Roast my website

Hey, I own a software development agency, static website development is one of our strengths. I see some good feedback in this thread, constructive and positive.

My two cents, the cold hard truth is the following: You don't have a brand. The site is ok, the copy is fine (everything always could be better but thats beyond the point). However, no brand. You can change all you want and move things around but you're just another starter template, 99% of the time. People won't see the effort you're putting into this, because its hard to be memorable with no visual personality. Take the time to get a visual identity going that is obviously there when people land in the homepage. I don't mean logo and slogan only, I mean an actual visual identity or brand book you can follow.

In this case, if you're doing grey and white you need to have a damn good reason why. Why those fonts, why the tone of the copy? Is it serious, fun, friendly? Whats the photography style for the mentors and other pictures? Are there any custom graphics or icons you should add (that adhere to your brand guide) that would help visually explain what you do or convey any given message, without words? All this is why, and I cannot stress this enough, all startups or fresh ideas need a BRAND. Now more than ever.

Brands can cost anywhere from 3-5k to 15-50k for new startups. It might not be accessible at the moment but do what you can to replicate the assets that a branding agency or team provides.

This is the only way this website will ever have conversions or real impact. This is only my own opinion and objective analysis, hope it helps. Best of luck!

These should help:

1. Change the headline. "Each one, teach one" does not explain what your site does. "Read in-depth interviews from successful engineers who have been where you are now" is clearer. Or: "We bring engineers together to learn, inspire, and grow from each other's stories"

2. Your site seem to focus on engineers (which makes sense, given your background). Say "engineers" early and often throughout the funnel.

3. For each of the stories below the fold, rewrite the body copy using a before/after framework.

Here's what you currently have under the first story:

"Start preparing as early as possible. Familiarize yourself with the transfer requirements and align them with the college of your choice. This will save you both time and money."

This doesn't encourage users to learn more. Try this (I'm making this up as an example):

"I worked nights while attending community college and was $5,000 in debt. Now I'm a successful engineer with Google and make six-figures doing what I love. Here's how I did it..."

See how the second one tells a story? It identifies with your reader, shows them their ideal outcome, and teases how they can achieve it.

4. Include logos of the companies your engineers work for. This is great social proof.

Let me know if you have any questions. And congrats on your first site!

This Indie Hackers case study will give you more ideas.

From the design perspective I would probably make the main message bigger to make it stand out.

The header part, maybe make it white - it looks a bit templatish if you know what I mean.

As for the scale, allow people to submit their stories as you have in the menu (not working currently). Overall, I like that it is clean.

A good, simple website.

Just to add something to the amazing and detailed comments of the others here, use schema markup to grow organically. I think the template for Medical doctors that you can find at "Steal Our JSON" website (sorry, I can't post links here yet) may be a good starting point.

Hi Francis, This looks amazing. But can you explain to me why is this page existing? any problems you faced or trying to solve other's problems? The page is simple and delivers the exact data in all aspects, BUT WHY?

Hi, Francis 👋
I have a few comments/suggestions regarding your website:

1. I struggle to understand what it is exactly about. Are you showcasing the people on the page as mentors? Or, are you just telling stories?
2. There is a call to action missing. Once I enter the website I should know what to do - read the newest stories, sign up for the newsletter, or perform any other action.
3. I don't know what I would get from signing up for the newsletter. Do you send something more than what's already on the website?
4. If you want to just tell interesting stories, phrase them as one. Currently, it looks like you have a list of profiles with some descriptions - that's it. I think the best way of sharing knowledge is through powerful stories that have a clear and captivating flow.
5. Don't forget about catchy headers to capture the reader's attention.
6. If you don't know much about web design, go for a no-code website builder such as Squarespace, or Wix. You will be able to create an eye-catching website/blog with very little effort.

Regarding your current challenges:

1. How did you arrive at the idea of creating this website? I assume you must have had a network of people - reach out to them. LinkedIn might also be a good tool here. I guarantee you that if you ask, people will say yes because many like to be appreciated and share their experiences ;)
2. If you figure out your CTA, it might be easier to capture emails. But first, people need to understand what the page is about.
3. If you want more traffic to your website, you might consider using additional platforms i.e. social media to reach a bigger audience. Anyway, it will probably take some time before you see any significant growth.

Good luck ✌️

Hi.

I'm trying to develop a startup - design as a service. I've been designing applications for 20 years, so let me comment on your website.

1. As a non-native speaker, I understand the phrase 'Each one, teach one.' However, I suggest working on 'Learn, get inspired and grow from shared experiences of people who've been through the process.' What process are we talking about? What are we supposed to learn? Why should we read these texts? Perhaps it would be better to use something more specific, such as 'Learn, get inspired and grow from people who decided to quit their jobs,' or something more tailored to your target audience.

2. "The overall design is simple, which is a plus, but it lacks that 'wow factor' that would make it stand out. My suggestion is to work on improving the aesthetics.

3. I suggest starting with changing the header and footer. They are the ugliest parts of the page that repel visitors. They definitely don't look professional.

4. Work on the hierarchy on the page. What is more important? The label 'College' or the content 'Owens Community College'? In your case, it seems that you chose the label (assuming you did it because 'Owens Community College' didn't fit).

5. A big plus is that each person interviewed on the website is linked to their LinkedIn profile, which significantly improves credibility. It's clear that these are not fakes.

Hey, I’m offering landing page proofreading if you want it :) head to my profile!

A lot of good helpful tips and cold hard truths. Thank you all.

A big shout out to @BillyTheMaker for marking up and annotation of my newsletter landing page U Will Grow

I got some work to do.

I want to build some backlinks for my website, whether it's free or paid. Please provide me with some channels.