Please review my first ever eCommerce website - automotive prints

Just saw this thread. My feedback:

1. Change the brand name/url. Limited 100 isn't the proposition, prints of cars is.
2. I was expecting something a bit naff, but it's not at all. So well done that it's not, but the fact I expected it to be might still be a concern.
3. Images need to be near full page - the thumbnails are way too small, but I was really surprised that when I clicked on them I was only returned an image a bit bigger. The maginifier is pointless really on an image so small. Fill the screen.

How's business been since March?

 

Thanks, are you referring to the sub-text in the logo?

 

Fair enough.

 

Thanks will bear in mind. Not sure what I can do in terms of page speed, I wonder if there's a lazy-loader app for Shopify.

 

Thanks for your feedback. As sustainability is a priority, our frames are made from environmentally-friendly Polcor, which is easier to cut with a greater degree of accuracy and doesn't bend like wood. Natural wood is available on request in any type, I could do a better job of communicating that on the website.

 

Thanks for your feedback. You will need to scroll down below the brand names to see your new, filtered print selection. If I can figure out a way of having the prints and the brand name options above the fold I will.

 

Thanks for your feedback.

1. Changing the brand name / url - do you have any suggestions? I don't think it's too bad a name.
2. What made you expect it to be a bit naff? Glad to hear it exceeded your expectations.
3. The images should be full screen on a PC when you click on them, which image were you looking at? It's hard to make the images behave exactly the same across mobile and tablet devices.

Business is slow, I had an order of 3 prints in June, then 4 in July, 2 in August and 3 in September, so it's gone from nothing.. to very little. I won't be quitting the day job any time soon. On the positive side, every single customer that has ordered from us is extremely happy with their purchase.

 

Hmm. Maybe start with this, and then focus on the website. Unless the website is *the* reason why business is so slow. I have a feeling it's not.

How many prints like yours are sold each year in the UK?

 

Not sure how I'd find out. Search volumes are around 10k/month across all search terms in the UK alone, so not massive. There are 6 million car enthusiasts in the UK though so any dent made in that audience would make Limited100 a success, 1 sale a day would be brilliant.

Nightmare shipping with TNT, had an order from the USA 2 weeks ago and their order has been stuck in customs for over a week. They're wrecking our reputation before we've even had chance to grow

Shipping domestically, Yodel and Parcelforce have been brilliant, but was hit with a nasty Parcelforce surcharge so will probably stick with Yodel, and DPD if they ever start allowing startups to work with them.

 

It's fundamental. Can't base a business on what sales might be nice to have, need to base them on an informed estimate of actual demand. Who's your main competitor? How many do they sell?

 

I don't know, I honestly don't have a clue how you'd find out.

 

Sustainability is a priority? Then surely using real wooden frames would provide a more sustainable product... surely? - Plus in a lovely Oak or Paduak, Mahogany, Ash or even Yew frames... it would give your product a more of a high end price tag...

Do you know why England has an abundance of Oak, and why it's sustained it's price tag despite being more common than pine these days?

 

Hmm. You don't know the shape or size of your market, the size or characteristics of demand, any of your competitors nor how many they sell. But you've created a business to sell a product to people.

What would you say to someone who said all this?

 

As someone who has bought such products, I'd say the current range of offerings is somewhat limited (excuse the pun). Even with specialist sites you have to trawl through an awful lot of guff to find anything worth buying.

The best options, atm, are the big sites that sell everything but you are often restricted to stuff that's mass produced. I have mentioned historiccarart [dot] net as being better than the OP's but it's far from perfect.

There is definitely room for sites such as Limited100, it just needs to have a better choice - in my humble opinion.

 

How is chopping a tree down more sustainable than recycling polystyrene?

 

I created it on a whim and so far have sold a few, so I guess there is a market, whether it becomes my full-time job in a few years, highly unlikely but worth a go. If I get to 1 sale per day on average then it'd be a great side hustle.

 

A tree is basically captured carbon, chopping it down and using it as picture frames doesn't change that.

I guess you knew that though. Good luck with the business, I think your attitude about it being a nice side hustle is a sensible one.

 

OK, so make a plan to get you there, because 1 a day doesn't sound much at all but it's quite a fair bit off from where you are.

I can tell you enjoy this stuff, so as a side hustle it can be fun. To that end and your website, IMO bigger images is key.

 

That's the spirit!