That is a spiffy site, it's clear you've spent alot of time on it. Also, not a niche you see every day.
BIlly there is no back button when we Enter the gates of the Life Recorded Memory Store. It's takes to much time. But I like it. Hope To people always be patient as like me to see your Liferecord.
Impressive, to say the least. Clearly a unique site and service with a lot of effort and attention to detail behind it. Very well done!
when i first looked i kinda just...eh but now that i looked deeper, it's a very beautiful site...reminds me of life extension from Vanilla Sky
I think the site looks awesome and the niche is fantastic. I did have a bit of a problem with navigation. Best of luck.
very unique, i like it how the banner rotates and the background of the site gives it a warm welcoming feeling to it
I liked it as well, but I thought I'd give a few comments.. - the Amazon store on the front looks a bit tacky for a site with this sort of theme. You might make $10 a month from it, right? It would be better to remove it and focus on making money with your core area as the ad might put some people off. Do I want to host my loved one's memory next to an Amazon affiliate ad? - the top header graphic is well done but the mystic egyptian imagery might put off some of the more conservative religious folk. You might open up your market a bit more ....oops nevermind, I just reloaded the page and realized the top graphic changes. - when I see "purchase a plot" I know it is going to be a commercial site that wants me to pay.. not a problem if the service is worthwhile. However, I'd like a clue as to the price on that screen that tells me to register. Why should I bother registering when I don't know the price? When I did find the price after a couple of clicks through the FAQ, it struck me as a bit high. Once you have substantial traffic, I'd guess that a lower price point would be more profitable with volume (which also increases traffic further since there is more to browse).
Pros: Beautiful site. The graphics are spectacular. Unique niche concept. Well executed. I thought the price was reasonable. (I found it in the FAQ without registering) Cons: 1. Amazon ad on home page detracted. 2. Navigation was a little cumbersome and confusing. 3. You may want to change the phrase "The memory store". My first impression was that store="shop" instead of store="place to store things" and it threw me off. 4. Although the graphics were beatiful they reminded me of a fantasy computer game. When I die, I would prefer photos and water colors of trees and nature, maybe you can add a section for the natural world. 5. Plot search results show only the first name and then the URL. I would prefer to see the full name and appropriate dates in the results to be sure I found the correct plot. 6. This may be nitpicky, but in the FAQ you say the price is for "life": "This is a one-time fee which pays for your lifetime membership as a patron of Life Recorded, and also includes ongoing professional maintenance, support and general administration." I think this phrase is a little ironic considering what I am purchasing. If I bought the plot for someone else does it last until the end of my life? If I bought the plot for myself, I am dead before it is useful. Overall: I really think you are onto something here. My con observations were minor. The only thing that I really question is how you will convince people of the permanence of the plot. When it comes down to it, they are buying ones and zeros. How permanent is it? How permanent can it be? What if the site doesn't catch on? A tombstone will last hundreds of years. A computer gets thrown away after 3-5 years. I don't think this is an insurmountable problem. I am just not sure how you will do it. However I am sure that with the thought and effort you have already put into this site you will not have a problem figuring it out. Cheers!
One more question.... where is my other sock?? >>The graphics will blow your sock off. ps. Another thought... open up plots for free. Get initial traffic and entries and then introduce the paid or subscription option. You could generate a lot of initial interest if the site were free.
Well people you've certainly gave me plenty to ponder over I'll try answer some, Amazon ads only shows books relating to loss and grieving this was not added as a money spinner more as another help resource. Navigation issues still tweaking away at this because of the diversity of areas we're still working on entering and returning problems, but getting there slowly. I'm interested on any views in the angels playground the slide show with the little girl releasing butterflies, I'm looking to have similar slides to each area feedback on this would be helpful. Now memory store, I wanted to have something different rather than a memorial site and to me I'm storing memory's so why not memory store! In regards to the site being here for a set time who knows, but what I would like to do if it becomes popular maybe every five years transform the plot data in radio waves and have them beamed into space to hopefully bounce about out there for who knows how long, don't even know if this is possible but I will try because the hole idea of the site is to be remembered. Once again cheers for your comments.
Forgot to ask looking for ideas for other areas, if you've got any please post in the life recorded site forum.
I spent 5 minutes on it and still don't know what the site is about. So what is it about? Graphics look nice though.
Billy....I don't know if you want ads like a site like this, how would you feel if salesmen came up to you in maoseleum. That's kind of the impression I got when I first saw the ad on the bottom.
I understand that the books are relevant. They are just too commercial and in your face for this website. The normal rules don't apply to your site because of the subject matter. In your case, it think the key is to understate the books somewhat. Take them off the front page and remove the Amazon logo. It will take more work, but I think you can add them as text links (still including your Amazon Affiliate ID) on the "Grief Counseling" page. You can change the name to "Grief Resources". Then break out the categories of resources into Books and Counselors (or whatever other categories make sense). This way you can highlight only the books you recommend or add a little review to give visitors more value. I think the animation for the "Angels Playground" is tasteful. I have experienced a loss like this and have chosen to deal with it privately, but I think there are probably some out there that would benefit from an outlet like yours. Cheers!
By the way, I think the idea of beaming the information into space is brilliant! Same ones and zeros, but now they are free to roam the universe. It really sets the imagination loose. I knew you would come up with something good.