The Nutty Tarts Company

[nuttytart]

Hello everyone

Thought we'd take the plunge and introduce ourselves & our new company here - great site by the way :D .

Myself and my business partner have had this dream to create a gift company offering luxury homebaked traybakes & biscuits to send via the post as alternative gifts for friends & family. After nearly a year of planning, brain-storming, website designing and testing of recipes we have finally launched www.thenuttytart.co.uk and we are really chuffed with ourselves!

It's not been easy, and I know the next year or so will be make or break, so if you guys are able to take a look at our site and give us some feedback, we'd be really grateful.....

Also, if we were to ask you what the most important piece of advice you would offer a new business, what would it be?

Thanks!

[Eagle]

Hi there

Great name! I wish you well with the venture!

Mark :)

[Toon]

Hi

I like your site (should I admit I like a pink site?) but can't really see where a years worth of planning has gone.
One thing I noticed which is probably me being picky is that the url is thenuttytart but yet the company name is The Nutty Tarts (plural). I personally think the url and company should be exactly the same. I own DevilWear Ltd so have devilwear.co.uk NOT devilswear or devilwears. Just think that if someone was to search for The Nutty Tarts Company then that ay not be the immediate url they type in.

Other than that, I like the about us page, gives a good idea about you and your ideas and is professional but yet on a friendly casual basis.

It's ceratinly a site that I would consider purchasing from.

[nuttytart]

Hi

Many thanks for your comments - very helpful!

Firstly, it's not really the website which has been a year in planning - that took about 3 months as it's shopping basket software so it's just been a case of updating templates and customising our shopfront. We are both busy mums so haven't been able to concentrate solely on the business - fitted in work here and there. The time-eater really has been sourcing suppliers, getting quotes, sorting out packaging (we've had some bespoke boxes printed and it took 4 months to get these sorted!) and perfecting all our recipes - we wanted everything to be just right.

I see what you mean re the name, however we also own www.thenuttytarts.co.uk so all traffic is routed to the live site. The reason we started out as The Nutty Tart is that originally there was just one of me, then my business partner joined me but by then I'd already had the boxes/literature printed. Will have to wait for the printed stuff to run out before we change that :lol:

Thanks again for your feedback.

[Thais]

A great site, Nuttytart! :D

I like your food descriptions - they make my mouth water - and I love the flapjack with 'apricot va va voom'!!! :lol: Definitely the way to go to sell your products!

Very clear info on delivery costs & times - I like that.

I've bookmarked the site for future reference & will give it a plug on my forum!! Good luck with it.

Thais :)

[SillyJokes]

Your website is nearly there an your enthusiasm shines out however here are some critisms which are designed to be helpful, honest.

You talk too much. On your home page I mean. Far too much waffle that reads like an 'about us' page and should be kept to that place.

The first thing people want to know when they arrive on your site is what you can do for them and although I can see that you are sending out nice things and are very excited about it it really isn't clear what things they are or how I start.

A strapline that tells people what you can do for them really helps to give them some idea what they can get from the site. Remember at the end of the day they are only interested in themselves. I.E
"Simply gorgeous homemade cakes and gifts by post,"

You have some stunning images of your cakes but you don't show them on your home page or even on the next level. We eat with our eyes. try sticking that tower of flapjack in the top left of the first fold so I don't have to scroll down to peer at those featured products - the images of which don't do you justice.

I see that tower and I want to take the one next to the bottom - it's just a great image and should be on your home page.

Your home page should simply scream, "Look at this gorgeous pile of cakes. You can send them to your friend or get some for yourself and here's where you start browsing."

Since cakes and biscuits are commonly available, or can be made at home, you should pay particular attention to talking up the quality of your packaging since this is what people will be paying for and what will make the recipient realise they have been given something thoughtful and special.

[nuttytart]

Hi

Fab feedback - great, just what we need :D

See what you mean re front page Sillyjokes - can't see the wood for the trees. Will def have a look at changing that.

Also realise now need to plug packaging etc a lot more, that is our 'unique selling point' :wink:

I'm off to post some questions re optimising and online payment processors on correct threads.... hope to tap into the wealth of knowledge here!

Thanks again

[VeryMark]

It's a great name, simple and to the point - for some reason it has the flavour of a double entendre for me, which I like.

Since the name is descriptive, however, it may be difficult to protect at the outset for tarts at least, but I'd suggest filing the logo to protect it certainly.

[nuttytart]

Crossguard how would we go about that, and what costs would be involved?

[VeryMark]

We have a free guide available as a download on the Sunday Time Enterprise Network website at http://www.enterprisenetwork.co.uk/downloads/Trade%20Marks.exe.

I am on holiday next week but will email some more detailed information when I come back, as I need to take a closer look at your website first.

[Eagle]

*
Trademarking a logo is a very expensive excercise in the UK.

£200+... just to apply for consideration whether it gets accepted or not! :shock:

I believe it's cheaper stateside (as everything usually is!)

UK Patent Office: http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/forms/forms.htm

That site has all the answers. :)

[VeryMark]

How much does it cost you to insure your house - and you don't even know if it's going to burn down or not!

And £500 to £1000 for 10 years protection is less than you will spend on insurance over that period.

Is your business identity worth protecting? Is it worth taking the risk of losing it or not being able to stop somebody else stealing it?

Trade mark registration is the only effective means of protecting your business identity.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the world.

[Eagle]

I had my Eagle logo (the full version) tattooed on my right arm six years ago. So that's bio-datable proof I had it first!... 8)

[VeryMark]

Being the first user only protects you against a later registration to a limited extent - it can stop you expanding your business at least - and a tattoo does not prove you were the first in business.

Incidentally, how do you know you were the first?

[Thais]

You have some stunning images of your cakes but you don't show them on your home page or even on the next level. We eat with our eyes. try sticking that tower of flapjack in the top left of the first fold so I don't have to scroll down to peer at those featured products - the images of which don't do you justice.

Since cakes and biscuits are commonly available, or can be made at home, you should pay particular attention to talking up the quality of your packaging since this is what people will be paying for and what will make the recipient realise they have been given something thoughtful and special.

Not only the packaging....you might also want to talk up the healthiness of your offerings too - these days, discerning people want to hear 'free range', 'organic' etc. If you don't use these types of ingredients, I suggest that you do & up the price a little if needs be.

[nuttytart]

Thanks Thais - yes we do use some organic & free-range ingredients so good point. Is it best to do this on the homepage do you think? Just have a focal image as sillyjokes points out, with a small amount of text selling us?

[Eagle]

Incidentally, how do you know you were the first?
First to use the logo? I designed it! :)

[Thais]

Thanks Thais - yes we do use some organic & free-range ingredients so good point. Is it best to do this on the homepage do you think? Just have a focal image as sillyjokes points out, with a small amount of text selling us?

Yes, I would definitely mention it on the first page. Don't let people have to browse through various pages before they discover it's healthy food! They might not get there!

Make it a salient point to your food products, then try a press release to one (or all) of the glossy mags to get nationwide exposure.

[Eagle]

*
Out of interest, I started to apply for an account with WorldPay. I didn't realise you have to pay £260 - the £100 start up AND the annual fee of £160 both together at the outset! :shock:

They then asked me to select which currency I would like to accept. Well, err...all of them please! (considering I trade globally)...

That'll be £50 per currency added thank you very much, said Worldpay.

Your application and set up fees are:
Setup Fee (payable on application) 100.00 GBP
Annual Fee (payable on application and each anniversary) 160.00 GBP
For the 119 additional currencies you have chosen 5950.00 GBP
VAT 1086.75 GBP
Total payable now 7296.75 GBP

No thanks.... :roll: I'll stick with PayPal - which will do nicely. :)

(Yes, I know it doesn't do all currencies but they're working on it) :wink:

[SillyJokes]

Don't be daft, you don't need all those currencies.

I trade all over the globe and people are happy with UK pounds, US Dollars and Euros.

You don't get something for nothing, the set up fee is not a lot in the scheme of things. you might even be able to negotiate it away if you can show you are going to do a lot of business.

Think of it from WorldPay's prospective. They take you on with no idea if you are going to turn over any business, rip them or your clients off or if you are going to be the next Amazon.

The set up fee deters tire kickers.

[Eagle]

*
Heheh, I was just being facetious!

How do you propose I negotiate away (or reduce) the set up fee? Any ideas? :)

I don't mind the start up of £100 - that's a drop in the ocean for me but I don't relish paying £160 a year for a service that might not be used.

And besides, if clients can now pay by PayPal without sign up - what's the advantage with Worldpay?

:)

[SillyJokes]

How do you propose I negotiate away (or reduce) the set up fee? Any ideas?

Just ask - we've never had any trouble with getting a better deal simply by asking. Back up your request with figures showing you are a proper business which earns money.

I don't relish paying £160 a year for a service that might not be used.


We didn't pay this year after complaining about down time last November which cost us.

Besides, it will be used.

And besides, if clients can now pay by PayPal without sign up - what's the advantage with Worldpay?

Some people like PayPal and use it. Others don't like it, don't trust it and don't use it.

Taking credit card payment through WorldPay still looks more professional than PayPal.

You and I are in different businesses. My customers have had the choice for a few weeks now and though as stated 10% use PayPal that still leaves most prefering WorldPay.

And WorldPay is now cheaper than PayPal for us. Also you can easily make more than one refund on WorldPay. This is a right pain with PayPal.

[Eagle]

*
Thanks.

One thing I need to know however is; do I need to integrate WorldPay with my site? You see I don't sell anything that's 'off the shelf' and maybe an impulse purchase - all graphics are obviously made to order...

How would WorldPay get around this? Would I have to go through the rigmarole of creating a new 'integrated' web page for every item I sell?

:)

[SillyJokes]

Sorry too techincal for me, but I do know we are able to put through random amounts that are not related to the website products.

We can even send the client a link which puts the agreed amount into the online basket for them to checkout.