REVIEW:
Full disclosure - I received a review copy from AzonGeek.
I am a customer of Azon's previous AuthorityPlus service, and am very happy with the site he designed. For this service I can tell that a lot of the same quality is there, with some additional pluses and minuses. In order to make this review as thorough as possible, I'll break it down into the following sections that I feel are each key for a successful authority site:
DESIGN: 9/10
The site is very elegant and cleanly designed. It incorporates an efficient layout and crisp graphics, and is very thorough in including all of the necessary legal and many content pages. While some people might find the layout a little bit busy-looking, it can work very well for anyone's tastes with just a couple of small tweaks in the backend.
CONTENT: 7/10
The content covers a variety of important topics in the niche he selected, and is readable. That said, it has noticible grammar and syntax errors, and reads as though it was written by someone without a fluent grasp of either English or the subject being discussed. Not enough to be seriously distracting, but enough for it to potentially make a semi-knowledgeable visitor be unsure whether or not you are truly an authority in your field.
NICHE & KEYWORDS: 5/10
This is one area where the service unfortunately falls a bit short. The niche I was provided with is a little generic, which isn't necessarily a problem for an authority site, but the keywords provided for that niche were very competitive. They had pretty good search volume and CPC, but would likely be difficult to rank. I think it would have been better if Azon had requested a niche from me (lord knows I have dozens tucked away just waiting to be turned into new sites) - and I suggest that anyone ordering this service consider providing their own niche / keywords.
MONETIZATION: 9/10
The sites are loaded with potential monetization options. Azon works to build as many avenues of money-making into the site as possible, so that no matter what your preferred business model is, you can work with his sites. Add to this the backend autoresponder campaign he includes with certain packages, and it's a very good place to start. My one criticism is that the ebook, while a great idea, was a little bland and generic - I have a tough time believing that it would really entice opt-ins at a high rate.
COMMUNICATION: 10/10
AzonGeek is one of the most friendly and communicative people I've worked with. He is quick to respond to e-mails, and is always willing to make tweaks if the site needs it. He really cares, and that goes a long way to making this a valuable service.
PRICE: 7/10
Certainly no one can argue that Azon delivers a lot of value for the price he charges, but he is - none the less - the highest-priced authority site designer I've ever worked with. This, unfortunately, make the service cost-prohibitive for many people.
SUGGESSTIONS FOR THE SELLER:
I would consider investing a bit more money to have better-written and more well thought-out content, even if it means sacrificing another feature. Content is the backbone of these sites, and if the customer of the site needs to re-write any of the content or make a lot of tweaks, it can end up being extremely time-consuming. This includes the eBook, as well.
For niche and keyword selection, try to keep the keywords towards the mid-competition level. It may take longer to research them, but it'll guarantee consistent quality.
As for the price, perhaps there is a way to either condense your features, or provide simple how-to's for the aspects of the site that the buyer could accomplish themselves? If that could save you on costs, then bringing down the price of the service a bit may encourage even more sales.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BUYER:
Use your own niche and keywords, if possible. Aside from that, you're working with someone who does really care about your site being solid and you being happy - so communicate with him and let him know if there is anything that needs to be tweaked or could be better. You're in good hands.
OVERALL RATING: 8/10
Good luck with sales, Azon!
Best,
Red