NEW UK Jewellery Shop

[spottedhaggis]

Hi all.

 

Finnished this for my wife and mother, they make custom jewellery and also import from a number of countries. Used basic OSCommerce design, redesigned buttons and header etc.

 

Please give feedback but also if anyone can help me work out the best and cheapest method of advertising this site, I wuld be greatful.

 

Dragonfly Dreams

and

Dragonfly Dreams Biz

 

Many thanks in advance for your help.

[boxtel]

Hi all.

 

Finnished this for my wife and mother, they make custom jewellery and also import from a number of countries.  Used basic OSCommerce design, redesigned buttons and header etc.

 

Please give feedback but also if anyone can help me work out the best and cheapest method of advertising this site, I wuld be greatful.

 

Dragonfly Dreams

and

Dragonfly Dreams Biz

 

Many thanks in advance for your help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

mystery why you start this in SSL, if necessary, change your stat counter links to ssl as well.

[RyanSmith]

You really need to add a thumbnail contribution. My connection here is fast(T1) but your site comes through very slow. Having images comming through on SSL is just horribly taxing on both the server and the client.

 

The grippers that you did for the infobox corners is very interesting. It fees like I should be able to click the boxes and drag them around the screen. Either that or click to collapse them like the Mozilla grippers.

 

I like the header banner, but the rest of the site is very stock osC. Do you really need tell a friend, reviews, and most popular? They seem to just clutter up the page.

 

You have the default osC counter on the bottom right, and a shop visitors(which I assume is unique visitors, actually it looks like it's not, but it probably should be) at the bottom left. I would get rid of one of these.

 

This site would be 100 times better with a thumbnail contribution.

 

I guess when your doing osC for family members, you don't have the luxury of really spending a lot of time with it, but I think it still needs some more work.

[Simplyeasier]

Hi all.

 

Finnished this for my wife and mother, they make custom jewellery and also import from a number of countries.  Used basic OSCommerce design, redesigned buttons and header etc.

 

Please give feedback but also if anyone can help me work out the best and cheapest method of advertising this site, I wuld be greatful.

 

Dragonfly Dreams

and

Dragonfly Dreams Biz

 

Many thanks in advance for your help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Hi - always good to see a British Shop here :D

 

OK a few observations

 

Like Amanda - I too am puzzled by your splash page and the https page it leads to - no need - just gets in the way of business - making money ! Get your visitors to where you want them infront of your wares as quick and easily as possible.

 

Your contact page needs more info - standard osC emails and so on will not set you apart from the rest of the jewellery smiths out there tell people how they can get in touch with you if you expect them to spend money with you.

 

You page width forces those who surf on 800 x 600 resoplution to scroll horizantally as well as vertically - would you do it ? if no - why would your visitors ? Create a small width table for your site so peopl only have to scroll in one direction

 

Your logo could be MUCH stronger - you need to be memorable so people come back after first visit - no one buys on first visit :P

 

Although you force log in in SSL secure mode if I choose the No option (and you will lose peole due to that alert ) - when I try to create an account it is no longer SSL secure - why ?

 

You have obviously gone to some effort and time to chnage stock osC stuff like your button - but you have left the main gray / blue colour the same - it looks drab and not appealing - here are some of your online competitors http://www.stylinbaby.com/ and http://www.bijoux-abdr.com/ - this is the standard you should be setting yourself.

 

You have a very good and strong start - a few refinements and you will be superb

 

Charles

[spottedhaggis]

Hi all.

 

Firstly, many thanks for the feedback. It took me a few days to do what has been done, and yes I agree the rest is stock Osc, and I hope to change this in time, but as was already stated time is limited.

 

I am not 100% with SSL so really only know what it offers. I have changed the redirect to point to http rather than https, and will sort out the thumbnail image sizes as was suggested, however any help on making SSL work properly would be appreciated.

 

I will be redesigning the boxes styles, this was really just a very quick method of taking it away from being just an OSC and nothing more.

 

We did have a home page with dragonfly dreams in the center, and an auto redirect after a few seconds, but felt this may not be a good idea, would you suggest we have a home page that details more info on what we are, and a ink to the shop from there?

 

The header took me a little while and though its ok, I am not 100% with that yet, so it will be enhanced a little more with some overlaid images but again when I have the time.

 

Look forward to further feedback, oh and will leave the counter on the left but make it invisible as we use it to track who and where people come from.

 

I was concidering a template purchase but just not sure how to do it all yet, still learning the package.

[spottedhaggis]

What exactly is a thumbnail contribution. I am assuming this is something that allows the small images to be smaller in size than the default import gives them, this being the case I can do this, no problem and will work on the weekend to apply it, the same with the boxe designs, this was a fast change nothing more

[spottedhaggis]

Hi again,

 

You said this

 

"Although you force log in in SSL secure mode if I choose the No option (and you will lose peole due to that alert ) - when I try to create an account it is no longer SSL secure - why ?"

 

I dont understand what you mean. I get the alert thing, so what I think your saying in that regard is dont make people accept SSL until they are creating an account, then I assume your saying it should then open the account creat page in an SSL page, is this something I need to adjust to deal with, I just assumed that as long as all users went to the https page it would be secured? please help me on this, I want to get it right, and we made our first sale today from the US no less, lol.

[♥toyicebear]

Hi all.

 

Firstly, many thanks for the feedback.  It took me a few days to do what has been done, and yes I agree the rest is stock Osc, and I hope to change this in time, but as was already stated time is limited.

 

I am not 100% with SSL so really only know what it offers.  I have changed the redirect to point to http rather than https, and will sort out the thumbnail image sizes as was suggested, however any help on making SSL work properly would be appreciated.

 

I will be redesigning the boxes styles, this was really just a very quick method of taking it away from being just an OSC and nothing more.

 

We did have a home page with dragonfly dreams in the center, and an auto redirect after a few seconds, but felt this may not be a good idea, would you suggest we have a home page that details more info on what we are, and a ink to the shop from there?

 

The header took me a little while and though its ok, I am not 100% with that yet, so it will be enhanced a little more with some overlaid images but again when I have the time.

 

Look forward to further feedback, oh and will leave the counter on the left but make it invisible as we use it to track who and where people come from.

 

I was concidering a template purchase but just not sure how to do it all yet, still learning the package.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

1.Forget tempaltes

 

2. make your sites frontpag your shop window

e

3. you obviously have designer talent use it..

 

4. Put yourself in the mindset of a customer..would you buy at this site....

 

 

Then adjust it to a version where you would spend ur money.....

 

 

B)

[spottedhaggis]

We have decided (or should I say the wife has) to remove the following.

Top 10

Notify on products

New products on letf, this is at the bottom anyway

 

To do is as follows.

 

1. Re-design boxes colour and design.

2. More on contacts page

3. SSL understanding/implementation

4. Fonts in boxes to be changed (wife says so)

5. Design better looking footer, and adjust colour scheme.

6. Add more oomph to the header (wife wont know till its done hope she likes)

 

Does this sound ok so far then?

 

I am still not sure on the SSL side of things.

[spottedhaggis]

Top ten removed and also new products on left is gone./

 

I am not sure how to alter the contacts page, I guess a simple new page and a link to the in built contact form would suffice.

 

 

We have decided (or should I say the wife has) to remove the following.

Top 10

Notify on products

New products on letf, this is at the bottom anyway

 

To do is as follows.

 

1. Re-design boxes colour and design.

2. More on contacts page

3. SSL understanding/implementation

4. Fonts in boxes to be changed (wife says so)

5. Design better looking footer, and adjust colour scheme.

6. Add more oomph to the header (wife wont know till its done hope she likes)

 

Does this sound ok so far then?

 

I am still not sure on the SSL side of things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[boxtel]

Top ten removed and also new products on left is gone./

 

I am not sure how to alter the contacts page, I guess a simple new page and a link to the in built contact form would suffice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

you also have to check your cookie settings because my browser does not accept them and as such I keep seeing the session id in the url.

[♥toyicebear]

Did pop by ur site for a visit, impression, time to do a complete remake....

[spottedhaggis]

Complete remake. Not sure but the only changes are the header, the dragonflys are differnet, other than that its the same, so why the sudden change?

[♥toyicebear]

Nice..

 

1. nice choice of font for logo

2. nice color coordination in the header

 

 

In need of work...

 

1. Overal feel

2. load time, get a thumbnails contrib and fast....

3. header is kinda difuse, and does not give a sense of seriousness...

4. Loose the visitor count

5. Loose the cartoon images in the side boxes.

6. Loose the category count...for that matter get a new category box

7. match the colours of your various elemets better

8. change the name of new products for.. to featured products and place them over your text info.

 

That should make a nice start.....

[spottedhaggis]

Thanks for the comments. Agree we need to work on the feel of the site, its coming, slowly, I am also working on the thumbnail side, but its not so simple as need to re-upload all images to have thumbnails created, thats alot of work, but will figure it out. Not sure what you mean by header is difuse, can you elaborate on what you mean.

 

Counter can be invisible, cartoon images will be changed, as we also do not like them

 

1. nice choice of font for logo

2. nice color coordination in the header

In need of work...

 

1. Overal feel

2. load time, get a thumbnails contrib and fast....

3. header is kinda difuse, and does not give a sense of seriousness...

4. Loose the visitor count

5. Loose the cartoon images in the side boxes.

6. Loose the category count...for that matter get a new category box

7. match the colours of your various elemets better

8. change the name of new products for.. to featured products and place them over your text info.

 

That should make a nice start.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[♥toyicebear]

About the header....

 

 

1. keep the logo font and color...extremely nice...if i might say so...

 

2. utilize..kiss..and keep the background of the header simply white.....

 

3. make some nice semi transpearnt "watercolor" butterflies and place them strategically in your header....

 

4. the comodo sign, place it on the side or in the footer...

 

Utilize the nice name and tems this offers to make a general theme in ur site....

 

I do not generally advise to do this, but in your case...make graphical infobox headers utilizing the beauty of butterflies......

 

Take a look here... for inspiration..

 

 

Best of luck...

[spottedhaggis]

Changes since last posting.

 

New menu in place.

Header adjusted to accomodate 800 wide and also revised graphics.

Box head back and body changed, used header background, faded 75% and is now box content background.

 

Hope it looks better than before. Also re-designed sub-section buttons as well.

[♥toyicebear]

Congrats....

 

Your site just looks better and better every day..... B)

[spottedhaggis]

I have looked at adding a small dragonfly to the top left corner of the boxes, but it expands the height of the title section and looks awfull. Am now working on a font change for the site.

 

What other thoughts do you have.

[♥toyicebear]

1. skip a thumbnails contrib and go for the best regarding pictures..... UltraPics - MS2 Image Addon Pack!

 

2. If you have a autenticated comodo trustseal, make it work properly (Mousover info), or just use a plain comodo ssl logo.

 

Thats it for now....

[spottedhaggis]

Will do, and just so your aware we are greatful for your insite and suggestions and so far all bar one have been utilised and we also feel it has enhanced the site.

[spottedhaggis]

Comodo done, mouse over now operating.

[Simplyeasier]

Will do, and just so your aware we are greatful for your insite and suggestions and so far all bar one have been utilised and we also feel it has enhanced the site.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Craig - as promised a revisit :D

 

Much stronger than first time but still a bit of work to do

 

1) You really need to view your page on a narrow resolution screen dialing in at 56k - you will not hang around for long even if it is your site ! -

 

The width forces a horizontal scroooooool and not many people like scrolling left and right as well as up and down - also the page load speeds are very slow - I think it is probably to do with your images which are large when enlarged but as you are thumbnailing them the large image is loaded up anyways.

 

Take a look at this Tip http://www.oscommerce.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=140462 for images because I guarantee images will make or break your efforts -

 

For instance on this page http://www.dragonfly-dreams.net/shopping/index.php/cPath/23 your images are not good - I guess you could say what do I want for ?2.99 - and my answer would be - it's the detail that separates you out from the also rans - did you check out the competition sites I pointed you too - Notice the simplicity - yet the detailed first impression you get there.

 

2) You still haven't changed your contact page - do not underestimate the need people have when they spend money online that if it goes pear shaped there is an easy way OTHER than e-mail to contact the vendor. You need to add a tel number and a postal address (You have a little mobile logo on the page but no tel number - how ironic :D )

 

3) Your font looks like verdana in the most part - but your boxes all have some funny serif font on a pastel color - hmmm - again I refer you to the sites I just plucked as competition for jewellery - keep the theme simple but targeted - you seem to be using things here because you can and because you like it - that's fine - but the net result sometimes is a look that appears disorganised.

 

4a) Other stuff you need to think of

 

Your site is new - but the bots will get a hold of it in due course and start indexing your product pages - you need to add Chemo's Ultimate SEO contribution - it makes your pages for manufacturers, categories, and product appear to have a unique html page - Dont get indexed with url's like the one I cut and pasted from your site above.

 

4b) On your account creation page you require dates in MM/DD/YYYY format - you are a UK business. Don't make your main market work to give you business - Change the formats in catalog/includes/languages/english

 

 

This is now very much better than first showing - but now you have done the obvious stuff you need to start doing the detail and this is where the grind starts

 

Detail will often NOT get you any credits - BUT lack of detail will hit you hard every time.

 

Charles

[♥toyicebear]

Happy to please... :lol:

 

One small point more, do consider moving your shop to the root. Using automatic redirects like you are using today is not ideal seo wise.

 

If you do not move it to the root, consider making a html frontpage in the root, lace it with text and keywords which is related to your products set up links to your shop and to every main category from this frontpage.

 

You can in such a case also use a contrib which alows you to show content outside your catalog so that you also can show lets say your new products module on this front page.

[spottedhaggis]

It has been relocated to the root, tested and operating fine.