I have this client site: Addison Auto Repair and Body Shop in Denver, CO - AAA Approved

My client tells me: "I asked [SEM expert] if there was something he would change on our home page. He said if we moved our quick info contact box into the top left of the page (right above where it’s at now) their research shows a 22% increase in page retention"

Do you believe this?
Would you change the design?

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Dave Barnes
+1.303.744.9024
http://www.marketingtactics.com
sitting in my basement with my iMac

Dave. I research silly things like this on my pages every day. continuously I am testing comparison pages that are receiving around of 3000 page views daily.

Who Is this SEM expert. I doubt he can back that silly statement up.

22% page retention - ROFLMHO.

However I can provide statistics that confirm a higher visibility rate from an image similar to this

My statistics suggest this image will only direct regular page viewers,
Has an almost minimal effect on new users. (I use it for "NEW" type messages)

I recommend placing a large version of my image over the right side of the header (completely cover the car)
A smaller version of the image to cover the company logo.

I am willing to guarantee this will alter the retention rates.....

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Just my humble opinion, but the contact info doesn't stand out very well for me, I'd put it somewhre on the header, just because that's where I'd look for it. No idea on rentention rates etc, just my view!

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Christmas Presents, Christmas Corporate Presents, Edible Gifts.

It seems like a bit of a stretch to me, but i guess you could try it and see.

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Screen printing, embroidery, & promotional products
Recording studio in Southwestern Ontario

Every situation is different - they only way that you will know for sure is to test it - and track it!

Testing is the single biggest lapse of most SEO experts... they find something that works in one case, and apply it to everything...

It's kinda like green camo - works great in the forest. Take it to the desert and you become a target. Not good.


The moral: Test a variety of things, like colors, fonts, sizes, backgrounds, images, phrases (sale copy/headlines). Make one change at a time, and let it stick for a few weeks to get some realistic numbers to crunch.

Good luck

Matt

I think NO! The quick info box is situated on the good place of the page.

I agree with kettlewell who said test and track (green camo for all terrains was a great analogy). But let's not forget about usability and good information hierarchy, not to mention not messing up your well-designed home page.

You have a lot going on on the home page.

With visitors (repeat and otherwise) in mind, and not simply SEO, suggestions you may want to test that would make the contact info more prominent without adding to the number of competing elements:
• leave the quick info box where it is but change the header background color behind the column heading to make it stand out a little more; pick a color used elsewhere on the site so you don't add to the noise by introducing another color.
• move the box to the right column, and change the header background color as suggested above. To make the left and right columns of similar size you could reduce the size of the affilate/award logos (they are rather large anyway).

BTW, great move on making the Quick Info a vCard.

Teresa

I'd change it just so the client can see for himself it isn't going to work.

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Custom Website Design | Search Engine Optimization | Web Design Templates

WTG Janeth! That's how I feel many times about client ideas and suggestion. They do auto body work right, well they are not web designers and you don't tell them how to do body work!

Now, maybe it's possible the client quoted incorrectly and they mean what the eye see's first like where they are likely to click or take action 1st.

If the client wants them to use a certain tool or function more than the rest then it's worth a try I guess

I'd also move the "Friendly, Modern, Clean box to the top of the others. I'd rather a visitor see the store 1st.

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