No Sales but why???

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rebecca-edwards

  • #1
    Hello all,

    I have set a new pet shop this went live on the 9th June 2008 but to this day I have no online sales and im not sure why!!! I am using a few promotional tools such as google adwords and bt tradespace with no avail. I am generating 30 visits a day but no purchases. I was wondering if anyone could give me frank honest critism about why this could be
     
    Paul Kelly ICHYB

    Paul Kelly ICHYB

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    icanhelpyourbusiness.co.uk
  • #2
    pricing, product range, shop design - there can be many reasons!

    Without seeing it, it is difficult to comment.
     
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    cubel

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    Apr 26, 2008
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  • #3
    i wouldn't be surprised to know that an e-shop had no order after being launched for 1 month. while trying to put up more advertisements, just think how many times you've visited a web site before actually placing any order? 30 visits per day is not very high yet and it does take time before you have the very first customer! good luck to you.
     
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    deniser

    deniser

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  • #5
    There is no way of continuing to add things to basket without repeating search . If you press back it says you will lose the last item you put in the basket.

    Need to rearrange the categories better.

    The Ok you have successfully added to your cart is annoying.

    The site doesn't look professional.

    But I like the products and have not seen them before. I did put a few in my basket but when I got to checkout only the last one was still in there? There were some strange things along the way such as is your state of residence the United Kingdom.

    Sorry I hit the wrong button and it posted before I had finished!!
    Now having got to that stage I wouldn't be bothered to put the things back in the basket in case they have all disappeared again by the time I reach checkout. Something seems to be wrong. Also it is quite slow.
     
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    rebecca-edwards

  • #7
    www[dot]petharmony[dot]co[dot]uk

    Thank you for your densier they are things I didnt know the only way i can see of fixing this is by gettin g a bespoke website which is not really in my price range at the moment but have been looking into it
     
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    Poppy Design

    Poppy Design

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  • #10
    Hello

    Here is my honest opinion ....

    The home page looks a bit home made which could lose customer confidence.
    The shop opens in a different window to the home page and the design is completely different making you think you are being taken away to another site altogether - there does not seem to be any unique branding i.e logo/style/colours on the site.

    The shop menu on the right hand side is not that clear and personally I do not like it on the side - most shop menus are on the left side or top drop down - not to say you have to do what everyone else does but I think people read from left to right first?

    I personally shop at pet shops - Zoo Plus and Pet Planet - both of which are easy to navigate, clear branding and good prices/offers.

    I think this is quite a competitive market so you really need a professional looking website that is attractive to the eye and also very easy to navigate/use.

    Joanne
     
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    Joanne_UK

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  • #11
    I had a quick look at your website (http://www.petharmony.co.uk/index.html) and personality I would not buy from it..why?

    1 - It doesn't look professional (the homepage doesn't even fit on my screen)
    2- It took me a while to find how to buy your products, I first clicked on the links at the left of the homepage, got to "New products" but could not buy them from there...I finally found out that your link to buy your products are on the "Click to enter pet harmony"
    3- the homepage look and feel should match the online store look and feel and it is completely different
    4 - Your online store doesn't have the logo that you have on the homepage.
    5 - Your online store doesn't have information such as : contact information, terms and conditions page, delivery page, about us page, privacy page, returns page, method of payment, etc..
    6- Your online store look like a template with bits missing

    Sorry if it sounds harsh but I just think it doesn't look professional.
    Maybe you should look at other pet shops website to see what the competition is , for example I would buy from these:
    http://www.pets2home.co.uk/
    http://www.petplanet.co.uk/shop.asp
    http://www.dabners.co.uk/
     
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    rebecca-edwards

  • #14
    I have had this feeling about the home page and store for a few weeks now was not at all what I had in mind but little can be done with it I cannot add things such as html tags which can be very annoying for me I have been thinking about a bespoke website for a few weeks but the price can put me off. I just don't know where to start really.
     
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    maxine

    maxine

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  • #16
    sirearl said:
    Black is for artistic sites ,porn and undertakers.
    Click to expand...
    You have such a way with words!!! :D

    Hi Rebecca

    For me the key put off is it not fitting on my screen so if you just made it all a bit smaller it might be a good starting point. The pet images around the page are big in comparison with the information/menu bar which doesnt have much of a logical flow to it and I personally think it would be better to show your products rather than pet images on your home page.

    I def do not like the blue font on black background I am afraid and I have to admit that I didnt stay on the site for very long simply because of the fit and the images.

    Hope that helps

    Max
     
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    B

    Blush

  • #18
    I agree with a lot of the comments, being taken away to what looks like another site is a bad start!
    If money is tight why not use one of the free shopping cart templates like zencart or oscommerce.You can then either use one of their free templates or have one custom made for you which isn't that expensive.Then once you are established and have mor spare cash to spend you can then have your on bespoke site designed.
    Products are nice though:)
     
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    S

    Shawshanks

  • #19
    Hi Rebecca,

    Why not build up a customer base on eBay first, loyal customers will then buy confidently from your website. In the meantime you could take onboard this forums feedback and improve your website. Nobody gets a website right first time, however, I would definately splash the cash on a professional website designer!
     
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    borobabe

  • #20
    You can get something really good by using zencart, I have been doing that myself and hope it is a lot better than my first site attempt. It is easy to work with, most hosting accounts will do an automatic download and from there it is just tweaking and adding your products.
     
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    S

    .Spiralling.

  • #22
    Some of the "giveaways" for me (I say giveaway, because it's the impression it creates for me every time) that the site is not professional are:


    • big font in several different colours over a base colour which doesn't match
    • photos/pictures just "plonked" on the page with no real need and nothing done to them
    • superfluous exclamation marks everywhere - this is the biggie for me. Why does "Welcome to Pet Harmony" require two exclamation marks? Why does the fact that you can pay using Paypal require two exclamation marks? For me this shows that the site owner hasn't taken the time to even put together their site properly, and if they're not bothered about their own site, why would they be bothered about my order? (I'm not saying you aren't bothered about your site btw, but this is the impression it gives me).
    I didn't get as far as finding out there were no contact details, no delivery price obvious or that the shopping cart doesn't work properly, because I didn't look any further. I stayed longer on your site than I would have done had I been there as a customer.

    Remember, on the internet, people can't see you and talk to you and get a good impression of you. Your site is the impression they get of you, and if it doesn't give them confidence, they won't part with cash.

    Good luck, I hope you can get it sorted :)
     
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    rebecca-edwards

  • #23
    Thank you all for your replies I am in the process of totally redesigning webpage and will tell you wen its live not far from finished and all your coments have been greatly appriated and taken on board ty all.

    Website has now been redesigned and has been published please have a look and tell me what you think now I personall think its much better but its not what i think that counts its the customerssssssssssssssssss
     
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    D

    Dawg

  • #24
    One thing that hasn't been addressed is your background. Black backgrounds do not work nearly as well as lighter, warmer colours or white. People get away with black on tech sites, and music/arty sites, but even there it's not the best solution. You just won't find them on most sites.
    I would spend 30 minutes on Google: look for 'pet shops', 'pet foods', 'pet accessories' etc., and check out what the top 10 sites are doing in each category. This will give you a better idea of what works, and what results have come up in other people's research as to what makes an effective pet site. It will only be guidance, and a lot will be very same-y, but it's worth a few minutes of your time.
     
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    M

    Matt1959

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    Sep 8, 2006
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  • #25
    Hi Rebecca, with all sites, I take a quick look at the "about" page as its this page that can help inspire me with trust to deal with people. You don't actually say anything "about" yourself and furthermore, the fact that that you open by saying you've been trading for just one month turns me away from the site totally. I wouldn't want to buy from someone so recently set up - theres no need to say you set up in June is there? Mine - a non techy view - good luck with the site:)
     
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    deniser

    deniser

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    Jun 3, 2008
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  • #26
    Went from home page to Products but no products there, only some logos. The products were in Shop. Personally I would put the products in Products.

    Then when you get to Products it's the same as before with the long menu which disappears off the bottom of the page down the right hand side which is a strange place for it to be.

    Statements such as
    "Pet Harmony started trading June 2008 therefore we are fairly new." do not inspire confidence!

    You need to read the Distance Selling Regulations and make sure your terms and conditions comply as they don't at present.

    3 phone numbers including 2 mobile looks odd.


    You can't redesign it over night - it needs days and days of work and checking and rechecking.
     
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    humedini

    Free Member
    Jun 26, 2008
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  • #32
    Hi,

    I had a quick look through the site and agree with many of the other posters. There are a few simple things that you could do that would make a big difference. Take the time to think about the user experience and how you would approach the site if you had never seen this before, if you find this difficult pick someone you know who fits the profile of your "typical customer" and get them to look at the site while you watch them. A lot of the time you will be suprised at what you see, what seems simple to you can be confusing to someone else. This is difficult to pick up without proper testing as you can become very close to the project and find it difficult to notice any potential problems.

    The actual shop section could really do with a stronger brand to hold it all together, it currently looks like it has stuck fairly closely to the original template for the shopping cart solution you are using. Try to break away from this more and keep the design consistent throughout. If the main purpose of your site is to sell things, remove the microsite that loads before the main shop section and send all visitors to the shop first. Think about it, if you went to Sainsburys ~(other supermarkets are available)~ you wouldn't want to sit through a 5 minute presentation about why they are great before you got on with your shopping. Although that information is very important to some customers, having it as a link from the shop will more than satisfy their need to know some background on you before placing an order. There is a perception amongst consumers that shopping online is cheaper, so on your home page you need to have your very best deals with the biggest savings displayed. Your featured products section on the home page is neat and tidy, but try setting a previous price in the back-end of your shopping cart solution so that it shows the savings that people are making. If your goods are the same price as an established shop then it is likely that a visitor would use them instead as even though you are probably an honest business person they will already have some kind of connection with the other brand if they have shopped there before without any problems.

    Apologies for the essay... good luck with your business. I would buy something to show my support .. but I don't have a pet!

    Jon
     
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    BTC-Company Services

    BTC-Company Services

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    Jun 27, 2008
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  • #33
    Really sorry but I agree with the others, your site needs a LOT of work! It would not be possible to do it overnight.

    We've spent months & months on ours, with a lot of expense and still having things being done to it now! Good luck with it, but if you decide to hire a web developer, my advice is be careful. Get a few quotes, read up on in internet about these things (this forum is very useful), this way you don't get ripped off! Building a website without understanding the subject and leaving everything to the web developer is a BIG mistake!

    We spent £6k a few years ago on our site and found that the website had a lot of things wrong with it! A few months ago finished re-designing the website at a cost of £12k! And still it's not turned out quite right! :eek:

    http://www.btc-nw.co.uk
     
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    O

    Officebird

  • #34
    Go and see Business Link for funding. ALthough they are generally useless they have cash for webdesign where I live. Business Linki North East will pay approx 50% and then it's possible to get the other 50% from other sources. Darlington Council have the D2E project which will pay for the other 50% and Sedgefield, Wear Valley and Easington (to name but a few) will hand over up to £2000. I don't know where you are based but there is a big possiblity you could get funded for a website, or at least half of one:)

    I did look at your site and am afraid to say that I agree with everyone elses comments. I actually got bored as it took so long to load. The front page looks like it is related to 101 dalmations which would inspire my 4 year old, unfortunately she doesn't buy much on the net:D You need to get the branding sorted out as a priority in my opinion.

    Good luck:)
     
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    S

    .Spiralling.

  • #35
    The new home page looks much better than before - tidier and more concise, but I agree with others that there's no branding. It's a good stop gap though. Your About Us page contains a number of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors, and your T&Cs still don't conform to the DSR, but I think you've done well to make the changes in a small space of time. You need to keep on with it now, to get the remaining issues sorted and address the shop itself, which still has that background. It took us 18 months to get a website we were happy with - and we only got something we were happy with when we finally admitted we needed the skills of a professional.
     
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    rebecca-edwards

  • #36
    Thank you for your post yes it needs alot of work and the website you saw is the improved version gosh if only you'd seen it before i'm working on it tho I will make it better and soon (I hope)

    Officebird said:
    Go and see Business Link for funding. ALthough they are generally useless they have cash for webdesign where I live. Business Linki North East will pay approx 50% and then it's possible to get the other 50% from other sources. Darlington Council have the D2E project which will pay for the other 50% and Sedgefield, Wear Valley and Easington (to name but a few) will hand over up to £2000. I don't know where you are based but there is a big possiblity you could get funded for a website, or at least half of one:)

    I did look at your site and am afraid to say that I agree with everyone elses comments. I actually got bored as it took so long to load. The front page looks like it is related to 101 dalmations which would inspire my 4 year old, unfortunately she doesn't buy much on the net:D You need to get the branding sorted out as a priority in my opinion.

    Good luck:)
    Click to expand...
     
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    A

    AndyBlack

  • #37
    Hi,

    I haven't got time to read through all 3 pages of replies, so I'm not sure if this has been mentioned.

    Your main index page does not have any real content, does not look too inviting and your title tag says 'HOME' .

    The title tag is one of the most single important onpage SEO factors and needs to be spot on. In fact for each page, but especially your index page. Selling products like that will not make you much money unless you can move away from the likes of Adwords and gain more traffic from organic searches.

    Please don't be put off though. Everyone starts from the very bottom and works their way up. Good for you for trying. The thing is though, there is loads and loads to learn in order to succeed online. I currently own two online stores, which are now getting daily sales. This has took much tweaking to get to the stage I am at now. It's a case of experimenting, researching, looking at how your main competitors are doing it... and for online businesses, the most important thing you could do to help yourself succeed, is start learning good SEO, and find out what it involves. Join forums, and try things out one at a time.

    Don't give up... keep pushing forward and look towards that goal called success.

    Good luck!

    Andy
     
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    Bob77

  • #39
    Hi

    The shop section of the site looks like oscommerce to me, not a fan of some os sites (not all!!), as said try a zen cart site.I use roundcart for mind.Your postage needs to be clear for buyers.With a new site your homepage will be the main page people land on so it has to look the part, why not at least put some nice product images on with links;).
     
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