Site Analysis

What’s wrong with this Web site?

Last week, my post asked whether visiting a service provider’s Web site made you want to use the service.

As you may recall, the Web site belonged to Dr. Debra Jaliman, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, and it provided much of the information you would expect: Dr. Jaliman’s education and credentials, an explanation of her services and a page showing the extensive media coverage that has come her way. In addition, Dr. Jaliman has developed a line of skin care products that she sells on the site.

We asked readers of this column to check out the site out and to offer their feedback. And what was the verdict? Well, the most succinct answer to the question posed in the headline — “Does this service provider’s Web site make you want the service?” — came from Technic Ally of Toronto, who responded, simply, “No.” The opinion seemed to be shared by most of the readers who chose to comment.

So What’s Wrong With the Site?

A service provider’s Web site needs to do more than just establish expertise; it must also establish a level of trust. Dr. Jaliman offers plenty of information on her site about her training, experience and expertise, but readers found it hard to get to the heart of that information. They felt overwhelmed by a huge amount of content that is not well organized.

“There is way too much information on your site,” wrote Bond. “Remove 80% of it. Rewrite copy to get to the point.”

Or as Karen in Brooklyn put it: “She needs to hire a professional copy writer; she can say the same things more effectively, with fewer words!”

For example, showing how the media treat you can be a great way to demonstrate expertise and credibility, but Dr. Jaliman’s press page is crammed with television, magazine and newspaper links. As Heather in New York pointed out, “All the media exposure is good, but that page is a mess. Split out the print from the television clips, consider a carousel where you’ve got just one video portal image, and then users can choose which clip to watch in that space. All those embedded clips down the page are not working for you.”

“The pink sweater lady”

Other readers took issue with the way Dr. Jaliman has presented herself on the site, issues that may be making it harder for her to establish trust. In particular, multiple commenters objected to the photograph of her on the home page.

Marsha from San Francisco wrote: “I’m sure that Dr. J is extremely professional and competent, but the photo of her undercuts her power and credibility. She needs a sharp, smart outfit and/or lab coat, not a cardigan (particularly not one posed as it is here).”

Amy in Nevada wrote, “The pink sweater lady is the doctor? I thought that was the ‘after’ photo for a Las Vegas plastic surgeon. I would not trust this woman for any cosmetic procedure given the design sensibility revealed on her site.”

In the days after these comments were posted, Dr. Jaliman removed the photo from the site. Below is the updated top navigation without the pink-sweater photo.

Without “the pink sweater lady.”

Another common critique focused on Dr. Jaliman’s double duty as both a doctor and as a purveyor of a personal line of skin-care products. There seemed to be a strong sense that by dabbling in sales she was undercutting any trust she might be trying to create.

Jen in New York wrote: “The products make me doubt the service. I’m sorry, but I definitely have a bias, which is that if someone is really great at providing a service, that’s what they should feature. I feel that if they sell stuff, maybe they’re not so good at the service part. The converse also true: I wouldn’t go to CVS for a dermatology treatment.”

Another reader, also a service provider with products to sell — albeit products that are very different from those sold by Dr Jaliman — explained how he approaches the issue. “Why would you try and promote a service and a product line in the same site?” asked Zack from Philadelphia, who sells cleaning supplies. “They are two completely different markets you are going after, they require separate strategies. We have two independent sites, an e-commerce site for commercial cleaning products and a site for our professional cleaning service, respectively. This allows for better analytics, better usability and better conversion rates. We are eliminating needless spending on marketing because we have a deep understanding of our successes and failures for each market and channel.”

My Take

When it comes to Web sites for services providers, there is a simple formula for success: Establish your expertise. Gain the trust of your visitors. And give them an easy way to get in touch with you.

Visitors come to you with one basic question: “Do you answer my need?” They are looking for something. They want you to tell them simply how you can serve their needs and they want you to make it easy for them to take the next step. Above all, they want to  know whether you answer that need better than your competitors do.

It doesn’t matter if you are a lawyer, a doctor, a plumber or a financial adviser. The rules are the same. There is a lot of competition out there; use your Web site to convince people to choose you. In Dr. Jaliman’s case, she has all the tools to do so. She has great credentials and a thriving practice, and she is recognized as an expert in her field.

The problem is that her Web site is not getting the message across. It needs to emphasize a simple, clear message. When I work with service providers, one of the first things I suggest is that they make a video. It doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production. Just tell the camera what you would tell prospective clients. Recreate the experience of having them talk to you in your office.

As for the products she’s trying to sell, I’m not as convinced as some that they don’t belong on the site. But until she does a better job of selling herself as a trustworthy dermatologist, the products will dilute her message. The good news for Dr. Jaliman is that it isn’t going to take a huge overhaul to fix what’s wrong. Get rid of the clutter. “Sell” your expertise with a video. Establish your points of differentiation quickly and clearly. Present your services clearly. Provide large “calls to action” to get visitors to request more information or make an appointment.

Dr. Jaliman Responds

While Dr. Jaliman didn’t agree with all of the points made by the commenters, she found their critiques useful and on point. “Most of the comments were spot on and reinforced the suspicions I already had,” she said. “Your readers were certainly astute. It’s hard to get an honest appraisal; most of the time, people are reluctant to speak frankly, because they don’t want to hurt my feelings.”

She has taken the comments to heart, and she said she intends to make more changes as soon as she can: “I plan to de-clutter, get rid of the stock photos, get a group photo of the staff, get a photo of me in a white coat, revamp and shorten the text, change the link to my upcoming book so it mentions St. Martin’s Press and has links to Amazon and Barnes Noble, change the font to make it easier to read, remove the ‘Promotions’ tab, and remove the section on the home page that allows people to ask for appointments (should be in “Contact us”). Your readers gave me plenty of ideas.”

Would you like to have your business’s Web site or mobile app critiqued? This is an opportunity for companies looking for an honest (and free) appraisal of their online presence and marketing efforts.

To be considered, please tell me about your experiences — why you started your site, what works, what doesn’t, why you would like to have the site reviewed — in an e-mail to youretheboss@bluefountainmedia.com.

Gabriel Shaoolian is the founder and chief executive of Blue Fountain Media, a Web design, development and marketing company based in New York.

Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=55ff5d1bf6e900384960e95dceb8a215