Linda Culbreath of Houton, Texas writes:
“We have developed an educational package containing an ‘Eagles Camp DVD: How to Learn 10 Science Words/Concepts in 10 Minutes or Less,’ a non-dated, table top Science Calendar, and a printable resource CD.
“This is a memory association method geared for elementary-aged children that will work with most any subject and language, although we demonstrate science. You can download a free 8-minute demo from our website.
“We need to know how to drive parents and educators of private and public school children and home school parents to our website and purchase, and we are looking for ways to recruit people to market for us as a home-based business. Budget is super tight. Any suggestions would be appreciated.”
While I don’t have a way to drive people to your site, Linda, I do have a couple of observations about what they see once they land there.
The first concerns the font used for your home page headline/definition (Soar: to rise higher than normal) and the section heads themselves (Eagles’ Port, Request Demo DVD, Favorite Links, Our Catalog). It’s a pretty font, but very wispy; it seems almost to be falling off the page. I think that it is supposed to mimic the look of the clouds, but a firmer font would be easier to read. And, if it were slender and slanted–Lucida Calligraphy in italic, for example–it would still “fly.”
My second–and more important–observation concerns your logo: the birds don’t look like eagles. This was the first thing that struck me when I saw your home page, and may well strike the educators you hope to attract as well.
The wings in your logo are eagle-like, but the tail appears narrow and forked rather than fan shaped, and the head and neck also seem too slender when compared to eagle silhouettes I referenced for confirmation. You might want to do a Google Image search for “eagle silhouettes” (though be careful that the end pictures are indeed eagles; some include other birds as well).
Because your logo is so directly tied into your site’s message, I think it would be worthwhile to consider adjusting it as soon as you are able. Good luck! You have an admirable goal.
Have you tried to identify and contact the newsletter or e-newsletter or Web site editors for national and state home school associations, Christian home school associations, elementary school teachers associations, science educators associations, and science tutoring organizations?
For example, try:
The American Homeschool Association -http://www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org/
I did a Google search for “home school associations Texas” and found a Web page that lists some of those groups with a Web link for each: http://homeschooling.about.com/od/txassoc/
This will take some effort, but I suggest that you connect with these groups
– probably dozens or even hundreds – and create your own email list (but watch out for being taken as a SPAMMER should you send an unsolicited email message to them). Also, once you can talk or email someone at each, check into possibly paying for a display ad or Web link to your site, or see if they have a New Product Review columnist to whom you could send a copy of your package for them to consider. Perhaps they will like your product enough to include in their email communication to their members.
ABOUT YOUR WEB SITE:
I went to your Web site – and saw that it needed a bit of work.
Since you are selling an educational product, it is very important to have someone you trust check your Web site thoroughly for misspellings and clarity and brevity of text (don’t let pride get in the way of pursuing excellence, here). Any slipup can make your company and product suspect as to quality.
I only spotted one spelling error in my few moments of scanning your site, but there could be more. Your site says: The demo is a couple of seconds over 8 minutes except from the full length educational program. (“except” should be “excerpt”). The sentence is a bit awkward and could be written: The demo is an excerpt of the full-length education program, and is a few seconds longer than eight minutes.”
We all should be succinct (short and sweet) in your verbiage on the Internet. Print brochures might get away with being wordy, but casual visitors to a very wordy Web page are unlikely to stay for very long.
Your Web site is text-heavy and is fairly free of design, images, photos, illustrations. It needs to be more visually interesting (without looking cluttered). It really should GRAB me when I go there. You tried to make it pleasant by utilizing light lettering on a royal blue background. However, I love graphics. Are there still images from your curriculum you could use on your Web site? How about photos of home schoolers & their parents or of schoolteachers & their students using your materials? Integrating good Web site design elements (beyond the graphic elements) and easy-to-use site navigation concepts would be great.
I know you probably think you just don’t have time to deal with this – but really, if a Web site looks just a little rinky-dink, why should anyone expect your curriculum to be anything else? We want visitors to watch a demo and get hooked!
Take a look (or have your Web person take a look) at a Web site that points out why certain Web sites fail to please with their design concept. Go to http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/ and see Vincent Flander’s evaluation of the before and after appearances of Brown University Graduate School’s home page (doesn’t look much different, but there were some definite improvements), plus use the links to take a peek at other “losing” Web sites and read his critique as to why they “won” as stinky Web sites.
TIGHT BUDGET: Check with your local colleges or tech schools that teach graphic arts (for print and Web) and see if there might be a student with some skill and talent (get a referral from the faculty there) who would be willing to revamp your Web design for free as an internship for their program. They could use your NEW site as a resume builder and an example of their work.
One other thing: your FREE DOWNLOADABLE DEMO. First, I had to read through a lot of text before I noticed that a person must go to the bottom of your interminably long home page and click on the tiny link called “Sign Up” to get to the demo. But first you want me to “sign up” and answer personal questions, as if I’m a potential customer. I disagree with having to give you my contact information before you will allow me to look at your product. So here are some ideas:
1) Make the home page short – and put the rest of your information on other multiple separate pages that you can go to from the home page. The home page should have an overview without all the specifics. Create links to separate pages with the different categories of information you want people to know about you and your products. No Web pages should be super long.
2) Create a 60-sec. downloadable clip that people can watch without signing up or filling in any fields of information. LOCATE THIS BUTTON (FOR THE SHORTER CLIP) AT THE TOP OF YOUR HOME PAGE — and not at the bottom; it should be easy to find & use. This button should take people to a nicely designed page that has two buttons:
a) “View 60-sec. clip” – click on it and the clip opens & plays
b) “Longer 8-min. excerpt” – click on it and it takes you to another page (the Sign Up page) — I wouldn’t call it “Sign Up” because it sounds too much like people have to make some sort of commitment to you very quickly, like they are joining something, and I doubt they are ready for that yet. Perhaps you could preface the personal info form with “May we ask you a few questions to help us understand who is viewing our demo?”
I hope this proves helpful to you.
John Elmore
Lutheran Social Services
Dear Linda,
Utilize you local libraries. Call up and ask to speak with the Youth Services Director or Children’s librarian. You might not be able to ‘sell’ your product on library property but you could position yourself as the education expert.
· If you are a former educator mention this to your audience. If you are a former ‘science teacher’ all the better. Talk about how you used this technique in your classroom before developing the DVD. If you did.
· Demonstrate the educational aspects of your program if you can with out ‘giving to much away’
· Highlight any educational research that went into creating your product
· Write a joint press release with the library and call local media to attend.
· Is the library looking to raise funds for a special project? Offer a percentage you can afford off the price per DVD.
If not the libraries call up your local parents associations and PTA’s to do the same demonstration. If parents like what your product can achieve for their child they will talk.
Hope this helps
Good Luck