Constructive Criticism on My First Website

[Kcinegnet]

Hey guys. It seems like I have been waiting for the "perfect time" to start working on a side business I have wanted to try. I noticed the perfect time is never actually perfect so I decided to just go for it.

I recently registered my domain and got my site running, Rustfreemidwest.com


I know its not perfect but, entrepreneurship is all about improving and building on the previous day. I would love to hear constructive criticism and any tips/advice for going forward.

Cheers

[Smokystache]

I like that you're keeping things simple. But even though you don't have a lot of text on the page (which is fine), you're still throwing a lot of disconnected messages at your reader.

Here's a couple of thoughts from someone who is reading your website from top to bottom:

- "rust free midwest" - is this about applying wax or something to keep my car from rusting? That's my initial thought after seeing the domain and header

- "Fueling your next 4 wheeled adventure" (sees picture of a truck) - is this about buying or servicing trucks or jeeps? Are you selling a jeep excursion?

Our Promise: "We meet and exceed your needs and requests"  - this doesn't say much. What would be much more powerful is "how" will you meet exceed my needs. For example:
- We'll tell you if the car you're looking for is a Consumer Reports "Worst Buy"
- We'll run the carfax for you to make sure you don't buy a vehicle that has been rebuilt
... give us some tangible examples of how you exceed.

Top Notch customer service - These are the statements that should be at the top of your page. There are so many things that people hate about car-buying. Capitalize on those. For example,

- Hate to spend all day at the dealership while they give you the run-around and treat you in a condescending way?
- Wouldn't it be nice if you could be assured that you could get the best deal possible on a independently-inspected vehicle and then have it show up in your driveway and never have to interact with a shady car salesperson?

This brings up the pain of car buying and how you're going to solve all these pain points.

Would be great to provide an actual example (with a picture of the client and the car).
- have a quote from the client about how you saved them time, assured them of a great deal, and made everything easy for them

Have a list of things people hate about going to a dealership, dealing with high pressure salespeople, etc.

I hate to say this, but the domain name doesn't reflect your primary service. Getting a car that won't rust immediately is a concern, but I can't imagine it is anyone's primary concern. Their primary concerns are time, being taken advantage of, the car being in good shape overall (not just body rust). I'd go with something like "car buying concierge service" or "no hassle, done-for-you, car buying."

Good luck with this!!

[Kcinegnet]

I like that you're keeping things simple. But even though you don't have a lot of text on the page (which is fine), you're still throwing a lot of disconnected messages at your reader.

Here's a couple of thoughts from someone who is reading your website from top to bottom:

- "rust free midwest" - is this about applying wax or something to keep my car from rusting? That's my initial thought after seeing the domain and header

- "Fueling your next 4 wheeled adventure" (sees picture of a truck) - is this about buying or servicing trucks or jeeps? Are you selling a jeep excursion?

Our Promise: "We meet and exceed your needs and requests"  - this doesn't say much. What would be much more powerful is "how" will you meet exceed my needs. For example:
- We'll tell you if the car you're looking for is a Consumer Reports "Worst Buy"
- We'll run the carfax for you to make sure you don't buy a vehicle that has been rebuilt
... give us some tangible examples of how you exceed.

Top Notch customer service - These are the statements that should be at the top of your page. There are so many things that people hate about car-buying. Capitalize on those. For example,

- Hate to spend all day at the dealership while they give you the run-around and treat you in a condescending way?
- Wouldn't it be nice if you could be assured that you could get the best deal possible on a independently-inspected vehicle and then have it show up in your driveway and never have to interact with a shady car salesperson?

This brings up the pain of car buying and how you're going to solve all these pain points.

Would be great to provide an actual example (with a picture of the client and the car).
- have a quote from the client about how you saved them time, assured them of a great deal, and made everything easy for them

Have a list of things people hate about going to a dealership, dealing with high pressure salespeople, etc.

I hate to say this, but the domain name doesn't reflect your primary service. Getting a car that won't rust immediately is a concern, but I can't imagine it is anyone's primary concern. Their primary concerns are time, being taken advantage of, the car being in good shape overall (not just body rust). I'd go with something like "car buying concierge service" or "no hassle, done-for-you, car buying."

Good luck with this!!

Thanks so much for this. All very good advise I had not thought of from another viewpoint.

[Smokystache]

You're doing the right thing by getting feedback early. Believe me, I wish I had done what you're doing much earlier in the process.

I have found that I spend a lot of time thinking about my service/product that I forget that the customer is starting with zero information or expectations. Even worse, I've had potential customers ask me, "But do you provide X?" - it took me years to realize that they were essentially telling me exactly what they would pay me to do and all i needed to do was pivot a little bit ... but I realized that lesson pretty slowly. It sounds like you're open to feedback from others and, most importantly, your customers.

I personally think there is definitely a worthwhile service here. Best of luck!!

[MaaS]

A few quick thoughts:

• Concierge conveys pricey. Upscale, expensive services have a massive market. But, confirming this is accurate?
• I find the text over the map a little hard to read
• Consider adding a 'How it works' type section. E.g. Step 1: You tell us what you're looking for. Step 2: We use our proven process to... etc.
• I think there's a more compelling way to gather interest than "get in touch" How about an interactive questionnaire that covers make, model, year, and budget preferences, then collects their contact info at the very end. Typically this improves conversion rates as the customer is answering questions about themselves. The reasoning is too long to explain here, but once somebody starts a process, they're more likely to give personal info. This is why insurance quotes never start with your name and number. Typeform offers a free to inexpensive option to build such a tool.

Good luck!

[ender]

I have a 1440p monitor and see nearly nothing of relevance on the homepage. I barely even see the "What we do" block. That means I don't see either of the services you offer unless I scroll down... and this is with a 1440p monitor!


Not left aligned bullets are harder to read.

No menu bar at top is awkward. Feels like some more "about" types of info could be nice.

The name is awkward. Rust free? Confusing to me. Sounds more like a company that would do coatings on underbodies. Plus, you live in MN - rust free isn't an option anyways with winter salts ;)

You show a truck, are you sure there's a market for folks to buy trucks vs other vehicles? Is your target audience people buying trucks?

Your text box for comments is really small. What am I getting in touch with you about too? @MaaS suggests some ways there.

Alaska is red. Should that actually be red? It's the first state I see when I open the page.

[BicycleB]

Supporting the view that the website is unclear, but that there might be a good service buried under it.

What do you charge?????

Not being able to understand that makes me suspicious that there is any real savings. Not suspicious in real life, just in imagining myself as a reader who didn't already know from this forum that you're a thrifty car buff who probably will bring a great eye for value into helping people.

To restate: I suggest stating at the top of the page in clear lettering what you do and how you charge. For example, "For $300, I will do the car buying legwork for your next auto purchase." Or "For a fee that is less than two months' interest on a typical car deal, I will do all the research and negotiation to complete your next vehicle purchase." (ETA: On re-reading, that's kind of what you said, except for the fee. Not sure how to explain what I want, but the understanding-I-get-per-square-inch should be better somehow. Sorry I don't know how to say this better.)

Then you can say your qualifications (briefly!!) and give an example. "As a private buyer who specializes in buying rustfree vehicles for my own use, I will find a car that meets your chosen criteria, ensure that it meets stated standards to ensure dependability, and deliver to your doorstep the vehicle you're looking for. I save thousands buying my own vehicles and will do the same for you." I don't know the exact details you should say, just offering ideas.

Can you have a "Case Study" or "Real Life Examples" tab to offer more details on how it works or has worked in real cases, without having this large clogged front page?

Re the name, I see from Google that other car concierges exist and that there is a Midwest Car Concierge. But the category is still rare enough that I never heard of it. Not sure if "Rust Free Midwest Car Concierge" or "Minnesota Car Concierge" is better, but "Rustfree Midwest" is very confusing. Maybe "Nick's Car Concierge" would be better, with a "Who's Nick?" explaining that Nick YourLastName is a real person who will personally do this, and loves to this stuff and his friends already say he's great at it, or something.

Anyway, keep at it!

[BudgetSlasher]

Several little things:

1) You have a domain and website. Setup a email server/account @ your domain. This is the time to drop the free (or free seeming) gmail address. Even if the @ domain name just auto forwards.

2) Where do you work? Your name contains Midwest, your website text says everywhere, and the map shows the Midwest, Northeast, and Alaska highlighted in red.

3) You use the phrase "Carfax report pulled to guarantee" is this your guarantee or are you referencing the Carfax buyback program?

4) The photos scream stock photo that I have seen many times before (in my mind that equate to cheap/fly-by-night/scam).

5) What are you? Inc., LLC, something else? If you are make it clear (seems more professional to me). If not, consider becoming one (for your own protection).

6) The mobile site (accessed from my phones browser) has a menu. In that menu there is Home and Book Online (book online is not an option when accessing from my laptop). Book Online has services like "Inbound Telemarketing Services", "Outbound Telemarketing Services", "Live Chat Support", (each with several repeats, even if with different images) and then one consultation without a real image?

7) Contact Nick? Who is Nick, I thought this way an entity called Rust Free Midwest. (After it says Contact Nick it says "let us").

8) Why are you called Rust Free Midwest? Do you only select cars from areas that do not use road salt? Do you only buy good cars that are located in the Midwest?

8)

[Dancin'Dog]

Is this "

6514911596 " supposed to be a phone number?  I think so, but it's hard to tell.

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Also, as others have said, the name "Rust Free Midwest" doesn't quite work for me as a car buying service.

[Kcinegnet]

Appreciating the comments and feedback. It will continue being a work in progress to get the right message sent to website visitors. I do intend to include quotes and pictures of my happy customers as soon as I can get my clients and complete my first sale.

Considering if I want to change my domain as my focus is to hook up Midwesterners (or any client for this matter) with vehicles which are free of rust and are quality from southern states. I understand a lot of you have mentioned the name as ambiguous, would something like "Sentinel Vehicle Concierge" or "Midwest Motor Movement" work better? Just want to know if what I have works, or if it is imperative I change my domain and website name. Thanks
 

[Chris Pascale]

bumping to top so others can get a look.

awesome job starting your site.

[habanero]

Ok, I looked at your website when you started the thread and frankly even with considerable effort I actually had no clue what you were actually providing. The way it looks now, at least the service you offer is very clear to me.

As others have pointed out you should get some customer success stories if you have any (don't make them up!), maybe somewhere have photos of cars with hard-to-spot rust attack in places people wouldn't think of looking or something like that. Do you have access to any data on how widespread rust damage is on used cars driven in your area? Something on costs to have it fixed your customers can avoid?

Also your focus is very narrow (might be a good thing, might not be), but if you are entering the car buying consierge business or whatever it's called - why limit to cars with no rust? There are probably other things people care about when buying a used car and are willing to outsource the hassle for a reasonable fee. How about also offering to sell cars for people?

[A Fella from Stella]

.................you should get some customer success stories..............

From Abe Lincoln

When I chopped down my father's cherry tree he beat me so bad that I went back in time and became George Washington. It was crazy. Thankfully, there was a Delorian there with plenty of Plutonium to get me home. The problem? It was rusted as shit, and I don't play that way.

So I took it to good ole Slappy at the rust shop, and he got this babe wagon shiny and new.

Well, I don't need to tell you what happened next. Yep, I got a job at the grocery store.

[Kcinegnet]

Update:

Website renamed to www.sentinelcarconcierge.com

[Smokystache]

Nice revamp! I'm sure others can give specific tidbits that can improve conversions, but just wanted to say that this is a 200% improvement!

[BicycleB]

That's an improvement, @Kcinegnet! I especially like the summary line "Vehicle purchasing concierge for less than your vehicle's car payment" at the top of the website's initial page.

Details (one person's opinion only):
1. In the parts that scroll across the pictures, the fine print is still hard to read. Any chance of having those words bring their own flat background with them as they scroll across the picture?
2. Still can't tell how you set the price exactly. Do I as a customer have to negotiate this with you?
3. If you're going to have one of those "my contact information" boxes (I hate those), why not have it specify the make, model and year range I'd like? 
4. If you're offering your phone number, could you put in email?
5. Who do I pay? Do you I pay you, or the car seller?
6. Are you a person or a group? Current text says "As a private buyer, we..." If person, personalize it; if group, clarify.
7. Still no examples or success stories.
8. Your model appears to assume the buyer will finance. If I'm a cash buyer, is your fee zero?
8. Alternate draft of into text to replace "It's frustrating to spend all day...", based on my guesses about what you mean:

"When you're ready to buy a safe reliable used car, I will eliminate stressful visits with car salesmen by finding the best deal for you, and having it delivered to your home. I will scour private sale listings across the country for the make, model and year you specify and show you the best listings. When you select your favorites, I will negotiate with the seller, ensure that the car is inspected in detail, and that it passes rigorous quality standards, then arrange financing for you. After inspection and delivery, the price will be less than the typical dealer price on kbb.com for the same make, model, year and condition. My fee? Less than your car payment. I've saved thousands of dollars every time I've bought my own vehicle, and am ready to do the same for you."

To be fair, I don't see how you're going to buy a car in another state, drive it to someone's house, and make a profit charging "less than your car payment." So I assumed that in addition to your fee, inspection and delivery are charged separately. Guesses on my part! Obviously my draft will need some further revision. Just offering food for thought.

[KateN1]

I think it looks fine.

[MoneyQuirk]

Hi there!

I may be missing something, but when I try your link it gives me an error.

"Looks like this domain isn't connected to a website yet"

I'd definitely check it out - if I'm having difficulties, others might as well.

Good luck!

[anonymouscow]

I am viewing the site on my phone, some things people have already pointed out but things that stand out the most to me

- The white text over photos is difficult to read.
- The bullet points might look better left aligned
- There are five different text sections, to me, it would look better if there were maybe three text sections. The main text area and the “how it works” look good, the “how we help” kind of just repeats what was written in “how it works”.

I am curious on the pricing as well, I like the idea you have, but will there still be savings after shipping, inspection, and search fee? I would need a bit of reassurance, my worry would be it would be no different than your typical used car sales lot except without the ability to see the vehicle in person first. I would also be worried about what mechanic inspected the vehicle, how do I know they are independent and ethical? Those are not really critiques of the website itself, well maybe a little, maybe you can emphasize the personal service you will provide, add some personal information, a photo of yourself, why you decided to start the business, etc.

I hope I am not seeming too critical, best of luck!

[Luap595]

Howdy! Looks nice overall.

This seems like you're onto a good idea for a value proposition: Vehicle purchasing concierge for less than your vehicle's car payment

But I think it needs some more work.

First, it's in the wrong place - that's where a logo should be.

Second, it took me a moment decode the meaning of that statement.

I checked "vehicle purchasing concierge" with Ahrefs and don't see any search traffic for that term. If people aren't searching for it at all, it's a good indicator that people won't know what it means. But "car buying service" gets 5.7k monthly searches. It looks like that's the main keyword phrase you'll want to be focused on.

I'm still not sure I would put that into the value prop though. A good way to research that is to talk to a lot of people about their car buying experiences and find out what their pain points are. Pay attention to the specific words they use to describe it.

You can also do Google searches like this one: inurl:forum car buying hate

That should help you find forum posts where people talk about pain points buying a car - good place to see exactly what they're saying.

Hope this helps!

[neo von retorch]

Hi there!

I may be missing something, but when I try your link it gives me an error.

"Looks like this domain isn't connected to a website yet"

I'd definitely check it out - if I'm having difficulties, others might as well.

Good luck!

@MoneyQuirk
I was confused by this, too - but they have posted since then with a new domain name:

@Kcinegnet You might want to update your original post, as well.

Update:

Website renamed to www.sentinelcarconcierge.com

Can you update the navigation bar so it doesn't disappear whenever you click to a section?

Are you in a certain region, country, universe? Do you serve any area? Is this all free? I guess so because there's zero discussion of price. So you take care of covering the mechanic fee and everything?

[SwordGuy]

You're doing the right thing by getting feedback early. Believe me, I wish I had done what you're doing much earlier in the process.

I have found that I spend a lot of time thinking about my service/product that I forget that the customer is starting with zero information or expectations. Even worse, I've had potential customers ask me, "But do you provide X?" - it took me years to realize that they were essentially telling me exactly what they would pay me to do and all i needed to do was pivot a little bit ... but I realized that lesson pretty slowly. It sounds like you're open to feedback from others and, most importantly, your customers.

I personally think there is definitely a worthwhile service here. Best of luck!!

Just in case anyone reading this missed this absolute gem of advice...

[robartsd]

Your copyright notice at the bottom still says "©2019 by Rust Free Midwest. Proudly created with Wix.com" I'm guessing this was automatically created by wix.com based on your user profile. You'll want to change it to your current branding.