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Please help with website review: www.blackstoneoutdoorgear.com

 
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TomBOG

posts: 15

Jan 23, 2008 12:46 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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I started this venture almost two years ago, and we are yet to turn a profit. Our product is called the Bedroll Protector. It is the only product on the market designed to keep you and your sleeping bag clean and dry. We have gotten a few favorable reviews from magazines and such, but still haven`t been selling hardly any of them online. I`m perplexed as to why we`re not selling any. Everyone that has used the product thinks that it`s just great. The only less than favorable review we got was from a fellow called the Gear Junkie. Can one person have that much bad influence?
 
Anyway, I just found the SUN website and would really appreciate any help. Is it the website that is dropping the ball? The company logo? The product name?
 
Also, if there`s anything I can do to help anyone out, please let me know.
 
Sincerely,
Tom Wandel
President
Blackstone Outdoor Gear LLC


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Tom Wandel
President
Blackstone Outdoor Gear LLC
http://www.blacktoneoutdoorgear.com
No More Wet Sleeping Bags! Bedroll Protector
vwebworld

posts: 1237

Jan 23, 2008 1:36 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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The good news is a search on bedroll protector yielded good results.
 
A few thing about your site:
You use an image on your home page for product text rather than "real` text.
There is no alt image tag for the image either. I suggest you change that so you have searchable text on the home page with images of the product.
 
Your title tag is way too long. Search engines will not read/use the whole title. Pick your most important search terms and use that in your title.
 
While I can buy the product online through your site, I can also purchase it onlie at at least one other website.  So, I guess the question is what is your prefered method to sell the product through your website or through other retail outlets? I`m assuming your goals is to sell your product no matter what the method (you site or others).
 
Testimonial are good to have... you might also pursue outdoor blogs and forums to get reviews/comments about your product. You might need to send a sample to the person.
 
~Roland
 
 


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Web Design | Best Beef Jerky | ecommerce articles | Follow vwebworld on Twitter
bizenez

posts: 8

Jan 23, 2008 8:26 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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I`ve looked over your website and heres what I noticed. It`s always a great idea to put a picture on the front page showing your product in use, but in this case the layout isn`t all that good at all.

The logo on the top doesn`t really stand out and say, look at me, I`m a reputable brand. I`d suggest a remake of the logo to where it stands out and makes a major statement about what your brand is all about. Remember that a logo is the first thing that a person will see when they visit your site. So make sure that it sticks in their mind.
 
I`d also suggest reworking the buttons so that they really show up and that people get tempted to click on them. A suggestion would be to add a better graphically picture on the front page showing a nice nature background with a person on it using the product. Make sure it`s alot bigger than the pictures that you`re using and of high quality. The way you have it now, theres a bunch of small pictures of low quality. And make sure you add a nice headline such as an advertisement. Such as, as featured in ATV Magazine that links to the page with the advertisement. This will encourage visitors to click the link.
 
Make sure you also add links on the bottom of the page. This helps increase your search engine ratings and makes it easier for your visitors to find their way around without having to scroll to the top of the page to visit other pages. Another point, that I saw that was mentioned, is add your alt tags to all images and links. This also helps search engine spiders find you, but also helps your site be more accesible to people with impaired vision.
 
And make sure that you take the as featured part of the top of the page. It not only makes the layout unprofessional but also takes away from the product featured. Id suggest adding these adds to the bottom of the page or the side depending upon how you lay your page out, or add them to a whole new page all together. Just make sure that you place the link in the right spot and create a compelling ad to create attention. Id also suggest adding the testimonials on the front page, prefferable on the side, maybe even scrolling. This will establish your company as reputable right from the start without having the visitors looking all over for them.
 
If possible try to get a SSL certificate on your site showing visitors that your site is safe. This will help make them feel more secure, seeing that alot of sites are fake these days and spammers are everywhere.
 
And last but not least, make sure you have a secure shopping cart thats encrypted. It can make all the difference.
 
Think about sosme of those points for a bit and if you have any questions feel free to ask me at contactbizenez@bizenez.com
CampSteve

posts: 1216

Jan 23, 2008 11:24 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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All technical and layout issues aside, I think the main issue with your site is its thematic ambiguousness.  What I mean by this is it`s trying to be an outdoor gear store AND trying to be a one-product website.  However, it`s failing in both.  Let me explain.

1. The site is called Blackstone Outdoor Gear.  You have an assortment of outdoor gear on the site - tents, sleeping bags, rope and other random stuff.  There`s even a logo for this Blackstone company.

But... the selection of gear is poor with very few items overall.  Consumers like choice and you hardly provide it.  I suspect your slim pickings will quickly send a customer over to REI.com, Campmor.com or even Amazon.  And your branding has little feeling for the outdoors.

2. The site focuses on your "featured product" which really is your company`s one product - the bedroll.  I assume this is what you`re really wanting to sell.  You have the big graphic explaining the product and it has its own logo too.

But... because of the site`s split personality, you are actually downplaying your main product by mixing it in with the meager selection.  The name of the site has no attachment to this product.  The site simply doesn`t seem like it`s even about the bedroll.


I hope you can understand what I`m saying.  The site is ambiguous.  It`s not taking a strong position on anything, even your own product.

So what should you do?  I think you ought to get rid of the other camping products completely and make your site about your product only!  Get some good copywriting done.  Get some fantastic photos.  Make the site feel outdoorsy and inspire people to want to get out and camp (with your product).  Get a new URL for your site like campingbedroll.com or something like that.  "Blackstone" means nothing to your customers - it`s just another company name.  Talk only about the bedroll and somewhere on your `about` page, you can say that it`s made by Blackstone Outdoor Gear.

Today`s markets are finding success through niches.  You have a niche product but you are trying to market it like a big outdoor company.  That`s not working.  Focus on the niche and you will find customers.
CampSteve

posts: 1216

Jan 23, 2008 11:31 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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Also...  On your testimonials page, you show an image from what looks like a postcard from a customer.  That`s cool to show but I would crop off the photo of a freshly shot dead animal.  It seems like you are getting some sales from the hunting crowd, which is cool.  But I will tell you that dead animals will turn away consumers with a different kind of outdoor-loving mindset.  Your product shouldn`t look like it takes a stand on this controversial issue - unless of course you want to market to primarily hunters and not other campers.  Just a thought.
TomBOG

posts: 15

Jan 24, 2008 12:57 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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Wow! What eye-opening advice! Unfortunately, and obviously, web copy and design is not my forte. I know my product and am very passionate about it. Where can I get good, honest, quality, help with this website for a reasonable price?
     I read through all the responses many times, and I`m taking alot from it, but I really think I need some expert skill at implementing it. My current website company only does exactly what I tell them to do. If I`m not on the mark on my end, the same thing comes out in the website. Right now, the only direct control I have over the website is the use of Adobe Contribute. Problem is, the capabilities of this software are limited, as are my abilities.
     Thanks again for all the great advice. I`m so glad I finally found this website! :)
 
Oh, also. Right now I`m working on completely revamping and updating our Bedroll Protector product. I hope to unveil it soon. I think it`s imperative that the website be 110% when this product is "relaunched".


-------------------------

Tom Wandel
President
Blackstone Outdoor Gear LLC
http://www.blacktoneoutdoorgear.com
No More Wet Sleeping Bags! Bedroll Protector
creativelyse

posts: 75

Jan 24, 2008 8:44 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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Content wise, it`s a little light. You have words hyphenated that shouldn`t be, and also are using & in your copy (on the About Us page). From a copywriter`s standpoint, it can use a little tweaking:)
CraigL

posts: 9051

Jan 25, 2008 12:23 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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I`m liking Steve`s advice. I read your post, visited the site, and assumed I would see a site devoted to this bedroll protector. Having been into camping as a kid, I remember a traumatic experience of getting soaked on a rainy night. I wished I had something to prevent that, back then, and it didn`t exist.

So ferget about the camping stuff---ten million places sell that stuff. Focus on your "cool factor" and build the site around the protector.

What isn`t at all good is that when I click on your home page picture of the device, nothing happens. You at least...!...should have a link taking me to a Features page, where you describe in detail, all the wonderful things I`ll get when I buy one.

Your site description (meta tag) is badly written, not only with the initial caps on each word, but just in general. I`d suggest a copywriter to at least make it better Remember, this description will more often than not be used as the summary of your site in search-engine results listings. Right now, it isn`t compelling, and it should be! Again, the "cool" factor. (By the way, never start a sentence with "which.")

I also think perhaps your keyword list might be a bit long, but that`s a judgement call. I put in "bed roll protection" and you showed up. But I put in "sleeping bag protection" and you weren`t there. I suppose a lot of people call it a bedroll, but most folks I know call it a sleeping bag. You should be covering both conventions, right? As it is, your "bedroll" hit only showed up due to luck, because someone has the term in a testimonial.

So your SEO (search-engine optimization) could use some work.

If I understand it right, your company is devoted to finding solutions to campers` problems. Your products are innovative, but other than the protector, you`re selling someone else`s run-of-the-mill items, like the Coleman first aid kit.

What I`d suggest would be to have a whole section of the site devoted to "Camping Solutions & Tips." Make it a forum, if you`d like, and open the door to people who have innovative or ingenious ideas for things. When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the idea of dipping wooden match-heads in paraffin to make them waterproof.

I saw some show about RV camping, where people demonstrated their ideas for solving space and room problems. It was amazing, and I was constantly saying to myself, "Damn...that`s a great idea!" Why not capitalize on that on your site, and "oh....by the way...here`s a product we make that`ll solve yet another problem." Y`know?
TomBOG

posts: 15

Jan 28, 2008 12:17 AM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
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Yes, yes, yes! I`m definitely understanding the points and corrections that need to be made. Now, how can I find a company/someone I can trust to get this thing right? Should I attempt to do it myself? Will I need programming software to make it happen? I would also need to train myself to use the software.
     I guess I really need someone to help me "get the website right" so I can focus on the product and promotion outside of the web.
     I really appreciate all the help I`m receiving here, but I guess I still need some shoving in the right direction.
 
Thanks!


-------------------------

Tom Wandel
President
Blackstone Outdoor Gear LLC
http://www.blacktoneoutdoorgear.com
No More Wet Sleeping Bags! Bedroll Protector
bizenez

posts: 8

Jan 28, 2008 7:50 PM ET    Quote  Report Abuse
Points: 0   Vote
E-mail me at contactbizenez@bizenez.com. I will give you some free advice and tell you how to fix it. If you still feel like you need help I will direct you to a reputable design company. But first let me try to help you with free advice before you get burned.
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