Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I just happened one day to be perusing the universe when I came upon the 1.5 million images image of the moon derived from data accumulated by the Clementine satellite using the Clementine Lunar Image Browser at http://www.cmf.nrl.navy.mil/clementine/clib/

I was randomly putting in longitude and latitude co-ordinates when I happened upon the combination - Latitude 10 and Longitude 56 with a 768x768 resolution with 1 pixel = 1 kilometer

Now I`m not one to run out and talk about aliens in our midst but can someone tell me what that cube is in the image?

I`ve got a universe to run here!

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Obviously, it`s a poker bar. 

Hello All,

I am new to Startup Nation and I had a chance to look over the forum. I am extremely impressed with the advice that`s given to anyone needing assistance. This is where I need your help.

Would you mind giving me some feedback on my website? Just imagine the thinnest shoe strings possible - well, that`s my budget.

http://www.giftsbymadison.com

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks a bunch!

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http://www.giftsbymadison.com

I would think of summarizing what you sell at the top.

"Gifts" is not what I expect when I see your featured products. So I think you need some better kind of explanation of what is is. Like "Shoes, Jewlery and Thingamabobs".

Hi Nikole,

Thanks for your input. Placing a summary of what we offer is a great idea.

Much appreciated.

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http://www.giftsbymadison.com

The site has a good design/look, there are some potential issues... or should I say areas where improvements could help SEO and user "friendly-ness".

Using a drop down menu for all you categories may not be search engine friendly and thus may hinder those categories from getting indexed by search engine bots.  I suggested having a text based menu of your major categories.

The home page title is "Gifts by Madison Storefront".  A webpage`s title is important in search results and thus should include one or more targeted keywords.  "Gifts" is a very competitive keyword and would be hard to achieve a high placement with this site.

Design - I would expect the text "Gifts by Madison" to be in the header image rather than below it. The brand logos are ok.. as they indicate some products, but they should have alt image tags of the respective brand... so those tags can be read by search engine bots.

As was mentioned, you might want to have a short paragraph summarizing why I should buy from Gifts by Madison... using your target keywords.

Since you are using ProStores (a proprietary set-up) you might not be able to implement some suggestions... as most proprietary systems have limited dessign flexibility.

~Roland

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

Is that a picture of you at the top of the site? Are you Madison? Why is
the photo there? What does it say to people who visit the site?

The photo is very eye-catching. It demands browsing time, while it`s
really your products you want people looking at.

The name "Gifts by Madison" gives the impression of gifts made by you,
not sold by you. Personalizing a business with your name frequently tells
the customer that the products or services have a differentiating personal
touch, something special to you. As far as I can tell, the core of your site
is the offer of discount prices on designer brands. What does that have
to do with Madison? How does Madison make this a better service than
Bluefly or any discount designer retailers?

Back to the photo. Putting a face on the site gives even more of an
impression of personal service. Or personalized products. It speaks of
individualism, like stepping into a store to be greeted face to face by the
person behind the products. These are fine concepts for a website but I
don`t see how a cute girl in a red hat helps sell designer goods. These
are brands that you don`t have a personal tie to. Other than the fact that
you like and sell them, there`s nothing especially different about your
services.

In my opinion, the photo detracts from the idea of selling luxury goods,
discounted or not. In fact, it brings them down a notch. The photo
belongs on the "About Us" page where you have the chance to tell a little
something about yourself and how you can personally enhance the
buyer`s experience. If you`re going to stick with that name, you better
explain who Madison is. Maybe instead of "About Us", you can call that
section "About Madison" or "Who is Madison?" This is a way to brand your
site personally while not detracting from the products.

And back to the name. Gifts are something you buy for someone else.
People`s uncles get gifts. Your products are more in line with what
women of taste would buy for themselves or what close loved ones would
get as gifts. That`s a very limited offering in the `gift` category. I question
the name. If you really want the site to grow, you might think about
changing the name to something catering to your target market. And it
would behoove you to do it before it gets bigger. Just a thought, though I
know it may be the kind of thing you are married to. Business names
often are.

But really give some thought to why Madison is such a part of this
shopping experience. Do people really care who is selling them a
Kenneth Cole handbag? Maybe, maybe not. If so, why?

I`ll agree with Steve on the lady up there at the top. Too low-end for the brand names, and doesn`t serve a purpose.

The thing that caught my attention is that I landed on the page, and BLAM!....was right there in the store. No transition. Someone made a good point on another thread, that people shopping online already are dealing with a very impersonal situation. There`s the risk of what we hear about involving electronic fraud, and so forth and so on.

I prefer coming to a page where I get at least a chance to sit down, look at the place, get a "feel" for the people, and form some sort of connection. It`s like telling a story in a book. You have to "establish" the premises of the story---the location, time, people, and a sense of the overall plot. It`s a lead-in, that draws the reader into the story.

I think a Web site should be like a well-told story. I realize that Amazon puts you right there in the store, but they`re already well established, and their site is about books. (It was, anyway, when they started.)

To that end, I`d prefer to see a "Browse the Store" button. That`s pretty common these days, and tells me I can choose when I want to see a list of lots of products. On the main page, I like what you have, but I`d like some "enfolding" content---something to tell me why am I looking at these four items?

Are they special? Are they on sale? Are the new? How come there`s only four, not five, or three? Where`s the browse page?

Even on my 19" monitor, the tabs are below the lower edge of the monitor. If I hadn`t scrolled, I wouldn`t have seen them. I did see the "All Products" dropdown, and know enough to click the down arrow. But it`s a bit blah...y`know? I`d prefer that to be on a "Search" area to the left of the page, under menu items, like a more typical layout.

I don`t like sites that fail to offer me a fast, easily seen way to get back to the home page. I hate hitting the "back" button on the browser. I went to one of the products, then couldn`t see how to get back to the home page again. Ordinarily, I`d click on the logo or a repeating phrase like "Gifts by Madison" to return. But I`d prefer a simple "Home" button.

Finally, when I see a "70% off department store prices," I automatically think "low class." Are you trying to be a K-Mart, or Filene`s? Or are you a wholesale outlet? Either way, that`s a contradiction in terms to "gifts."

I liked the colors and layout, it was easy to read, and the background was fine. I don`t understand why those brand logos are on the main page sort of splattered around. I figured I could click one, and go to a page devoted only to their products....but no. So they`re just hanging there for no particular reason.

From what I read here, I`m learning more about how every element in a design or graphic compilation should have a reason for its existence. Artists like Steve have made this point before, and I think it bears highlighting more. "Eye time," if that`s a real term, is at an extreme premium with online shopping. I don`t like wasting that time on pointless graphic elements.

http://shirtsofhope.com

Please visit our site and let us know what you think

 

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Peace, Love and Blessings
Ruby
WWW.SHIRTSOFHOPE.COM