Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi Daniel,

I`m new to the conversation here.  I must confess, I haven`t read every single suggestion so if I repeat anything, I apologize for the redundancy. 

I got confused between the shop button and menu button.  I instinctively went to the menu button first thinking that I could get an overall sense of what you offer.  When I saw something I liked, I clicked on it and found out that I could not buy at that page.  This was very frustrating. 

As a consumer, I want a specific path laid out for me that I know I can follow and get what I want.  It is not obvious what link I should click on to either get more information or to purchase.  What I would like is to see these two functions melt into one.  Add ingredient descriptions on the individual product pages---which is also a page you can purchase on!  This would make me happy.

If your sites purpose is to first sell, than I would make only links and resources for your prospects to buy in the main link bar.  Everything else needs to be minimized and put in the footer like the media, faq, comments, and maybe even your About Us link (though I know this is important to you).  I might keep faqs where it is in the main header if this is a tool for purchasing. 

On a side note: I know you want to convey quality and educate your prospects...and you are using your About Us link to accomplish this... I might rename this link to "Quality first" or something like that.  Than, I would summarize some of these key messages and put it on your home page and continue to sprinkle these concept of qualtiy through out your website more--- actually, I would do it on every single page.

Back to what I was saying: This concept is definately a tool I would use.  You notice on the Godiva website that they have 3 different tool bars depending on what you want to do (even four on some pages).  The main  one is all about selling.  The next distinct bar is for those who are using the site (customer service, shopping bag) which is again emphasizing the importance the the sale through out their site.  Then in the footer you still can access more information but this info is thirdly.   Your main link bar is too confusing as it stands now. 

Also, I would change the background color of your website.  Grey is calming but it doesn`t convey warmpth and passion, which is an element you are trying to convey on the home page.  I read your description below the main picture.  This is excellent, but I had to scroll down to read it.  This needs to be put first.  That main picture is too large.  I would put a large but smaller picture on your home page and have it represent your whole product line.  That big chocolate bar is too much.  It`s showing your business name, which at this point doesn`t mean anything to me since I`ve never had your chocolates.  Put first the benefit of your product which is the wonderful and heavenly chocolates that melt in your mouth, something that you have never truly experienced until you`ve tried our Chocolates.  I don`t care what your business name is until you deliver.  Than I care!  As it is now, you`re just another chocolate company and your website has to prove to me otherwise!

Another thought... Drop down menus!  I`m going to add them to my site.  I think this really helps the consumer and user-friendlyness of your site. 

Anyway, I hope this helps!

Teah


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Teah Akrish
Heaven & Earth Chinese Medicine Healing Center
"Your Health is Our Passion"
www.HeavenEarthChineseHerbs.com
(425) 277-5181

love the site, it`s similar to a company here in the u.k, they do a choclate tasting club where people join up and pay about $30 amnth for a box of choccys and then give there opions on them, its extremely popular and guarnteened people will come back and buy more chocs for family and friends once they`ve tried yours, in fact I recoommend them all the time and my husband has taken boxes into work so others can try.  Maybe you can come up with something similar.

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You won`t know unless you try.

Teah,

 

Welcome to SUN! Thank you for taking the time to comment. We have been searching for a word to replace Menu, we tried “descriptions” but it would no longer fit. Because of your post I believe we came up with a word that works: “Gallery” and it fits! The program we used to build the site is quite limited and I do agree we could improve the layout for functionality. Because of the many great comments we have received here we are drafting a master plan for what we need in a website that we can later bring to a designer, so please keep them coming.

 

-Daniel

 

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Inspired artisan chocolates-www.chokolajchocolate.com

wwares,

 

Great idea! Your post sparked a brainstorming session… We are always coming up with new flavors that don’t always make it into the assortments. An insiders club might be a great creative outlet. Thank you for your post and kind words.

 

-Daniel

 

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Inspired artisan chocolates-www.chokolajchocolate.com

hi, just thought i`d let you know what else they do, you may be able to incorperate them.  In actual fact it willl probably be quicker for you to have a peek yourself.  its www.hotelchocolate.co.uk.  just to give you a few extra ideas.

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You won`t know unless you try.

Thanks for the tip. They do some interesting things with there packaging. Until we can safely justify that expense we are just going to focus on making the best chocolates available.

 

-Daniel

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Inspired artisan chocolates-www.chokolajchocolate.com

Is there anyone here that specializes in foodservice packaging? I didn`t see any listings in Marketplace.

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Inspired artisan chocolates-www.chokolajchocolate.com

I know a great web designer and a great php coder if you`re interested.  I`m really really happy to refer people to them because I`m so happy with how they were able to implement what I wanted out of a website.  Just let me know.  I`m always happy to help.

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Teah Akrish
Heaven & Earth Chinese Medicine Healing Center
"Your Health is Our Passion"
www.HeavenEarthChineseHerbs.com
(425) 277-5181

two things, I`ll look around for food packaging, I`ve joined up to several material sourcing websites and lots are in the states.  secondly if your wanting to keep your costs low for a website site and not pay lots for webhosting etc, checkout www.adelbry.co.uk, they can show you lots of mock up sites and intergrate different types of shopping cart to fit in with your needs, if you want some examples then go to www.artistsboutique.co.uk and my own website they are very good, you can have it that they`ll do it all for you or you can some sections yourself, I don`t know what you`ve been quoted for web design there but the average here is $30,000.  they start from $600 and you can get pretty much everything for $6000,  they`re always happy to answer any questions.  If it saves your overheads it has to be worth it.

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You won`t know unless you try.

 

Wow, $30,000 Euro? That’s incredible. I know here in the states the average quote we received was around $2,000 for what we needed. For us it is not so much about price as much as finding a team we can work with, that really “gets” what we are trying to achieve.

 

You probably see this all the time doing the work you do with artists, when a customer finds an artist they really appreciate they will build a lasting relationship. That’s what we are looking for.

 

-Daniel

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Inspired artisan chocolates-www.chokolajchocolate.com