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maddoxoncology.com - why are visitors not becoming customers?

maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
edited August 2008 in Website Critique
Hello all, I`m new to the community and looking for some help figuring out why my site is getting a reasonable number of visitors, but a very low conversion rate.
The address is http://maddoxoncology.com .
Some background: my business provides products to make cancer treatments more tolerable. My mother had breast cancer several years ago and identified the need for such a business at the time, as no one else was filling the need. My business model is purely e-commerce. I market via PPC and have done enough SEO to also get a good amount of organic traffic. The design is from a template I bought, but I pretty heavily customized it myself. I have had non-technical people use the site and feel like it is reasonably intuitive and bug-free. So I don`t get why my conversion rate is less than 1%.  I would appreciate any help on this.

Comments

  • WeblineWebline subscriber Posts: 13 Bronze Level Member

    I think you need to get the overall message to be a little more prominent, and personal .... you have just a brief message about cancer and pain, then go right into your products ... to me, it`s like you`re saying in an off-handed way ....
    " This terrible condition exists, SO BUY OUR PRODUCTS TO FEEL BETTER ".
    I`m sure that isn`t your intention, but it came across to me that way at first .... and you know about first impressions. You want  the "Your problem / Our solution" message to get sales results, of course, but with this topic, I think a bit more sensitivity to start with might be helpful.
    Just my opinion.

    Webline7/31/2008 10:34 PM
  • maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks for the suggestion. I tried to make it brief because I had heard you only have something like 3 seconds to win over new visitors, but I totally see what you`re saying. I`ll come up with some more copy that`s more personal.
  • maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
    I don`t have an "about us" page. Another great suggestion.
  • googleguygoogleguy subscriber Posts: 47 Bronze Level Member
    Hello,
     
    As a person who has also been affected by cancer, I think what you are doing is great. I agree 100% with the previous posts, the site is very clinical. I remember when we were dealing with cancer and how overwhelming things were. As a sight that offers a small relief to the difficulties of that ugly disease you must come accross as more caring.
     
    If you are sincere about why u are doing this, everyone here is willing to help, but based on your site and posts you seem more concerned about the profit margin. I hope that is not the case, and I will give you the benefit of the doubt.
     
    The home page should be 90% content and 10% products. It should be carefully written and from the heart. You share something in common with your visitors and you should let them know that you arent just out to make a dollar, but honestly care.
     
    Here are a few ideas for "softening" your sales message.
     
    #1. Change the heading of SHOP BY CATEGORIES  to something like SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS or something similar to relate a softer approach.
     
    #2. Change the tabs on your website so that they do not highlight the sales potion of your site maybe from MY ACCOUNT to ABOUT US and SHOPPING CART to SOLUTIONS.
     
    #3. Re-arrange your menu. I hardly think that you can offer a GIFT CERTIFICATE....that is almost insulting. I would never imagine buying someone a "gift certificate" for your product. Maybe start with your prayer quilt and work your way down.
     
    #4. Why do you have a picture of a young happy couple? Smiling and laughing? That picture belongs on a dating site not a cancer site. Being happy is fine and that is the goal of your product but the picture should be more appropriate.
     
    I could go on but I dont want to write a book. I have been doing website marketing for quite some time and can tell you that the 7 second rule is absolutely true. But, not for your type of product. When sites are as specific and targeted as yours you have more time to convey a proper message.
     
    You must approach this sale from another point a view...that of a caring individual who wants to help. Otherwise you might as will list your products on ebay.
     
    Sorry to be so blunt maddoxoncology but the topic hits close to home!
     
    Best of luck!
    googleguy8/1/2008 2:15 AM
  • maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks for all the great feedback googleguy. Your insight as someone with personal cancer experience is greatly appreciated.
    Cancer has impacted several of my close relatives and friends, so I assure you my intentions are to help. I have focused on profit because I feel like that is how I can grow the business and therefore reach more people who need the products. I can totally see how that would be seen as me trying to get rich. Your suggestions are well taken. 
    The picture of the couple at the top was an attempt at implementing a suggestion I received elsewhere, that the site should be "upbeat" and "personable" to try to connect with people and lift their spirits. Perhaps the image I chose was a poor choice, but I feel like the idea of having pictures of happy people in general is a good one. Do other people agree with that?
    Thanks for the feedback everyone. I`m going to work through the site with my mother this weekend to give the site more of the patient`s perspective.
  • googleguygoogleguy subscriber Posts: 47 Bronze Level Member
    Your welcome Maddoxoncology.
     
     I am glad to know that you are sincere about your business model. Please don`t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with making a profit and helping others at the same time. Thats the foundation of any good business.
     
     I am sure once you make a few adjustments, your site will start to convert better. I would love to see it once you make those adjustments.
     
    Please keep us posted and best of luck!
     
     

    www.searchmarketingsystems.net

    googleguy8/1/2008 5:25 PM
  • posylaneposylane subscriber Posts: 1
    Yes your picture is all wrong for your site.  And you need product tesitmonials REAL BAD!  Your customers probably are not feeling all the great and your font is small and gray, plus really your site (outside of the happy couple) is almost a little depressing.
  • KiwiguyKiwiguy subscriber Posts: 1
    CraigL was right about one thing (sorry Craig ... I dare say more than one thing! )
    You have all of four seconds to get their interest and all of my four seconds were spent thinking what on earth is maddoxoncology ??????
    Listen my friend I know that is the name of your business and this has sentimental value to you, but it doesn`t to anybody else. You can`t sell sentiment.
    If the company/website name deters punters then find something better.
    Go to the whois website ( http://www.whois.net/ ) and check out various combinations of domain names then reserve one to use.
    I was thinking "mdxcancercare.com"
    You have to understand how people search for products/information on the web. Search engines search by the first 25 characters in a name. If you have cancer and care in the name your hit rate will climb dramatically. Try it.
  • googleguygoogleguy subscriber Posts: 47 Bronze Level Member
    The other issue with changing the websites URL is the extensive SEO work done on the existing site. You may want to consider a Microsite strategy, this will allow you to create multiple pages for your products.
     
    Good Luck!
     

    www.searchmarketingsystems.net

    googleguy8/4/2008 2:55 AM
  • maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks for the suggestions all. I have already done several of the things suggested. Changing that header picture is my top priority now.
    I actually own cancer-care-products.com, but I was told by a friend whose judgement I fully trust that google stopped giving weight to the domain name about a year ago. So I never did anything with that domain. As googleguy says, changing domains would hurt the SEO I`ve spent countless hours and thousands of dollars building. Perhaps I should have an informational site with a different name that links to my main site?
    It`s interesting to me that you guys don`t like the name. I thought "oncology" would be a good way of saying "cancer" without invoking the negative emotion of actually saying "cancer". Looks like I have some thinking to do...
  • VideographyVideography subscriber Posts: 401 Silver Level Member
    Peolpe read "oncology" and freak out, but NOT cancer
    patients themselves. They`re now caught in the drama.I agree, from personal experience.  When an MRI for leg pains showed "unusual marrow activity", my PCP sent me to a Hematologist, in the oncology department.Yes, I freaked out, but my PCP said that the hematologist will run more tests to identify the source of the abnormal marrow activity than she (my PCP) could.But this strays from the topic.Yes, if cancer were identified (it was not, thankfully) then I would have relied on my oncologist for advice regarding remedies for the side-effects of therapy.
  • maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks again for the suggestions, all. The site is already looking much better! If you want to take a look, you might have to shift+refresh to see changes.
  • maddoxoncologymaddoxoncology subscriber Posts: 1
    Thank you CraigL . I`ll definitely take your suggestions into consideration. I don`t currently offer the headcoverings because I don`t have any pictures of them yet. I have a photographer lined up to do them, but it`s wedding season so it might be a while before it happens.
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