Microsoft Office Live Small Business Community

Hello! I own a Utah Based delivery service (www.MeatManUSA.com). I have about 1400 customers statewide. I am having a hard time with new customers calling to order from my site anybody have any input?

Hello David B,  You have a great looking partner!  However, my impression while reading your home page was, what is he selling exactly and how would I order if I wanted to?  You have a variety of information on your site and it needs to be reorganized to show it off to the best advantage.  Here are a few suggestions for your site:

1. Use your home page to make me hungry.  Include information which clearly states the nature of your business, your service area and how to contact you, but not on the top of the page. 
2. Organize your meat related pages under one navigation tab.
3. Have one tab for everything about how to order.  It needs to be near the top of the list and accessed by links on every meat related page.
4. Freezers are relevant to your business, but put them all on one page.
5. I'd include the birdhouses and your partner information on the about us page.  I like the personal nature of the page, but I believe that there need only be one page like this on the site.
6. Cooking tips and recipes should be on one page or section.

Most of my suggestions are about navigation.  You are not limited to one level of navigation.  You can organize tabs under a main list of tabs.  You can also link to pages within your site with hyperlinks.  My site uses no navigation tabs whatsoever.  Everything is linked with hyperlinks.

As for page design, does your wife enjoy scrapbooking?  If so, have her get in on the fun and think of each website page as a scrapbook page to design and decorate.  Best wishes.

Hi David.  You are asking the question of the ages, and when you find the answer, there are a whole bunch of people on these boards who will want to hear from you. 

One approach to consider is deciding what it is you want to accomplish with your site.  Your question is about generating customer calls, but your site seems to be about ordering on-line.  At least I think that's the case, although you really don't go all the way with that.  There is no real shopping cart system there right now.  Also, I don't find a detailed product/price list anywhere.

If generating calls is your goal, and this would be a great way to get started, then you might approach your site the same way you would a yellow page ad.  Make it brief and to the point.  I would suggest trimming the whole site back to the bare essentials.  Right now, there are more pages than you really need.  You will want to get to the point with your message using as little space and time as possible.  Use bulleted lists and small images on your home page to give the visitor a "taste" of your service.  Remember, even a "meat market" site can be a thing of beauty, and that will attract customers.  Besides your home page, include pages for About Us, testimonials and perhaps FAQ's, and Contact Us.

Here are some things I would include:

1. Make it easy to contact you by phone, mail or email.  Web visitors will want to use email.  Put your contact info on every page.
2. Provide a sign-up for a price list and delivery schedule.  An alternative would be to publish it in your document gallery with a link so that visitors can view and/or print it.
3. Consider a newsletter that people can subscribe to on your site.  This would be a good place for the recipes and also a good source of calls.  Consider an email newsletter which would be easy to compose and distribute with minimal costs.
4. I would focus on generating calls right now and leave the on-line shopping for later when you are ready to develop if fully.

I am not a "business guy," but I am a "customer guy" and these thoughts are based on what I would want from your site.  I hope these are helpful.  Good luck.

www.fidalgoweather.net
Check the Masters Forum for help and good ideas.
For beginners: Getting started with OLSB.

David B,  I am relocating your post to a better forum for your question.

Hello David:

I would streamline the online ordering process to just use PayPal "Buy Now" and "Shopping Cart" buttons. I would get tired of taking orders over the phone real quick.

Gary
New Mountain Tavern		Silver Moon Furniture

Hi David, Here is what I tell people.  Look at the yellow pages, if it were not alphabetized how would you find the product or service you are looking for?  Would you rifle through the pages in hopes of finding what you are in need of?   NO ONE will.  That is what it is like shopping on the internet. 

So the search engines are there to look at your pages and decide where to index your page for what is is selling or providing. 
68% of people shopping online have the belief that those at the top of google or yahoo are the go to guys.  They relate a top position with the top businesses.  what if you were there?  Would that help?

That is one step.  Search Engine Optomization. 

Another step is making your site compelling.  Let us know why you are the Go to Guy and not the Fed Ex or UPS.  Or whom ever you competition is.  Think of it in a way that you would want to buy from someone.  Sometimes this is hard to do as we are the experts on what we do.  Ask a client or friend to help you think of this or even write it for you.   Another great tip is testimonials.  This is a great way to show those looking for your services to believe in you and thus makes them "trust" you more. 

And yet another in the factor is useability or functionality.  Is your site clear on what to do if I am compelled to buy.  Do your forms, buttons, tabs and so forth work and work easily. 

The stats are such that if someone does find your site you will make the sale in 15 seconds or less.  But you will lose them in less if things don't work right. 

Want help with this or someone else to do it for you?  Or if you are just looking for tips that is fine too.  Check out these next few links.

If you are looking for SEO go to www.seoexpertsonlinemt.com

want a site that will do the work for you go to www.takecareofmywebsite.com

Just want info on seo email me at cherij.williams@yahoo.com  For a monthly newletter on helpful tips and hints on seo.  You can also do that at the other site.  Just click on the kalispell pg

 RX Dave,

What is your take on my website? I just started my business and getting into online distro.  I would love to hear what you think.  Please  visit me at www.EvaRosa.com Thanks 

Hi,

You can offer free tickets to a football or baseball game. When the person orders a set amount or more.

Can go to our web site at : http://www.mbprinting2.com to order your tickets for this promotional.