New Venture - Feedback Wanted ?

[MarkPearson]

Our new business is finally ready to launch.

We will give you guys a sneak preview, in return would you all be so kind to give us your feedback on the site / idea etc

Yes, we are aware a few fixes are still needed, but thats why im asking you people for your expert eye

I introduce to you.....


drum roll......


www.UShopUCare.co.uk - Earn Up To 25% Cashback on ALL Your Online Purchases and Donate to Charity at No Cost To You!

 

[Magsite]

Nice looking site Mark, well done!

Lisa

 

[bubblerock]

Just had a quick look Mark and on first impressions - I think the site looks great!! Very professional and clear. I really think it will work as I have used sites such as Freefivers and quidco but sometimes can't be bothered because the 'commision' I will earn won't add up to much and once you've done the big affiliate sites (ie bingo etc..) it seems more hastle than it's worth, but if it was going to charity I would certainly make more effort to use an affiliate site!

Well done on a worthwhile site!

 

[MarkPearson]

Thank you for your feedback so far.... Any more ?

 

[UK2004]

Looks good, simple to use ots of big cheeses on board like HMV and play.com, went to merchants ge tlsitd and nothing came up how do we get on board?

 

[bwglaw]

Site looks good!

I had a quick look at your T&C and I don't think it complies with current legislation that is required of e-commerce sites.

If you would like to discuss feel free to email me below


Jonathan

 

[Coding Monkey]

After the feedback above, I was actually disappointed by the website. There's a lot of information on the home page, and the login box doesn't seem intergrated at all - rather a distraction from reading the text. And I'm not a fan of the design at all.

 

[Gillie]

Sorry, Mark but it was too in my face for me to get the immediate gist of it .... perhaps its the heat, but I had to revisit it to bother reading it .... too much going on to immediately pick out the message .... thought I had strayed on to the Alliance and Leicester page with the colouring!

You just have so much going on down the side and then across the top too .... I was spoilt for choice where to go first!

 

[weddingcrafter]

Hi Mark,

I don't mind the amount of information on the screen, but it did take quite a long time to load and I'm on broadband. It was just at the limit of my "Can't be bothered waiting" time.

Best of luck with it.

Alison

 

[Axxe]

Hi Mark,

Nice site. "Tell-A-Friend Earn £2.50" looks really great and it actually made me click it.

Ps. Shopping guide page is empty. Fix it, cause I think this page is very important.

Once again good job Mark and good luck.

Donatas

 

[MarkPearson]

Thanks all.

Donatas - I will be filling any empty pages and fixing any broken links in the next day or 2.

Any other comments?

 

[Astaroth]

Looks good but my original point remains to be honest....

You offer 50% of the affiliates fee to me
www.quidco.co.uk offer me 100% of the affiliates fee

Why should I use your site rather than quidco?
eg Direct Line motor... Ucare = £20 Quidco = £40

The other thing I didnt get from your site is the "how it works"... Step 3 I earn commission (eg the £20 for DL Motor) Step 4 you pass the commission to me and the choosen charity does that mean that I get the £20 and the charity also receives £20? Or is the £20 split between us? If so to what proportion?

The other thing... there is a calculator link next to the cash back... on the DL link for example pressing it does nothing and I wasnt sure what it would do even if it had done something

 

[Magsite]

Quidco is a fantastic service offering the full 100% full cashback - the only cost is a yearly £5 which will be taken from your account.

Could you offer something similar?

 

[FastCards]

Hi Mark


Well done to you - I think it is a nice site and an interesting angle on cashback affiliate sites.

My only comment is that all cashback sites may be confusing to many people new to the concept and the option of keeping the cash or donating to charity is a futher factor that needs explaining. I wonder if the bullet-points on the home page could explain the way it works a little more clearly (you talk about donations before you mention cashback - maybe that is what confused me?).

Can you do some informal market research? Find 20 people who have never come across a site like this before and see if they get how it works straight away. If not you can tweak the text to make it easier to understand.

Good luck with it!

Cheers

 

[mumsbiz]

Hi Mark,

Your website looks great but I was also wondering after I've shopped do I then get the commision which I will be donating to charity but what do you as a website owner get out of listing those merchants? Do merchants have to pay a fee to be featured in your site?

It mentioned in your site that you have to shop via UshopUcare but once I've signed up surely then I could just click on one of the merchants site and shop via their website, how about if the merchant does not do mail order?

All the best

 

[NicolaCassidy]

Hi there,

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Astaroth: Quidco is after a different type of user (the hardcore cashback collector) than we are. What we have created is a new concept to enable people to donate easily to charities by doing exactly what they do everyday - shopping online!

We allow users to earn cashback whilst SEPERATELY donating to their favourite charities and local good causes, with every purchase they make through www.ushopucare.co.uk

It takes very little time to register and begin earning cashback, you even get a free £5 sign-up bonus to start you off.

How it works:

Users of our site simply clcik through the store links (500+ and growing) before they go shopping and make their purchase as usual. They will always pay the same price, if not cheaper, than they would if they went direct.

A sale is tracked and we credit the user with the cashback % or amount shown on the site. In addition, 20p extra in every pound of the cashback is credited to the users seperate charity account. (this is NOT part of the cashback shown on the site - but an aditional amount). The user gets to donate this charity money to their favourite good causes. They are also given the option to give some or all of their own cashback to that same charity (this is optional).

I hope this explains it clearer and how it is different. We have had very good feedback from the charities who are excited about this new form of fundraising - and so are we.

As for the calculator link this is being redesigned and once it will show you approximately how much cashback you will earn, and how much the additional charity donation will be for that particular store (u have to input the purchase price).

Me and Mark are happy to answer any more questions that people might have.

Thanks,
Nicola

 

[robertm]

Site looks fine, it did take a little while to fully load, maybe the front page is a bit full? i googled you and you seem to have high ratings on search engines so good job there as well. I looked on IE and firefox and both looked fine.

Im not sure what id think of the site if i came across the site by "accident" but then im not familar with the concept. I do like the idea of giving to charity tho'.

Robert

 

[mumsbiz]

Hi Nicola,

I think its a great concept. How much do the merchant have to pay to be a partner with your website? You've sgot ome great selections of shops, may have to take a closer look and join in near future.

 

[Astaroth]

In addition, 20p extra in every pound of the cashback is credited to the users seperate charity account. (this is NOT part of the cashback shown on the site - but an aditional amount). The user gets to donate this charity money to their favourite good causes. They are also given the option to give some or all of their own cashback to that same charity (this is optional).

I hope this explains it clearer and how it is different. We have had very good feedback from the charities who are excited about this new form of fundraising - and so are we.

It certainly does make it clearer for users here... I hope that you mirror this onto your site.

The site does look good and there are certainly some that will be motivated by charitable donations but whilst there are always some people that wont shop around I imagine that there will be some struggle to over come that with the DL offer, for example, you are offering £20 to customer and £4 to charity compared to other sites which are offering £40 to customer who would then be free to donate as much as they want of that to a charity. Some cynical people may also pass comment that you have added a feel good factor of charitable donation to allow your company to pocket the £16. I am not questioning your business or morals but this is a question that you may consider wanting to prepare a response to should it be asked

 

[NicolaCassidy]

Hi Mumsbiz,

The merchant pays nothing, how it works is they pay commission on all sales made through our site. We pass on commission to you and chosen charities. It is really easy once you know how - just like shopping normally.

We already have big brands like Amazon.co.uk, Boots, Direct Line, HMV, Mothercare and PC World and to think we haven't even put alot on there yet!

Mumsbiz, If you need any more guidance on the site, the let me know.

 

[Astaroth]

Mumsbiz

There are a lot of affiliate "aggregator" type companies like Tradedoubler which you can sign up to and they manage the affiliates on your behalf and they will sell your scheme to the likes of ushop and quidco as well as the more traditional sites that retain all the commission themselves

 

[MarkPearson]

Astaroth

Thanks for the comments, we have already taken them into consideration.

We are totally clear and open to the fact that ushopucare does make commission also, after all it is a business.

The set up and the day to day running of such site is immense and requires a full time administrator to do this job. The majority of the other cashback sites out there, even the market leaders who have over half a million users in the UK generally split the commission 50/50 (User/Admin). We split our commission 60/10/40 (User/Charity/Admin) with the option for the user to donate some or all of their own cashback meaning the charities could in some cases get up to 60% of the commission.

An important point to remember is that if UShopUCare was not here, the charities would not benefit at all from this innovative new fundraising.

One of the main reasons me and Nicola started this business was because we are both firm believers in the fact that if everyone does/gives a little, the result would be huge. UShopUCare enables everybody to donate to charity, without it ever coming directly out of their pocket.

Nicola knows this best, she has just completed a 60 mile sponsored bike ride (manchester to blackpool) and boy is she suffering now!

 

[Magsite]

Astaroth

Thanks for the comments, we have already taken them into consideration.

We are totally clear and open to the fact that ushopucare does make commission also, after all it is a business.

The set up and the day to day running of such site is immense and requires a full time administrator to do this job. The majority of the other cashback sites out there, even the market leaders who have over half a million users in the UK generally split the commission 50/50 (User/Admin). We split our commission 60/10/40 (User/Charity/Admin) with the option for the user to donate some or all of their own cashback meaning the charities could in some cases get up to 60% of the commission.

An important point to remember is that if UShopUCare was not here, the charities would not benefit at all from this innovative new fundraising.

One of the main reasons me and Nicola started this business was because we are both firm believers in the fact that if everyone does/gives a little, the result would be huge. UShopUCare enables everybody to donate to charity, without it ever coming directly out of their pocket.

Nicola knows this best, she has just completed a 60 mile sponsored bike ride (manchester to blackpool) and boy is she suffering now!

Hi Mark

Can you clarify the We split our commission 60/10/40 (User/Charity/Admin)

Makes 110 if its %

Cheers

 

[MarkPearson]

lol, can I blaime the heat!!

Should have said 50 / 10 / 40

 

[UK2004]

That's a very small split to charity, bit like Pop Idol only 10p in a 50p call to charity, not on.

 

[NicolaCassidy]

UK2004: 10% is the MINIMUM amount that goes to charity - they can get upto 60% depending on what the user wants to do with their 50%.

 

[UK2004]

I see that's okish then.

 

[bizideas]

Hi there All,

I find that a lot of questions have been asked with regards to the purpose of the website and also alot of comparison going on between other major leaders in similar markets. (hence the word - SIMILAR).

Although the owners/founders of this website expect constructed criticism, I believe this site has its main aim, my impression is charity. No matter how much the company is gaining, every penny counts towards charity and if you went direct to the online shop you would be paying the same amount and no customer or charity would be gaining.
Although I agree with some of the constructed criticism which has been made, I believe some comments are unneccesary.

I wish the shop, charities and the founders great success.

Good Luck Mark and Nicola

Regards

Mark

 

[MarkPearson]

Thank you Mark.

You did get this bit spot on

every penny counts towards charity and if you went direct to the online shop you would be paying the same amount and no customer or charity would be gaining.

 

[Magsite]

Mark, you might be able to answe this one becasue of the type of site you now running.

I'm looking to promote a particular range of product from an Affiliate Future merchant, which I would like to offer cashback. Nothing of the scaled of your site but still something where I would need to be able to setup user accounts to credit them with a percentage of a sale.

Could you recommend where to go to get advice or a script to handle this?

Cheers

Lisa

 

[MarkPearson]

Hi Lisa,

What you require is a cashback type script, we had ours written for us by a coder who designed our site. It needs to allocate each of your users with a ID number, and you will need to add an extra bit of code to the affiliate future affiliate codes so the ID is captured and given in the sales reports, so you can give cashback to the buyer.

The process requires a lot of admin to upkeep.

As for a script, im not sure there is an off the shelf one, we had to pay quite a lot of money to get ours written.

Hope that helps.