Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Please take a look at my site and see if im heading in the right direction.

 I still have a lot of products to list but tell me what you all think.

www.signaturestyle.net   Thank you for your input.

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-Michael B. Thompson-

Signature Style.NET

Just my opinions....

The header graphics is too tall, with too much empty space.

The blank left column serves no purpose.

The first thing I see is large pictures of expensive products. Nowhere do I see anything to know anything about you....your company...why I should buy form you or trust you...nothing about your company, policies, any information at all.

Looking at this version, I would not think 2 seconds about using your service. Shouldn`t I know who you are, where you are, your company policies, guarantees .... something to put a little trust into me towards your company?

Sell yourself along with the product.




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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

Good Points.  Thank you.

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-Michael B. Thompson-

Signature Style.NET

Nice site, but I`m bothered. You say in your intro that you`re a site for fine writing instruments. Then on your navigation you have Jewelry and Watches. I think you`re sending a confusing message, particularly given the strong graphics of pens on the main page.

(How come you don`t carry Cross?) :-) Just askin`......

Yeah.  Maybe I should take the watches and jewelry link down untill I am ready to sell watches and jewelry.  I want to sell a range of fashionable products such as pens (of course), sunglasses, watches, and jewelry.  I havent looked into Cross Pens yet. I just started with Parker and Waterman.  Thank you for your input.  Only 2 replies and I have gotten very valuable info from them.

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-Michael B. Thompson-

Signature Style.NET

One interpretation of the company name is that "write your signature nicely." That would be the pens. Another is having "a signature style," meaning that it`s unique to you and unusual. In that case, you could eventually sell watches and jewelry.

But you`re going to have to fundamentally decide your market position, and if you sell things other than writing instruments, you`ll want to blatantly show people that you`re interpreting the "style," not the "signature." That would mean a really solid tagline that would go right next to, or below your company name and logo.

Another option is to buy up some other domain name, and sell the jewelry and watches (and some pens) under a broader company name? Use this domain as a boutique store for only writing tools, and the other domain as a more "style salon" kind of place.

One thing few people seem to understand is style: what is it, where does it come from, what does it mean? If you went with a style/salon type site, you could then work with articles and stories that help people figure out their style, how to make one, and what they`d like it to be. Y`know?

Thanks.  Does it look any better?  www.signaturestyle.net

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-Michael B. Thompson-

Signature Style.NET

This is really nice!! One suggestion: Make your logo a link to the Home page, because lots of people sort of routinely click the banner logo to get back to the main page.

Content could use some help on the main page--too much "buy direct" stuff. Here`s a possible rewrite:

Thanks.  That sounds good.  Can I use it?

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-Michael B. Thompson-

Signature Style.NET

Yup...yours for free :-) Just make sure it says what you want it to say. I just made it up, sort of going along with what I got out of your existing content. If it matches your intent, great!