Please review our professional IQ test for design

ivyiqtest · #1 (**permalink**) 07-19-2006, 07:24 PM

Ivy IQ Test is an assessment designed for licensed psychologists. It is different from most other IQ tests found online such as Tickle, iqtest dot com, and Queendom; these sites simply mimic professional assessments. Of course they have been online for almost a decade and expectedly outrank newer, better sites with professional materials.

We're charging psychologists to use our site, a non-issue for psychologists used to paying for these instruments. However we can't get listed in the best ranking psychology sites such as psychology dot org and psychcentral. Thus backlinks from relevant sites are leaving us high and dry.

So our dilemmas are: How do we rank highly for less competitive terms such as "professional iq test" and "online intelligence assessment"? How do we tweak or redesign the site to become more visually appealing? Do we need to hire an expert in this field; our investment dollars were drained in the nuts-and-bolts standardizing the test, not web page creation.

All constructive criticism is welcome.

bj · #2 (**permalink**) 07-19-2006, 11:04 PM

You have very little real text for the search engines to chew on, and the only working link is to a form. There is nothing here for the search engines to index. Not only that, there is nothing here to tell your target audience why they should trust or use your test over a personally administered Wechsler (did I remember that spelling right?)

You say you spent a lot of time standardizing the test. I think some text about that and the care you took to achieve accurate results in your chosen testing medium might be helpful. Maybe a page about the history behind IQ tests, why they can be valuable as a diagnostic tool, etc. What are YOUR qualifications for putting this site together? What have people who have used this tool said about it? How do you expect your target audience to find it useful?

The site LOOKS fine. There's just nothing much here for anyone unless they pay the dough, which no one will do in the absence of any information, credentials, or building of trust.

I'd say you have some work to do yet.

A. Smith · #3 (**permalink**) 07-21-2006, 02:37 AM

You may also consider off-line, traditional means of marketing.
I agree with bj. Your About Us page (which has some good info) is not visible from the main page. Maybe adding that menu to at least give potential customers some way to find out what it is you offer?

bj · #4 (**permalink**) 07-21-2006, 10:00 AM

A. Smith, I just read your post and said to myself "About us"??? So I took a second look and found those links I didn't even SEE the first time through. Yes, they need to be on the homepage. I'd also reconsider their placement on EVERY page. If I missed them on a quick glance through I'm sure others have as well. They're "below the fold" on my screen.

Even better would be including some of the key info from the About Us page on the homepage.

davidtislini · #5 (**permalink**) 07-21-2006, 11:31 AM

I really like your logo design. My comments below:

I really think you need to get yourself a copy of the Marketing Sherpa Landing Page Handbook:

Landing Page Handbook

Here's a slightly cheaper alternative if budget is a problem:

Sherpa Article

Here's a few thoughts to get you started:

1. The basic Landing page format:

Banner at the top
Navigation under the banner or on the left
Text on the right

2. Use Medium Length copy. I find about 7 to 10 printed pages works for me.

Structure your copy as follows:

First a short product feature and benefit summary. This can be in a separate block. The aim of this is to sell the quick buyer.

Second a long copy which explains to the customer what the product is, why they should buy it, why it so good, third party credibility indicators such as testimonials, Better Business Bureau etc…

Thirdly the close. Like in Sales this must get the customer to make some form of commitment. I would highly recommend a free or $1 trial.

2. I would start marketing with Adwords first. Perry Marshall has some good info on Marketing with Adwords. Once you are turning a profit with Adwords, use some of this money to hire a professional SEO firm to get links, site optimize etc...

I know budget is tight, and I wish I could tell you that Internet Marketing is cheap. Personally I've spent a fortune on programs, mentorship's etc... But the fruits are worth it. Just hang on there and take things one small step at a time. You'll be glad you did.

Regards
David Tislini

bj · #6 (**permalink**) 07-21-2006, 12:07 PM

I think that $1 trial idea is fabulous! Those in "the biz" can take it themselves and figure out how valuable it will be to them as a tool.

And yes, all the points about structuring the landing page are good ones. I might point out though that ALL pages that are SE indexed have a chance to be landing pages, not just the "homepage" so be aware of that, and maybe slant each page a bit differently re keyphrases and such, to give each one a chance to bring in different visitors on different search terms.