SITE REVIEW: L.O.F.T. GOLF is begging for your help! ;)

Hello Webmasters! I am looking for some more of your very valued feedback on our site. Here's the thing, we attended two trade shows (PGA Merchandise Show in January & a golf show in Tampa in March) and were very well received. We sold quite a bit of product in Tampa, and even though the PGA was a trade only show (where you weren't really supposed to sell) we did well there, too. We were featured on an ESPN affiliate in Texas as one of the hottest new products at the PGA show. Trust me, I'm not bragging, I'm trying to explain my frustrations regarding our success online. When dealing face to face with the public, we do great, then the show's over, we head back to the office and sell close to zero from our site. We are only seeing approx. 4,000 visitors a month (that's too low), bur even with that we expected to see some more sales! Would you be kind enough to look at our site and let us know what we're doing wrong? We designed the site to be interactive, with a forum (almost no one posts to it) a cart girl competition (we've seen two entrees since last June) and a blog that we can't seem to get listed with google blog search but do see a little activity, but very few comments posted to it. I'm sorry this post is so long but I felt it important to give as much info as possible. One more thing, we know our pictures leave a bit to be desired and will be working on those once spring finally arrives to CT. (We need the courses to green up). Thank you in advance for your input as we really are at the end of our ropes!

In reply to your sales in person compared to the website sales I think you're missing the boat for many reasons.

Think about it this way. When you 1st meet someone in person you're telling them about your service, what you offer and why they should buy from you.

The home page is screaming at visitors with that red paragraph at the top. Also, the text is different fonts, sizes and kinda all mixed up with no common set of fonts. Very distracting.

As for the 4000 visitors, where are you getting them from? Are they coming to your site via related sites, search results?

The photo of the shirt is just not doing it for me. You really need to have 6 items or so on the home page. If you want your site to sell you have to show them things within 15 sec's or less. I'm thinking your bounce rate is very high.

Then the 2nd paragraph is almost begging them to come join the fun. It's just not professional wording and actually from the home page I can't tell what LOFT means till I go to the about us page. In all honesty I'm thinking your target buyer is small percentage as not everyone get's it. Lack Of F...g Talent is tough sale online. Funny in person and more of a impulse buy to me.

I think the idea is good but really has to be presented and packaged on the web to sell. At this point, I'd take the godaddy approach. Hate to say it but sex sells. So, with a few modifications, photos of some hot girls, tank top with carts and maybe I'd do a video of the owners about 20 sec's to make the pitch like you would in person.

The cart girl page.. font at top under photo is really hard to read. Also, do you not have more photos hmm, just noticed the gallery is empty .. I take it this is new? Really need to have more go create them

Back to the home page for a moment, the bottom of the page is just promoting the logo, so much wasted space on the home page in general. You're just loosing their attention.

Take a look at some other sites that sell same types of products, gear etc.. I think if you really want your site to sell you're going to have to redo much of the site. It's not a bad idea, just need to rethink it a little and check those stat's, if the bounce rate is high.. you're loosing them. So, don't promote what's not working.

Hope this helps..

I just got this article in my email..

http://www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnew ... onversions

Thank you very much for your input, Snerdy! I really would like to disagree with your opinions, but can't. We have started to making some of the changes you've suggested and will continue to work on more. We are working on a big photo shoot, some with very attractive women, we're just waiting for CT to turn green again as some of the photos will be outside. I totally agree with the sex sells concept but do not want to offend our female customers. Believe it or not, women do like the brand!

As far as our concept, there are more than 61 million golfers in the world, with less than 15% consistantly breaking 100 so that leaves an untouched market of about 54 million golfers we speak to! Most golfers are self-depreciating and when they discover our brand almost everyone says "wow, that's me!". We purposly are not going after the "I'm a great golfer" market as Nike and so many more own that market.

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to evaluate our site! Your feedback was great! If you think of anything else, I'm all ears!

You're very welcome. And of course, I totally do not want to offend anyone with my remark about godaddy and it's just business. If you watch the Apprentice the women use their own looks to make the sales of ice cream, hot dogs whatever.. all is fair when done in good taste.

I don't play golf so I just looked at your site from a review aspect and what I believed is causing you not to sell.

Why do I not play, when I was 9 I took lessons for 3 days and made a hole in one on the 3rd day. Went home and told my mom I'm done with golf as I've achieved what many seek their whole lives. Said I wanted to save it for retirement. Pretty crazy huh, looking back no regrets but do wonder what I might have become. I was too busy inventing things

I have been golfing for about 12 years and have NEVER gotten a hole in one! You were probably wise to quit "on top". No offense, at all, was taken from the goDaddy, etc. comment. I know sex sells and I am more than happy to look at a beautiful woman selling something. Do you really think I watch Robin Meade, on Head Line News, in the morning to find out what's going on in the world? I am just trying to find that fine line between satisfying the pigs we guys are and the more sensible women of the world! It's a VERY fine line. Once again, I really appreciate all your advise! You were a big help.

I won't offer any criticism or critique here.

Just going to give you two links. Look at them both carefully and ask yourself where would you rather spend your time if you were a golfer?

http://www.loftgolf.net/
http://www.pga.com/home/

Lesson being learn by example.

I really appreciate all the input I get from other members, but this statement is ridiculous. You would like me to compare my start up site with the multi billion dollar PGA! That compares to telling someone with a small freight company to compare their site to UPS.com. Is my site in the same league as the PGA? Nope, not even close! Do I pay Tiger Woods a hundred million dollars a year? Nope, just don't have the budget for that either! Until L.O.F.T. GOLF is comparable to the PGA, NFL, MLB, NASCAR, etc, (which I think will take several months), I will be forced to continue to try to improve my site with hard work and taking quality advise from professionals that know the restraints of any start up business.

Why is it rediculous? And yes, I would very much like you to compare your start up site to the multi billion dollar PGA. If you think it's rediculous then you missed my only point. Learn by example. Just because you are "small" doesn't mean you have to settle for a mediocre website. Outside of my company website that I orchestrated, partially designed and maintain, my only personal website at the moment is the sports forum that I own and run (both in my signature). And regarding my company website it was designed by two outside sources plus myself, and yes we spent over $20k doing it. But you know what? There isn't another site like it in our industry and it receives a ton of response.

Want to talk about small? Try getting traffic to a sports forum when you have thousands competing with you. However, I'm not letting that stop me. I'm methodically planning a redesign of the stock phpbb forum to really make it look like an outstanding place for sports. And you know how I'm doing it?

I'm looking at every major sports website I can find to see what they are doing, how they are doing it, what's popular and what is not. Will I be able to make it look as good as nfl.com, espn.com, nhl.com and a host of others? I don't know yet. That remains to be seen. Will I ever have the traffic they do? Most likely never.

Believe me I do know the restraints of a startup business. And I'm glad to see the great reviews you have received. Trust me, three weeks ago, prior to Bigwebmaster implementing the special teams at OZZU, you'd have gotten a ton of useless one liners that would never benefit you. And I'm glad you plan to follow their advice because you received a lot of great advice.

Please don't consider me judgmental about your site. In your initial post your biggest concern is why you aren't getting the traffic you were hoping for and expect. I merely pointed out a reason.

Overall I think you did a fine job with your site. In the long run, my point was to encourage you to think bigger and better. Don't limit yourself because you are new or "small"

Beleive me, I know EXACTLY what you're saying regarding the forum! I am attempting the same thing, but not with all sports, just golf. I considered taking down the forum, due to inactivity, but after I mentioned it might be coming down, some members started posting to it. Go figure.

I do understand that if we continue to think small, we will continue to be small! I took no offense to your earlier post and do appreciate you taking the time to evaluate the site. I am just getting very frustrated with the site because at the two trade shows we displayed at, we did great, but the internet end leaves a bit to be desired! We'll keep researching, learning and make the suggested changes until we get it right! I have been self employed for 25 years, but always in "brick and mortar" stores so I realize I have a lot to learn!

Thank you very much Burner!

I wish to thank everyone that took the time to evaluate our website. It never ceases to amaze me how helpful everyone on OZZU have been in helping us make our site great. You guys are the best! Thank you.

Remember, if you make any changes or want futher opinions post in this thread again - we'd be glad to look at it once more

Thank you Aaron, you guys are the best!