PDA

View Full Version : New project website



mcfarldr1
03-24-2010, 06:03 PM
For a class I am in now, I decide to make a website instead of doing the traditional powerpoint presentation. I think it's going to distinguish me from the rest, and hopefully it does because I have a lot riding on this. But anyways, I here is the link.

18th St. Gym (http://18stgym.weebly.com)

Anything that anybody has to say would be appreciated, whether it's good or bad. I can take the punishment, trust me. Thanks everyone, I appreciate it!

vangogh
03-24-2010, 10:47 PM
Seems like a decent site. It's simple, but it works well. Obviously there's not a ton there, though what is there is easy to find. Your larger images could be optimized. The file sizes are much bigger than they need to be. You could run them through Photoshop or similar and save them for the web and they'll load much faster.

Why all the AdSense for a school project? Nothing against running ads, but are they going to add anything to the project? You could always add them after you get graded.

What exactly is the assignment? It's hard to know why you built this specific site. Knowing what the assignment was might help us help you with it.

mcfarldr1
03-24-2010, 11:48 PM
I agree that the files are large and could be scaled down, but I don't have the know-how to do it, but no biggie because it is only intended to be view by the panel of judges.

The project is for a scholarship. It's an entrepreneur scholarship based on the creation of a business. Everything from the business plan through the projected financial statements. Now, I am on the stage where I must present the plan to a group of "investors". There are 3 others who have businesses that will be shown, so I created this website to not look like just another person. I want to stand out and show my passion.

The ads are just to show what it would look like if it were an actual website. I'm not looking to make money by any means, just trying to show it as realistically as I can. Funny/cool thing is, it has only been live for a week now and I've had around 150 hits, and it's not even a real business, so I don't quite know where I'm getting this traffic from.

Patrysha
03-25-2010, 12:15 AM
If it was a real business site I would not have ads placed unless they were for the businesses products or affiliate products that gel with the same market.

There would be pictures of the facilities (you can likely find enough free stock photos to use as examples) and vivid descriptions of what is offered in a benefit driven style.

Also having worked recently with a gym, I think you may have trouble profiting at that rate (of course that could vary depending on the area and you may have worked it out so it is a profitable rate, but it seems a bit low to me)...also some studies show that breaking it down to a day rate is more effective at getting people interested in gym memberships.

mcfarldr1
03-25-2010, 12:52 AM
Thanks for your review Patrysha!

I understand what you're saying about the ads. I'm going to have to find another way of promoting my "products" that this gym would have.

And I did work it out so that my balance sheet shows a profit after 3 years, which I expect to be a reasonable assumption for a business of this size.

vangogh
03-25-2010, 01:50 AM
That makes sense. Now that you describe it I can see how the website is a good idea.

I have to agree with Patrysha about the ads. Think about the business model for the Gym. It's going to make it's money mainly by selling new memberships and getting existing members to renew their memberships. As a secondary way to bring revenue it's selling health, exercise and related products. If someone clicks on an AdSense ad the gym earns a few cents, but loses out on a chance to sell either a membership or the health related products.

You have three types of potential customers. Those who aren't members, but may become members, existing members who you want to remain loyal, and possibly people not looking to join a gym, but are only interested in the products being sold.

Generally not everyone is going to enter the site through the home page, but let's pretend for a moment they do and it's probably ok to assume that for this project. Let's think about the product shoppers only. You have a link in the navigation for the store. How about showing a featured product on the home page. Instead of a one column site, you could create two columns. Have a big column with the main content and then a narrower column as a sidebar. In the sidebar you could show one or two featured products.

For people who may potentially join the gym for the first time you have to immediately let them know what the site is about and give them a reason why they want to join the gym. How about showing the big image of the 18th st gym, why not show an image of the gym with attractive people in great shape using the equipment. In fact why not show images of different people in the gym on every page of the site.

Think of why a person wants to join a gym. Most probably think they could stand to be in better shape and also probably wish it was easier to get in shape and keep in shape. Offer them some language right away about how easy the 18th st gym makes it for them to look and feel great.

Flexible hours
3 months of free 1 on 1 training with every new membership
a supportive community of fellow members
sign up for one membership and a friend can join at half price
free 15 day trial membership

That's off the top of my head, but each is a benefit aimed at making it easier to get in shape. The half price offer is about not having to work out alone as it's a better to join with a friend and the 15 day is making things risk free.

List things like that right on the home page.

For current members you want to keep them loyal. Why not offer a forum where members can communicate with each other after hours and motivate each other or offer each other training tips. If the current members become more of a community instead of individuals working out they have more reason to stay at the gym as they become part of the community.

I take it you don't have Photoshop to optimize the images. It's pretty easy if you do. Here's another easy option. Smush It (http://www.smushit.com/ysmush.it/) from Yahoo will optimize your images for you. Upload your images and they'll return them in a zip file I think. They'll look the same, but the file sizes will be greatly reduced.

mcfarldr1
03-25-2010, 02:07 PM
Vangogh, I think that I'm going to take your advice and put some kind of "incentives" on the top of the website so that site visitors are quickly rewarded for taking the time and coming to the site.

vangogh
03-25-2010, 08:31 PM
Let us know when you make some changes so we can look again. Oh and if you win the scholarship you have to split it with Patrysha and myself :)

mcfarldr1
03-25-2010, 10:01 PM
I'm going to try and work on it this weekend and I'll be sure to let you know when its updated. I really appreciate your help guys. It means a lot to me because I go to a small rural college so I use the internet when I need to communicate with experts in the field.

vangogh
03-26-2010, 12:33 AM
Glad to help. Don't feel slighted at all if you post over the weekend and we don't respond right away. Things get slower around here over the weekend and pick back up on Monday.

I really am glad we can be here to offer some ideas to help. Pretty cool too given we're about 1,500 miles away from each other at the moment. By the way I went to school and lived in Pennsylvania for a time. The eastern part of the state though in Philadelphia.