information when the solution is to simply patch.

yourNAMEinDotCom

Dan1013

I like it because it`s simple and to the point. Great job!

My advice echoes another member`s suggestion to work on the
copywriting a bit. I would change the headline from "Welcome to..." to
something a lot more catchy. The top pictures and the headline are what
most people are going to notice first so grab them!

Describe the #1 benefit of the service you are offering. And in the
subsequent text content reinforce that benefit and list others.

You also need to have a strong "call to action" near the top of the page.
You have to ask your visitors to take action and engage with you by
giving you their email address. Write a brief report called, "10 Things You
can Do to Make your Computer Safe and More Secure" and have them
sign up to receive it through email.

Anyway, those are my humble suggestions. I hope it helps. Best of luck!

newbiesecurity

Thanks for the feedback.  I like the suggestion about creating a top ten list, but I don`t have a way to manage a large number of user emails.  Is there a service or some software that you could recommend?

Dan1013

Yes, you need to look into permission based marketing program. There are services such as Constant Contact, Intellicontact and MailerMailer that can help you capture and manage E-mails.Using those services, you can put a very brief form on your home page and any emails entered will be automatically added to your list. Then you can stay in touch with those folks and build a long-term business relationship.The services also automatically manage "bounces" unsubscribes, etc. And yoy get a host of reports so you can track the effectiveness of your campaigns.Hope that helps.
Dan10132006-11-12 16:49:12

newbiesecurity

Anybody have experience with Google Analytics?  I just recently installed the code on my site.  Did you find it of value increasing traffic to your site?  I was just curious if this was of value for very small sites.