Wanted: Website Review How's This For Quality Content?

[accelerator]

Taking my own advice for once, I've decided the best way to compete is to try and write very good quality content and see if that can attract links. So, I've taken a while creating this guide to washing machines. It's not finished yet, it's still a work in progress, but how am I doing?

If anyone has any suggestions about additional advice to add, please let me know.

Also, if anyone needs to buy a washing machine, then I hope it's helpful!!

Thanks

 

[boxfish]

I started reading it and what I read seemed ok but the font is really small, there is very little formatting and the column is really wide. These three combined make it really hard to read for any length of time.

 

[accelerator]

I started reading it and what I read seemed ok but the font is really small, there is very little formatting and the column is really wide. These three combined make it really hard to read for any length of time.

Thanks for the feedback. Font is 80% Arial so I'm a bit surprised you're finding it small.

All my pages will autostretch to the size of the monitor. I made a decision years ago to do that rather than use fixed pixel width. I appreciate it may not be ideal on larger monitors, but you'll see it resizes if you resize your window.

Thanks again.

 

[saberace]

I like!

Clearly well researched and adds value to however is reading it. Maybe for aesthetic reasons you could wrap a strong tag around the text prior to the hyphens in the 'Useful Features for Washing Machines' section to make sections easier to scan. I also think I read somewhere that a strong tag can help a small bit with SEO by adding a little bit of extra 'weight' to the keyword.

 

[dashu1]

I can't help but think that if you were genuinely trying to provide useful information for consumers, you wouldn't stick a load of links and banners after the first paragraph to send them somewhere else.

They haven't even got into reading your blurb and you're already trying to get rid of them.

I think in Googles eyes it isn't just the words, it's the intent, and affiliate links throughout a piece of supposedly useful information means it's really just an affiliate page that the writer is trying to disguise.

Add to that the number of times you say washing machine or washing machines, which makes it sound quite un-natural when you read it, and I don't think you're going to get far with it.

However, I hope you do and if it works please let us know, I don't believe 90% of what Google say they're doing anyway.

 

[Ashton]

Compare it to this: http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/laundry-and-cleaning/reviews/washing-machines/

 

[accelerator]

I can't help but think that if you were genuinely trying to provide useful information for consumers, you wouldn't stick a load of links and banners after the first paragraph to send them somewhere else.

They haven't even got into reading your blurb and you're already trying to get rid of them.

Well, I always have links right at the top centre of the page, as I regard it as a hot-zone for clicks.

One thing I would like to investigate is a floating div so that links to merchants can stay visible as users scroll down the page. Anyone know how easy that is?

I'll let you know how I get on with ranking this. If anyone not in this sector wants to help with a link in, then that would be great.

Rgds

 

[accelerator]

Compare it to this

I am aiming to produce a useful guide on a single summary page. One thing I can find a lot of is reviews of individual machines, but it's quite difficult to get a single page "overview", with good summaries of the brands etc. That's what I'm aiming for.

Hopefully the page will eventually be good enough for people to want to spontaneously link to it. That's the key to SERPs results but it's not easy to achieve.

Rgds

 

[doodlebug]

I am amazed at how much content you have done, I couldn't possibly come up with that much, it's like a Squidoo lense on washing machines.

Ashame this article is on low prices though and not something like washingmachines.org.uk

Really good effort

As for the floating div thing, as a web user when I get one of these on a web page it seriously f**king annoys me and I tend to nav away !

Dashu1 > I don't believe 90% of what Google say they're doing anyway.

I'm with you on this mate, I have a very thin WP site with little content which hasn't been updated for 1 year and only as about 3 links in and non out and I don't recall setting the meta info either yet it always ranks at numbers 1 and 2 on Google for its term.

WP + exact match domain = good ranking

 

[Ashton]

I am aiming to produce a useful guide on a single summary page. One thing I can find a lot of is reviews of individual machines, but it's quite difficult to get a single page "overview", with good summaries of the brands etc. That's what I'm aiming for.

Hopefully the page will eventually be good enough for people to want to spontaneously link to it. That's the key to SERPs results but it's not easy to achieve.

Rgds

I see what you mean about the single page, but they have a lot of information there in a clear structure - Like this:

http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-gar...ews/washing-machines/page/features-explained/

Your page has good content and good work on it - might be worth thinking about the presentation of content and how to make it as easily readable and make it flow properly.

 

[accelerator]

I am amazed at how much content you have done, I couldn't possibly come up with that much, it's like a Squidoo lense on washing machines.

Ashame this article is on low prices though and not something like washingmachines.org.uk

Really good effort

As for the floating div thing, as a web user when I get one of these on a web page it seriously f**king annoys me and I tend to nav away !

Thanks doodlebug. The content is far from finished, there will be more going onto the page.

The domains are attractive, but they are both in use. One advantage of it being on LowPrices.co.uk, is that people might remember the url and use it for price comparison, although I have a lot of tweaking of the price comparison engine before it's going to be good enough.

Rgds

 

[accelerator]

Your page has good content and good work on it - might be worth thinking about the presentation of content and how to make it as easily readable and make it flow properly.

I am going to get the bulk of the content down, and then I will address the presentation properly. I agree it needs to be looked at. I will be working on this for the next few weeks / months.

Thanks

 

[Blossom]

I am aiming to produce a useful guide on a single summary page. One thing I can find a lot of is reviews of individual machines, but it's quite difficult to get a single page "overview", with good summaries of the brands etc. That's what I'm aiming for.

When I was researching washing machines, I would've killed for a comparison table to show energy rating, size of load, hand wash option, energy consumption, average price etc. as I had to do it all by hand. If you had that with pictures and names of machines on the left, they could then click through to see the lowest prices from various merchants.

 

[accelerator]

When I was researching washing machines, I would've killed for a comparison table to show energy rating, size of load, hand wash option, energy consumption, average price etc. as I had to do it all by hand. If you had that with pictures and names of machines on the left, they could then click through to see the lowest prices from various merchants.

Thanks for your comments. Pretty difficult to write the comparison engine you refer to. What I want to try and do is improve LowPrices.co.uk existing price comparison and filtering, but that's pretty difficult too!

Rgds

 

[julian]

if your going to put the effort in to writing quality content (which is to be commended) you need to sort that site out - have you ever heard the expression 'polishing a turd'?

I don't feel particually inspired as a user to click on anything.. make it look a bit nicer and both b2b and b2c might want to link/click more.

Taking my own advice for once, I've decided the best way to compete is to try and write very good quality content and see if that can attract links. So, I've taken a while creating this guide to washing machines. It's not finished yet, it's still a work in progress, but how am I doing?

If anyone has any suggestions about additional advice to add, please let me know.

Also, if anyone needs to buy a washing machine, then I hope it's helpful!!

Thanks

 

[doodlebug]

Something I just realised.

Your site is called low prices yet if you set sort by to high-low it shows you fridges at £9000 :shock:

Why don't you limit the top price because them prices conflict with the name low prices ?

 

[accelerator]

if your going to put the effort in to writing quality content (which is to be commended) you need to sort that site out - have you ever heard the expression 'polishing a turd'?

I don't feel particually inspired as a user to click on anything.. make it look a bit nicer and both b2b and b2c might want to link/click more.

OK, fair comments, but hey, I'm trying my best. Up to know I have been a bit unfocused in developing a number of sites, but the idea now is to put more effort into a handful of sites, including LowPrices.co.uk. I think it may still be a bit ambitious to tackle the price comparison market properly, so I'm still working on a handful of other niche sites for easier revenue.

What would you suggest to make the site "look a bit nicer"?

Rgds

 

[accelerator]

Something I just realised.

Your site is called low prices yet if you set sort by to high-low it shows you fridges at £9000 :shock:

Why don't you limit the top price because them prices conflict with the name low prices ?

My site slogan is "Find low prices at top stores", i.e. it's supposed to be a "relatively" low price for a given item, rather than an "absolutely" low price for a cheap to buy item. Personally I think LowPrices.co.uk is a good name which I need to do justice to. Just take a look at the title tag Amazon UK uses and you'll see what I mean.

The idea at the moment is to build traffic through quality content in key areas such as washing machines. Then I'll try and address all the other issues!!

Rgds

 

[Ashton]

What would you suggest to make the site "look a bit nicer"?

I already addressed this in an earlier topic of yours.

Now, lets think about another aspect of the site - design. It's not good, the colours are garish and it looks like it has been designed completely in paint.

Bright green, bright blue, and orange is a hugely clashing combination - people will take one look at that site and click the back button. It doesn't provide value for the user (there is no price comparison, no reviews, no useful content) its just a load of links.

Orange arrows all over the place - this is overload. When I view the site I don't know where I am supposed to focus, so I just don't focus. Good design emphasizes important parts, not everything.

Think of it from google's point of view - they want to help their users find what they are looking for, you are providing a list of links. Google already provides a list of links so what can you do that makes you different?

You also say you want lowprices to be built into a brand - how can it be built into a brand with an image like that?

It doesn't have to be a mammoth task, obviously you have a big network so just create something you can replicate across that network. Think storeburst but with your unique content around. Its a big task, but it is doable and should be done if you want this site to really succeed.

You have done well to improve the content, and add price comparison - Both of which add value to the user.

 

[retired_member36]

A nice amount of content there mate, with regards to the design, why dont you buy a template from template monster?, there are thousands to chose from and they are very professional looking (which is what you need for the type of site your running)

I had a quick look and i know this is off the topic but id see a design like this working well for your kind of site

http://www.templatemonster.com/website-templates/38522.html

Good luck with the developments.