Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I think whatever everyone thinks on this topic is acceptable.

But I don`t think you should be focusing on ways to keep same people coming by any ways other then proving value. I know it`s hard to do.

I hate it though when some sites have this link on every page "Make this page your home page". That`s so lame. It`s like saying "Marry me" to the person you met for the first time. If I want to bookmark a site - I don`t need a reminder or a prompt. Even less so to make it my default home page. I use blank page as default on all of my browsers on all of my computers. You can`t compete with it so don`t even try. And when you try to make to bookmark your site - you make a lame impression.     

First, my apologies Infilta...apparently I was mis-reading your intention.

My thinking on this subject is, like yours, that everyone`s thoughts are fine. We all are here looking to improve our websites. Unfortunately, value is seen in so many different ways. For example, my website is a sales website for selling the jewelry my husband and I make. Our jewelry is very well made, of good quality, we do a lot of custom work also, have solid recommendations from our customers...value there doesn`t equate to value on the website. We are also heavily positioned as environmentally and socially aware...globally aware. These need to be brought across to the people who see or stumble upon our site (whole nother matter there.) 

Working on getting better images shot involves hiring a photographer. Creating a look that will appeal to customers is hard when each customer will want to see something different, their eye will be caught by something different. Do people want to know what birthstone is for which month? What stones have meant historically or metaphysically? What about the story behind their design? These are what need to be thought of, IMO, more than just getting our point across.

For example, if you look at our website, what do you want to see?

Kim



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Kim Paluch

kim_paluch@new.rr.com
Of the Earth Artisans
http://of-the-earth-artisans.blogspot.com

Kim, well you seem to know what your customers want to know. So give them what they want to know. For example when I was shopping for an emerald ring, I had had to go to a number of different sites to find the information I wanted, which means I would probably navigate from the site that sells jewelry to another site fairly quickly. I was looking for information on the kinds of emeralds that are used (e.g. quality, artificial stones and how they`re different from natural etc.), significance of emerald, and other things. So I would end up on sites such as Wikipedia or some kind of National precious stone institute or whatever. Basically a shopper is interested not only in the product itself, especially a shopper who is not as educated in the subject of her search, like myself in this case. Unless you know exactly what you want, you will need a bunch of auxiliary information and some sites provide it, like Amazon, Buy.com, and some neglect it.
Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is that if you know needs and shopping patterns of your target audience then you can tailor design and content of your web site for them.
As far as better images - well, this is essential. You know, sometimes I shop for electronics, and unless a web site has good images, and preferably more then one view of the same product, I would not likely buy on that site. Good photographs and accurate descriptions are essential. And especially if you sell something that is all about aesthetic appeal, such as jewelry. You know, back to my emerald ring shopping experience, I found a site where they had 360<sup>o</sup>
view of their products. I thought that was awesome. Because it is impossible to see and appreciate a ring or a stone in 1 or 2 pictures unless they are professionally made. Look at this - when you go to a regular jewelry store looking for a ring for example - you would probably turn it in your hands for a few minutes and study it and decide if you like it or the person for whom you are buying it will like it. You`d look inside and out, look at the setting, surface, stone or stones, you`d probably put in on your finger and look at it at different angles too while it`s on your finger. So when you shop online, you pretty much want to know that this thing, especially if it is really important that it would be liked, would be the right one.
Anyway I`m making it too long. I think you`re on the right track, but yes you need to make it an excellent experience for the buyer, and provide her or him with enough information in one spot in order to help make an educated decision - and give her something she will fall in love with.

PS as far as your site http://of-the-earth-artisans.blogspot.com/ -- well it`s a blog so far with 3 posts, there`s not much I can say about it.     

*much apologies*
My blog has been just started before several deaths in the family, a new baby, and our website overhaul. It`s just beginning. You can see our other site, which is still in its beginning stages. We`re going for presence right now, getting images and web addresses corrected and such.

I want to say thank you for your comments. You`ve given me a lot to consider and look for in the short amount of time this subject has been here. I am garnering sites with information that I can manage to keep `under` my website or connected to my website and/or make it easy to return to the buying page.

Thank you again, and be well

Kim
http://of-the-earth.org


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Kim Paluch

kim_paluch@new.rr.com
Of the Earth Artisans
http://of-the-earth-artisans.blogspot.com

I read through the original post and I understand what the point is that you were trying to make.  Basically what I take from it is "Why would someone remember your website after they leave it?" or "Why would someone ever return to your website?" and finally "Why would someone that viewed your website ever bring it up in a conversation?"

Personally I don`t own my website but this post invoked a lot of thought as to the design that I would like for my website to have.

I guess the most important reasons that I bookmark sites is because I frequently used that site to purchase something (ex. Newegg or Amazon), because the site contains lots of useful information (ex. Startup Nation or Wiki Sites), or because the site has places for members to interact (ex. Startup Nation, Forums or Blogs)