Does anyone feel like reviewing my skill game info site?

[skillfool]

Hi all,

I run a skill game information and review site and would love to hear feedback from pro gamers like members of the forum.

I'm not asking anyone to click through on the offers. I would just really appreciate some honest evalution of my work.

It would be cool if anyone felt like taking a look.

site is Skillfool.com

thanks

[Renaldo Moon]

Hi Skillfool,

I'm a former-pro-cash-gamer, and also a graphic/website designer.

I'll be honest with you. The site looks very unclean and unorganized. The navigation seems a little bland, confusing, and it feels like information is being "hidden" in the obscurity, rather than immediately presenting itself. Your advertisements seem sort of uneven and clunky, and the site altogether gives a pretty messy feel to it.

I visited a few of the sections of information, and I noticed you embedded the affiliate link into mid-sentence text-- but you also did this like 8 times on one page. You also embedded links to different areas of your website mid-sentence too, and I assumed it was an affiliate link since all the others were, and I wouldn't have clicked it had I not noticed it had a different URL.

I noticed also that, as you switch pages, the section for game reviews arbitrarily changes from "Game Reviews" to "Game Capsules" on the navigation bar. Also, in "Game Reviews", it might just be my browser (Chrome), but the text overlaps the pictures.

Those little nuances aside, I have a few concerns:
1. The information you present in each section seems very unoriginal, it seems like worldwinner's generic descriptions. There's not anything genuinely insightful about the information you provide, and the "Reviews" aren't really reviews. They're just introductory information about each game.

2. The presentation of information on the site (Arbitrary placement of "Use this code for free game credit at gameduell", etc) seems very spam-my. It gives the viewer the impression that they can't really trust your site very much, and that you're just trying really, really hard to get them to click your affiliate links.

That being said, I want to ask what your goal is with this site. Is your intention to genuinely attract people who are interested, and get them to click your affiliate links to take them to Worldwinner/etc.? Or are you trying to spam keywords and backlinks to boost your google ranking?

If you're wanting people to click those affiliate links, you're going to have to cut out a lot of the filler and make your site look more presentable. If this is just a low-key website for filler links and advertisements, it's probably fine. Depends on what your goal is and how much effort you're willing to put into it.

[Renaldo Moon]

Jacob knows more about the webhosting business than I do, although I know more about the design industry.

He can probably give you a couple pointers on making that site profitable. I could only tell you what would make people attracted to the site.

[skillfool]

thanks for your frank assessment. it is primarily an affiliate site meant to introduce gamers to options available to them if they want to play for cash.

you confirmed alot of the problems i think i have with the site. i'm planning to bring someone in and help me with a better navigation format.

as far as the content goes you're correct insofar as the "reviews" are concerned. that's why i'm going to start calling them "capsules". i just haven't gotten around to fixing the nav menu (i should have done php!)

i write alot of the articles/reviews with keywords in mind but i don't think. i never cut and paste anything. keep in mind i'm not really trying to appeal to people that would be members of this forum for example that have alot of experience. obviously, my content isn't too useful for them.

i'm basically breaking down each game on worldwinner and gameduell to let people know what's out there and that it's legal in the US for the most part.

anyway, thanks again for your input. I'll try to make appropriate changes.

[Renaldo Moon]

Sure, feel free to ask any questions around here. Jacob and I are well acquainted with that industry. Either of us can probably give you honest and insightful advice about your concerns.

I'll try to post more thoughts on it later, when I've got some free time.

[skillfool]

great...thanks alot for the welcome on your help Renaldo!

[skillfool]

...and your help that is...oops

[varkjie]

I think renaldo gave you quite a pithy run down, my only .02 was the ads are way too many and make it more of a distraction, unless I knew exactly what I was looking for I wouldn't stay on the site to discover any new information. The flashing ads made me want to look away. I like the subtle ads for each of the gaming sites on the bottom. If anything introduce more ads later on or rather try to find ads that are less flashy, in the literal sense not flashy as in bling but actual strobe flash, my eyes were fighting over what to start at first. start simple, less is more.