What else can I/ should I do?

[John Valentine]

Hi, I run a business networking company, you know the type that gets businesses in a room and they network for two hours over coffee. I'm not a developer, so any good suggestions I would be happy to pay for them to be implemented.

Anyway, have a look at the website www.bizsetnetworking.com.

A couple of things, The groups section has a number of closed groups this is actually where they go to get their pdf invoices after they have attended a meeting, it's a good way of getting people to sign on the website and also to visit it. I closed these 'groups' so that only people who attended the meeting can see into the group.

Everything else should be straight forward for you to review.

So considering the target market is businesses, mainly small businesses 1-10 employees, feel free to critique the site.

Objectives, to get people to join the site so that:

A)  I can get them to a meeting, if they like the meetings I run they then pay a membership fee to be a member of the offline groups. This is how I derive my income from paying offline members.

B) It becomes a vibrant business website.

To make the site as SEO friendly as possible so that people searching business networking across the UK will find me, and on first visit will have a reason to join.

[SweetPotato]

the site looks good but the first couple of pages I hit upon were not public, which is not good for seo. On my site, which is n ot wholly disimilar, I really sell the whole seo element as a reason to join. so those two go hand in hand for me: join and make your business more visible.
I'm london based so if you fancy a coffee and are in town, let me know.
sp

[John Valentine]

Where these pages the closed groups, which as we discussed are there for a reason, or is something else not public?

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Hi John!

Thanks for sharing your site. Overall, I think it looks pretty decent and is a commendable effort. Nice job!

It looks to me like the strength of your business model is in-person meetings, and the social network is positioned as an added value. I think that focus would be helpful in addressing improvements.

A) I think you need to do a better job of presenting the value proposition of those meetings. You would think the content and activity on the site does a good job of implying the value iterated in your header, but I disagree. In my professional opinion, you need a far more comprehensive and multi-media dynamic presentation about Bizset Networking, and that pitch is what you should rely on to get people to join online and attend in person.

B) In general, the activity I saw on the site is not that indicative of substantial networking. I saw more related to B2B pitches. It's fairly common to attend a business networking function full of people trying to sell products/ services to businesses rather than non-solicitive networking for the sake of building business relationships etc. The problem with that is most legit businesses are turned off by that. You can get some traction in participation with that, but it's a diminishing return. People looking for business sales get tired of meeting people trying to sell them too. Like your networking functions are directed to be a value, the site needs some direction to mitigate the promulgation of that appearance- so more real companies will be attracted to come on board. On that note, there's a good time and place for presenting member businesses, as well refining how to do this through social media. Looking at what you've got now, there's a range of quality in presentation and it's not clear if it's directed to other members or these businesses are also trying to reach out to a consumer market directly. So I think with some better direction, and corresponding adjustment of the online environment, serving all those demands can be done in a way that makes it come across as a better value that can grow the project.

C) If your target market is across the UK, I bet your SEO will be improved if you make that more clear throughout the site. The reference is conspicuously absent from your main header, and I didn't see much in your network description- even your Google results on direct search. Searching "Business Networking UK" I got through 10 pages with nothing on you. However, searching Business Networking Wigan got you on page 3. Your SEO strategy might benefit by way of including more reference to UK in your primary theme, and also incorporating it into each of your group descriptions. If possible, network cooperatively with some of these organizations getting better results, title and tag your content accordingly, and also find out from them who they are using. Some business social sites are not geographically niched, and what you post on those can shoot you up alot on Google.

Finally, my biggest peice of advice is to leverage the power of your network to get the word out as a primary focus rather than SEO. I saw some of this structured into the franchising options, but not so much as prerogative value. You already have the benefit of real in-person meetings, and another proprietary edge in having a Ning social network. Think in terms of the actual value proposition that your concept supports in business networking, deliver that online as well as you do in person, and make that an extended value your clients will want to put forward. Case in point, I set up my network and produced branded business cards that my business clients can give to their contacts as a value to improve their networking and relationships with other businesses and consumers alike. I set up instore kiosks- basically a 3D print media driven business card holder to promote the network, but also customization referencing that company's profile. The key to all that though is that joining and using the site delivers on the expected value, and that there are values built in that make it worth their while to invite, as well as serving the interests of those invited.

Best,

Anthony

 

[Patrick Chappelle]

In addition to the sage advice offered by SweetPotato and Anthony, I would suggest you get rid of the hearts. You've a lot of pink going on there (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), and combined with the hearts make your site look as if it were for teenage girls. I would choose one of the other like icons, either the star or thumbs up.

[SweetPotato]

very good point! I'd not really noticed that first time round.

also, think about this: why would small businesses want to sign up? It's probably because they want more business, so you need to sell it that way .... "Join BizSetNetworking and Win more Business" then demonstrate why: increased online exposure etc.

Once they're on board, then you can sell the networking events, but people won't sign up so they can be sold them, they need a more compelling reason.

If your site promotes local businesses then steer them down the blogging/uploading videos etc but making sure they tag correctly to target local audiences. So a Wigan based Pet Shop would upload great content and consistently tag with "Wigan Pet Shop". A best practice page with some guidance might kick things off.

SP

[John Valentine]

thanks so far people, I am going to read all the points carefully and get back to you. Hopefully I can get some more critique by others as well.

BTW, just shows you the value of doing this, I look at my website a million times a day but it takes someone to point out that perhaps 'hearts' are not the right symbol - and of course that's absolutley right, but I hadn't even thought about it!

[SweetPotato]

the curse of the webmaster, I guess. you look at it all day, love it, loathe it, want to redesign, happy to keep it. drives you crazy. 

[John Valentine]

it does drive you crazy because what you hate about it is because you look at it everyday, a person first visiting the site wouldn't notice your own biggest annoyance

[HELP SEEKER]

it looks good, i like the added 'relax' feeling, such as rose colours and ❤  - makes different and more intimate atmosphere compared to all other typical buz sites. together with the event pictures- good contrast, which provides so valuable for marketing 'curiosity' factor.

[John Valentine]

thanks HELP SEEKER, yes the colours of pink and green, with small amounts of grey were picked with a view of not being corporate blue, orange, red, black, grey boring. Although I think it is a little too pink and needs some more green in there, perhaps say the events section to be in green.

[HELP SEEKER]

yes, those typical dark blue and green business sites everywhere dead boring, on every corner, if you are adding bit more green, the logo-matching bits are ok

but i wouldnt change much, i like the way it gives freshness by mixing business suit with the pinkish lollypop - adds more intimacy and perhaps..- credibility ?, i would possibly just remove ning footer 

.xg_theme #xg_foot {

    display: none;

}

and add instead something fancey or clever in the bottoms advert box with address, phone and other supa extra-credible stuff )

[HELP SEEKER]

limited company number, authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom, copyrights reserved/preserved, patents pending, bla bla