Website Review
- Thread starter Penelope Dunlop
- Start date
Hi Penelope,
The only reason anyone will be on the site is because they want a VA. So there is no need to explain what one is.
Neither do you need to introduce yourself on the homepage.
On the homepage you need to explain the services you offer. Then add a call to action
Put your full contact details in the footer on every page and add a picture of you (helps to build trust).
Bin the background and now the most important thing of all:
DON'T USE VISTAPRINT!!!!!
The only reason anyone will be on the site is because they want a VA. So there is no need to explain what one is.
Neither do you need to introduce yourself on the homepage.
On the homepage you need to explain the services you offer. Then add a call to action
Put your full contact details in the footer on every page and add a picture of you (helps to build trust).
Bin the background and now the most important thing of all:
DON'T USE VISTAPRINT!!!!!
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- Original Poster
- #3
Thank you ... wow!
Bizarely I just changed the main page before asking for criticism because I had read in another post in this section that the landing page needed to tell everyone what you did. So I changed it. A lot of people don't know what a VA is or does, hence the explanation for those who look through curiosity. Also the fact that secretarial/PA services are mentioned, surely that tells people what services I offer already, without going into specifics, which follow on another page.
As for the address on every page, I'm a VA and I work remotely so it really doesn't matter what my address is. The idea is that you don't actually meet the people you work for, unless its been agreed and my target audience can be national, they could even be international?
When you say background, do you mean the first page one or the whole lot? To be honest, I've followed the general layout of other VAs who work alone, but I wanted to have a more personal touch, hence the background which matches my branding.
And Vistaprint, well its an easy way to build a website. It worked well for my previous business and I got a lot of good response from customers. I appreciate that marketing is the most important part of growing my customer base, but I also have limited funds available, therefore it was a case of doing it myself, but thank you for your comments.
Bizarely I just changed the main page before asking for criticism because I had read in another post in this section that the landing page needed to tell everyone what you did. So I changed it. A lot of people don't know what a VA is or does, hence the explanation for those who look through curiosity. Also the fact that secretarial/PA services are mentioned, surely that tells people what services I offer already, without going into specifics, which follow on another page.
As for the address on every page, I'm a VA and I work remotely so it really doesn't matter what my address is. The idea is that you don't actually meet the people you work for, unless its been agreed and my target audience can be national, they could even be international?
When you say background, do you mean the first page one or the whole lot? To be honest, I've followed the general layout of other VAs who work alone, but I wanted to have a more personal touch, hence the background which matches my branding.
And Vistaprint, well its an easy way to build a website. It worked well for my previous business and I got a lot of good response from customers. I appreciate that marketing is the most important part of growing my customer base, but I also have limited funds available, therefore it was a case of doing it myself, but thank you for your comments.
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You don't want those people to visit the site. You only want people who already know what they want.
It's too random. Tell me you can do my finances, look after clients, take bookings and so on. Treat people like and idiot.
It helps build trust.
Don't care about your branding. All I care about is finding someone to do all the office work for me. You are selling your services not you.
But it's not free. You are paying monthly for something that isn't google friendly and restricts what you can do. Wordpress is free and it gives you so much more freedom to build a site the way you want with thousands of themes to choose from and even more plugins to cover every possible function.
Penelope is the least important part of the business. Your services are paramount - I don't care about you as long as you deliver.
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- Original Poster
- #5
Thank you, I really do appreciate the criticism, even if it does hurt a little because I thought my site looked quite professional, but obviously not.
I've already added a picture and I'll try to deal with the rest of your comments as best I can. A swap to a different platform that I know nothing about is a little scary, but I'll take a look.
Once again, thank you.
I've already added a picture and I'll try to deal with the rest of your comments as best I can. A swap to a different platform that I know nothing about is a little scary, but I'll take a look.
Once again, thank you.
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R
Root 66 Woodshop
@fisicx may hurt a little... but it will help 
With all due respect, the site looked more like a dating application... no offence... the background isn't the best ... it looks like a badly wallpapered house... sorry... and are you offering your services in administration or flower arranging?
Everyone has an opinion on what looks professional... and everyone's opinion is quite different... but by having a blank background, i.e. plain white or even slate grey would make you stand out more... if that makes sense?
With all due respect, the site looked more like a dating application... no offence... the background isn't the best ... it looks like a badly wallpapered house... sorry... and are you offering your services in administration or flower arranging?
Everyone has an opinion on what looks professional... and everyone's opinion is quite different... but by having a blank background, i.e. plain white or even slate grey would make you stand out more... if that makes sense?
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- Original Poster
- #7
Thank you, I appreciate your honesty. Perhaps I should switch sites as was suggested earlier and start again!@fisicx may hurt a little... but it will help
With all due respect, the site looked more like a dating application... no offence... the background isn't the best ... it looks like a badly wallpapered house... sorry... and are you offering your services in administration or flower arranging?
Everyone has an opinion on what looks professional... and everyone's opinion is quite different... but by having a blank background, i.e. plain white or even slate grey would make you stand out more... if that makes sense?
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Lets go back to basics.
How do you plan to market your business?
How will your website fit into the marketing plan?
What incentives are you offering a potential client?
How are you going to convert the website visitor into a client?
There are zillions of online tutorials, forums and advice sites to get you started. Or you can ask here. Or contact one of the many UKBF members for help. Most wont charge you for a phone call.
How do you plan to market your business?
How will your website fit into the marketing plan?
What incentives are you offering a potential client?
How are you going to convert the website visitor into a client?
No. Wordpress is free. Themes are free. All you need is some hosting and that can be cheap as chips.
There are zillions of online tutorials, forums and advice sites to get you started. Or you can ask here. Or contact one of the many UKBF members for help. Most wont charge you for a phone call.
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It really all begins with your marketing plan. There are thousands of VA in the UK and many more worldwide all competing with each other. No point in going head to head so you need to look at alternatives.
For example, you could target one type of trade or self employed roofers or mobile nail technicians or whatever. You then start building up contacts and lists and cold call, send mailshots, follow them on FB and so on. If done properly they may never need to visit your website.
For those that do the message on the website needs to match the messages in your marketing.
It's not easy and can take many, many months to even get your first client.
For example, you could target one type of trade or self employed roofers or mobile nail technicians or whatever. You then start building up contacts and lists and cold call, send mailshots, follow them on FB and so on. If done properly they may never need to visit your website.
For those that do the message on the website needs to match the messages in your marketing.
It's not easy and can take many, many months to even get your first client.
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- Original Poster
- #13
I did actually start off targeting the construction industry as the business I've been running for the past 12 years was in that industry so I know it pretty much inside out. However I changed my mind because I though I was limiting myself too much, but it sounds like that was the wrong decision to make. So that's answered the first question. Thank you!
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You need to use Wordpress on your own hosting.
Before you do that though, take a few steps back and work out a bit of a marketing plan. There are a lot of VA's in the country and your current site doesn't even hint at the fact that you know how to compete. Don't just design another site and get it wrong again. It's not the platform that's failed, it's the fact you're putting the cart before the horse and designing a site with no strategic direction.
Before you do that though, take a few steps back and work out a bit of a marketing plan. There are a lot of VA's in the country and your current site doesn't even hint at the fact that you know how to compete. Don't just design another site and get it wrong again. It's not the platform that's failed, it's the fact you're putting the cart before the horse and designing a site with no strategic direction.
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1) the style is all wrong - it screams interior designer
2) the site wording is just too fluffy, VA's should come across as efficient machines
I disagree with @fisix people don't know what a VA is - as in there are many flavours, calendar keepers, book keepers, call takers, email screeners - and not all VAs are the same - pick your sweet spot tasks and push them forward.
2) the site wording is just too fluffy, VA's should come across as efficient machines
I disagree with @fisix people don't know what a VA is - as in there are many flavours, calendar keepers, book keepers, call takers, email screeners - and not all VAs are the same - pick your sweet spot tasks and push them forward.
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- Original Poster
- #20
Thank you for your advice. I have now had the error or my ways explained to me and I understand what it is I need to do/say. I'm in the process of setting up my hosting (thanks to fisic x) and once that's sorted, I'll go about setting up a completely new site, on WordPress, which hopefully won't get too much criticism when I ask the same question again!
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V
Victoria_V
Hi Penelope,
Your website is lovely but I do agree that it can be improved.
Just a couple of things that caught my eye:
1) You want your fonts to be consistent! Go with two or three fonts (one for main text, and one or two for headings)
2) See if you want a 'cleaner' design, make it more neutral. I love your logo so definitely keep that -- it adds personality -- but the rest should be as neutral as possible. Look at Squarespace, Wix and Weebly for layout and design inspo
3) Work on redesigning your landing page: putting text over an image makes it really hard to read. If you're someone like me (who stares at their computer all day) then you probably won't even bother reading it as it is too hard on your eyes.
Your website is lovely but I do agree that it can be improved.
Just a couple of things that caught my eye:
1) You want your fonts to be consistent! Go with two or three fonts (one for main text, and one or two for headings)
2) See if you want a 'cleaner' design, make it more neutral. I love your logo so definitely keep that -- it adds personality -- but the rest should be as neutral as possible. Look at Squarespace, Wix and Weebly for layout and design inspo
3) Work on redesigning your landing page: putting text over an image makes it really hard to read. If you're someone like me (who stares at their computer all day) then you probably won't even bother reading it as it is too hard on your eyes.
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Don't get bogged down in design. Making it look pretty is a 10 minute job that any idiot can do. You need to think about your business and marketing objectives and go from there. People start with logos and colours when they don't know what they are doing. It doesn't matter what your logo looks like, what fonts you use, what colour it is, or what you call it. If your marketing strategy was solid you could call it 'really crappy VA services Ltd' and still get more work than you could handle.
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- Original Poster
- #27
I'm sorry but I find that quite OFFENSIVE! I was asking for criticism on my website, not on how I look! I hate having photos taken, hence I didn't originally have a photo on there, but it was put on because of advice from @fiscx, who I have tried to listen to in re-drafting the site, and that was the best I had. If a potential customer is going to be that stupid about accepting me to do their work because I'm not wearing a business jacket, which I don't actually possess, then they are welcome to pass on by!
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V
Victoria_V
What she has on the website makes her look approachable, friendly, and confident. It's 2019, you really don't have to wear a blazer in order to look professional. She's not applying for a corporate job after all, and it's not LinkedIn where everyone's profile photo looks the same.
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V
Victoria_V
I think he's trying to say that you're spending more time on redesigning the website and working out the visuals, whereas the important part is setting the right foundation for your business, i.e. who are your prospective customers, what are your strengths (that is, what makes you stand out from the rest of the VAs out there), etc. It's like you need to have some sort of structure first, and then build up on that.
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T
The Byre
I'm sorry to have offended you but how you look is important. Whether you wear a jacket, a T-shirt or Indian headdress is irrelevant to me - the picture is of holiday snapshot quality and you are trying (I assume) to present an image of business-like efficiency. I suggested a jacket to cover the bare shoulders that suggests a holiday pic.
No, it looks like a holiday snapshot of her squinting into the sun, taken by a friend using a phone.
I absolutely agree and here at Byre Towers, we all bum around in jeans and T-shirts or hoodies. Not a suit or even a casual jacket to be seen anywhere. And staff pics and pics and videos of the place reflect that attitude - but they were all taken by a good professional photographer and film crew.
Penelope, genuine potential customers are looking for reasons to use your services - BUT they are also looking for reasons to NOT use your services. Give them the first, but don't give them the second!
This!
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- Original Poster
- #34
Thanks Victoria (and for your support about dress), but I actually wrote all the content first before even thinking about the visuals. I wasn't even told how to do that part until I'd written most of the pages. I thought I'd said who my prospects were, sole traders or small businesses in the construction industry and I've set out everything (that I can think of at the moment) in terms of what I can do for them, but that will get added to as things come into my head, it's still a work in progress after all as I only started this process a few days ago. I've stated my strength, that I have 13 years experience of running a construction business and that I have 15 years experience of Quickbooks software. I don't really understand what else I'm supposed to do? I've looked at other VA websites and, now knowing what I do from this exercise, they're far worse than mine!?
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V
Victoria_V
@fiscx explained it better here: https://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/website-review.398886/#post-2940081
It does say on the website that you have experience running a small business in the construction industry, but see if you can make it more targeted. Seeing as you know the industry inside out, you can use that to market your services -- show, don't tell. Talk more about your experience in the construction industry. At the moment it just says you have experience, but I would elaborate on that.
Also, I would align the image on the right side of the screen so it doesn't interfere with the text on the left.
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On your homepage it now says :
Back in 2007, I set up a Limited Company for a small specialist window installation business and I single-handedly ran the administrative side of that business for 13 years
That reads as you ran it until a date into the future. i.e. next year!
Just delete the words "for 13 years" as it will sound more honest. As soon as I see a glaring error somewhere I start wondering what else may be wrong too.
Back in 2007, I set up a Limited Company for a small specialist window installation business and I single-handedly ran the administrative side of that business for 13 years
That reads as you ran it until a date into the future. i.e. next year!
Just delete the words "for 13 years" as it will sound more honest. As soon as I see a glaring error somewhere I start wondering what else may be wrong too.
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And that pretty much sums up why you are never going to actually get to the point at which the site is any good. You are jumping from one idea to another, then back again when someone on the forum suggests you should. Actually, its more fundamental than that; you aren't having a web design problem, it's a business strategy problem.
You have tried to think about your targeting, which is the right thing to do, but you have nowhere near done enough. For a start you have only done at best half a job because you have only thought about who you want to target, not what you are targeting them with.
You are offering far too many services. What concerns me the most is that you are offering accountancy services (VAT, payroll etc), as well and marketing assistance and social media help. We know for a fact you know nothing about marketing, so why should we believe you know any more about the other services you offer? You won't find many clients happy for you to just have a go at their VAT returns and hope you get it right. I also notice that you have a ridiculously low level of professional indemnity cover and it doesn't actually mention what you are covered for. I bet you aren't covered for all the services you offer.
The whole site gives the impression you are just having a crack at it, but don't actually really know what you are doing.
The website is your chance to persuade potential clients that you are the woman for the job. At the moment it's telling visitors to keep looking, because you don't know what you are doing.
Excuse my bluntness. Sugar coating it won't help. I wasn't going to bother expanding on my earlier posts because you seem to be bouncing around all over the place, but then I thought it was a bit mean to tell you that you are doing it all wrong without actually giving examples of how you could improve.
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