Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Recently closed my brick and morter store to start selling on line. I have vendors and sell hand made goods. I gave each vendor their own page. I sell a variety of goods, the main selling point is one of a kind  and hand made, sort of the antithesis of Walmart. I want to increase traffic but also entice people to buy. I have been working on this for about two weeks - photographing everything and writing descriptions. I am doing it all myself using templates from vista print (who I bought the website from). The store had been a wharehouse and I think that added to the "home made" appeal but I don't want the website looking ameturish. Please help. I would appreciate anything you can give me, I really want this site to work. Thank you, Dorothy.

www.blueridgecraftmall.com

If I may make a suggestion, you may want to make the type in the margin bigger.  It's quite small and difficult to read.  If you need assistance with a professional looking website, I may be able to help

Your right, i think I looked at it so much I didn't realize how difficult it was for someone not familar with it. As I said I am working off templates so I could not change the color or size but I did switch the whole look which I think will be a plus. I think the mountain design worked for the limited audience in the Va. Mountains but this new look, (which I credit to you- for nudging me in that direction) is a more sophisticated look. Hopefully it will stimulate sales.

I'm not sure I like the dark design so much. A brighter and maybe even simpler design (with a more readable sidebar) will encourage people to clickthrough to the various pages of your website. Also, maybe at the bottom of each category page, put some products that visitors may also like (recommendations), like Amazon does.

Hi, I would echo others' comments about the dark design and tiny, tiny font on the sidebar.  It wasn't inviting!!.

If you're not familiar with Etsy.com, you might go onto their site and see how simple, light, bright and focused on the products/vendors the front page is.  Not that you want to copy them, but they are promoting hand-made items and are very successful, so you have a wonderful idea I think, you just have to showcase it a little better.

You could save the explanation of who you are and what you do for an "about us" page.

Great idea. We need more handmade stuff in our world!  Good luck with it!!