Web Site Reviews & Critiques

Repair Mistakes Before Your Visitors See Them

by Phil Hanson

Web Site Reviews & Critiques

If your Web site isn't getting the volume of traffic you think it should, and your sales are rare or non-existent, there may be problems with one or more aspects of your Web site that you're not aware of.

Too often, 'Netrepreneurs focus so intently on making money that they become oblivious to the reasons why they're not. Sometimes, it takes a trained, unbiased pair of eyes, looking at Web pages from a fresh perspective, to recognize common errors that keep a Web site from reaching its full potential. Only when mistakes are known to exist can they be fixed.

Written critiques are the perfect solutions for Web site owners who lack the knowledge or skills to detect design, layout, formatting or writing errors. They provide an affordable alternative to hiring expensive professional design services for 'Netrepreneurs who have the skills to fix problems if the problems are pointed out to them.

My critiques are based on a thorough review and analysis of each page on a Web site. They consist of detailed written reports that address all aspects of a Web site's design, content and intended purpose. Such factors as appearance, layout, formatting, graphics, text, site navigation, links and linking strategy, meta tags, affiliate programs, sales pages and ad copy get careful attention, because these are the things that can make, or break, a Web site.

A thorough analysis made during the review of a Web site's pages identifies the flaws and potential problem areas that seem to characterize a majority of small-business Web sites. A good written critique, made in conjunction with the review, not only makes a permanent record of problems, but it also provides suggestions on how to fix them.

Web site reviews, when accompanied by written critiques, play a vital role in revealing and repairing weaknesses that commonly plague e-commerce Web sites. For a variety of reasons, Web site owners often overlook errors that are glaringly obvious to everyone else. The fact that the first thing a Web site visitor does upon arriving at a visually unappealing, user unfriendly, non-professional-looking and benefit deficient Web site is to click away almost always escapes them.

The Web Site Review-and-Critique Process

First, I record how long it takes for your Web page to load into my browser window.

Next, I examine the page for design and layout errors. If I find any, I make note of them and suggest possible fixes.

Then, I look at the page title, headings and sub-headings, paying particular attention to spelling, word usage, context, font styles and sizes and relevancy to the subject matter contained in the body text. Once again, if I encounter errors, I note them and suggest ways to fix them.

The next step is to read the body text to check for spelling, punctuation, grammar and contextual errors and subject relevancy. When I find errors, my critique alerts you to their presence.

A close inspection of the page's source code follows. I give particular attention to the title tag and keywords and description meta tags. This reveals the extent to which the page is search engine optimized and whether it tries to trick the search engines at the expense of meaningful, useful content. I also check that all graphics on a page have "alt" tags.

Now, it's back to the body text to check for keyword density and relevancy. My critique helps you to address any shortcomings.

At this point I look closely at your income strategy, including affiliate programs (or lack of them), sales pages and ad copy, and offer recommendations if they're warranted.

The last step is to check all of the links. Any that are broken, or otherwise defective, are identified in the critique. I also check out your link partners, if you have them, to be sure they're helping your page rank rather than hurting it.

From there, I move on to the next page, where I repeat the process. When I've checked every page on your Web site, using the above procedures, the review and critique process ends.

In summary, my Web site review and critique detects any deficiencies in your Web site's design, layout, graphics and text elements that may be hindering your on-line business efforts, and provides useful information on how to correct them.

You'll find complete information for ordering a site review and critique at the Perfect Text Order Desk.