Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi Friends,



I have been working on my website for weeks and it`s still not inspiring or as professional as I want it to be.

I paid more than $1000 for a website from Heritage Web Solutions and the site they made for me was worse than the one a created and I hired someone local who hasn`t gotten back to me with a website.

So, I don`t know if I should tweak my site to make it better or do I just need to roll the dice with a new design team?

Here`s what I would like to ask for in the critique?

1. On a scale of  1 to 10 Does it explain what the product is? Is the copy writing effective?
2. On a scale of 1 to 10  How much does the product interest you?
3. On a scale of 1 to 10 Does the website sell?
4. On a scale of 1 to 10 How professional is the design and functionality?
5. On a scale of 1 to 10 How is the website overall?

Of course I would like more than just a number. If you could leave comments, advice and recommendations that would be wonderful.

I truly believe I have a great product. But if the website looks bad it will never get off the ground. And web design is not my thing. But with all the trouble I`ve had with web designers I don`t know what to do.

Thank you so much for all of your help.

The website is www.efuelclub.com

I get the idea immediately, so that`s a 10.

My major question is how you expect to guarantee that I`ll "never" pay more than $2.99 per gallon. Many people expect gas to go to $5/gal by this winter, and probably higher next year.

On the one hand, if I`m absolutely guaranteed the $2.99, then five years from now this would be an astounding benefit. Exactly that: astounding.....and unbelievable.

From a persuasive direction I`d give the site about a 3.

As to the overall "feel" of the site, it`s about a 5. I`m not all that thrilled with the "click here" and "click here" interrupting the flow of the discussion. It works, but not smoothly or elegantly. I`d rather have a menu option to the left, or a tab on top that gives me the areas of interest all in one place.

Ah...I just noticed the "menu" up there on the right. It`s hard to read, easy to miss, so that should likely be made more "traditional." I read the FAQ, and again, my biggest question is who`s doing all this guaranteeing?

Steven2005law,
I took a look at your web site, and your message is very convincing.... Does that prepaid card really works?
Jesus! if it does... I surely need the Corporate account one... I am spending about 600.00 a month... I kid you not. Mind you I have a 4 cylinder that I use to travel back and forth from customers, seeing new customers and so forth.

Just this week, monday thu Thursday, I`ve already spent about $178.00, I live in California... The Current temperature during the day is around 95 to 107 degrees, so I have to have my A.C. on. and since the everything is so spread out, I catch myself on the road most of the day.

Here is the thing though, after visiting your web site, the message is  very convincing but the design is what makes me think a little. I am sorry for all the trouble you`ve been going through trying to get your web site up and running.

Some of my customers had problems with Heritage Web Solutions, and ever since they came along, they`ve been reaping in the rewards.

Steven, F.Y.I, web design shouldn`t have to be expensive if its done right the first time. And trusting just any web designer is not the proper approach to getting your business up and running. Again, you have a good product, but you`re missing the most important part and that is the design.




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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net

Hey just visited your site and it looks interesting.

Ratings:
1. 8, it clearly explain the purpose of the product
2. 10, with the rapid increase of fuel today, obviously everyone wants to save money from fuel.
3. 8, I think your information and FAQ explains it further
4. 6, It look to simple, maybe adding more design could make it look better.
5. 8



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Craig asks how you expect to guarantee the price.  Edgar asks if it really works.  Roland says it sounds "too good to be true" (in marketing, that`s not a good thing).

Everyone ,


 Thank you all for the responses.

Here are the main issues you have given me so far.

1. Menu design and click here wording.

                I will take out the click here and just make it a link.

               On the menus I will try to put them in a different location that is easier to find and follow.

2. The website doesn`t feel legitimate, persuasive and sounds too good to be true.

      This is similar to the program that Dodge/Chrysler is doing with their Let`s Refuel America Program www.Chrystler.com/en/refuel and their $2.99 cards. The only catch with them is you have to buy a car.              

     The program is actually a Pricelock program pricelock.com. This is the company Chrysler uses to administer the Refuel America Cards and is the company we use to administer fuel cost.

      We have created a really great program and it works great.
   
     Here`s the issue, I don`t want to say (and I`m sure we wouldn`t be allowed to say) on our website, "hey guys its the same program as Chrysler’s" but we need to have our customers believe this is a real and legit Program.
 
   In the next few months there will be fuel clubs popping up all over we`re just first at the table with this.

   So, to make it more believable I should do what?


  I will break down the membership cost/gallons of fuel, so that will be more understandable. But with the average person buying 50 gallons of gas per month (which is much higher in some states) the membership cost adds 40 cents to the price of the gas. Which is still a savings of 60 cents or more in some areas, but not as much in others.

  Also, I will have to be clear that this is a one year guarantee and that the following year the price may increase or decrease. These contracts are purchased on a futures market and a 12 month contract is obtainable. But after 12 months a new contract would be established.

 I will also try to put in weekly price updates by region.


Please post, email or call me if you have any other ideas or questions. I really do want to make this work and get this information out.

Thank you for your replies.

Ah....the 1-year guarantee brings it all into focus, I think. LOL!! I had visions of it being 2015 and I`m paying $2.99 for gas, where the gas stations "could have" been getting $8.95/gallon.

I think you should make it a heading, that it`s per year. So something like, "Lock in a Price for an Entire Year!"

Regarding the Pricelock connection to Chrysler, you almost assuredly can use implied language to get around the explicit references to Chrysler. For example:


What you`re doing is tying in `car` and the idea of latest commercials, but you`re never saying in writing that it`s Chrysler (or whomever). Nor are you specifically naming Pricelock.com.

I think with the annual timeframe, and maybe just a little bit of tweaking to the content, you`ll cover that "too good to be true." From there, the site looks okay but I wouldn`t spend even more money to have it redone. It works, and that`s the main thing....right? :-)

CraigL

   Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

    That`s what I needed. Those changes will be made immediately. Do you mind if I use the example wording you suggested on our site?

  Once again, thank you for your input.

:-) Whatever I write here on SuN is free for the copying. Ergo, use whatever you want with no encumberances at all. Let me just clean it up a bit, since the first time around I was just typing off the top of my gleaming nearly-bald head. :-)

Stress that the key here is budgeting---no surprises. Right now, you don`t know if gas will be $4.50 by the end of the summer or $5. Nor do you know if 1 year from now it`ll be $7 or $5.89 per gallon.

To that end, you can`t set aside money in a budget to cover your expected future purchases. With a 1-year guarantee on prices, you can also develop the budget to handle that expense. So it isn`t about buying gas cheaper; we`re showing that the numbers aren`t all that spectacular.

Instead, it`s about being able to set aside money for a projected annual expense in an extremely volatile market. If you wanted to get even more sophisticated, you could have an article page that connects this program with dollar-cost-averaging when entering the stock market and investments. It`s a gamble.

The big problem I see is that for someone selling cars, it`s a great incentive. But for gas stations themselves, they already can sell their entire inventory. It`s a necessary commodity. The program is an incentive to guarantee customers regardless of the price of gas.

The problem is that the customers already are guaranteed. By connecting your program with "nationally known automobile companies," you`re giving it some strength. However; I`d also suggest stressing that soon, this type of "club" will be springing up everywhere. At that point, a lot of gas stations likely will start to drop out. They can`t right now, if they`ve contracted with PriceLock, but they`ll choose not to make future contracts.

So "git while the gittin`s good," is my point. :-D