Okay, I am not sure what is wrong with my free service. We are generating some traffic but only a few registrations.
My question to the group, what do you think of the main page? Is it clear? Should it be fun and funny like the rest of the site? Should I add an even bigger "register" link?

I would love some help.

Thanks
Mike

When optimizing a web page, the first question you should ask:

"What is the goal of this page?"

If you goal is to get people to register, then you need to make the Registration button and message more prominent and include it in your white space, instead of covering it up with a 2nd logo/url.


I would start the page off with: SizeMonkey.com is the Yellow Pages of Sizes. Sign up and we will store all of your clothing size info..........

Then tell them why they should do that.
Then tell them how easy they can access info about themselves and their friends and family.
Then motivate them by using action language in your hyperlink:

"Let's Get Started" or "Sign Up"


"touch your inner monkey" -- what does that mean?? That message seems to be unnecessary and confusing.

It's always difficult to work out why some sites work and some don't. However, attracting more traffic has to help.

A few pointers on site. It has zero page rank in Google.

There are 17 markup errors - see http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=ht...emonkey.com%2F

So you need to sort out your template on Joomla.
Your description is too long and your keywords seem more random than anything connected to site. Remember that different search engines look for different stuff so important that title, description, keywords and copy all match.

Also, make full use of Joomla to customise each page's description and metas. No excuse for keeping all pages the same.

It is not entirely clear what the site is about. Tell the people what you are offering and then invite to register.

Good luck

Ian

__________________
SEO Specialist, CSS Developers

Online, people tend to glance quickly and move on. So you have to be very obvious with such things as FREE service, FREE signup. Did I mention free ;)?

Also, this is (to me) a new concept. I think that you should describe the purpose of the service. The description you have in your description meta tag explains well what it is that you do. Why not have it as your visible text?

Another thing you could do, is have an easy way for people to invite their friends to register.

__________________
Agnes Smith Keys Home Furnishings, Inc. Tropical Vacation Rentals
Professional Upholstery Group

Colours make or brake sites. Your choice of colour is totally unexciting. Even I was tempted to go next.
Paul

__________________
Try to bring people and technology together.

The phrase "size does matter" is connected in my mind with all of the spam e mail I get promising to enlarge my p...s

Strongly suggest you get a different phrase. One that can be associated with clothing sizes. And you really do need to have a nice prominent box where people can register. The tiny register link hidden in the huge overwhelming black header doesn't cut it at all.

(And, yes I am a woman, and no I don't have a p...s just in case anyone reading these posts wonders if my name and picture are the correct ones to go with this particular posting.)

__________________
The Weedy Lady at
http://www.happydaycards.com
Free E Cards for holidays and all occasions, fun pages and great recipes.

Great idea and with all these people on the net there are sure to be some who will sign up.

Just to be curious, will this site make money and how will you do it.

I didn't sign up because I like to buy my own clothes, its just me.

Good luck.

__________________
Love Listings & Laptops www.nevboyle.com

Okay okay okay. I am working on the problems now.

Fixed: crap in my meta, start page layout and language, BIG "Signup" button, lost the touch your monkey bit (and it made me sad!), put in another link at the bottom to signup, put FREE all over the place, and why they should signup.

Working: CSS style sheet for more POP, validation (could take some time), different non-pen$s related logo (not that having it get bigger is all that bad............ the logo people....get your minds out of the gutter), and a bunch of other stuff,

I thank everyone for their comments and time. It is just so hard to look at this stuff after a month and see the errors. So please keep looking and tell me if I am getting close to your collective image.

Thanks again
Michael and Asha

opps, forgot one reply; I am not going to worry about making money at this point in time as we are only in Beta phase right now. When we come out and version 2 hits I intend to do something like a cross between Woot.com and Overstock, if the user want to buy then they can but very Google in out of the way.

But one small step at a time. I have to get people to signup with my wit and humor because they sure can't smell me.
Mike

The domain name and my first glance at the home page reminded me of all the emails I get telling me that size matters. Maybe you need to start over and target the right market. Easier to restart earlier than later.
Best of luck - you have a good idea!

I notice that others have said this (but I looked at your site before I looked at other comments).

The phrase about size sounded like male enhancement. I never did find out what you wanted me to sign up for.

I felt that it was something to do with outsize (extra large sizes) in clothes.

Simplify your reason for signing up, put it into one sentence, and make it bigger than the rest, and at the top. Most readers won't take time to try and figure it out.

From your home page (which is all that I read), I think that you are planning to store my clothes size. I think that you will simply send spam about clothes suitable for someone of my size. You didn't explain how *I* would benefit.

If you can't explain in one sentence why your visitor will benefit from using your service, then get someone else to do it for you - you can sometimes get too close to something to see it.

__________________
Pete Clark
Got any spare time? Anything you need? Barter in Spain at http://BarterWithBart.com

I really have no idea what it's about and this doen't make me any the wiser:
Sizes of what? And I would not sign up for anything that promises that people could 'look me up'...

__________________
Paul Bilton design services ~ Sites not Sights

The language now indicates what we do (I feel almost stupid missing some of this stuff). I will be changing the logo and colors today.

Keep the comments coming

Thanks a bunch

Mike

What about this on the main page instead;

Steps
1. Signup for Free
2. Put in all of your Gift and Size want list
3. Give your Member Name to someone
4. They search your Member Name (with their cell phone too)
5. They get all of your Size, Color, and Gift info
6. YOU get the gift you want that FITS
7. Smile

What do you think?

also the tag line;

"The Monkeys got your back" (no thoughts of a larger organ come to mind)

now this one runs the risk of turning off some people because of the not so hidden link with "spanking the monkey" but as a middle aged guy I like it (and my prego middle aged wife likes it too)
"We are dedicated to letting you touch your monkey guilt free!"

Thoughts?

the only reason i know what your site is for, is because i read the other posts. you really need to rework your site copy to be much more informative as to what you do.

if you want to be taken seriously, do not use the new tag line. i'm 25, i think it's kinda funny, but i wouldn't buy anything or sign up for anything.

the site isn't a bad idea, but you really need to work on how to get the message across clearly, and consisely.

hope this helps.

There are more people who do not know what someone having your back means than who do know what it means.

You are trying to make a web site to provide a serious service and trying to make it hip and funny at the same time. Doesn't work.

Look at successful web sites. See how they do it.

__________________
The Weedy Lady at
http://www.happydaycards.com
Free E Cards for holidays and all occasions, fun pages and great recipes.

this post removed by me

__________________
The Weedy Lady at
http://www.happydaycards.com
Free E Cards for holidays and all occasions, fun pages and great recipes.

It may be until after the weekend before I get some cute little tag line and new color system up.

I can not thank all of you enough for the comments and time. It looks like the site is in for a total redesign based off of your comments.

Keep em coming

I concur with most of what has already been said .. (I also understand your concept, and think it's a great one)

I would additionally suggest you make a privacy policy very very prominant .. you're asking people to divulge some mighty personal info to an unknown entity ..

Hi sizemonkey,

Yeah, WeedyLady is absolutely spot on with that assessment. You can't expect your customers to be jumping through eighteen hoops to sign up. Your sign up needs to be prominent and it should be OBVIOUS as to what you want them to do.

If you want them to sign up, you should, at the minimum have a html opt-in box, which is big enough they can't ignore it, either at the top, as their eyes travel left, as our eyes are inclined to do, sorta the way that it is done on this site. If you look to the left, there is a rather large opt-in box right at the top left of this page. Or, directly in the middle top of the page, directly under your graphic, or in the center of the page, with your benefits clearly listed above, and telling them, straight out, that if they want what you have, they have to register for more information.

Ask for their first name and e-mail, that way they will be able to get more personal e-mails from you. Use a quality auto-responder. Such as Aweber. Just as an example. Even if you get one that allows unlimited responders and such and it's free or something, so long as it shows strong delivery is really what matters the most. Aweber has an excellent reputation in this way.

But use a prominent sign up box, either directly in an obvious location offset from the content of the page, or land them directly on a page that the main focus is for them to sign up, obviously drawing out your main benefits of them giving up their information, right there in their faces. Don't have them click on another link, to sign up, as most might just click away.

Also, another tool, is if you didn't want to clutter the page, and you want it to have allot of content, without losing space to an opt-in box, you can use a fly-in ad. Basically, it's a lil javascript type software, that is site based and when they hit your main page, it slides in, on the same window like a pop-up, asking them to sign-up. I am sure you've seen them. They are proven to increase registration conversion and they're impossible to stop. Or ignore.

If you don't have the software, you can message me and I'll work a deal with you. If you do, cool beans.

But mainly, that's the suggestion. Guide your customer to sign-up, clearly, and without waver. If they are there because they are interested, you'll get more registrations that way. Make it unavoidable.

Solid call to action. "Sign up with SizeMonkey.Com for your wardrobe sizing needs!" kind of thing.

Eliminate any uneasiness by telling them, right under where they put their info., that they needn't worry about their info with you, that you won't ever distribute it, for any reason, to any third party.

It really all comes down to the strong wording in call to action and the obvious purpose of that specific page.

Hope this helps.

Your in Sacramento?!?! I just noticed. I lived there a couple years ago. I am now down in Monterey. Nice to see a relative local again:)

Okay, for some reason, I thought that the question was mainly a conversion question. Which was related to your opt-in link, versus opt-in boxes.

Your site, though, now that I had a chance to really look at it is rather fractured in appearance.

You DO need to unify the colours. I don't mean make the site all one colour, but make colours that stand out, grab the attention, without being obnoxious.

You also need to unify the shapes on that page, in that your header graphic should be the same width as your body table or CSS or whatever.

Your header graphic should be at the tiptop of thepage, and should not be bordered like it is now. It gives it a 'floaty' sensation. Disconnected. It doesn't do anything to alleviate the confusion of not knowing what the site is about. Believe it or not, people like an orderly site. If it's cluttered, or if it's lobsided, it's uncomfortable and people will click away.

Sometimes, an ugly site, can create a ton of sales, but that depends, really on the subject. There are some principles that you'll want to stick to though.

Your touchstone is cute, but really out of place for what your shooting for. IF your demographic is 18-35 or so, then your right on, in the way that your speaking. If you are targeting a demographic that is older, then "The Monkeys got your back." is going to lose them.

The "Because size does matter" touchstone is cute. However, I seriously think that it can be massaged, to sound similar, while conveying a more pointed focus to what your about, rather than sexual inuendo. I agree that it does come across as a bit of a p***le enlargement advert or something.

I don't think that the "spanking your monkey" or the "touch your monkey guilt free" might not be appropriate for the purpose of your site. I find it funny, but it has a rather nasty connotation to it, which could seriously confuse if not outright offend some people.

I suggest seriously brainstorming your touchstone, your catch phrase. I also suggest going with the changes that are going to bring your site inline with what everyone else has got to say about it.

Also, try a solid background, instead of the stripes. It looks like cheap wallpaper. Not to mention, it's kinda hard on the eyes.

It is good to look at what is successful and follow it, while looking for ways to make better. Don't strive to follow the leader, strive to take the lead. But you have to draft, to pass. Follow? ;-)

Alright, I'm outie. I think I've written a book. Okay, also, yes, your ad copy needs help. If you need help, There are places like elance.com where you can hire copy-writers. Or, you can look for people that want to help that frequent the forums. After all, I just spent an hour reviewing this site of yours. Peace.

Torakuo;

I can not begin to thank you and the others sufficiently. This idea is becoming a community idea. It will take me sometime to digest your ideas and get together a workable road map. One of the problems is my day job, I have to work nights and weekends on SizeMonkey so it limits the major changes I can do.
Funny thing, I moved to Sacramento from Monterey. I graduated from CSUMB and did my Masters education at Moss Landing Marine Labs, but deciding that I wanted to earn more then a fast food worker I ran off to law school. So here I am, the lawyer web guy living in Sacramento but always coming back to Monterey to SCUBA and visit family.

Thanks again

Michael

Yeah, I didn't have the formal education, but when I got into IM(internet marketing), I sorta started to take off, with how I absorbed everything. I've had some decent outside sales experience, and customer service training and stuff, but was mainly involved in construction the last 6 years. I'm done with that. I want to be working smarter, not harder. I guess that is why we're all here, eh?

Till next time Mike, have a good one.