Business not taking off!!

[So Wood You]

Hi everyone

I'm new to this forum and also new to owning a business. I opened an online toy shop in March this year and it doesn't seem to be taking off as well as I'd hoped.

According to google statistics I have 5+ hits a day but no one is buying.

I've posted 1000's of flyers but still haven't had any orders and I'm starting to get very disheartened by it all. I know things take time to get off the ground but I would have thought I'd get at least one order by now.

If anyone has some time please could you take a look at my site and tell me if there is anything wrong with it. Is it the site or the products I'm selling. Are they too expensive etc.

I feel as if I am fumbling around in the dark and don't really know if I am doing it right - is there anyone out there who has 'been there', 'done that' then I'd be very grateful if you could give me a few tips.


Hope you can help
Debi

So Wood You traditional wooden toys and much more...

 

[14A]

Are you a dropshipper?

Whats your websites address so we can have a look, I'd suggest your website isnt doing much for you in terms of SEO and general appeal.

 

[Postforce]

Hi Debi

I'll post a link to your site so people can see http://www.sowoodyou.co.uk/

Trust that is the right one?

Good luck with it!

 

[S-Marketing]

The site isn't even top of the search if you search for the name and description. I cant see the code as I get a copyright warning if I right click anywhere on the site.

If you would like to pm me, i'd be more than happy to give you some help.

 

[Cybamart]

Hi, the link I assume is http://sowoodyou.co.uk

It looks like a lovely site, I think toy shops in general aren't doing as well as I have noticved the wonderful Hawkin's Bazaar aren't sending anywhere near the amount of advertising brochures and catalogues that they used to. Have a look at http://hawkin.com as they are possibly the biggest in the field.

 

[MikeJ]

No contact phone number.

PO Boxes apparently put some people off.

I think you're hoping for a lot to expect people to pay £75 for a rocking chair, based on one picture. In general, I'd say you're trying to cover too much, focus on some key areas and increase the amount of information you have on those subjects.

 

[Cybamart]

Sorry the posts before mine weren't there when I posted the link!

 

[RuthS]

Hi Debi,

It's a really nice looking website, but I think it might help to have a little bit more about what makes you different on your home page (eco friendly etc). You wouldn't have to write too much more - just a bit to draw people in and realise you're different from other suppliers.

Also, if you can set one up, it might be beneficial to have a subscribe to newsletter option, so that even if people don't want to buy something then and there, but like what you do, you can keep in contact with them.

R

 

[Pab]

What's with the silly pop up every time you hit the right mouse button?

Someone may want to copy a picture and send to a friend, but this stops them. If I wanted to copy your email address to send you a message, this prevents me from doing it.

You should be looking to remove barriers, not introduce them. And let's face it, is the risk really that bad? I expect not.

Edit: I didn't actually realise how often I use right click until I visited this site! What if I want to compare two pages? I can no longer right click to open in a new tab or window. You've lost my business, let alone by not having a telephone number.

 

[So Wood You]

Thanks for all your comments - point taken about the copyright, I'll get it removed asap.

I don't have a telphone number because I'm a small business and don't want to pay out for a business line, not until I'm more established anyway.

I have researched other online toy shops and not all have telephone numbers and quite a few have a PO Box address, even my suppliers do.

Is there another way other than have a PO Box address? Don't really want to use my home address!!

 

[Ranks]

Have you looked into learning some basic SEO, and some social promotion? Your onsite SEO needs some work - page descriptions would help in oth search engine positions and click through from the search engines.
Jay

 

Your site doesn't tell me who I am dealing with (and doesn't conform the the Business names Act).

I don't think I'm alone in being extremeny wary of buying online from an unknown source.

Also, I got a Phishing warning.

 

[Pab]

Thanks for all your comments - point taken about the copyright, I'll get it removed asap.

I don't have a telphone number because I'm a small business and don't want to pay out for a business line, not until I'm more established anyway.

I have researched other online toy shops and not all have telephone numbers and quite a few have a PO Box address, even my suppliers do.

Is there another way other than have a PO Box address? Don't really want to use my home address!!

Use your home phone, get a voip line, get a free 0845 number, whatever. I can't see it costing more than £5-£10 a month for a voip line. That's gotta be worth it.

As for the PO Box, I'd be fine with that if you were more open about who you are, where you're based and how to reach you. Alternatively, if you don't want to say you're home based, get a registered office address (I'm guessing £50-£100 year?) and you can be 'based' anywhere you want.

Just because others don't have telephone numbers, does that mean you shouldn't? Maybe they're not selling anything either. Don't follow... LEAD!

 

[TotallySport]

I am sorry but I wouldn't buy off the site, there is simply to much wrong with it, your advertised as a Wooden toy seller, however I cannot find any wood toys, the shopping cart is awful, and in IE it comes up as a suspicous site.

And the product descriptions and images are lacking and anything making me wanting to buy one.

I haven't looked at the other bits like returns policy and contact details, I am so uninspired I would be looking elsewhere before I got that far.

 

[So Wood You]

The site isn't even top of the search if you search for the name and description. I cant see the code as I get a copyright warning if I right click anywhere on the site.

If you would like to pm me, i'd be more than happy to give you some help.

Hi Stretchy

Please could you tell me what you mean when you say 'It isn't top of the search when you search for the name and description'?

 

[Ranks]

it means your ranking for pretty much nothing in the search engines mate
Jay

 

[S-Marketing]

Hi Stretchy

Please could you tell me what you mean when you say 'It isn't top of the search when you search for the name and description'?

Certainly, when you asked for opinions on your site, i searched 'So Wood You traditional wooden toys' and you weren't even the top result. This suggests to me that you might have some work to do.

 

[FreelanceSoftwareDeveloper]

Certainly requires some basic SEO for starters.

Plenty of options for a phone number, VOIP for a couple of quid a month for a landline number, I have an 0871 number which cost £5 to set up, no annual fees and free redirect to my mobile with no call charges either, £5 done.

One of my tips for ecommerce sites is take a look at what the major retailers are doing, lets be honest they will have spent 5-6 figure sums i'm sure on research, take some ideas from them, see what your missing which is relevant, delivery info, terms , returns etc

 

[So Wood You]

Your site doesn't tell me who I am dealing with (and doesn't conform the the Business names Act).

I don't think I'm alone in being extremeny wary of buying online from an unknown source.

Also, I got a Phishing warning.

Ok I was aware of the Phishing warning - how do I stop that from happening?

 

[deniser]

I agree with the above comments.

Also, you want to put your best products most prominently.

The first thing I see is the soldier bookends. I had those exact bookends in my toy shop for 3 years and they did not sell. I've probably still got them somewhere in my loft!

I would put the categories in an index down the left hand side and remove those boxes for the categories and instead invest in some really nice lifestyle photography of children playing with the wooden toys to make people want to enter your shop and buy. You have the kids and the toys so make the most of them.

 

[S-Marketing]

Ok I was aware of the Phishing warning - how do I stop that from happening?

You were aware that your site was flagged by IE as a phishing site but decided to leave it? Do you really wonder why your business has not done as well as you expected?

 

[Cybamart]

VOIP for a couple of quid a month for a landline number, I have an 0871 number which cost £5 to set up, no annual fees and free redirect to my mobile with no call charges either, £5 done.

Hi ChannelCommerce, I'm intrigued; do you get the redirect to your mobile totally free of charge (aside from the £5) or do you have to pay for the mobile calls (as I was previously told)? I only have a mobile and would like to use VOIP to get a "normal" number but I was told that it can get expensive if you are diverting the calls to your mobile as you are obliged to pay for the calls. Is this not so?

 

[Cybamart]

You were aware that your site was flagged by IE as a phishing site but decided to leave it? Do you really wonder why your business has not done as well as you expected?

I think So Wood You meant to put "wasn't" instead of was, going by the shocked face anyway?

 

[S-Marketing]

I think So Wood You meant to put "wasn't" instead of was, going by the shocked face anyway?

I hope so.

 

[So Wood You]

Give me a chance I only found out the other day!!

This is why I am trying to sort things out - As I have said I am new to this. If I knew what I was doing I wouldn't be on here asking for information!!

 

[S-Marketing]

Give me a chance I only found out the other day!!

This is why I am trying to sort things out - As I have said I am new to this. If I knew what I was doing I wouldn't be on here asking for information!!

Calm down, we are only trying to help. I have already offered to help if you pm'd me. I wasn't trying to drum up work, just offering assistance.

 

[Cybamart]

Give me a chance I only found out the other day!!

This is why I am trying to sort things out - As I have said I am new to this. If I knew what I was doing I wouldn't be on here asking for information!!

If you need any assistance then I will be happy to help, I can potentially remove the "no right click" from your site first of all if you like. This of course would be free of charge so you don't need to pay your developer to do it etc..

People here genuinely do want to help and there is a wealth of experience and sound advice on this forum, such as Stretchy's kind offer. You can also PM me and if I can be of any help I would be glad to. I don't see the "phishing" warning using IE7 (8? I'm not sure now!) and have no experience of this so cannot advise on that right now but anything else website related I would be happy to help on.

 

[Piqueperfumes]

Hi from another Cornwall business.

Lovely bright site. My only comments are the PO Box number. I would simply never buy from a site with just a PO Box number and as has already been said the phone number. If I was a customer and ordered something I would be mighty worried if I couldn't phone you or write to a 'proper' address.

Best of luck
Phil

 

[mhall]

At the risk of being boring - the PO Box would put me off, and having no phone number - or name would also be a no no. Be proud of your business and shout it loud.
Sole traders and partnerships who carry on a business in the UK under a business name must disclose:

• in the case of a sole trader, the individual's name;
• an address in the UK at which service of any document relating in any way to the business will be effective

Whilst your PO Box satisfies the requirements customers don't tend to trust them. They are also no use if, as you say, you want to "hide" (my meaning) your personal address. Anyone can ask the Royal Mail for the address of the PO Box and they will be told who it is registered to, quite rightly in my opinion (see your "conditions of Service" under "disclosure of information". I think you are being a little paranoid and secret and for that reason, as a customer, I would mistrust you.

 

[S-Marketing]

Anyone know how she can get the phishing warning issue sorted?

 

[TotallySport]

If you read the information, it goes on about the web site phishing for information and not to fill in any of the forms, so I suggest removing anything form related, then checking the site to see if the alert is droped, then add them one at a time and test it after each one, when you find which one it is find a better way of coding the problem form.

 

[webwam]

I am using IE8 and I don't get a phishing warning so I think this page may help you:

www (dot) webmasterworld.com/html/3776064 (dot) htm

The other thing I would definately want to see more of are images of each product and with a zoom feature.

 

[TotallySport]

you can turn off the function in the browser to not show the alter, however the alert shouldn't show up, so it needs addressing.

 

[So Wood You]

Have you looked into learning some basic SEO, and some social promotion? Your onsite SEO needs some work - page descriptions would help in oth search engine positions and click through from the search engines.
Jay

Hi Jay

Yes, you're right I probably do need to learn more about SEO. When you say my site needs page description what should I be putting?

It would be very much appreciated if you could give me some helpful pointers.

Thanks Debi

 

[jeffbearcroft]

Hi Debi

Rather than focus on your website point, can I just turn to the business fundamentals and ask some questions:

1) Before your new business venture, what experience did you have of operating in the toy industry?

2) Have you carried out a thorough review of your competition - products, pricing and service - and determined how you will compete and win customers against that background?

Regards

Jeff

Hi everyone

I'm new to this forum and also new to owning a business. I opened an online toy shop in March this year and it doesn't seem to be taking off as well as I'd hoped.

According to google statistics I have 5+ hits a day but no one is buying.

I've posted 1000's of flyers but still haven't had any orders and I'm starting to get very disheartened by it all. I know things take time to get off the ground but I would have thought I'd get at least one order by now.

If anyone has some time please could you take a look at my site and tell me if there is anything wrong with it. Is it the site or the products I'm selling. Are they too expensive etc.

I feel as if I am fumbling around in the dark and don't really know if I am doing it right - is there anyone out there who has 'been there', 'done that' then I'd be very grateful if you could give me a few tips.


Hope you can help
Debi

So Wood You traditional wooden toys and much more...

 

[Grandbanks]

Hi Debi,
I think your site is fine, once people get there. It seems to me that your problem is getting people to the site; once you get going you're going to need 25 -30 hits per product to make a sale, that's a guess based on my experience with other niche sites. 5 visits a day isn't going to hack it.
I don't know your industry - but you should. Where can you advertise? What magazines are read by mothers with young children? Are there any forums for young mothers?
When you know what your business really is, think about a google sales campaign. But be sure you know what your business is - toys?, traditional toys? What, exactly, is your unique marketing proposition? What is your unique selling feature? Think about these things and be sure you know the answers before setting out on a very specific and focused marketing campaign.
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" is one philosophy, but I think that your problem is you're not getting enough horses to water. After that, figure out how to make them drink.

 

[BusinessRookie]

Hi Debi,

I think a website redesign is a good place to start. It can be cost effective if you get the right people on board and it can achieve what you want it to achieve.

Who is your customer?

Local market
Leaflets are good to raise awareness of your products and services but only really promote towards the local market. Is the local market your customer base? If it is then great, get out there in the local community, get in newspapers and sell face to face too.

Online market
Is your target market internet shoppers? If it is then you should get on board with a website redesign, SEO and SMO help and look at a PPC (Pay per click campaign for search engines).

Your website is a lot more important to the online market. You can get somebody to handle calls for just £30-£40 per month or even cut the cost by doing it yourself. Definitely get a local registered office address and follow the steps here to optimise your website http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=32162

What does your business plan look like?

 

[scrivs]

So wood you.

Nice name - Do a search for so wood you comes top of google. Have a look at your page title and maybe amend it to "Traditional wooden toys by So Wood You"

You need more text in your "description tag" - Ignore keyword tag as google does not look at that.

Also use text links to your next pages as well as picture links.

Also your "description tag" is the same on each page - they should be all different.

Get a blog and write about your products - (Get some help on that one)

Im no expert on SEO but I have found a few things like that very helpful.

Oh and do put your tel no. and address on contacts - if the business is part time then say so. At the moment I wouldn't buy from you because of no tel no. Some people like to phone and ask questions. The web is automated, People Are Not.

This is also a good one - lots of school fates this time of year - why not offer one or two toys in a prize draw as long as you can get your website across.

Hope that helps in some way

 

[So Wood You]

Thanks to everyone for you replies. All comments are very much appreciated.

 

[Fuzzy]

Some great advice here already. I would also agree about telephone number and PO Box, I would never buy from anyone who didnt have their telephone number and address on their website.

We operate our business from home and have never had any problems with our address. We get more email enquiries, but having a telephone number listed, gives people the confidence that they can contact you for any queries or help.

Testimonials would be good too and more choice/stock

I know you didnt directly ask for a website review, but altering these bits and bobs that people have suggest may very well increase traffic and convert viewers into buyers

Tell you what, put your contact details on there and you will have an order from lil ole Fuzzy here