Generating Enquiries

[123domainname]

I passionately believe a commercial website is only as good as the enquiries/leads it creates.

I have recently redesigned our web design site and we've not yet had any enquiries submitted via the site, despite excellent search engine placement.

The address is www.tamba.co.uk

I wanted to get some feedback from you all on where the site could be failing? Also, areas in which it could be developed and improved.

As many of you know, help on these forums is fantastic and it won't be the first time I'll have been assisted so please be assured that I'll happily discuss ideas via live chat on the site with any of you.

As a web design agency we are keen to give the impression to customers that we're about customer care, and websites that work, rather that a company that wishes to sell itself on a big Flash intro which is not always appropriate. I have therefore not included any Flash on the site but lots of hopefully rich content that will encourage visitors to make contact.

Ideas and comments appreciated.

[billiousness]

mac
ie 5
os 9.1

take everything i say with a grain of salt because i haven't slept tonight, it's 4am and i'm cranky. but saying that i still think there is merit and substance in what i have written.

this is something i hate in general about expandable menus and i see it everywhere so don't take this personally but i don't understand why people would have a menu that expands it covers up content. and especially your menu because it cover up the whole page.

also the girl on the front is just the typical cheap $0.50 generic stock style photo that is getting used everywhere at the moment. all the ebook sites overuse this way to much, it just looks cheap. sorry but i think it does. maybe find a photographer that has some unique shots and feature a new one of his shots on your site each week. there are heaps of them on the net that would love expousre it is always something they can put on their resume. this way he gets expousure for free you get images for free. make a joint affiliate arangement with them get unique and "think different"


you are the web shop. you have to excite your potential customers that their site will look as good as yours. i don't think your site really does that. i think there is too much text. we have all read how every web company is going to be different and ad value to our brand/site/company. so my motto now is don't tell us show us! i'm not saying have a flash site or a hugely graphics intensive one, but just have something more than a two colum layout. you need to upsell your services on every page have a latest industry news/ latest company news section, have design tips, have emarketing tips, have a featured client/site, have newsletter sign up intergrated throughtout the site. up sell up sell up sell. go to all those major web shops that charge squillions to develop the online brands of fortune 100's. see what their sites do to lure the customer into paying a fortune and buid trust into the relationship, then replivcate it for your own market positioning. here are some of my fave web shops, designers and online brand development companies that i just raided from my faves. there are thousands more but these are good start.
http://www.frogdesign.com/
http://www.tangdesign.co.uk/
http://www.hellodesign.com/flash/index.html
http://www.digiknow.com/
http://www.4guys.com/
http://www.designkitchen.com/
http://www.lookandfeel.com/
http://www.mdavidson.com

i hope this helps somewhat

[mmj]

Hi,

I'd just like to point out that this is not the correct forum for giving and receiving website design reviews.

Please limit your advice to advice related to promotion and marketing of the site. You must avoid giving advice related to the design or operation of the site itself.

If we feel that the discussion would be better suited to the Website Reviews forum, we will close the discussion.

Thanks

mmj
Community Advisor

[georgina]

Hey 123domainname,

One thing stands out in your post that struck me - you say you haven't received any enquiries via your site. But does this mean that your site hasn't generated any enquiries?

Often if you don't get any mail to enquiries@yoursite.com you may think the site's not working - but the last 5 propsects who rang may well have just been on your site, but wanted to talk to you in person rather than email you.

Maybe you've already done this, but if not: check whether the amount of interest you've had from potential customers has increased since you launched your site.

Also, ask new prospects how they heard about you and whether they've seen your site. It's no big deal, but it might give you an insight into what media your potential clients are exposed to the most frequently (and therefore where you should promote). It may also prove that your site's doing its job - even if people aren't using your contact us form...

Just a couple of ideas
georgina