Does my website look yummy enough to make a purchase?

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Does my website look yummy enough to make a purchase? - www.GrannsGourmetApples.com

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MRNMRSHOPE

posts: 34

May 22, 2008 10:52 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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http://www.GrannsGourmetApples.com
Hi. New Startup Nation Member here. I love this website - so many resources - so much knowledge all in one place. The website critique blog intrigued me. I have had my site running for about 2-3 years. I designed it myself with a Yahoo template. All the pictures are mine and I wrote all the content. My only means of advertisement has been through word of mouth and business cards, but I have managed to get about 5,000 hits since its launch. Obviously I want more so complete honesty would be appreciated. I have some negative opinions about it myself but I would like to know if you think it looks yummy, professional, to the point. I`m afraid that I have been too wordy and not enough pictures. Maybe better layout... any thoughts including online marketing and email marketing tools would be very appreciated. Thanks.

Amanda Hope

www.GrannsGourmetApples.com

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Amanda Hope
http://www.GrannsGourmetApples.com
My Email

vwebworld

posts: 1237

May 22, 2008 12:02 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Amanda,

The site could use some improvement. The home page is very "busy" and uses a lot of different fonts. Also has text underlined, which implies that it`s a link, but there is no link.

The images appear to be washed out / faded. Your "catalog" page is an image and the file size is tool large so it can be slow downloading to the viewer`s computer.

It looks like you use PayPal buy now buttons, which work but do not provide you with a database of customers / information - that you can use to market directly to past customers.

I think using an ecommerce program instead of the buy now buttons would be beneficial.

I`d strongly suggest a re-design of the site.

~Roland

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Web Design | Best Beef Jerky | ecommerce articles | Follow vwebworld on Twitter

piteracreativeservices

posts: 25

May 22, 2008 12:50 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Hi Amanda,

First of all, welcome to SuN. I`m fairly new, as well. I think you`ll enjoy the feedback you`ll get here.

I don`t normally comment in this section of the forum because web design isn`t necessarily my forte, but I was especially interested because you sell gourmet food. I have to agree with Roland`s comments.

I`m never a fan of using text as an image - it lacks crispness and readability. I also don`t like the layout of the home page - it`s very disorganized and cluttered. I think you`d be better off to choose one or two fonts and stick with them - I noticed quite a few as I navigated through your site. The red on brown/tan is a bit hard on the eyes, too.

Lastly, the photos don`t sell your products. I`m sure your gourmet apples are tasty, but you need really strong product photography to sell people on it. After all, online shoppers don`t have the luxury of smelling, touching or tasting your products in person, so the photo has to do most of the selling (along with excellent copy).

If you want to put forth a more professional "image," I would agree with Roland that you should consider a site re-design and reevaluate your product photography. I hope this helps - best of luck!

~Erika

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Pitera Creative Services offers small businesses affordable solutions in the areas of photography, copywriting and marketing.

Pitera Creative Services
Thomas Pitera Photography
MyGourmetConnection - A Blog for Food Lovers

Videography

posts: 672

May 22, 2008 1:17 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Your "catalog" page is an image and the file size is tool large so it can be slow downloading to the viewer`s computer.

It looks like you use PayPal buy now buttons, which work but do not provide you with a database of customers / information - that you can use to market directly to past customers.

In addition to what Roland said - text in an image can`t be seen by search engines. You could be missing out on some keywords because of this.

I use PayPal buttons on my site, but the sales volume is manageable. PayPal doesn`t provide a database of buyers, but you do get a one-page description of the transaction by email.

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Steve Mann
Internet Videographer
MannMade Digital Video
My Email

daleyfla99

posts: 111

May 22, 2008 2:14 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Looks delectable. Get a local newspaper or TV station to do a news story on you. Enter contests in magazines and on TV (food Network.) Send your apples to Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah as a gift.

Bet you get some hits from that!

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Dale
www.ourbestidea.com
www.maskerinsurance.com
www.maskercreations.net

nhgnikole

posts: 2660

May 22, 2008 2:24 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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I went to Rocky Mountain recently ... the chocolate shop.

What make it good is the bright lighting and the delicious-looking treats. I don`t think you are getting that across at all. The feel of the store reminds me of a dusty second-hand store (maybe it is the "wooden" buttons?), not a bright shiny Rocky Mountain treat. I would start with better photography. Your images need to be staged more attractively, shot in quality lighting, and then saved by a graphic artist. (Some of your images look very pixelated and fake to me. Good images can be web-ready if done right.) This is what I would start with, way before you think about a redesign.

You have images along the left but they seem to not be clickable.

Your home page is very busy and hard to focus.

"Most easily viewed when printed" is just absurd. If it`s better in print, send it as a catalog.

Your product descriptions need to be in plain text (not an image) and highly descriptive. IE for "Chocolate Swirl", try "A crisp, juicy [kind of apple] apple dipped in silky caramel and drizzeled with Ghiradelli milk chocolate and white chocolate."

Your design and title tags need to be completely overhauled if you are going to make any sales from search engines.

Think "clean, simple, delicious" when redesigning.

dsprindle

posts: 76

May 22, 2008 9:27 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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You could try editing your pictures with a photo editor to make them more vibrant/colorful.

The empty containers on the right of your homepage so not sell at all. You need to fill them with product.

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http://www.christian-business-opportunities.org

CraigL

posts: 9051

May 23, 2008 1:54 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Coming to this a bit late, I read the above comments thinking to myself that maybe there was something positive to build on. But, when I went to the site, I just couldn`t see anything. What everyone`s said above is right on target. The big pink vertical bar running through your main content, I`m assuming is part of the Yahoo! template? If so, use a different template.

You need a faster way to lay out your products, allow a click to view more, then a shopping cart to accumulate items and buy them. I have little expertise in shopping carts, but I do know that it was almost overwhelming to me, to try and figure out how to add a couple of items to my order---in whatever form it would eventually be.

The somewhat lacking-in-brightness pictures should be a lower priority. The first is to clean up the home page. Definitely way too busy to even understand.

On the positive side, though, I think your market is the increasing turn toward nostalgia and things like candied apples. People have said for nearly 100 years that we`re losing traditions and fun things. Critics often say how every generation wistfully talks about "the good old days." But the fact of the matter is that very few fun things remain, like candied apples, Trick-or-Treat, burning leaves in the fall, and so forth.

I`d maybe bring forward some of that nostalgia, together with Nicole`s suggestion for more descriptive language.

MRNMRSHOPE

posts: 34

May 23, 2008 3:13 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Thank you all for your responses. Now to find the time to do them. I really appreciate the time you took to look it over. I knew it needed work but you have opened my eyes to some possibilities I hadn`t thought of. I have had a professional do some pictures and I hope to have a "redo" in a week or two. I will definitely invite you back. Thanks again!!

-------------------------

Amanda Hope
http://www.GrannsGourmetApples.com
My Email

MRNMRSHOPE

posts: 34

Jun 10, 2008 12:35 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Hi there. I`m finally back after weeks of working on my website. I truly appreciate the responses I received and I hope I have done you justice. I have completely redesigned my site. I`ve tried my best to clean up the home page, worked on pictures, added content - just so many things. Please keep in mind - I created my website on a shoestring budget - so I can`t afford an expensive site creator or designer. Everything on the website was created and designed my me using yahoo site creator and paypal buttons. FYI - my site is hosted by Yahoo Small Business. Any and all critiques are welcome.

P.S. - As a thank you - If you sign up for my newsletter (something new to work on) - I will double your first order up to five items. Thanks again.

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Amanda Hope
http://www.GrannsGourmetApples.com
My Email

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