Wanted: Domain Appraisal Appraisal: ichocolate.co.uk

[charlie]

Updated this site a little bit - will be working on this over the week so any comments appreciated.

.ichocolate.co.uk

affiliate site - needs attention!

 

[retired_member6]

It looks good don't it, I wish I'd bought it now haha

 

[aqls]

Being an ichocoholic I think I can comment on this one.

I love chocolate.

The whole family loves chocolate.

In fact we are chocolate connoisseurs.

ichocolate.co.uk sounds like it would be the site for me.

I can just imagine it now, new flavours, new mixes and presentations, maybe even some real gourmet treats like thyme infused dark criollo!

And commercially, maybe look at any new chocolatiers offering their special new subscription offers.

At christmas I would like to send all my clients the tastiest presentation boxes of the stuff we really like. (don't really care if they don't like them!)

====


What the site actually gives me is:
Nice design.

But . . .
text too small to read.
All sorts of sweets crap, seo gone mad
What do boiled sweets have to do with subscription chocolate services?
Completely different market, different age group, different sort of people.

Messy text with all sorts of links off to places I would never want to go (I know there are no links but I can see what is going to happen )

=====

Harsh - but I know you can take this sort of criticism well :smile:

-------

I would make it focused, not just on chocolate, but on chocolate lovers.

They are an existing market and will be forever yours once you've hooked them.

Heck, they would even probably hang out on forums discussing chocolates.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=mozilla&q=chocolate forums
finds 4.8 million results!

Top one could give you an excellent lead on your potential links :smile:
http://www.chocolatereview.co.uk/chocforum/default.asp

By all means bring new recruits in who are there just for the christmas presents, but I would concentrate on the former.

Otherwise, nice idea, nice design.

Best of luck

-aqls-

 

[deconstruction]

i agree with aqls, should make the site for chocolate lovers.

the name reminds me of sites like www.hotelchocolate.co.uk

not sure if they offer any affilaite schemes at all

but a nice enough site and a move in the right direction for sure.

the other option is import luxary chocolate and sell in the site, much more work. But if promoted right chance of higher returns (but then if you can make enough from affilates can you be bothered)

just some food for thought (pardon the pun)

 

[olebean]

Charlie

site looks cool, I don't know if these chocolate sites work

does it pay off? time etc?

Dec, there is profit to be made from making choccies and a shortage of the right ones problem is the shelf life when making them from scratch or the tendency for imported chocs not to be to british taste

fussy gits us brits

 

[charlie]

or the tendency for imported chocs not to be to british taste - fussy gits us brits

this was my dilemma every one love the retro sweets and that odd taste we have in this country for the unaturally coloured foods!

 

[deconstruction]

this was my dilemma every one love the retro sweets and that odd taste we have in this country for the unaturally coloured foods!

having said this top end chocolate is on the up.

My sister spends a ton for chocolate from places like hotel chocolate.

Cadburys does not seem to cut it anymore, chocolate has gone up market and people are willing to pay to get it.

but what do i know give me a black jack or drum stick any day

 

[paul]

Updated this site a little bit - will be working on this over the week so any comments appreciated.

One thing guaranteed to put me off when looking at a site is bad pictures. Although the original pictures are good you have forced them to be displayed in a different size so you have lost all the quality.

As an example the first picture on this page

Should look more like this

This will have a huge impact on conversion rates


Paul




Local Shops Adult DVDs HPI Check Domains

 

[olebean]

My wifes a lecturer, chef etc etc

It was the reason we purchased www.simplychocolat.com after we did the costing we decided against it

 

[aqls]

Charlie,

Maybe between your sexy girls underpants site and this choccie site you could get quite a heap of valentines day traffic together.

Maybe the design should be based toward that event - the second highest chocolate eating time of year after christmas. (or is that easter? :???: )

With regards that old profitability chestnut, the profit in these things, and that goes for most of the affiliate schemes, is in repeat business.

The initial sale is the expensive part of it, that's why all these merchants are so keen to have us market the stuff for them.

I think as more merchants sign up they will have to get more realistic and offer better long term deals.

So if you can secure a deal whereby you get lifetime percentage revenue or at least a long time (I know these deals exist but not necessarily in chocolate!) then the figures will get a bit easier to swallow.

Whether to go full steam ahead or not, I guess depends on your conversion rates and ad costs for your key terms. A bit of testing would probably come in handy before you go overboard on the site build.

Google Estimates for the maximum CPC: £0.10 GBP
Keywords Avg. Position Clicks / Day Cost / Day Avg. CPC Status
Overall 4.6 19.4 £1.65 £0.09 -
box of chocolates 2.8 < 0.1 £0.00 £0.07 Active
chocolates 4.7 18.0 £1.54 £0.09 Active
chocolates by post 6.5 < 0.1 £0.00 £0.09 Active
chocs 3.3 1.3 £0.10 £0.08 Active
high quality chocolates 1.0 < 0.1 £0.00 £0.03 Active

From these estimates of advertising prices from Google, it looks like even with a low price on your keywords you will still get your ad on the front page.

Therefore looks relatively undiscovered.

I don't know what it will look like closer to Valentines or Easter day though.

So if you can make profit out of ad costs like that, which I would (complete guesswork) imagine means you will want to be getting about £10 revenue for each sale to breakeven/ make a small profit.

And if you can find cheaper ads.

And if you can get lots of free serps and link traffic.

Then I think it will be worth the effort.

Might be worth talking links with some of the others on this board with their birthday and gift related sites.

Good luck with it.

-aqls-

 

[Domain_Merchant]

A recent article in the new york times on domainers interviewed the guy with candy.com. In the article it said he earns $1,034 on average a day from it (direct yahoo links advertiser). not bad

there gotta be something in there somewhere!

 

[charlie]

Charlie,

Maybe between your sexy girls underpants site and this choccie site you could get quite a heap of valentines .................links with some of the others on this board with their birthday and gift related sites.

Good luck with it.

-aqls-

aqls - mate thats quailty info
very much appreciated

i tried but

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to aqls again.

I think i'm would have to work hard on the SEO to get the sales and the revenues per sale you talk about but i always see this type of effort as doing more for the domain than just parking. I brought the domain with no traffic etc just because it sounded ok (cant remember why!).
Anyway have totally taken onboard the comments from you and the rest and am changing the site as we speak to reflect a more chocolate flavour

repeat sales is always a challenge especially with affilate sites. You more hoping for the random hit - once an guest finds the linked site they are more likely to skip the affilate and jump to the real deal. To counter this i might try something along the forum line - but again this is harder with affiliates sites as the database of products changes on a regular basis.

Will let you all know how it pans out
many thanks again all

 

[aqls]

thanks Charlie,

Good luck,

-aqls-

 

[olebean]

Anyone looked to see if sex or chocolate is availiable lol

 

[charlie]

whose house are you talking about?

 

[texidriver]

.ichocolate.co.uk

Charlie

here is a chocolate story for you

http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2005/d2005-1175.html

 

[aqls]

And a few products to sell !

CHOCOLATE COVERED GIANT ANTS £3.99
You may have seen those titchy, tasteless ants elsewhere, well these are giant ones and they're covered in lots of chocolate.

http://www.lazyboneuk.com/store/pro501.html

-aqls-

 

[deconstruction]

sites looking much better.

Good luck.

If you ever need a hand happy for you to drop me a pm.

 

[aqls]

agreed.

better and better - keep going!

-aqls-

 

[aqls]

repeat sales is always a challenge especially with affilate sites. You more hoping for the random hit - once an guest finds the linked site they are more likely to skip the affilate and jump to the real deal. To counter this i might try something along the forum line - but again this is harder with affiliates sites as the database of products changes on a regular basis.

Hotel Chocolat does something called the chocolate tasting club
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/cx1/default_ctc.asp?cid=FYTUZ2Z2CTWETKXAYKE9QWANV8PTZPLD

I end up spending something like £30 every two months, and have been doing it for a couple of years now.

Maybe talk to them to get a longer commission on sales of that deal.

Also Rococo chocolates based in Kings Road are very nice!

Chantal Coady is getting quite famous and is featured in several books about the history of chocolate (which is very interesting by the way!) and now by the looks of it her own book.

I notice she doesn't have an affiliate program.

Maybe approach Pistol Pete from Affiliate Future or another affiliate company to go with you and talk to her about setting it up for her.

You may be able to get yourself a special deal with greater longevity or percentage.

I know it's all hard work but I think its a great domain and could go places!

Note that you can sell books on the history of chocolate as well as recipes.

There is also no reason why a chocoholic might not subscribe to two or several different chocolatiers for a while. You could extend the offer to different brands, and imported chocolate, and luxury chocolate drinks etc etc.

It's a big market.

-aqls-