Feedback needed

[This Charming Girl]

I need some honest feedback on my website if possible, hope that's okay!

I sell my jewellery online from my site thischarminggirl.com. At the moment I'm using the PayPal shopping cart, which I know is limited but has done the job so far (since Oct 2006). However I think to take my business to the next level I need to improve the shopping cart. Have looked into Zencart, OSCommerce etc but am wary of having my site look exactly the same as sites already using these carts (I think most Zencart sites tend to look the same).

Other than the shopping cart, is my site easy to navigate? Easy to understand? Any pros/cons I may not have noticed would be helpful, along with any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[TotallySport]

I don't know about other people and it might just be me but I thought just by looking at the domain name it was a porn site.

The site looks good, but finding products is a pain and two long winded, the catagory links could be on the left which would speed it up.

The home page doesn't draw you in, there are no special offers and features and just landing on the home page it brings up a news title which makes it not look like and ecommerce site.

I also think your header is two large, if you reduce it, you can get more content into the view of the customers straight away.

Your buttons aren't obvious enough.

I have to say though your pictures are very good indeed.

A little work I think it could be much better, but does look good now.

 

[NetBiz]

try protx for payments

 

[RoseRover]

Hi there,

I immediately thought from your domain name that you are a fan of The Smiths and not that it was a porn site! In fact I may have to go and idg out the album and give it a listen now!

Back to your website. I think you have a lot of ingredients for a great site including good PR from the looks of it that you could make so much more of such as the photo of duffy wearing one of your necklaces!

You need to sort out the menus and toolbars so that it is very easy to navigate and find what you need. It may be boring to have your categories down the left and the links to home/contact/news etc across the top but that's what people are used to and if it ain't broke, don't try and go against it I say.

I use EROL e-commerce software for my site and you can customize it to get any look and feel that you want. Could you try to turn the 5 pictures at the top of your page into the buttons for home/contact/news/FAQ etc?

Make your basket stand out more too. Instead of just shop on the left, break the links down into your main categories such as earrings, necklaces, new products, special offer etc.

Hope this is of use,

Rose

 

[windowontheworld]

I don't know about other people and it might just be me but I thought just by looking at the domain name it was a porn site.

The site looks good, but finding products is a pain and two long winded, the catagory links could be on the left which would speed it up.

The home page doesn't draw you in, there are no special offers and features and just landing on the home page it brings up a news title which makes it not look like and ecommerce site.

I also think your header is two large, if you reduce it, you can get more content into the view of the customers straight away.

Your buttons aren't obvious enough.

I have to say though your pictures are very good indeed.

A little work I think it could be much better, but does look good now.

Her buttons look alright to me

 

[windowontheworld]

I don't know about other people and it might just be me but I thought just by looking at the domain name it was a porn site.

The site looks good, but finding products is a pain and two long winded, the catagory links could be on the left which would speed it up.

The home page doesn't draw you in, there are no special offers and features and just landing on the home page it brings up a news title which makes it not look like and ecommerce site.

I also think your header is two large, if you reduce it, you can get more content into the view of the customers straight away.

Your buttons aren't obvious enough.

I have to say though your pictures are very good indeed.

A little work I think it could be much better, but does look good now.

Her buttons look alright to me

 

[myles-at-icomplete]

ASOS.com is the one to emulate.

 

[maria102]

ASOS.com is the one to emulate.

ASOS is good or more accurately spot on for fashion ecommerce in navigation terms, however I love the look of This Charming Girls site, really nice feel to it.

 

[tb1234]

I need some honest feedback on my website if possible, hope that's okay!

I sell my jewellery online from my site thischarminggirl.com. At the moment I'm using the PayPal shopping cart, which I know is limited but has done the job so far (since Oct 2006). However I think to take my business to the next level I need to improve the shopping cart. Have looked into Zencart, OSCommerce etc but am wary of having my site look exactly the same as sites already using these carts (I think most Zencart sites tend to look the same).

Other than the shopping cart, is my site easy to navigate? Easy to understand? Any pros/cons I may not have noticed would be helpful, along with any suggestions.

Thanks

I think the site looks great. The hover colour for links is nearly indistinguishable on my monitor from the white background, you might want to change that. Also you might want to read this http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/distance-selling-regulations/
and review your T&Cs. Consumers can make returns without reason seven days from the day after the item arrives and if and you have to accept items back if they are faulty after 14 days. The Sale of Good Act applies for 6 years in England and Wales , but don't worry your products wouldn't be expected to last that long given their nature and the cost.

 

[cmcp]

Welcome

You are right to look into a database driven site, think about the streamlined CRM possibilities.

I highly respect your dedication for building yourself up DIY but I suspect you're having to maintain a customer spreadsheet manually with each order? Get that data collected in a database and you can manipulate it to great extent.

I think your business would do well of repeat custom - you could set up an email marketing system to keep your customers up to date every month, and set autoresponders to automatically email them discount codes after 6 months.

 

[cjd]

However I think to take my business to the next level I need to improve the shopping cart.

I'm never sure what people mean by this. If you mean 'I'd like more and bigger pictures and descriptions of my jewellry' I'd agree - otherwise I wouldn't worry too much - it's a good looking and attracticve site.

You do need a proper address and telephone number under your contact details though. Many people won't buy from a site that doesn't show them - and it's illegal, for the address at least ;-)

Personally, I'd invest more in your SEO and other marketing than worry about much else.

 

[Delta-SI]

Even I quite like your website. The only thing that would put me off is the PayPal....

 

[Fiddes]

I think like the other post, your site looks pretty good. Paypal is not ideal, but my biggest concern is architecture of your site. You need to invest in SEO and firstly to make sure your site is fully search engine compliant, and then hand the site over to a reputable SEO/M company to get you up the search engines nationally on high volume search terms. Try High Position based in Essex. Best in the business apparently!

 

[This Charming Girl]

Hi there,

I immediately thought from your domain name that you are a fan of The Smiths and not that it was a porn site! In fact I may have to go and idg out the album and give it a listen now!

Back to your website. I think you have a lot of ingredients for a great site including good PR from the looks of it that you could make so much more of such as the photo of duffy wearing one of your necklaces!

You need to sort out the menus and toolbars so that it is very easy to navigate and find what you need. It may be boring to have your categories down the left and the links to home/contact/news etc across the top but that's what people are used to and if it ain't broke, don't try and go against it I say.

I use EROL e-commerce software for my site and you can customize it to get any look and feel that you want. Could you try to turn the 5 pictures at the top of your page into the buttons for home/contact/news/FAQ etc?

Make your basket stand out more too. Instead of just shop on the left, break the links down into your main categories such as earrings, necklaces, new products, special offer etc.

Hope this is of use,

Rose

I certainly am a fan of the Smiths!

Thank you for your feedback, it's all very constructive.

ASOS is good or more accurately spot on for fashion ecommerce in navigation terms, however I love the look of This Charming Girls site, really nice feel to it.

Thank you

I think the site looks great. The hover colour for links is nearly indistinguishable on my monitor from the white background, you might want to change that. Also you might want to read this
and review your T&Cs. Consumers can make returns without reason seven days from the day after the item arrives and if and you have to accept items back if they are faulty after 14 days. The Sale of Good Act applies for 6 years in England and Wales , but don't worry your products wouldn't be expected to last that long given their nature and the cost.

Ah yes, thanks for pointing these out - both things I had noted to change.

Welcome

You are right to look into a database driven site, think about the streamlined CRM possibilities.

I highly respect your dedication for building yourself up DIY but I suspect you're having to maintain a customer spreadsheet manually with each order? Get that data collected in a database and you can manipulate it to great extent.

I think your business would do well of repeat custom - you could set up an email marketing system to keep your customers up to date every month, and set autoresponders to automatically email them discount codes after 6 months.

Yeah I do keep a manual spreadsheet at the moment so I'm definitely looking into a database system. I'd say about 40% of my business comes from repeat custom and I send out a newsletter with every site update, which is on average about once a month. I don't have the option of discount codes at the moment with this PayPal cart so that's another reason I'm looking into developing a new cart.

I'm never sure what people mean by this. If you mean 'I'd like more and bigger pictures and descriptions of my jewellry' I'd agree - otherwise I wouldn't worry too much - it's a good looking and attracticve site.

You do need a proper address and telephone number under your contact details though. Many people won't buy from a site that doesn't show them - and it's illegal, for the address at least ;-)

Personally, I'd invest more in your SEO and other marketing than worry about much else.

Thank you I'm quite surprised by the positive reaction to my site to be honest, considering I did it all myself and I'm not exactly an html genius these days!

I'd like my shopping cart to be better in that it handles international transactions (at the moment my international customers have to manually add the international shipping fee), be able to provide discount codes and just be a bit more streamlined.

The reason I don't have my address and phone number is because I run this business myself from home, and I'm not really keen on having that information on the internet (as well as I'm often not in during the day to answer the phone). I do realise I need to sort this out though. Would getting a PO box address be the solution? It's strange, because some of my competitors don't have that contact information on their websites either.

 

[cjd]

The reason I don't have my address and phone number is because I run this business myself from home, and I'm not really keen on having that information on the internet

That's how many of us started off, so you're not alone But it's still illegal not to show proper contact details on your site. You'll find a good guide to the Distance Selling Regs here:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

More importantly, it also shows that you are a tiny outfit which puts a lot of people off.

(as well as I'm often not in during the day to answer the phone). I do realise I need to sort this out though. Would getting a PO box address be the solution?

The phone is fairly easy to sort out - as it's a very common question I've written a long and boring article on it here:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/How_to_Get_A_Telephone_Number_For_Your_Business.php

The address is harder, I think I would use a version of my home address, it's not a big deal having it on your site.

It's strange, because some of my competitors don't have that contact information on their websites either.

They are just making the same mistakes

 

[TotallySport]

Her buttons look alright to me

I disagree the Add to Basket, Add recorded Delivery, is done in black text the same font as everything else and no background, I simply think they need to stand out more.

 

[windowontheworld]

Same deal with the PO Box, it's obvious that you are concealing your address (for some reason), if one was going to be cynical about it.

Mail Boxes Etc are pretty reasonable. Gives a real street address for couriers too.