US Flag web site critique

[basnyd]

1-800usflags.com (http://www.1-800usflags.com/)

Is this site completed or under construction?
The site is completed. It has been up for approximately 1 yr. Will be adding flag poles & brackets in the coming 2 weeks.

Who is your target audience?
Anybody looking to purchase US flags.

How important is it for your site to rank well?
Very important.

How important is usability?
Very important. I know people won't buy if they can locate the item they wish to purchase.

What is the purpose of the site?
Sell

Do you want your code reviewed for errors or improvements?
Yes

Do you want design suggestions?
Yes

All suggestions are welcome! This client has another site that specializes in international flags. 1-800flags.com (http://www.1-800flags.com) I performed some optimization on that site have been able to maintain Top 10 ranking for search term "international flags" on Google for the past 2 years. However, with the site that specializes in US flags, I've been unable to achieve an improved ranking (can't find us in the top 100). I tried to apply what I learned in the first site, but have been unable to duplicate it in the 2nd site.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[basnyd]

Ok, has anyone been able to look at the site? I meet with the client tomorrow and am just trying to figure out what we should be focusing on. Any insite you can shed is greatly appreciated. Thanks,

[ihelpyou]

Sorry about that basnyd, normally the design experts in here jump on things. :)

If you are targeting the term.. US Flags, you only mention that term once in the content and don't mention it at all in your title tag. I did not look at your code.

You really should have a copywriter rewrite the content. A good one can help you a bunch with the sales.

[ihelpyou]

Just noticed something; Your order page is not secure and visitors have to type in their credit card number on it. You really need a secure page and that might be a reason why.

[pielover]

I've been waiting for someone else who is a SEO to comment. I am just an average webmaster. Doug just hits the tip of the iceberg in suggesting a copywriter, though.

The first thing you have to discuss with your client is will someone be willing to buy a flag from him after visiting the site. The home page offers a flag expert, yet the product pages don't look like he wrote a word of it. And there aren't even pictures of the product. And the products sound like something I could get at Home Depot.

Why not have him write a couple paragraphs about each flag, telling why he likes it and why the visitor should have one. Make him sound like an expert. Like this:

"This is a classic 3x5 US flag that you can't just pick-up anywhere. I've selected because of its high quality materials that ensure longevity..."

This also allows you better opportunity to get longer pages with more text volume, something an SEO would suggest.

Follow Google's advice (http://http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html) : Create a useful, information-rich site and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.

[Blue]

Hi basnyd...

Oops, I saw your post when you posted it and meant to come back....

So, here are some suggestions:

The first thing that strikes me is the fact that your toll free number doesn't match up with your domain name. It's no big deal and not something I would worry about, but it did strike me.

Design Layout:

The navbar buttons are hard to read. I would suggest a more contrasting color than black for the lettering on the buttons.

I would expect to see some flags waving in my face right on the home page. Not clip art, but some awe inspiring photos of your actual products waving proudly against a blue sky or some purple mountains majesty...

The same holds true for your inner pages - I would want to see some photos of the products.

In your "Contact Us" info, bold the 1-800 number to make it stand out, especially as it's your main way of ordering.

There's a bunch of white space at the bottom of most pages that could be eliminated.

The black text on the red background of your Order Form is slightly hard to read.

Usability:

All text is clearly legible.

Navigation is easy, or will be if you make the navbar buttons easier to read.

Make the "Order" button stand out so visitors can see it clearly.

You need to seriously re-think your ordering process. Security is a big issue as Doug has mentioned.

I clicked on your order form without having input any info and the form went through. You should have a script that does not allow one to submit the form without the proper info being input. Inexperienced users may think they've ordered something when they haven't.

I would expect to be able to order any one of your products directly from it's own page without having to remember what I wanted to order and then click to the order form to put it in.

This is a big usability issue. You should investigate some shopping cart solutions & a merchant account (ask your bank if they have one).

Or, if you don't feel you need or want a merchant account, look at PayPal or 2Checkout (or a similar service). Either of these two would provide a very user friendly and secure ordering system. You should be able to do it in-house or hire a designer on the cheap.

Code:

I didn't really see any problems with your code, though it could be "tightened up" a bit.

In addition, you could use the table trick (search in these forums) to get your text above your navbar in the code (PM me if you need some assistance in this).

****

Overall, the site has lots of potential. :cheers:

[scottiecl]

I saw your post and meant to come back to it as well- sorry!

You could use more copy on your home page, broken down into headings. The web is different from print- people tend to skim the headings to see if they want to read any further. Better still, if each heading relates to (and links to) a page with more information about that topic, it will help users and SE's.

For example the current text could be broken into the following headings:

US Flags for Every Need
About 1-800 US Flags
Contact us at 1-800 US Flags

Or something similar, assuming US Flags is your targeted keyphrase.

Agree with Blue: you definitely need more images and the black on red is too low-contrast for readability.