Please review my activity partner site. Need some honest feedback!

Hello,
I haven't posted on this board before, but I would like some help. I
have been working on an activity partner finder site called
www.friendeavor.com for about a year now and would like to hear some
feedback on the website. You can view much of the site as a guest, but
you have to register to see the rest.
I have been marketing the site on craigslist, yahoo groups, message
boards, adwords and free classifieds. I feel that the site has a lot of
potential, but it needs to be more user friendly in order for it to
succeed. Also, any tips on other ways of marketing the site would be
greatly appreciated.
Thanks, -Joe

"Joe" <joe@friendeavor.com> wrote in message
news:d04sii02ln3@enews2.newsguy.com...
>
> Hello,
> I haven't posted on this board before, but I would like some help. I
> have been working on an activity partner finder site called
> www.friendeavor.com for about a year now and would like to hear some
> feedback on the website. You can view much of the site as a guest, but
> you have to register to see the rest.
> I have been marketing the site on craigslist, yahoo groups, message
> boards, adwords and free classifieds. I feel that the site has a lot of
> potential, but it needs to be more user friendly in order for it to
> succeed. Also, any tips on other ways of marketing the site would be
> greatly appreciated.
> Thanks, -Joe
>
Like 90% of the people on the Internet, when it comes to registering before
entering the good stuff, I just skip it and go somewhere else. Just like
when you call an outfit on a 1-800 number and get a mechanical voice, I hang
up (as do most people) and go somewhere else.

I simply refuse to fill out a form giving all my personal stuff before
entering a site. You have the ability to capture my email when entering and
that should be enough. Then, if I get an unsolicited email from you I can
either take a look at your message or report you as a spammer.

I wish people would understand the nature of Internet advertising. It is
supposed to be informative and giving enough information for the reader to
decide if yes or no to ask for further info. Then they should make it very
simple, very easy, to click an email us and have plain English responses for
a real person to reply. That is the power of the Internet. To facilitate one
to one communication but all too many are electing the computerized
automated communication venue and I think it is totally wrong.

Go to my son's site to see what I consider an ideal site. It gives all kinds
of information and makes it very easy to click and email to the CEO himself.
www.rcsailcars.com
....
Wayne
PS - I did not visit your site because you said yourself it requires
registration. So you saved me some time and effort. Thank you!

Thanks Wayne for your input. I think I'll try to make it more clear
that you CAN go and use the site without registering. Naturally, you
cannot connect with other site members without being a member yourself,
so that is what I meant by being not able to see the rest of the site.
I'll make the front page explain more about what the site is about and
have a link to contact me there. I don't know how to make the site work
without registering members, but I'll look into giving guests more
options. I don't know what you mean by me or my site having automated
responses, because people email me directly all the time commenting on
and asking questions about the site. -Joe

Joe- I love the concept, tried to search for someone in Boston who
also likes scuba diving. I use a business oriented networking site
called linked in. Linkedin.com .
What is your revenue model? Advertising. membership? Seems you'll
need an all out effort to get people to voluntarily fill in a profile
so they can start to use fairly quickly--if you build it they will
come, but it begins with two people on your site. Once you have a
decent amount of folks using it, you can attract
advertisers/affiliates, etc. Good luck. I'll bookmark your site.
Andy Kelley of http://www.effectivestudentmarketing.com

Joe wrote:
> Thanks Wayne for your input. I think I'll try to make it more clear
> that you CAN go and use the site without registering. Naturally, you
> cannot connect with other site members without being a member
yourself,
> so that is what I meant by being not able to see the rest of the
site.
> I'll make the front page explain more about what the site is about
and
> have a link to contact me there. I don't know how to make the site
work
> without registering members, but I'll look into giving guests more
> options. I don't know what you mean by me or my site having automated
> responses, because people email me directly all the time commenting
on
> and asking questions about the site. -Joe

Nice!

Love the service, concept and name of friendeavor.com.

Overall the navigation and load times were good.
I think that you are well on your way.. but here are a few suggestions
for improved performance:

1) Enhance your initial copy.
For example, saying (as you do):

"Welcome to Friendeavor.com, a site which allows you to connect with
other people in your area who share the same (**yawn**) interests as
you. Our service offers a way to search for other users or events within
your selected interest categories. Our goal is to provide you with a
wide array of exciting possibilities to explore. Our basic service is
FREE for all of our members. Enjoy."

....is NOT very strong copy because it DOES NOT EMOTE. It Instructs. It's
one of those public service announcements.Your service may indeed be a
steak, but Where's the sizzle!?!

"A site which allows you to" yada yada ya. "Our service offers a way"
etc etc. .... No no no .. all wrong my friend.. you are letting your
prospects think that you yourself get excited about the service very
much.
I don't want a "site that allows me to".. I want to:

GRAB my life by the HORNS!
Life is CRAZY and way too short!
THIS AMAZING, HIP GATHERING SPOT where I can INSTANTLY connect to
FANTASTIC times and start MAKING MEMORIES.. and Quit MAKING life
Wait!!!!

I want to SIMPLIFY the web MAZE and IMMEDIATELY meet VERY COOL REAL
HUMANS of ANY age, race, ***, and Location (including my own back door!)
Ready to GO yesterday!

I wanna get HOOKED UP with AWESOME people JUST LIKE ME who are ready to
Discover FUN.. ADVENTURE, WHATEVER... right NOW.

I want to SAVE TIME and EFFORT while meeting QUALITY Partners for
ANYTHING (legal) under the SUN! OR STARS!

Not to pick on you at all.. just to assist! Look at your copy again:

"Welcome to Friendeavor.com, a site which allows you to connect with
other people in your area who share the same interests as you. Our
service offers a way to search for other users or events within your
selected interest categories. Our goal is to provide you with a wide
array of exciting possibilities to explore. Our basic service is FREE
for all of our members. Enjoy."

A SITE...ALLOWS YOU...
OUR SERVICE...
OFFERS A WAY...
OUR GOAL...
WIDE ARRAY...
OUR BASIC... OUR MEMBERS.

Man oh man. This is the copy used by bail bondsmen. My friend... in the
marketing world, the sites NOT really YOURS! Remember your customers are
NOTHING! (Except rent, bills, food, daycare, and everything else!!)
Therefore.. YOUR site is THEIRS!
For all applicable purposes, we are a selfish society.. we don't care
about your goal!

Try:

YOUR spot for...
Now YOU have a way to...
IMAGINE The convenience of instantly...
ENDLESS CHOICES right YOUR fingertips...
ANY LIFE you WANT to live 1 Click AWAY!... BE WHAT you want to be, Do
what you want to do... NOW!

Read Dr. Jeff Lantz and others and apply Customer Centric Copywriting.

Someone will say the above copy examples are too extreme. I think not. I
have done many experiments which prove that when your copy is well liked
by people who are NOT buying.. that's when you should beware. There will
be time later to tone it down. But until you have made me FEEL
something.. ANYTHING...FUZZY, WARM, Laughing or Electrified... you have
not even got my attention!

So since you have only one thing to vend:
HAPPINESS! How does happiness look when it finally arrives? It looks
AWESOME! Pull out the stops!

...and oh.. what is the average average of your target market? The
average age of the net over all is LOWER 20's!
Made a pepsi commercial or BUST!

2) Somehow add the word FREE in large letters. Its the most important
word in Advertising.

3) The logo "ain't happnin'". Redo it. (If your logo does not look like
money, I wonder where else you may have cut corners. (?). If a designer
did your logo, ask to see other versions that are not plain and gray).
Add some Viva! If you need me to redo the logo for you... Just ask!
(Shameless plug!)

4) Add more subtle diagonals into the design.. this will add a nice
dynamic of action appeal.

5) Show a couple and also two people of the same gender. All smiles.

7) Add a good slogan that gives people a reason to Get Out And Live!

8) Arrange your activities better.. looks a little crowded.

9) Consider breaking the site up by personality Styles.. for example:

ADD Quick Connect Buttons:

Click Here to "Change the World"
Demonstrations, lectures, conferences

Click here for "Head Games"
(includes board games.. chess.. etc)

Click here for "Life of Leisure":
Sight seeing, Dining, Beaches etc

Click here for "HEalth Nuts"
Exercising.. Aerobics etc

Clink here for "EXTREME SPORTS"
Climbing, Diving, Jumping out of perfectly Good Airplanes...

Get the point? make it FUN

Hope this helped..

Wishing you great success...

~zion~