How???

[EMEvans]

I received an email today regarding my website. It has all sorts of information about my stats etc but how would i find out if these are true figures or if they've just plucked them out of the air to get my business.

I don't want to contact them as i'm sure it would cost me more money than i could afford. Here's the email:

Dear Getcrafty.org.uk Team,

Were you aware that you are paying every time your "craft" Google
advertisement is clicked? That hurts, I know, as many of my clients have
shared this frustration when I first talked to them about how to drive more
quality prospects to their sites - without paying Google another penny.

We thought you might like to know some of the reasons why you are not yet
getting organic (non-paid for) search engine traffic for
http://www.getcrafty.org.uk/ (http://www.getcrafty.org.uk/):

1. Your domain has been hosted in an IP which is shared by 103365 other
domains.
2. The total size of the home page is 325333 bytes, which will load 78.04
seconds on a 56Kbps modem. This is quite high in comparison to the standard
loading time of 8 seconds.
3. The total size of images in your home page is 167306 bytes, which is well
above the acceptable level of 30K.

We are a team of over 30 internet marketing specialists, and would like to
talk with you about how you should be winning new business from the search
engines, without paying Google/Yahoo/MSN a penny.

If you can stomach more bad news about what your site needs, and are curious
to know what our working together would involve, then I'd be glad to provide
you with further detailed analysis in the form of a SEO SITE REPORT - FREE
OF CHARGE. I would first need to know that you are serious about using our
services, as the report would involve several hours of our research.

It's not quick, it's not easy, but it's the only sensible internet marketing
choice. Your return on investment (ROI) will be many times greater than our
fees and once you go down the road to natural organic search engine
rankings, you will never look back. Our clients' customers consistently say
they chose them because they were top of Google (and they meant natural
Google, not the paid for boxes which people do not trust as much). Being top
of Google is the best online thing you can do for your company's reputation.
I'd be glad to put you in touch with our satisfied long-term clients from
the UK, USA and Spain. If you can find the time, read what our clients are
saying about us:

[swirlyarts]

I'll get Mr Swirl to have a look at this thread later for you - also Mr M might know what's going on.

[EMEvans]

Thanks Swirly.

[nattynetty]

Hi Emma

Do you have a stats package that you can access through your web hosts? I have xpanel which gives me all this type of info (I can even watch to see who's looking at my site and which pages they're accessing in real time - very addictive but luckily the novalty has now worn off) there are lots of other packages available.

As for the email, I had one a few months ago that looked very convincing (all the technical jargon) but in the email it said that I ranked nowhere in Google for 'craft embellishments' and they could help me etc etc - showed me they were talking rubbish as I'm actually on page 1. I think they try to scare you into using them with lines like "If you can stomach more bad news about your site..." in the hope that you panic and believe all they say.

Sure Mr M and Mr S will have far more to say on the matter

[Tinker]

hi hun, i took a quick look at your site and for me it loaded really fast. and your pictures arent huge which is normally what will slow speed down. the only thing they could be refering to is your slide show, which maybe took 6 seconds to load for me. if your happy with your traffic then i think maybe its just a marketing ploy.

regards

[EMEvans]

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated.

Netty - i don't have that kind a software on my site but i'm hoping to get a new one in the near future (got to look into prices as i couldn't do one myself). Making a list of things i want so i'll add it to my list.

Thanks again. It doesn't help that i'm stupid when it comes to internet jargon so it makes me a bit gullable (sp?).

[MrSwirl]

Try typing it into http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/ and see what figures they give - the page times out for me at the moment though.

I used WebCeo for analysis - there is a free version available for download, and it gives a whole load of tips on what's good or bad about a site.

I have no idea whether being on a shared IP address is a good or bad thing really regarding traffic - there is an article here (http://www.selfseo.com/story-4320.php) that tells you what it means. AFAIK, it's not a big deal really, but I don't know much about it really.

I'd treat it as spam - there are plenty of free tools out there that can help, or ask Mr M for how to do it (and at what price).

MrS

[MrSwirl]

OK - the page analysis just came back.

The figures they gave you are right - I don't know about the shared IP, but the rest of them are. Here's the advice that they give though:

Analysis and Recommendations

TOTAL_HTML - Congratulations, the total number of HTML files on this page (including the main HTML file) is 2 which most browsers can multithread. Minimizing HTTP requests is key for web site optimization.
TOTAL_OBJECTS - Warning! The total number of objects on this page is 66 - consider reducing this to a more reasonable number. Combine, refine, and optimize your external objects. Replace graphic rollovers with CSS rollovers to speed display and minimize HTTP requests.
TOTAL_IMAGES - Warning! The total number of images on this page is 59 , consider reducing this to a more reasonable number. Combine, refine, and optimize your graphics. Replace graphic rollovers with CSS rollovers to speed display and minimize HTTP requests.
TOTAL_CSS - Caution. The total number of external CSS files on this page is 3 , consider reducing this to a more reasonable number. Combine, refine, and optimize your external CSS files. Ideally you should have one (or even embed CSS for high-traffic pages) on your pages.
TOTAL_MULTIM - Congratulations, the total number of external multimedia files on this page is 1 .
TOTAL_SIZE - Warning! The total size of this page is 325304 bytes, which will load in 78.03 seconds on a 56Kbps modem. Consider reducing total page size to less than 30K to achieve sub eight second response times on 56K connections. Pages over 100K exceed most attention thresholds at 56Kbps, even with feedback. Consider contacting us (http://www.websiteoptimization.com/contact/) about our optimization services.
TOTAL_SCRIPT - Congratulations, the total number of external script files on this page is 1 . External scripts are less reliably cached than CSS files so consider combining scripts into one, or even embedding them into high-traffic pages.
HTML_SIZE - Congratulations, the total size of this HTML file is 15967 bytes, which less than 20K. Assuming that you specify the HEIGHT and WIDTH of your images, this size allows your page to display content in well under 8 seconds, the average time users are willing to wait for a page to display without feedback.
IMAGES_SIZE - Warning! The total size of your images is 167280 bytes, which is over 30K. Consider optimizing your images for size, combining them, and replacing graphic rollovers with CSS.
SCRIPT_SIZE - Warning! The total size of external your scripts is 38835 bytes, which is over 8K. Consider optimizing your scripts for size, combining them, and using compression where appropriate for any scripts placed in the HEAD of your documents.
CSS_SIZE - Warning! The total size of your external CSS is 53775 bytes, which is over 8K. Consider optimizing your CSS for size by eliminating whitespace, using shorthand notation, and combining multiple CSS files where appropriate.
MULTIM_SIZE - Warning! The total size of your external multimedia is 49447 bytes, which is over 20K. Consider optimizing your multimedia files for size, or replacing them with lower-bandwidth alternatives, or eliminating them altogether.

[EMEvans]

Right.............well.............i suppose i should look into getting my new website sooner rather than later and getting someone professional to do it for me.

I have noticed that on a lot of site you can go to a product (eg card) then paste a link on say the forum and when you click on the link it will take you directly to that page. On mine no matter what page you click on the address at the top doesn't change so i could never link to a certain product.

Could this be one of the reasons why my home page seems so big? don't worry if no one can answer as i suppose i'm getting very technical.

Hope you understand what i mean.

[swirlyarts]

Mr Swirl did say last night that he may have used the same search thing that the company that contacted you used - in that case the details and figures would have been the same! Mr M will know more I'm sure

[MrSwirl]

I don't know how much a web design company will charge for a new design, and I would have the site hosted somewhere where you have some control - I use PowWeb (http://www.powweb.com/join/index.bml?AffID=558045&LinkName=CF) for out hosting, who are an American company but they are reliable and cheap. UK based hosting tends to be expensive, from when I last priced it all up.

There are a few things on your homepage that will slow it down - the scrolling slide show at the top, plus there are quite a few images as well. I've not looked at the size of them, but they will all take time to load.

Because of they way that the site is hosted through Lycos, you could still provide a link to the direct page for an item, but you get a completely different link, e.g. http://www.lycoseshop.co.uk/epages/luk.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/getcrafty.org.uk/Products/%22bead%20string%22 for beaded string.

If it were me, I'd look to hosting it outside of Lycos, so that you can provide links to items that have your URL rather than theirs. It will be trickier to set up, but there are plenty of options for running your own shop, for example OSCommerce, which is free. Get someone to set it all up for you, and then you can still maintain it yourself easily, but you have better links etc.

HTH,

MrS

[0103media]

The stats stuff is freely available to anyone.. Its just a spam email..

If it not a customer or friend then ignore all email that try to sell you something...

SEO spam is massive.... So many poor people take up crap companies who have spammed them.. $50 deals etc..

Regarding your site mrS is right.. It uses whats called frames.. Nasty thing frames.. No good for users, no good for search engine.. and very 1980's LOL..

Basically Ignore all emails from anyone contacting you that you haven't contacted...

[EMEvans]

I remember when i was setting it up that there was an option about frames or something i think but just trying to find it but can't for the life of me. Theres so many things like FTP/PHP/SQL and so many more that i can't remember where on earth i've seen it.

Will keep looking.

[EMEvans]

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh dear.........think i've done a booboo. Can't even find my site now. So much for thinking i can do it myself............you gotta laugh.

[EMEvans]

Woo hoo, think i've just managed to find it again and i don'y think it's in frames anymore (unless you tell me different).

Needless to say i was starting to panick that i'd wiped the whole thing when i was getting this message.

MOD EDIT - Mr Swirl advised me to take these links out for you. He came running through to the kitchen to say come and edit these links!! He couldn't get to the password one but that's not to say that someone who was determined couldn't!

[MrSwirl]

Woo hoo, think i've just managed to find it again and i don'y think it's in frames anymore (unless you tell me different).

Needless to say i was starting to panick that i'd wiped the whole thing when i was getting this message



Woah - take those links out of here!!!!

The problem now that it's not framed is that the pages come up as http://www.lycoseshop.co.uk..... which isn't too good either!

[EMEvans]

Thanks for taking those links out. I didn't realise they came out like links. I've had enough of messing with my website as i'm sure i'm going to end up messing it up.

Frames/no frames - don't know what to do now. Will look into having a new website set up by someone who knows what they are doing, can'r really afford it but will look into it anyways.

Thanks. ;)

[EMEvans]

AAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I'm in such a mood. Been adding new stuff to my site, whilst doing this a customer emailed me to say there was something wrong with my site. I took a look and it's all gone Pete Tong (wrong). I can honestly say that i'm 99.9% certain it's nothing i've done as i've only been adding products and haven't touched anything else.

Contacted lycos and they say they'll look into it but couldn't say when. I'm soooooooo pee'd off!!!

[Bea]

I got the exact same email as you did, about the stats of my website.
Like Mr M said, best ignore it before it cost you money.

I used to have my site with Easywebstore and now with Pace Commerce, it has greatly improved things (usage, sales, admin interface,...). They are also only a phone call (if urgent) or email (if less urgent) away and their response, help and support has been the best I got by far.
I also briefly used EKM and 1and1 but wasn't too impressed for various reasons.

There are lots of ecommerce providers out there these days.

[Bea]

Just went on your website but none of the pics are loading up... Thought you'd like to know. The rest seems to load fast for me anyway.

[EMEvans]

I know............having major problems.............gone wrong this morning. I've done a post about it just above yours.

Thanks though.

[Bea]

ah sorry.... Hope you can get it sorted soon :pc: