Thread: re-launch of BatAds.com!

I would say work on the design... It could be better..

But I like what you have done though

what would you recommend I add?

My sites load times are super quick right now and anything else just seems redundant, but I know not everybody shares my views on simplicity.

As an advertiser, I wouldn't trust using your service because of the lack of a professional design on your website.

My point of view is that if you don't care enough about how your website looks, you're not going to care about how my ads look or where they're displayed.

Solution - run a website design contest on 99designs to give you site a professional look.

1. Congratulations for fixing the previous design and bringing your idea to life.

2. I don't think this website is going to make you any money, but I do know how to fix it.

Pm if interested and I'll run down some cool ninja tricks for you, no charge =)

My problem is that I looked at your site for a min or 2 and I still dont know what you sell and how it works.

I think you need to make it more clear to customers.

Originally Posted by kwerner

As an advertiser, I wouldn't trust using your service because of the lack of a professional design on your website.

My point of view is that if you don't care enough about how your website looks, you're not going to care about how my ads look or where they're displayed.

Solution - run a website design contest on 99designs to give you site a professional look.

I'll look into 99designs.

My job isn't to do the advertising personally, I am just putting the system in place that links like-minded people together.

Think of it like a dating site, match.com doesn't set up the dates, you do all that yourself. match.com just brings people together.

Originally Posted by Kak

My problem is that I looked at your site for a min or 2 and I still dont know what you sell and how it works.

I think you need to make it more clear to customers.

I'm going to make a new video and narrate exactly what the site does and doesn't do as my friend suggested.

First, congrats on the actions you've been taking to always move forward..

I think design is a very important part of a website now a days; IMO, the most important aspect. Here's a big secret in design: it's not so much how great it looks (although that helps) it's more about 'does it look like it will work well' and 'easy to use'.

So IMO; design in the user experience and interface is what is the sub-conscious line between great sites and good sites.

For example; if you take a look at my 2nd thread on Freelanceful; almost every other comment is saying something like 'your design looks great'. Yes, the site looks good; but what they are really trying to say is:

"Your design is so great that it looks like your app will be be joyful to use" compared to using a frustrating design of other sites.

- James F.

p.s. - 99designs only gives you the psd templates for designing the site; they won't actually implement the design into your site as it is now. pretty big gap in steps there.

I know my site is easy to use, because even my dad said it was easy which really speaks volume to me lol.

As far as I can tell, everybody who hated on the design didn't even register an account and look at the logged in interface which is where most of the site is anyways.

Even so, I did follow their advice and now I'm displaying the database on the index page with limits that push users to registering an account to remove the limitations. I think the database being on the index helps explain the site a little better and the database layout is cleaner than the 'latest listings' I had which made the page look somewhat sloppy.

Just to put this on the record, I purposely made the site so simple because I'm going for the 'google' approach. I've been playing with a few psd layouts since I posted this thread but it's not working out. It kills me to over complicate something, but then I remind myself the site isn't to please me, but to please the user-base.

Even with the disgusting layout that I had before, I still had a significant amount of people completely register for the site.

Originally Posted by bateati

I know my site is easy to use, because even my dad said it was easy which really speaks volume to me lol.

As far as I can tell, everybody who hated on the design didn't even register an account and look at the logged in interface which is where most of the site is anyways.

I did, and the only thing that is different is that I now have an extra box just to change contact details, post ads, and some google ads. Nothing is different about the design\style.

Just to put this on the record, I purposely made the site so simple because I'm going for the 'google' approach. I've been playing with a few psd layouts since I posted this thread but it's not working out. It kills me to over complicate something, but then I remind myself the site isn't to please me, but to please the user-base.

Even with the disgusting layout that I had before, I still had a significant amount of people completely register for the site.

Simple doesn't mean not changing defaults. There is no contrast at all on the page except a big blue box which even the link to register in that is exactly the same as just the text.

There needs to be some contrast to guide the eyes. Why does it work for google? For the longest time they only had a search box. Thats all that was there, it was obvious what to do. They've now added a bar with some of their other more popular services. And notice the contrast between it, and the search function.

Leaving defaults doesn't make something simple.

Also, on the register page, the password fields should be changed to type password.

Originally Posted by bateati

I'm going to make a new video and narrate exactly what the site does and doesn't do as my friend suggested.

I wouldn't take the time to watch a video. It really needs to be very clear on what it is that you do. I had the same thought when I visited the site, "what does batads do?"

A video could be a supplement explaining/selling the service, but to capture to eyeballs, they need to know in 15 sec or less how they can benefit from your site.

All that info in the video needs to be put on the home page. The design is way too boring and really doesn't explain what you do too well. You have to realize that when people click on a page, they need to be wowed or their gone real quick. Since your site is for advertising, the one thing that you should be good at is ADVERTISING your site. I suggest you read a book called "Ca$hvertising". It should help you a lot.

Besides that, I think the idea is good. Don't give up on it!

Hi bateati,

As others members said, I think that you should work the design, and maybe the logo too.

Try to explain in a few words what your site offers and who you can help.

Personally, the logo "scares" me a little. I associate bats with darkness, but is my opinion and my perception. Maybe you can create a bat more "friendly"...

Not to sound negative, especially on my first post here, but I thought I'd offer some constructive criticism.

I'm certainly not an expert on the advertising industry, but ran a pretty large marketing team, so don't take anything I post as gospel, but some points that you can do more research from.

From what I know, it's a well established industry with its own way of doing things, including sales and procurement of ads (media buyers). Established may or may not be a good thing, and I'm in no position to editorialize there, but the sales methods and relationships built up in that industry seem very firmly in place, with the usual sales teams, reps, schmoozing, and the channels that exist for a lot of it (billboards, bus ads, TV, radio, print, etc.) are mostly held by various large media companies (CBS, Pattison, TV stations, YPG, media conglomerates, news chains, etc.) and they have their built their own channels.

Everything else out there in terms of marketing inventory is almost a rounding error in comparison. Even the small town newspapers are run by large corporations that fall into those channels.

That being said, it's not like that industry can't be disrupted. Google did it as 95% of their revenue is from advertising, but mostly by creating a new channel entirely that displaced some of the other mediums. Or the many dozens of web ad networks that have appeared in the last 15 years, some with huge success.

I'd recommend doing some more diligence and research in this industry.

Have you talked with anyone in the media/advertising industry to ask if this is something they'd want, or what their pain points are? Have you talked to any businesses that are buying advertising (not all do) and have you addressed what their current pain points are?

As I started with...

My first post, and it might sound like I'm just a naysayer, but I'd encourage you to talk to some potential customers that do buy advertising, and actively advertise, and some of the current providers and start learning how the industry works to identify opportunities.

Keep working at it!

I came up with the idea as I walked into a barber shop and noticed the barber had business cards by his cash register for other businesses.
The purpose of BatAds.com is to put a system in place making connections like that more possible. To help people form mutually beneficial relationships.

The problem with my site so far is there is currently nothing exactly like it out there and people don't understand it completely.

If my friend can knock door to door and sell a vacuum for 2,500$; I am confident this site could work, especially after the amount of members I already had sign up. I just have to keep adjusting as I go.

My only hardship here is building up the database with available space. If I can make that happen the cards will be in my table and I can see what works.

I think you can compete with the big boys if you are able to lock down areas with proven traffic sources in places of boredom and prove it.

I'm very interested to see how it goes, keep us posted.

Your website is good enough, it's simple and easy to use...BUT I really didn't know why I should have tried your service over another service.

After reading your post I learned that you are actually putting people together and not actually doing the advertising. You need to make that very clear because when I saw your site I put you into the online advertising middleman category.

I think your idea can work. Just start getting users and get their feedback on what they like and dislike.

Keep taking the criticism because it will make you and your product stronger. I'm currently going through this right now with my online software product.

Its taken almost 1 year of trial and error but now that I'm actually worrying about clients not so much on the look and functionality my client base has been growing.

I've just been immediately fixing problems as they come up from actual paying clients instead of trying to anticipate problems.

Originally Posted by bateati

Hey everybody,

I made some improvements to my site and I would appreciate it if you checked it out and offered suggestions. It's a work in progress, but everything is functioning well enough to start promoting.

My plan is to take over Las Vegas and get this city really using my site while making adjustments along the way.

In one months time my goal is to have 100 more registered members and 1 paying customer.

Thanks Fastlaners,!

Batads Advertising Agency, The Best Advertisement Company to Buy Ads and Sell Ads Online

I would take out the green houses at the top and shift the forms higher so they are above the fold, and it is more clear about what you want visitors to do.

Otherwise - it is simple and it works...but as always test, test, test.