What do you think about this Buying Guide?

[EdBike]

Remember when you first got your electric bike? What do you wish you had known?

Or maybe you're thinking of buying an e-bike now - in which case what would you like to know?

The basic idea is to create a definitive buyers guide, and use it as a focal point for promoting electric bikes.

Have a look at what I've done so far: Electric Bike Buyers Guide | Produced by Electric Bikes Experts

Post your big problems and suggestions for me to fix/improve/tweak below and I'll update it.

Then, I was thinking perhaps opening up the text files for you guys to contribute - this might be especially useful for some of the more technical bits.

Once most of the right content is in place, I'll then produce a bunch of downloads (PDF and audio versions), design and promoting it via search engines and what not.

I've incorporated some these two posts in the buyers guide:

• http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/7307-what-would-you-put-buying-guide.html
• http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/7266-what-do-you-wish-you-had-known.html

I really appreciate your feedback so far in the other posts Let's keep it coming!

 

[tillson]

Not had chance to read it through yet EdBike, but I will do. From the brief scan I have done, you appear to have made a good effort. Well done and thanks for posting.

 

[EdBike]

Not had chance to read it through yet EdBike, but I will do. From the brief scan I have done, you appear to have made a good effort. Well done and thanks for posting.

Thanks As and when you can.

Feedback is really important to make something that future buyers will really value.

Oh, and the design is temporary. Something far nicer is coming...!

 

[MyPump]

Thanks

Thanks for the guide which answers quite a few questions I had.

Very good indeed.

Well done - I just need to find an ebike now.

 

[EdBike]

Thanks for the guide which answers quite a few questions I had.

Very good indeed.

Well done - I just need to find an ebike now.

Good good.

Working on a Verified Dealer Directory to solve just that problem. Proper address, directions, opening times, phone numbers and contact forms... :-]

 

[Streethawk]

Google maps cycle routes are still USA only as far as i'm aware?

Also:

What to Do on a Test Drive

Test it out without any power. If the ride’s still good (and you can pedal it still!) it’s a good buy.

Well no, this is a guide for an electric bike. Perhaps better wording would be "Its a good indication of a quality bike".

Otherwise, its a really good guide.

 

[NRG]

Actually riding the bike without power is a very valid test and one which everybody should try, it gives a good indication of the 'rolling' ability of the bike, the lower the drag the better.

Your guide is a good effort Ed, however, I don't like the multi page approach as a new page is loaded each time I think it would flow better if it where all on one page with bookmarks...

 

[HarryB]

I have scanned through briefly and looked at the buyers guide. It is great to have an alternative guide to the one A to B provide on their webstite. I would be wary of being too proscriptive about what people want from a bike. After reading your guide nobody would consider a Cytronex - however they would be missing out on a cracking bike from a great British company. I am being quite picky here but I think it is a point worth considering.

 

[EdBike]

Great responses - I've added some answers below.

Given that most people are reasonably happy with the main structure and ideas in the guide, I think going forward to step 2 and allowing you guys to make some suggested edits in the text itself is a good idea. I'll get something setup for you guys to use in the next day or two

On with the show...

Perhaps better wording would be "Its a good indication of a quality bike".

True. It is slightly a pretty inaccurate statement. I've just made the change now.

Google are often really quick at rolling out new features like the cycle maps. I'm "future proofing", but you're right, it currently only really works properly in the States.

Your guide is a good effort Ed, however, I don't like the multi page approach as a new page is loaded each time I think it would flow better if it where all on one page with bookmarks...

I totally agree. Personally, I'd prefer the single page with everything on it. A printable all-in-one PDF version is in the pipeline once everyones happy with the content. I'll

The trouble is the online audience often prefers the paginated format. It also means you can focus a whole page to one specific topic or idea, which is good for folks not reading the entire guide, and good for getting visitors from search results who are looking for something specific. One single page will also take a long time to load.

Its a question of balance - but I'll have think about what works best.

After reading your guide nobody would consider a Cytronex - however they would be missing out on a cracking bike from a great British company. I am being quite picky here but I think it is a point worth considering.

I think its important to stress the issue with weight. That's Cytronex's big win. But does that mean everyone ought to buy a Cytronex bike? What I'm kinda hoping is people will go through some of the questions on the 'choose it' page and sort of tick whats appropriate to them. A downloadable checklist would be easy to setup, and for those wanting/needing a lighter bike, a Cytronex would be perfect?

On the subject of suggesting bikes, I don't think naming many (if any) brands in the buyers guide is helpful. I was thinking perhaps a kind of "recommendation app" sort of like the 'eBike selector' 50cycles have on their website: Electric Bikes | Best Electric Bicycles UK | E-bikes | 50 Cycles

 

[NRG]

The trouble is the online audience often prefers the paginated format. It also means you can focus a whole page to one specific topic or idea, which is good for folks not reading the entire guide, and good for getting visitors from search results who are looking for something specific. One single page will also take a long time to load.

Who's says? The online community also hate multiple page loads, difficult to find links and information they also hate heavily laden java script pages, it drives them nuts. Search hits can be served very well from the main page, you do not need to 'load' each individual section with tags...

 

[EdBike]

Who's says? The online community also hate multiple page loads, difficult to find links and information they also hate heavily laden java script pages, it drives them nuts. Search hits can be served very well from the main page, you do not need to 'load' each individual section with tags...

You can track a lot of metrics online, but one of the big ones relevant to what you're talking about is "bounce rate". This is the percentage of visitors to a page who click back and don't explore a site any further. And across the whole site, the pages in this guide are delivering some of the lowest bounce rates since I uploaded them. The stats might be skewed at the moment by the number of Pedelecs forum members landing, but I'll keep an eye out in the long run.

I agree, loading pages with lots of script and bandwidth-intensive images. Currently, the interim template I'm using has very little javascript and a couple of large images. But the current page(s) are largely text, and this is only going to get better in the future.

As for making links and content inaccessible, that's a big problem. The idea is to produce a guide which is easy to navigate and has contextually relevant links within the guide. The idea is to get the content right, then add the bells and whistles. Its why I've asked you guys all what you think

Targeting separate pages for separate search phrases will always perform better than one giant page. Search engines look for signals relating to relevance when ranking. Users searching for "where to try an electric bike" for instance don't want to scroll through loads of stuff about the benefits of electric bikes and their anatomy. Those visitors are far more likely to "bounce" as well.

Truth be told, I got told off for this before My idea of using "definitive" content (awesome + remarkable + white-paper-worthy content) I shared on the SEOmoz blog, one of the bigger industry blogs for people in search marketing. The basic response in the comments was "waaaay too long. Split it up". The same feedback followed face-to-face a couple of days later when I was at an SEO conference.

Offering both probably makes the most sense. I'll watch the stats carefully and make a call within a week or two :-]