Re: Website Re-design

**"bbmackey" b*@prodigy.net**

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "C.L. Fornari" <clfornari@mail.com>
> At the GWA meeting in Vancouver I was inspired by one of the panels, and 
> have used the notes I took there to help re-design my website.  My only 
> disappointment about this is with the google ads I put on the "Find Great 
> Plants" page.  My hope was that they would put ads on for places that sell 
> the plants I've listed, but so far the ads are mostly for "fast growing 
> trees" - sort of the opposit of what the page is about.  I may re-think 
> the google ad thing...
>
> Let me know what you think!  www.gardenlady.com
------------------------- reply ----------------------
Ok, here goes.

C. L., I really like the redesign of your website. It is easy to navigate 
and filled with useful content that will be enjoyed by your radio show 
listeners and the gardeners in your area.

However, I think that you should consider putting the Google Adsense ads in 
many more places on your site.  When you do, even if you don't research the 
keywords, you will get more diversified results. For instance, you have a 
lot of content up for free, in your articles, but you have not put any ads 
on these pages. You could add one to the end of each of these free articles, 
where your readers can see a (we hope) relevant ad. It's not too obtrusive 
at the end instead of the beginning. Similarly, where you have the 
individual plant writeups, you could also have a Google ad, instead of just 
one ad spot on the plant list page.

In addition to or instead of ads, you could insert the Google search bar. It 
would be particularly appropriate on those pages with the individual plant 
writeups.

I recently added Google ads to my website, www.mackeybooks.com . Like you, I 
have been surprised at what pops up where. On my page that tells a quick way 
to make a trough, they put ads for concrete molds (appropriate) but also an 
ad for a company called 'Pozzocrete.' Of course I couldn't click on it on my 
own page (a big Google no-no) so being curious I googled it. It is a 
supplier based in India and Europe, with products for commercial cement 
makers. It is hardly the thing for gardeners trying to make a garden trough 
under a foot wide. Also on my page with my spiral-bound garden notebooks, 
they put ads for binding machines. Pretty clever. On another page where I 
give directions for making a free composter out of found materials, they 
have placed ads for composters one can buy.

I only started the program at the start of this month. At the current rate 
of hits I will only make $50 per year from Google, but since I get many more 
visitors in the spring it should be better than that.

I went to Doug Green's site http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/ to see how the 
ads looked. Since they weren't too obtrusive, I went ahead and signed up.

Any ideas for drawing more visitors?

With best wishes,
Betty

Betty Mackey, Publisher
B. B. Mackey Books
P. O. Box 475
Wayne, PA 19087
bbmackey@prodigy.net
www.mackeybooks.com

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