Advice needed for site

I started my first website in September of 2004 where I got about 1,600
unique visitors per month. Since then with some SEO (many tips from this
newsgroup), articles, pay per click advertising, blogging and reciprocal
linking, I'm up to about 12,000 uniques visitors per month now. I've
recently adopted videos and free eBooks in order to boost traffic. The free
eBooks are getting lots of potential e-mail addresses so I definitely hope
to make use of a list. Many of my key phrases and words are putting my site
in the top two pages of the SEs. So I was able to stop the pay per click
completely now. However, I don't know if given this time frame, if this is
a reasonable amount of growth in traffic or if I should be at a higher
level.

A problem I'm really having is with conversion. If the average conversion
rate is around 1% for websites, I should be getting about 120 orders per
month. My average is more like 1 order per week. Then again, my business is
an online art gallery which might suggest that conversions are expected to
be lower in this product area. But somehow, I feel I should be doing better.

The answers are not really coming out at me so I'm hoping that some of you
more knowledgeable folks could take a peek at my present website and tell me
if there's any obvious flaws in either SEO or design which is resulting in
such a low conversion.

My website is at http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca

Thanks

Clint

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:16:55 -0400, "Clint" <pepmax (AT) videotron (DOT) ca>
wrote:

I started my first website in September of 2004 where I got about 1,600
unique visitors per month. Since then with some SEO (many tips from this
newsgroup), articles, pay per click advertising, blogging and reciprocal
linking, I'm up to about 12,000 uniques visitors per month now. I've
recently adopted videos and free eBooks in order to boost traffic. The free
eBooks are getting lots of potential e-mail addresses so I definitely hope
to make use of a list. Many of my key phrases and words are putting my site
in the top two pages of the SEs. So I was able to stop the pay per click
completely now. However, I don't know if given this time frame, if this is
a reasonable amount of growth in traffic or if I should be at a higher
level.

A problem I'm really having is with conversion. If the average conversion
rate is around 1% for websites, I should be getting about 120 orders per
month. My average is more like 1 order per week. Then again, my business is
an online art gallery which might suggest that conversions are expected to
be lower in this product area. But somehow, I feel I should be doing better.

The answers are not really coming out at me so I'm hoping that some of you
more knowledgeable folks could take a peek at my present website and tell me
if there's any obvious flaws in either SEO or design which is resulting in
such a low conversion.

My website is at http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca

Thanks

Clint

Hi Clint.
You could sell your stock on my site for a small fee. I get up to 4000
a day visit and I do have a section where artist can sell their wares.
(as well as gain IBLs)
plh
Paul

--
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http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Tr...y-Council.html
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Tr...et-Treaty.html

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Clint wrote:

The answers are not really coming out at me so I'm hoping that some of you
more knowledgeable folks could take a peek at my present website and tell me
if there's any obvious flaws in either SEO or design which is resulting in
such a low conversion.

My website is at http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca

There's a couple of things that bother me when browsing around your
site.

First of all the bright coloured font against black background. It
hurts my eyes, and I've already set my monitor to low contrast.

Second - on the gallery page, none of the examples used as thumbnails
for the different parts of the gallery, are actually in your gallery.
I liked the picture that goes with 'Northwest Indian Art Prints', but
when I clicked it, it was gone. That may disappoint your visitors just
like it did me.

Last but not least, the site doesn't come across as very professional.
It's a bit disorderly. Example: while writing this message, I'm
checking back on the site and now I find the link "art priced under
$100 US", next to two other links. Those links are easily skipped,
since they don't look like gallery entries, right below the 5
thumbnails and above another series of links. IMO, the site could do
with a restructuring and a redesign, to make the information easier to
access at first glance, so that people don't have to actually read
entire pages before finding what they are looking for.

HTH
--
Els http://locusmeus.com/
accessible web design: http://locusoptimus.com/

Now playing: Anthrax - Got the time

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:41:17 GMT, "Pet @ www.gymratz.co.uk ;¬)"
<PeTe33 (AT) gymratz (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Clint wrote:

The answers are not really coming out at me so I'm hoping that some of you
more knowledgeable folks could take a peek at my present website and tell me
if there's any obvious flaws in either SEO or design which is resulting in
such a low conversion.

My website is at http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca

Far too many mouse clicks for me.
I think I had to go 5 or 6 clicks deep before I found a price!

I noticed that too but I thought it was just me. That could be clearer
too.

BB
--

http://www.kruse.co.uk/seo-services.htm
http://www.crystal-liaison.com/baby-gund/index.html
http://www.here-be-posters.co.uk/jul...et-posters.htm

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:16:55 -0400, "Clint" <pepmax (AT) videotron (DOT) ca>
wrote:

I started my first website in September of 2004 where I got about 1,600
unique visitors per month. Since then with some SEO (many tips from this
newsgroup), articles, pay per click advertising, blogging and reciprocal
linking, I'm up to about 12,000 uniques visitors per month now. I've
recently adopted videos and free eBooks in order to boost traffic. The free
eBooks are getting lots of potential e-mail addresses so I definitely hope
to make use of a list.

I "think" Matt Callan is doing a course on what to do with a mailing
list right now, actually, if you search for it.

Many of my key phrases and words are putting my site
in the top two pages of the SEs. So I was able to stop the pay per click
completely now. However, I don't know if given this time frame, if this is
a reasonable amount of growth in traffic or if I should be at a higher
level.

Be grateful for anything at the moment.

A problem I'm really having is with conversion. If the average conversion
rate is around 1% for websites, I should be getting about 120 orders per
month. My average is more like 1 order per week. Then again, my business is
an online art gallery

Competition, eh? Where is it?

which might suggest that conversions are expected to
be lower in this product area. But somehow, I feel I should be doing better.

The answers are not really coming out at me so I'm hoping that some of you
more knowledgeable folks could take a peek at my present website and tell me
if there's any obvious flaws in either SEO or design which is resulting in
such a low conversion.

My website is at http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca

Oh - "that" Clint. "How many words for snow" Clint. See? We remember
you here ok.

You could change this;

secure your purchase by ordering it now at the gray box near the top
of the page. Once it's sold, it will be gone as there are no
duplicates existing.

to this

secure your purchase by <a href="link to the grey box goes in
here">ordering it now</a>. Once it's sold, it will be gone as there
are no duplicates existing.

It looks a bit clunky otherwise.

I think you have to work to find your audience. Remember, you can't be
a contender if you aren't in the ring. I suspect that word will spread
virally and slowly because (I imagine) there's not mainstream demand.
Could happen, though.

BB
--

http://www.kruse.co.uk/seo-services.htm
http://www.crystal-liaison.com/baby-gund/index.html
http://www.here-be-posters.co.uk/jul...et-posters.htm

"Big Bill" <kruse (AT) cityscape (DOT) co.uk> wrote

You could change this;

to this

secure your purchase by <a href="link to the grey box goes in
here">ordering it now</a>. Once it's sold, it will be gone as there
are no duplicates existing.

It looks a bit clunky otherwise.

Thanks for your input so far. I did notice that November and December were
quite busy probaby because of the X-Mas shopping. Then conversion dropped
during the first half of this year. Maybe people were willing to be more
patient about getting through the site during the shopping season.

Clint