New Website: www.easybiz.ie

Spectrum48k

Hi Folks,

Could really do with some feedback.

We have been working on a new website for the last few months and it is now in trial / beta format.

We call i a business blogging platform. We would be really grateful if any local Irish businesses would add there details and start posting comments. The site designed to make your business visible to search engines like Google. We have a sales bargains and coupons sections to help local business attact online customers.

We are a recent start-up and could use all the help we can get. Any feedback at all would be a benefit? Suggestions? Improvements?

It's completely free!

The site: www.easybiz.ie

Roro4Brit

Hey,

Just had a look at the website. I have questions rather than suggestions.

I'm kind of confused about what your service offering is? Is it that you are providing a blogging platform for small local companies so that in the absence of a website, they can just blog from their profile re special offers etc? Kind of like a Yellow Pages meets Gumtree meets Blogger.com type thing?

Edit: Sorry I probably should have clicked on your 'About Us' section before I asked that question.

Spectrum48k

Roro4Brit wrote: »

I'm kind of confused about what your service offering is? Is it that you are providing a blogging platform for small local companies so that in the absence of a website, they can just blog from their profile re special offers etc? Kind of like a Yellow Pages meets Gumtree meets Blogger.com type thing?

Thanks for having a look at the site. The primary aim of the main page is to get local businesses to sign up. Hence there is a lot of CTAs on the main page encouraging biz owners to add there details.

We have not focused on the online shopper as they will most likely find the site when they do searches in Google (or other engine), and it will bring them to the blogs of the local business. Over time we will promote the sales, bargains and coupons aspect of the site.

The site can be used by businesses that do not have a website, but can also be used by business that have a static website and not a blog.

The site is all about generating new content. Search engines love new content.

Its a free way to promote local business online. We hope that the more people put in the more customers and business they will get out.

If there are any businesses out there that want to attract online customers we would love for them to sign up with www.easybiz.ie and let us know how they get on!

zAbbo

These local business websites make no sense to me.

You're just never going to generate the traffic (both business listings & site visitors) to be useful.

stepbar

So basically you're a fluffed up golden pages, of which I may add, are 10 a penny at the moment. How the hell do you plan to scale up in order to make money?

Sorry scrap that, I actually think you don't know what you're trying to achieve.


This sort of doo doo annoys the crap out of me :mad:

tricky D

Roro4Brit wrote: »

Edit: Sorry I probably should have clicked on your 'About Us' section before I asked that question.

Nope, it should be obvious on the homepage, right in the middle - it's not though.

OP I get the following alert popping up on the page:

ReferenceError: _gat is not defined

which is bad. Actually it's really bloody annoying on every page.

The purpose seems to be lost somewhere in the middle of a classified site, biz listing site, bargain alerter, coupon pointer....

Your SEO doesn't look good yet this is one of your selling points.

Your big idea image (and others) is 3352px × 2418px and over 3 Megs:eek: That's a really basic graphic error.

I see that you're offering consultancy. I'm sorry for being hard, but with so many basic mistakes on the site and other mistakes, I'll bluntly ask you, are you kidding????

You do have a few good ideas, too many bad ones but the execution is very poor and too much 'stuff' is just plain wrong.

Stopping here now as you don't seem to know what you're doing.
Apols for the harshness - no apols for the honesty.


@zABBo
Some, but very few, listing sites can make sense, but as we both know the right (broad/high value) market has to be targetted, the business and pricing model needs to be good and most of all VC is pretty much a prerequisite. At this stage it's almost too late to go up against the well established ones and as stepbar says these sites are so common now. There seems to a new one here almost every week.

Spectrum48k

zAbbo wrote: »

These local business websites make no sense to me.

You're just never going to generate the traffic (both business listings & site visitors) to be useful.

I dont think you follow what we are trying to achieve. Local business can create there own content (similar to a blog), they can upload pictures and videos.

We are not trying to build a business directory. Most people search in Google not in directories. If you ask me directories are dead as they are just an online extension of books like the yellow pages.

We are trying to build rich content around local business, generated by the business themselves.

Its a trial and we are looking for feedback. I take your points on board. But to fully understand the site a business owner has to sign up and use the back end.

Spectrum48k

tricky D wrote: »

OP I get the following alert popping up on the page:

which is bad. Actually it's really bloody annoying on every page.

The purpose seems to be lost somewhere in the middle of a classified site, biz listing site, bargain alerter, coupon pointer....

Your SEO doesn't look good yet this is one of your selling points.

First of all this is a trial and yes there are still things to tidy up.

I was looking for feedback and I certainly got it, pulling no punches. If any of you actually have a business (this being an entrepreneurial thread) I would ask that you create a profile and see what is different about this site.

I would like to think we can take criticism on board. But I also believe we are offering something different.

stepbar

Spectrum48k wrote: »

Hi Folks,

We call i a business blogging platform.

Twitter / Blog on Website

The site designed to make your business visible to search engines like Google.

SEO

We have a sales bargains and coupons sections to help local business attact online customers.

Google Adwords


The primary aim of the main page is to get local businesses to sign up[/B]. Hence there is a lot of CTAs on the main page encouraging biz owners to add there details.

Your "Primary aim" is to get people to sign up?? Your Primary Aim?. Are you having a larf?

We have not focused on the online shopper as they will most likely find the site when they do searches in Google (or other engine), and it will bring them to the blogs of the local business. Over time we will promote the sales, bargains and coupons aspect of the site.

What need do I have for you so?

The site can be used by businesses that do not have a website, but can also be used by business that have a static website and not a blog.

Websites are 10 a penny.

The site is all about generating new content. Search engines love new content.

And so what?

Its a free way to promote local business online. We hope that the more people put in the more customers and business they will get out.

Again 10 a penny.


We are not trying to build a business directory.

You certainly look like one.


Most people search in Google not in directories.

Why the hell would I step inside your website to find out about a business that already has a website and more than likely will have a higher SEO ranging than yours? Please explain the logic.

We are trying to build rich content around local business, generated by the business themselves.

Its a trial and we are looking for feedback. I take your points on board. But to fully understand the site a business owner has to sign up and use the back end.

Why not show the user the backend then? User manual? Your website does not give me any reason to sign up, or any indication of what your backend does.

If any of you actually have a business (this being an entrepreneurial thread) I would ask that you create a profile and see what is different about this site.

See above.

.

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

I think the point is WIFM - (whats in it for me?) Anyone can throw content up online on any number of free services.

Personally i found the "Its a no brainer" tag line a bit counter intuitive, i spend a few minutes looking at the site asking why would i bother from a user or a business perspective. So the site telling the customer that they aren't smart enough to cop on why its so great will cause an immediate bounce rate on that part of the page (check your analytics if you don't believe me).

Sites well designed, but I'd question your SEO capability cause the home page title is horrible (find it, blog it, buy it add your details for free???? - not a single keyword included in the homepage page title).

I tried to create a profile and got the following response:
"Your profile has already been created. Please click here to go to business zone" but it didnt create.

Sorry to sound so negative on the above but you should work out your USP and elevator pitch a bit more. Hope that helps and is taken in the positive way it was intended.

Pixelcraft

agree with the above, your focus is entirely on the people you want to sign up, and not the actual users of the site.

Chet Zar

I don't really get it either...is the point of it that businesses would use it to enter details on their company and then this would show up in a blog/feed etc...?

I would imagine that this is something they could do themselves, through promoting their own blog, using Facebook, Twitter etc....? Seems like you'd maybe be the unnecessary middleman?

Cianos

Sorry to sound negative, but your venture is doomed to fail unless you strip it down and focus in on one aspect. The site looks quite good, but there are dozens of ideas flying all over the place to the point where anyone landing on the page will not get what it's all about and will move on in a matter of seconds.

You need to make a decision about what you are trying to achieve and why, and remove everything else that is diverting attention away from that.

calahans

Alot of people have outlined the main problems i.e. your SEO will not be good enough. For instance blog posts have URLs with something like Blog.do?entry=/20100203. That will not rate so high as something like blog/new-product-range-released

The images are WAY too big - but thats not a big problem.

I have a more fundamental problem (as others have mentioned) and its why would someone use it? You want people to go to your site to search for businesses - that just a directory service and they are legion? The blogging element, which seems to be your differentiator, will not work. Doing a blog takes time and commitment. If someone really commits to the blog then its more likely that they will want it under their own domain or at least have more control of it.

Even though your have done a good job I just dont see a market for this.

Chet Zar

I also think it is a well designed site but I wouldn't know what the purpose of the site/business was if someone asked me right now.

Another thing I'd have an issue with is the name - easybiz.ie - to me it sounds wayy too internetty-make a quick buck-scammy-ventures. I know it's not but I have an issue with the word 'easy' appearing with 'biz' - it has certain connotations imo.

As mentioned I'd strip it down to the bare bones and make sure you're able to articulate clearly what it is you do within no more than 2 sentences.

KJF

Some observations others haven't touched upon. The slogan "Find it, Blog it, Buy it".

In that order? So I find it, I then blog about it........and then buy it? It makes no sense.

The next thing is the video.

You tell me it's a "business blogging platform" and that if I want to find a place offering free coffee with my sandwiches or who's playing in my favorite bar etc...then easybiz is the site for me.
I'm not sure who you're targeting here. Are you talking to the end user or are you talking to the small business man looking get his name out on the web. It's confusing.

You then go on to say "To begin you can use the search function located in the left hand side of this page"...and the video more or less stops there. Whenever anyone starts a sentence with "to begin with...." you expect more to follow.

Also, what's the other guy doing in the background. His monitor is not on. He just seems to be alternating from staring his keyboard to looking sheepishly over at the camera. He just looks uncomfortable. If he's the cofounder bring him to the front.

What I want to see in the video is this. If I'm the small business guy then I want to see how easy it is to create a page, how quickly I can have something up and running and what I can get out of it for my business.
If I'm the end user looking for a free coffee with my sandwich then I need to see how quick and easy it is to find such a place.
It just seems like you made a video for the sake of making a video.


KJF
http://tinktank.ie

Roro4Brit

hey how's it going for you guys?

How was your first few weeks going?

Keep me posted, I work in online marketing so I'm curious as to how tihs goes and I hope you guys carve out a niche for yourselves and make it work....

Spectrum48k

Roro4Brit wrote: »

hey how's it going for you guys?

How was your first few weeks going?

Keep me posted, I work in online marketing so I'm curious as to how tihs goes and I hope you guys carve out a niche for yourselves and make it work....

Thanks for the interest Roro4Brit.

We are still tweaking the website. We are ironing out all performance issues. There are also several other areas where the work was only ever meant as placeholders: SEO, Video on the main page, etc. We are updating these as we go along.

Some of the previous comments had a point, in so far as the easybiz.ie message was not clear. Free online promotion for local business.

We are in regular contact with the businesses that have already signed up. We aim to take their feedback on board and develop the site to suit their needs.

GoneShootin

Spectrum48k wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Could really do with some feedback.

Read the CHARTER next time please - point 8.

Spectrum48k

GoneShootin wrote: »

Read the CHARTER next time please - point 8.

Apologies GoneShootin,

I had not intended to breech the charter. Future posts will be directed to the Web Design and Marketing forums.