Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi! I just launched my unique Greeting Card, Greeting Card Soap and related product line this year. I sell both wholesale and retail.  I have been developing my website over the past several months. I am not a computer or website expert by any means and have spent hundreds of hours to get my website to where it stands today. (Did I mention I am really happy it is standing?) The learning curve it HUGE and I have a great appreciation for people gifted to understand website development and e-commerce in general. I have been reading SEO for dummies which is helping me to understand this whole googlish world...LOL.  I would appreciate any comments related to the following:

1. overall design...What are your first emotions and thoughts.  How does my website make you feel?

2.  content...this has been difficult for me to get a grasp on. I finally learned about and figured out how to install a "deep link".  Please give me feedback on pages you feel I need them and any suggestions for changes in my content.

3.  navigation...Is my website user friendly?  Do you have any suggestions to improve upon?

4.  SEO...keywords and meta tags...this has been difficult for me to completely understand if I have inserted proper words for the meta tag and keywords. I am also not completely clear on what the meta tag does? I understand keywords...they are words that the search engines look for that relate to my products and they are used for indexing...LOL...Is this right?

5. Website traffic...any suggestions on how to better optimize my site to actually get some business online? LOL...true...I have ZERO website traffic...I can't figure this out.  I just recently changed my domain name from Simpliciteinc to Simplicitegreetings so that my domain name includes a key word.

6.  Blog design...http://simpliciteinc.blogspot.com/

Any suggestions on how to get my blog out there...right now I have been blogging to four friends, the moon and the sky.

7.  Twitter design...http://twitter.com/simplicitegreet 

Any suggestions on how to get people to join my twitter? I have been having a hard time understanding how to tweet to the world vs. a small handful of people.

8.  Facebook page...http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/simplicite-greetings/196599402131?ref=ts

Same question...how do I get the word out for people to follow me?

9.  Any other thoughts, information or critique...Don't be shy...LOL...I can take it! I will also welcome it with open arms.

Thank you!

Julee Ireland

http://www.simplicitegreetings.com/ 

 

1.  I really like it!  it makes me want to read more... I think it is a combination of a great design and a great product! Real Unique!

2. I think your content is perfect, Once again unique!

3.  I like it,  maybe you could take Greeting of every product it kind of makes my eyes tired, or i have to look hard to what it is saying... maybe it is just me.

4. When i google you, you are at the top of all my searches so i think that is good. I do not have much experience in SEO... sorry.

5. You should change your page title from www.simpliciteinc.com/......  to Simple Greeting Product or something to that nature. Maybe you would get better traffic?

6. Nice, maybe you should change the banner... switch it up!

7. One thing, your logo is smushed (is that the correct term) under the other text.  It could just be my screen.

8. I do not know how to get people to do that... follow them maybe?

9. I like the whole view your bag instead of cart!  Great site!

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Website. Blog. YouTube.

1. overall design... I like it.  Only two nits here: The banner at the top is larger than it needs to be and you don't need two navigation bars.  I would get rid of the nav on the left because it takes away from space to show your product, and since it is duplicated with the top nav bar, it's redundant.

2.  content... Again, very good.  My only nit here is that on my high-resolution screen it is hard to read the cards, etc.  Also, white background for a white card isn't the best photographic solution.  Overall, though, the photography is pretty good.  Also, check your file sizes.  The thumbnail for the tote bag is a huge 275KB.

3.  navigation...Two nav bars, as mentioned above.  Also, if you don't have anything for a category, I would not say "nothing here, move along".  If you don't have a product for the category, leave it off the site altogether.  (This is just *my* opinion and it's worth exactly what you paid for it.)  You *are* building a mail list, aren't you?  By leaving empty categories off your website, you have the perfect opportunity (er, excuse) to email all your customers with the news of the new category on your website when you do get products to show.

4.  SEO... I am no SEO expert, but it looks like you are doing things correctly.  Ignore those who say that meta tags are not needed because Google doesn't look at them.  Google isn't the only search engine and some do still look at the description and keywords metatags.  Search engines look at the text of your website, *and* the alt txt for the images.  Make your alt txt tage very descriptive.  Don't just say "photo of handbag", fully describe the bag in the alt txt.  (Google likes that).

5. Website traffic... When you change your domain name, you basically start over on search engine crawls and placement.  Never delete a relevant domain name. Keep your old domain name but forward all traffic to the main page.  In fact, you can register "simplicite-greetings" and foward users to the main domain.

Getting website traffic is no different than getting storefront traffic.  You have to get your name in front of the potential customers.  Links from other relevant sites helps.  Do you know other artisans who can exchange links with you?

6.  Blog design... I don't blog, so I didn't look.

7.  Twitter design... I'm not a twit, either.

8.  Facebook page... No face either...

I must be an old fart, because I don't see how social networks can help my businesses.   But maybe if you can get other artists to follow you, then their friends may also look at your work.

9.  Any other thoughts, information or critique... On a grade scale, your site rates a very rare A- from me.  Only one  other site has ever gotten better than a "B".  (Most sites that I review get a grade of C or D.).

But, I am certainly no expert - my own site would likely get a D if I graded it fairly (LOL).

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Steve Mann
Internet Videographer
MannMade Digital Video
My Email