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kixsmom
Joined:
23 Jul 2004
Posts:
2
Location:
Kennesaw, GA, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:19 pm
Post subject: Completely New and Pet Related -- Help
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I've been in business as a petsitter for just a few months, which is a very local service business. I'm working on adding affiliate programs related to pet care and pet supplies, I've started a Shopping page. Trying to determine if it's better to keep going this way, and then how to get traffic to my site, or if I'm better off starting a new website for shopping. Please take a look at the address below, and feel to give any other advice. Thanks a lot.
Sharon
Kix's Mom's Petsitting
www.kixsmomspetsitting.com |
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administrator
Site Admin
Joined:
02 Jul 2003
Posts:
1493
Location:
Maryborough Queensland Australia
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Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:01 pm
Post subject:
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Sharon,
You completed your personal details but omitted a signature file. That 300 character limited box is where you place your personal data for publishing with all your messages. Don't forget to use the bbcode to good effect. Click the profile button at the top of the page and edit the details.
I'll have to delete links in the body of your message in future.
Wally Morgan - Moderator |
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AllanGardyne
Site Admin
Joined:
02 Jul 2003
Posts:
6326
Location:
by the beach, Australia
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Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 9:07 am
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Sharon, I had a quick look and just don't know where to start - you're doing so many things in ways that could be improved.
I think you need to get Ken Evoy's book "Make Your Site Sell".
If you don't want to buy the book, at the very least try visiting your site and pretend it's some else's. What impression do you get? Try to see your site through your visitor's eyes, especially your "Shopping" page.
_________________
Allan Gardyne
AssociatePrograms.com - You're here. Explore it! |
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Debs
Joined:
16 Aug 2003
Posts:
4296
Location:
NY
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Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 10:40 am
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Just on basic useability issues, all the bold, centered text is hard on the eyes. Bold is for emphasis, to show something is important. If everything is bold, nothing is important.
Your entire site screams ME ...meaning you, Sharon. What's in it for me? Why should I believe you, how will I feel leaving my pet with you, my home open to your access ... how will my pet feel being under your care? Take away a petowners concerns and worries, describe it to me in language that draws me in.
If you want to build affiliate merchandising support, you will need a much wider audience than your served area. Building content related to your niche that helps people worldwide should be your focus, not a "shopping" link. You can weave affiliate links into your content to achieve this. Take Allan up on his suggestion to purchase MYSS, and also sign up for the Affiliate Masters Course for free. You won't be sorry.
Keep the geospecific pages targeted to your locale, but make sure your content pages are not geotargeted. This means ... do not mention your locale or area served anywhere on content pages that are there to help your visitors from all over the world.
Get some javascript to handle the coding of your email. As you have it now, a straight "mailto" link, the spambots will love it.
Do you really need all that info from people who want to contact you or give you feedback? Keep it simple. Yes, you may need to know where they are, but a locale is enough, exact location isn't needed until they want to actually discuss hiring you. People seeing a form like that will hesitate because of all the personal info it collects.
Speaking of collecting personal info, you need a Privacy Policy. I also suggest a Disclaimer/Terms of Use for the site as well. Why not add a newsletter to the site? You can use it to gather subscribers, offer tips on preparing for vacation away from your pet, with your pet. You could also do content related to that, as well as content on how to start your own petcaring service from your home.
Just a few thoughts,
Debs
_________________
Learn how to turn keyphrases into quality, well-targeted articles your visitors and SE's will love with Gary Antosh's new ebook "Web Content Made Easy!" |
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kixsmom
Joined:
23 Jul 2004
Posts:
2
Location:
Kennesaw, GA, USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 9:30 pm
Post subject:
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Whew! I'm a newbie all right. Will take these comments to heart! Thanks.
_________________
Sharon
Kennesaw, GA
Kix's Mom's Petsitting
www.kixsmomspetsitting.com |
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Phil CA
Joined:
19 Dec 2003
Posts:
1044
Location:
Canada
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Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2004 5:17 pm
Post subject:
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Hi Sharon,
Good comments sofar But you really need a business/marketing Plan before you go any further. 
You've defined Your 1st Passion. Now you need to build your business creatively and different from everybody else.
You need Passion #2...
Shopping No! Re-Build and re-Focus using Allan's and Debs advice and/or consider using the AP Talent Network. 
Here's a few things from some of my previous posts tossing around the creative and the unusual.
Seriously look at all the creative ways to market your business Locally and Globally. You might be very Surprised and Happy at the results you get.
Study and Research your markets Locally and Globally.
Just a few Niche ideas/marketing examples...
Think about bringing Global Pet Bakeries Together through your business.
Marketing ideas such as the pet shop that befriended stray cats and dogs.
They put hundreds... of homemade collars, advertising their website domain on stray animals.
They called out all the media, fed the pets and donated money to help them. The free media exposure really helped their business grow.
You can't buy that kind of advertising.
The internet pet bakery who creatively markets their treats for pets in all kinds of places where pets and owners hang out by giving bakery samples to the pets and domain name memories to pet owners.
Pet bakeries are making big Biscuits  $$$ and expanding rapidly.
The possibilities and ideas are endless.
Here's a must read thread for you...
http://www.associateprograms.com/discus/viewtopic.php?t=4788
Just my thoughts.
All the best
Phil |
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