Looking for some feedback on my First attempt.

[Guest]

Hi All

 

We have just gone live on our first OsC site and would like your feedback/comments on it. We know it is a very basic site but like we said, it is our first attempt and will hopefully upgrade it as we learn more.

 

We would also be interested in ANY information on getting our page listed in the search engines. We have no clue where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Our new site

[Guest]

btw....I know about the problem of being sent back to the login page when trying to checkout. I have just installed Fast easy checkout and am waiting to see if anyone can help me on the contribution support thread.

[dandelion]

You have done some things well but you should get rid of the intro click through page - it won't help your SEO and GET RID OF ALL flashy and scrolling things!!! I also don't like your purple colour although I realize it is alot like what my first site looked like many years ago it just doesn't look professional now - there are so many templates out there that give a great look at least try to mimic one.

 

You need to add the meta tags titles contribution so that your product names appear in your page titles this will help with your SEO

 

Good start!

[Guest]

Thanks for your comments dandelion.

 

I can understand that the click through page will not help the SEO, so i will have a look at that.

 

What is wrong with the purple colour? Is it because there is too much of it? Would it be better if i reduced the amount of it(maybe change the colours of the infoboxes)?

 

I did look into templates but didn't understand them too well. maybe i will have another look.

 

Which Meta tags contribution were you meaning? I have added Ultimate SEO URL's.

 

Regards

[ddp]

Hi All

 

We have just gone live on our first OsC site and would like your feedback/comments on it. We know it is a very basic site but like we said, it is our first attempt and will hopefully upgrade it as we learn more.

 

We would also be interested in ANY information on getting our page listed in the search engines. We have no clue where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Our new site

 

I agree dump the intro page. The flashing 15% off is blinding. These types of moving and flashing graphics are very early 90's. The purple text on the breadcrumb path disappears into the colour. I think there is too much purple.

 

Hope this helps.

[Guest]

Ok, I have changed some of the colours on the site to break up the purple a bit. I have also added the custom Meta Tags contribution.

 

How we looking now?

 

Any other comments?

 

Regards

[FatCarl]

Ok, I have changed some of the colours on the site to break up the purple a bit. I have also added the custom Meta Tags contribution.

 

How we looking now?

 

Any other comments?

 

Regards

 

As has been said, get rid of the "intro" page. I don't understand why people use them, they don't really serve any purpose, other than slowing customers down. Seriously, drop the page :)

 

I couldn't actually view your store though, I'm presented with a DB connection error.

[Guest]

As has been said, get rid of the "intro" page. I don't understand why people use them, they don't really serve any purpose, other than slowing customers down. Seriously, drop the page :)

 

I couldn't actually view your store though, I'm presented with a DB connection error.

 

Yeah, I was messin with the DB at that time.

 

Should be ok now though.

[satish]

Hi All

 

We have just gone live on our first OsC site and would like your feedback/comments on it. We know it is a very basic site but like we said, it is our first attempt and will hopefully upgrade it as we learn more.

 

We would also be interested in ANY information on getting our page listed in the search engines. We have no clue where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Our new site

 

 

Functionally iot might be fine.

Need to do following only suggestions:

1)Get rid of an additional page.Home page has a big value for Search engine ranking and clients do not want to keep clicking.

2)Left column and right column width needs to be increased and the font size too.

3)Remove that 15% flash.flash is irritating and on times a reader can not read the whole page.

4)Reduce the page scroll.

5) Need a search link.

6)Make site search engine friendly using SEO by chemo.( You have used one )

7)Reduce Header width.NObody likes to scroll too much.

8)We Ship Worldwide change color of test.

9)Add dynamic Meta tag.

10)Show what all type payment methods you accept payment.

11)Show other certificates

12)About US link and Contact us to be prominently placed.

 

Satish

[Guest]

Functionally iot might be fine.

Need to do following only suggestions:

1)Get rid of an additional page.Home page has a big value for Search engine ranking and clients do not want to keep clicking.

2)Left column and right column width needs to be increased and the font size too.

3)Remove that 15% flash.flash is irritating and on times a reader can not read the whole page.

4)Reduce the page scroll.

5) Need a search link.

6)Make site search engine friendly using SEO by chemo.( You have used one )

7)Reduce Header width.NObody likes to scroll too much.

8)We Ship Worldwide change color of test.

9)Add dynamic Meta tag.

10)Show what all type payment methods you accept payment.

11)Show other certificates

12)About US link and Contact us to be prominently placed.

 

Satish

 

Hi Satish.

Thank you for your comments. My replies to each comment are:

 

1. I agree, just got to talk my partner into it.

2. Columns increased to 175. Unable to find where to increase font size.

3. Parnter would like to keep it there for now.

4. Not sure how to.

5. Search box is in left column.

6 Already using Ultimate SEO URL's.

7. ??? There is no horizontal scroll ?

8. Changed to a more subtle yellow.

9. Already added Custom META Tags per Item v1.0.

10. Will add later.

11. What other certs? My SSL is shared so i dont have a logo for it.

12. Will move later.

 

Regards

[satish]

Hi Satish.

Thank you for your comments. My replies to each comment are:

 

1. I agree, just got to talk my partner into it.

2. Columns increased to 175. Unable to find where to increase font size.

3. Parnter would like to keep it there for now.

4. Not sure how to.

5. Search box is in left column.

6 Already using Ultimate SEO URL's.

7. ??? There is no horizontal scroll ?

8. Changed to a more subtle yellow.

9. Already added Custom META Tags per Item v1.0.

10. Will add later.

11. What other certs? My SSL is shared so i dont have a logo for it.

12. Will move later.

 

Regards

 

 

When I say reduce page scroll thats in vertical direction and not in horizontal direction.

 

1)You can se your header is more then the standard headrs are.

2)There is some blank space above welcome so move welcome a bit up.

3)Also reduce line gaps where ever possible.

 

 

other additional points:

3)some of your text is center align make if left align.

4)Give border to seperate products in New products Box and restrict to 3 rows and three columns.

 

Satish

[dynamoeffects]

I didn't read through all of the other comments, so I'll probably repeat some things, but here are my suggestions:

 

- Lose the intro page - it's useless.

- That color scheme is painful to look at. ZEE GOGGLES, ZEY DO NOTHING!

- Your 15% Discount graphic doesn't have to cause epileptic seizures to get noticed. There are more subtle ways to design it so that it's always seen.

 

I really couldn't look through your site any more than that - it makes me go crosseyed. If you don't have the money to hire someone to design your site, I'd suggest going to one of the template sites and buying a new template for $20-$50. There are some sites that have OSC specific templates available.

[Guest]

Thanks again for your reply Satish.

 

I have reduced the header slightly.

 

I can see what you mean about the gap above Welcome, but i cannot see anywhere to reduce it in my index.php file. Any ideas?

 

Text is now left align.

 

I wouldn't know how to add a border to the new products or how to restrict how many are shown. Could you tell me where i need to do this?

 

Many thanks.

[Guest]

Borders now added to New Product images.

[contentedhearts]

like the color, but don't like the flashing sign

 

:)

[boxtel]

your cookies do not work

 

basket quantity control:

9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 x Jam Tarts in Progress

 

 

?6.50

Discounts: - ?9.75

Total: ?5.53

 

basket totals out of layout:

Sub-Total: ?3.20

15% discount: - ?0.48

Total: ?2.72

 

 

rename your banner.jpg as most ad blockers will block it

 

lose the lilac background

 

make your buttons one style

 

no need to inform me that there are no reviews

 

no about us content

 

session loss when going to my account

 

& in urls:

https://web21.secure-secure.co.uk/miniature...b37cc97d0d1af44

 

http://www.miniaturesbymail.co.uk/catalog/...ac562be62d9b730

 

double sessionid on continue shopping:

http://www.miniaturesbymail.co.uk/catalog/...ac562be62d9b730

[Guest]

Hi Boxtel

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

With regards to the lilac colour, obviously everyone has thier own taste in colour, so no matter what colour we put on, it would not suit everyone.

 

I have read somewhere on this forum that you cannot force cookies when using a shared SSL?

 

Any idea how to change the basket quantity control ?

 

Banner has been renamed.

 

Will look for the correct button image to replace the odd one out (I think it's just one).

 

Hopefully, the reviews will not be empty for too long :thumbsup:

 

Waiting for partner to write "about us". Will be updated very soon.

 

I don't understand why sessions are being lost or why the double session on continue shopping. Any ideas?

 

many thanks

[allnet]

Hi Boxtel

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

With regards to the lilac colour, obviously everyone has thier own taste in colour, so no matter what colour we put on, it would not suit everyone.

 

I have read somewhere on this forum that you cannot force cookies when using a shared SSL?

 

Any idea how to change the basket quantity control ?

 

Banner has been renamed.

 

Will look for the correct button image to replace the odd one out (I think it's just one).

 

Hopefully, the reviews will not be empty for too long :thumbsup:

 

Waiting for partner to write "about us". Will be updated very soon.

 

I don't understand why sessions are being lost or why the double session on continue shopping. Any ideas?

 

many thanks

 

Check de permission for the admin folder, i guess you dont have password

[Guest]

what do you mean check the permission? What should it be?

 

And yes, i have a password.

[ddp]

Why is the flashing 15% sign still there?

 

 

I just had another brain hemorrhage when I opened you site.

 

Also an easy way to get rid of your intro page is to move your whole site to the root. then your http://www.miniaturesbymail.co.uk/catalog/index.php becomes your http://www.miniaturesbymail.co.uk/index.php page. Much cleaner

[rankandfile]

Nice site overall for your first attempt! I personally don't like the intro page either. I also don't like the color arrangement. I think the purple (more like periwinkle) is ok, but the other colors don't go well with it. The intro, the colors, and the flashy discount thing make the site look more cheesy and amatuer-ish.

 

I also think that you need to do a better job with the quality of the pictures you put up there. Some look pretty good, some ok, and some look badly distorted (e.g., those in the garden category). The pics also seemed to take a little while to load on my cable modem from here in the US. I wonder what it would be like on a 56K dial-up connection. If I were you, I'd invest some time into making sure that your pictures are done properly in terms of size, scale, quality, type (.png, .jpg, etc.). You are offering small items where detail is import, but at the same time you don't want the pics to take forever to load. I am not an expert here, but I'm sure others could give you some recommendations.

 

I also recommend you expand the content and offerings that you have listed. Your site is a perfect example of one that could sell "package deals". For example, you might have a Victorian Package where you sell 15 or so different items in different quantities. You can also give the option of allowing customers to pick a certain number or type of product as a part of a custom package. Chinese buffet restaurants here in the US do this a lot (e.g., Panda Express). You can buy a 2, 3, or 4-item combo dish, each with certain ingredients to choose from and different price ranges.

 

You should also explore cross-selling and upselling. If someone is interested in buying Arkwright's Store, chances are they might be interested in also purchasing some of the furniture and other supplies that would go into it. You need to have links to these other products. This will help to drive up your average amount per sale.

[boxtel]

Hi Boxtel

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

With regards to the lilac colour, obviously everyone has thier own taste in colour, so no matter what colour we put on, it would not suit everyone.

 

I have read somewhere on this forum that you cannot force cookies when using a shared SSL?

 

Any idea how to change the basket quantity control ?

 

Banner has been renamed.

 

Will look for the correct button image to replace the odd one out (I think it's just one).

 

Hopefully, the reviews will not be empty for too long :thumbsup:

 

Waiting for partner to write "about us". Will be updated very soon.

 

I don't understand why sessions are being lost or why the double session on continue shopping. Any ideas?

 

many thanks

 

forcing cookies has nothing to do with cookies being set right and thus being accepted and used.

 

cart quantity is simply checking input and limiting it, options have been explained many times.

 

you are inserting & in your url's at various places and thus losing your sessions, I gave you the examples.

[♥Vger]

That flashing 15% image has to be one of the worst disincentives to staying on a web page that I have seen in a long time. Keep it - if you want to drive potential customers away. But lose it if you wish to retain people on your site.

 

The landing page will hurt you big time with Search Engines, and also place another click between a customer arriving at your site and making a purchase. You put as few clicks between arrival and purchase as possible!

 

I gave up on your Printable Catalog when it still had 815 items to load onto the page, but went back again to see how long it would take to load the page using my 2Mbit adsl connection. It took 6 minutes to load the page and racked up goodness knows how much of your bandwidth.

 

You may want to try my Thumbnail PDF Catalogue contribution. It combines thumbnailing of images with a clickable PDF Catalogue of your products. Once the catalogue has been generated by you all your customers have to do is to download the PDF of it.

 

Vger

[Guest]

Hi All.

 

I have now made some changes to the site.

 

1. Got rid of Intro page.

2. Got rid of flashing gif.

3. Changed colours slightly.

4. Removed printable catalog. (will add PDF catalogue later)

5. Basket quantity control corected.

6. All buttons now same style.

 

I think i have set the cookies corectly now, if someone could check this and let me know, it would be much apreciated.

 

I'm still not sure on any of the session problems that i have, if i still have them, and am unable to find anything on the forum to help. I would be very grateful if someone could help me out more with this.

 

 

Comments on the updated site would also be apreciated.

 

Regards

[♥Vger]

Links on your https page have an extra forward slash in them, and this may cause you problems, as in:

https://web21.secure-secure.co.uk/miniaturesbymail.co.uk//order_info.php?osCsid=2c8121687f6f2441452850ccae7d4639

 

Your https address in includes/configure.php needs to be just (with no slash on the end - that's covered elswhere):

https://web21.secure-secure.co.uk/miniaturesbymail.co.uk

 

You still need to sort out the use of colours on your site, only using colours which compliment one another and not to use colours which clash with each other. Google for colour palettes or color palettes (american spelling) and you should find plenty of sites which show you complimentary colour palettes.

 

Vger