Redesigning content of site

Looking to expand audience for magazine

[BarryB]

Here is the problem and I'm not sure if this is the best place but it appears related.

I've already started an online magazine that I want to make into a business. One step is to expand the potential readership by targeting a larger audience. This part, I do know. The original audience was mainly religous. But, I'd like to include the larger secular community and use a lot of the same type stories but repackaged.

I am stuck on rewriting the index page to something that would encourage people to go and read the materials on the site. From my site's stats, it seems I get many coming to the first page but not much for the others.

The site in question is at <snip>. I am currently calling it <snip> on the active site and have changed it to <snip> to the site, I'm updating.

I'd appreciate any help in this. Thanks in advance!

[edited by: engine at 8:24 pm (utc) on Mar. 22, 2005]
[edit reason] See TOS [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[stapel]

You may be "non-denominational", but your tone is quite religious. And your site sounds Xian, but the name sounds Jewish. So your site's focus might be a little too fuzzy, as things stand now. Also, "non-denominational" is viewed by some, due to the general consistency among those calling themselves that, as indicating almost a denomination of its own.

I don't see why the "secular" crowd would be interested in your site. No offense, but what do you have to offer them? Yes, increased traffic would be nice, but why should they click around your site? What do you have? What is your aim? Who, exactly, is your audience?

Sometimes, when trying to be all things to all people, one ends up being nothing much to anybody. It's nice to be broadly liked, but sometimes it helps to accept that your focus might better be narrowed, and figure out just what that focus ought to be.

Please note: I'm saying the above as someone who could be thought of as being "religious" herself. This isn't an "attack" from the "world", but an attempt at helpful feedback.

Eliz.

[BarryB]

Don't worry, I appreciate the comments.

The idea is to create articles that offer encouragement and perhaps to get the readers to think.

I had earlier desired to write stories that contain principles for the readers to pick on and let them apply it to their own life. At the same time, I didn't want to beat them over the head with it. :-) Obviously, I will need to just write the stories with the principles without directly quoting Scripture. FYI, take a good and careful look at JRR Tolkien's and C.S. Lewis' creations.

What type of stories? I am more of an expository writer than a creative writer. Though, I can sometime come up with a poem.

Renaming the magazine isn't a problem.

Hopes this is making things clearer.