Site Review (Super Bowl Site)

[KevinMcC]

Hey guys, I am expecting to get some pretty nice traffic within the next two days for converting keywords on my Super Bowl site.

Was looking for opinions on what to change for better conversions...

Would appreciate all the help I can get!

>> Bet on Superbowl 44

[doovde]

Well firstly I don't know about anyone else but when I see that standard wordpress theme on any site I often hit the back button straight away, it's like it kinda connotates a lack of effort from whoever owns the site and therefore in my head the content probably isn't worth reading.

To be honest there are three things I would want to know when searching bet on superbowl type phrases. Which bookmaker has the best odds, who is easiest to deposit / withdraw with and are there are any special super bowl bets like bet $25 on superbowl 44 and get $25 more free or whatever.

I'm probably not looking for a $250 100% deposit bonus, I'm more likely to be looking for a place where I can get some great value on the one event. Then if I like the sportsbook and find it easy to use I'll be likely to go back to it and bet more in the future.

Make a comparison between sportsbooks and show me which one is the best for specifically the superbowl. Personally I want something visual to do this. Given I'm only looking to bet on the one event i want to be in and out of your website pretty quickly.

[KevinMcC]

Well firstly I don't know about anyone else but when I see that standard wordpress theme on any site I often hit the back button straight away

I'm also not the biggest fan of the stand wordpress theme, but do you think non-webmasters think the same way we do?

To be honest there are three things I would want to know when searching bet on superbowl type phrases. Which bookmaker has the best odds, who is easiest to deposit / withdraw with and are there are any special super bowl bets like bet $25 on superbowl 44 and get $25 more free or whatever.

Make a comparison between sportsbooks and show me which one is the best for specifically the superbowl. Personally I want something visual to do this. Given I'm only looking to bet on the one event i want to be in and out of your website pretty quickly.

Great feedback, thanks. By something visual do you mean a banner or special image or? I find I have better click throughs with text links, and banners don't work well for me.. maybe I should get a special nice looking static image created for the site?

Also does anyone know of a good sportsbook offering something like $25 free bet on the Super Bowl?

[doovde]

In regards to your first point I'm honestly not sure, it's certianly how I think about that theme.

By something visual I don't mean a banner I was thinking more a table that compared the odds and the deal I could get. I want to see one sportsbook that stands out as the absolute place I should be making my bet. Give me the choice but make it obvious it's the best.

[xYassassinYx]

Awesome domain man!

If I was you I would definately get a header created though. Something custom, and it is easy to change every year... It will look much more professional.

A custom header and a banner in the right sidebar and I think you are onto a winner, you should be getting thousands of visitors so this would set it up nicely imo.

[DealerDan]

Hey Kevin,

My honest opinion - I look at a site like that and I think "half-assed" - and that's me being polite! It looks like the type of the site where a webmaster attempts to take advantage of a hot topic by throwing together a basic website.

The whole website feels cold, and lacks trust. I also don't like the sportsbook banner in the middle of the page - just my opinion, but it feels more like a "shill" site than a truly informational or resourceful website for the visitor. Plus you have quite a few blocks of text there, which are hard to read when you've got an animated banner amongst it all.

It seems like your goal was "Betting on the Superbowl will be a hot topic, I'm going to throw together a quick website to make some money!". You want to increase conversions, the goal should be "People will be wanting to bet on the Superbowl. I'm going to make the most invaluable resource possible for those people."

I'd have a much nicer design. I'd have as much content as possible. Previous Superbowl betting information, previous lines. Lists of all the specials running at a variety of sportsbooks. As much analysis as I could have on the Superbowl. A list of every freaking bet possible on the Superbowl, and where to bet it.

I'd also be trying to get return visitors, and capture e-mail addresses. I wouldn't be targetting just Superbowl 44 - I'd be thinking long-term, thinking in the future. There'll be a lot of fly-by-night betters - make them your fly-by-night betters for the foreseeable future. Get their e-mails for future Superbowls. You can send out promos to them for the next Superbowl in like August etc.

I'd have live odds, live lines, news updates, the works. Information on Superbowl commercials - anything I could have. There's so much out there that is Superbowl related. Youtube videos on there. Get a twitter going, RSS Feed, the works.

You could turn that website into an amazing website - THE resource for betting on the Superbowl. You want to increase conversions? That's the way to go. Not the half-assed site sitting there right now

Seriously ask yourself - if someone comes up and asks about betting on the Superbowl and asks you "What is the best website for information on betting on the Superbowl?". Could you honestly say yours is the best? I'd be working and working until I could honestly answer that "Yes, my site IS the best."

BTW let me know what anchor text you're looking for and I'll give you some links on my sports sites to help out.

[Mackan]

We'll, no point posting anything else now, DealerDan said it all.

Great post Dan!

[KevinMcC]

Wow, thanks for the input Dealer Dan...really appreciate it.

I knew the site was going to get ripped apart when I made this post, but that's what I wanted.

You're right when you said "Betting on the Superbowl will be a hot topic, I'm going to throw together a quick website to make some money!". This was the idea when I first got this domain a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure where I would have it ranking and didn't want to spend time on a site that wouldn't get visitors, when I have my main site (thesportsgeek) that I know will be getting thousands of visitors.

Now that I am ranking decent for some terms I expect to get some decent traffic numbers

You're right about the design, I hate the wordpress themes and might just switch it over to a static html site that I can make look nicer.

The content is an issue as I only have so much time, and won't get that content ranking for this years Superbowl... I would rather spend my time on content on the sports geek site I have. But I can work on this site year round for next years superbowl and fill it with tons of content to try and make it the most valuable super bowl betting resource out there.

I think capturing e-mails on this site is a great idea... what do you suggest between a pop-up or on site e-mail capture box?

I am going to take as much of your advice as I can for this years Super Bowl and make the changes, and then make sure I have everything good for next year too.

Anchor would be anything like "Bet on Super Bowl" "Bet on Superbowl" "Super Bowl Betting" .... really appreciate it.

[DealerDan]

k added links.

What you might want to do if you build a lot of mini-sites - is get one template created that you are happy with, then roll it out to every mini-site you build. It can be a nice simple template so that you don't have to focus on customization. I've got one, and it's really a case of:

- Install WP, plugins bla bla, install theme.
- Get custom header, change colour scheme to match header.
- Boom, all done.

Like here's two sites that utilize it:

NFL Betting Tips
Soko Poker

So if you do a lot of mini-sites that's what I would get done - that way you don't have to worry too much about spending time on design etc. Then if the site takes off and you want to develop it further - that's when you give eyenod a call.

I would utilize both a popup and capture box. The more the merrier. I've found both work very well.

[Graham]

With so many great free wordpress themes out there, I would def pick one of them over the basic theme.