Revamping my home page

[alwayslearning1]

I am not sure if this is the right category to put this so if it needs to be moved an you are experienced with this forum then move it.

I am an affiliate marketer. Don’t panic that does not mean I have back to back products with no content on my site and a hard sell presentation. In fact that is not only offensive to me when I see it, but my research in to online business has made me realize that informing and putting people in to an open to buy mindset is the best way to go.

I have already almost completed moving my products from the home page to separate pages that are optimized. Once this is completed I am considering changing my home page from one that first stresses the difference between my sites and t others to keep people on it, to writing and article or articles with contextual links to my products and possibly other articles thought it that is based on my sites theme. Is this a good strategy or should I use my home page for my best product.

Once all the products text is removed from the home page all that will be left will be content about what makes the site different, what the site offers and the benefits of looking at the rest of it. Should I use that with an article or articles under it in convention that link to products or other articles or just do one main article that has contextual links to products and articles or just do one or two articles on my sites theme with contextual links to products and articles ?

[Quadrille]

Nothing wrong with affilaition, so long as it's done right!

I don't think there's a 'right answer' to your question, and I hope you get a number of views.

Your home page (always domain.com, never domain.com/index.html) is the the most valuable page of your site, and for most visitors (especially those who type-in a remembered name), it will be the first page they see.

For a well optimized site, it will also be the first page seen by the majority of searchers, as you will have optimized it for the 'general' keywords that apply across the site, terms searched for by those who want what you have to sell, but maybe don't know exactly what they want.

So you could liken that page to a shop window, a catalog front page ... something that gives a flavour of your site, and quickly gives people what they want, either because it's THERE or through the navigation.

So good navigation is vital; you need to consider if that is direct to products, or to product categories, or both.

What else? Maybe a special offer, or a new item, so that regular visitors wont think nothing has changed.

Getting the balance of products, product categories and product page links is a matter of judgement.

The second 'vital point' for me, is that section of 'new' content; whenever the site changes, the front page, in some way, should change too.

What you DON'T want is any deep explanation about you or the site; that should be in an 'about' page, not getting in visitors way.

Finally, you need to know who your target audience is, so the 'tone' of the page reflects their values; you need to know if most of your visitors are new - or you have a large core of repeat visitors - Returning teenagers will be put off by an unchanging text-heavy page; over 50s will be put off by a 'busy' active page that looks nothing like it did two months ago!

[alwayslearning1]

Considering this is the internet seeing what someone is talking about would be very help[full. I remember while in radio hearing a sample stations that sounded like what they wanted us to sound like was a big help. Having said that could you give me a few addresses of sites were they are doing what you recommended I do. So many people have stressed content as appose to just presenting products as it looks like you are recommending I want to confirm if that is what you mean or is it smiting else. I have looked at your home page and do not understand how you get good traffic only listening those directories and the links on the site. There is no content. I am not being critical but only confused because you are the first person who has not pushed the content is king idea.

[Quadrille]

Content is king - but that's a site-wide issue; the distribution of content is more of a marketing issue.

A directory is very much a special case; the content is simply links.

But a selling site is very different; you have choices in what you prioritize - go to Amazon (I haven't for a good while), and I'll bet they feature a mixture of categories, products and special offers (read 'news').

The trick is simply to look around; look at your competitors, look at 'big sites' and choose base on what you think works - and what you feel comfortable with.

I really believe there's no 'one' way - but even on my directory site, I mix 'new' items, categories, and a flavour of what's unique about my site - get those three points, and you won't go far wrong.

[g1smd]

>> A directory is very much a special case; the content is simply links. <<

The unique content, is the short description that is attached to each link.

Without extra descriptive content, the site will merely look like a link farm.

[Quadrille]

You are not wrong, but I think that's probably another discussion; I was differentiating directories from, mainly, sales sites, to show why my own front page broke the advice I was giving here ...

[alwayslearning1]

After reading the various post especially the one about Amazon and not wanting to look like a link farm, I don’t understand because if you go to Amazon.com all you will find is extremely shored products and links .An increasable about of links. Does a directory consider them a link farm. If now then why considering this is one of the most commercial, link and ad focused site I have seen with the least content. In my opinion the only way they can get traffic like this is thought there affiliate program because those sites may not be like this. When you answered my question pleas don’t consider there affiliate program as a solution because it will not explain my question. I want to know how they make it with almost nothing but a site of only products with few descriptions and short descriptions when they have them. Plus they have so many links that in itself looks like a link farm to me . Finally if content is king how can an affiliate marketer come up with enough content without looking like Amazon.com. By the way I am not against the idea of content is king but am struggling to use it in regard to my kind of businesses. I hate hyped sites that really do not tell you much.

[ihelpyou]

Amazon has lots more going for it than you or I. They have lots of authority status, which is a big part of any algo.

[alwayslearning1]

As an affiliate I sell in one theme so my target is narrow. Not wanting my site to look like Amazon’s site because the comment about it’s success being largely on how much people are aware of it is likely my site would look like a link farm. Right now all my products are on the navigational bar and the homage talks in vague terms about the kind of products I offer and the benefits of my site.

I am currently considering changing it so quick product reviews in an article presentation and or moving site benefits to the about us page and just giving a broad over view of the site on the home page directing people to the navigation bar.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. My site does have theme base articles on it that can be reached thought the navigation bar.