First E-Commerce Site of My Own

[Guest]

:blink: Boy, its been awhile since this old chick has been new at something, but here I am...R E A L L Y new at this osCommerce software. Huge Kudos to the developers and those of you who have been contributing to this cause for years it appears. This program is very professional looking even for a newbie myself and I really like that.

 

I tried out several software programs through my host before I came back to osCommerce - it felt to me to be the most user friendly - but I'm having a bit of fibrofog at the moment and would like to ask you wonderful programmers and designers for some advice.

 

The site Miscellany Shoppe is currently pretty basic at the moment, aside from the header and a few items I have managed to upload. I would like to ask the following:

 

1. Does the name of the site appeal to you? I am having a hard time with this - it isn't just jewelry, but all handmade creations on a community wide level.

2. Does the header image read well for you?

3. Is there somewhere that a person with little php skills can get help with the templates/layouts without paying an arm and a leg?

4. Suggestions on wording for the top area? I have looked at several of your sites for some ideas as I am not sure how to go implementing it.

5. Do you know, do people generally list all of their inventory or do they just enter a few items?

6. Can you get rid of the other languages that must be default...english, dutch & spanish and just have the english? If so, can someone point me in the right direction of where I can read up on being able to change this?

 

I have 8 years of experience in html, css, web design and graphics on a hobby level, so my php is <s>pretty</s> T R U L Y limited, yet I am not totally ignorant of the concept behind it.

 

I would so appreciate any and all feedback - I have no problem with "constructive" critisism...

 

Thank you in advance...

Susan

www.mor10sen.com

www.illusivelife.com

[Guest]

Gee you guys...was the request that much? :thumbsup:

 

I just need some advice since we all shop, and since you are all great at what you do here, I hoped for some input on what you think the site needs.

 

Thanks! =)

[sgolds]

SaMor10sen, I'm in the same boat you are, looking for suggestions on my site. I'll give you my 2 cents from the things that I've learned so far.

 

First, your images are HUGE. Not the pixels but the file sizes, at least the necklaces. The files that I looked at were over 500k!

Use your photo editor to save the jpg's at a lower quality but still nice and clear. I try to keep mine around 50k or so.

 

If you don't need the boxes in the left or right column, remove them. For instance, if you only sell in US$ why do you have the currency box? Sane with the language box and the manufacturer box. Either assign products to manufacturers if you think your customers will search that way or remove it.

 

I like the date in the footer but personally, I would remove the hit counter. If you want to see it, add one of the mods to the admin. Your customers don't need to know that they are hit number 327.

 

When you go to the product info page, your "Miscelanny Shoppe" image in the manufacturers info box is too large. It changes the width of the right column so that it's much wider than it is on the home or product_listing pages.

 

Your account/cart/checkout pages go somewhere wrong. I'm sure that you will fix that.

 

A couple of style things,

 

Personally, I don't like the look of the base OSC cart but it is a good place to start. For me, the header is too large and plain. Maybe use 3 or so smaller pictures in a "photo stack" so that you can still have the same look but smaller. I would also change the color of the box headers so that it is the same color that you used in your "Miscellany Shoppe" text. I like the darker grey.

 

Hope some of the things made sense,

 

Good luck,

[Guest]

Images...ahhhh, yes, I knew there was something I was going to do with some of those newer images before I uploaded them, thank you for the reminder...and great tip on the size - I will look into compressing them a bit more.

 

The boxes in the right & Left column....why do I have the currency box? Well, I would like to eventually add international, so I think that I will leave that for now, I am still in build mode and have not opened as yet. But the language and manufacturer...I am not sure how to remove them. I did just run across a post about how to do it, but haven't tried it out yet. And again, I agree, if you don't need it, or use it - toss it. Great point.

 

Also, great point on the date and counter - I will also look into that as well. I am also going to remove the image in the product info page...probably put text until I get that removed, or actually, I think it needs to be "quoted out" with either */ or /*...

 

Well, I don't like the look of the basic cart or the main template either, but I haven't run across any I like that I can afford and unfortunately all the free ones are reletively the same as the basic stuff is...so what do you do? I don't know PHP enough yet to redesign like I do my other sites.

 

Your account/cart/checkout pages go somewhere wrong. I'm sure that you will fix that.

 

Is that where you check out and you get an error message about the site not being secure or the certificate is under a different name?

 

I changed the color of the box headers as suggested and you are right, that does look much better. But I am not sure what you mean by the" Personally, I don't like the look of the base OSC cart but it is a good place to start. For me, the header is too large and plain. Maybe use 3 or so smaller pictures in a "photo stack" so that you can still have the same look but smaller" thing...can you explain?

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I would do the same for you, but I am afraid I would be no help, unless you want me to test shop...I'm a heck of a shopper! So says my husband. lol!

[madcrazygirl]

Tried to have a look but I am on a fast broadband connection and the page was taking forever to load? Tried being patient but I have a life to lead :lol:

[abra123cadabra]

I had a look yesterday but as with most of the shops up for review, it is still very much the original out of the box osC.

 

1) The logo text "knots & baubles" is in a very hard to read font. The text above the image is not working for me. It's just stacked onto each other, leaving lots of space to the side.

 

2) Your buttons need to be reworked as the corners are not the same colour as the background they are placed on. The font on them looks pixelated.

 

3) On the product pages, I would remove the "date added to catalog". Your customers don't need to know that the item they are looking at is x months on the shelf.

 

4) Right now it looks as if you are going to sell items like jewelry. Just imagine what you do when you shop for something like this in the real world. For earrings, necklaces and mantelpiece thingies etc. it is essential to give the best image. I have to make my purchase decision on what you offer me. Don't make me click on the image to enlarge it. Serve them bigger so that I can see the details. Another good thing would be to add close-up pics.

 

5) You also need to add a description to your products. Give me info on the materials used, size etc. Without the breadcrumb trail I wouldn't know that this is a necklace:

http://mor10sen.com/Shoppe/product_info.php?products_id=31

 

This is only a start. Next should be to add some meta tags and SEO improvements so that your pages show up in the search results of the main search enginges.

 

abra

[Guest]

Tried to have a look but I am on a fast broadband connection and the page was taking forever to load? Tried being patient but I have a life to lead :lol:

 

:blink: I was looking at the time of your post, and I was up until 4:00 AM CST working on the site, would that have had anything to do with it loading slow for you because I don't see any reason why it would load slow for you and no one else...sorry about that, and thank you for trying anyway.

[satish]

comments:

1)SEO ultimate by chemo to be added.

2)Home page content needs to be modified.

3)On home most popular products to be there.

4)If no review dont show product review box.

5)For a jwellery site the grey background color is not making it look great.

6)Add shop by price.

7)Add wishlist.

 

 

Thanks,

Satish

[Guest]

I had a look yesterday but as with most of the shops up for review, it is still very much the original out of the box osC.

 

Ahhh, yes, that would be because I haven't quite figured out this php thing yet, in comparison to typical xhtml, html, & css...I know squat about php and osCommerce, but I am learning everyday.

 

1) The logo text "knots & baubles" is in a very hard to read font. The text above the image is not working for me. It's just stacked onto each other, leaving lots of space to the side.

 

]Did you mean the text below it? [The Little Shoppe of Handmade Creations] ? I'm not sure what you are speaking of here, and as for the text for the logo...yeah, I agree, I don't think that will do at all either - it was about 2:30 this am when I slapped it up there...and yikes...yeah, it needs to go.

 

2) Your buttons need to be reworked as the corners are not the same colour as the background they are placed on. The font on them looks pixelated.

 

Yet another issue I was working on as I had changed the base color, so you are correct, it needs reworked, thank you for pointing that out.

 

3) On the product pages, I would remove the "date added to catalog". Your customers don't need to know that the item they are looking at is x months on the shelf.

 

Awesome point.

 

4) Right now it looks as if you are going to sell items like jewelry. Just imagine what you do when you shop for something like this in the real world. For earrings, necklaces and mantelpiece thingies etc. it is essential to give the best image. I have to make my purchase decision on what you offer me. Don't make me click on the image to enlarge it. Serve them bigger so that I can see the details. Another good thing would be to add close-up pics.

 

5) You also need to add a description to your products. Give me info on the materials used, size etc. Without the breadcrumb trail I wouldn't know that this is a necklace:

http://mor10sen.com/Shoppe/product_info.php?products_id=31

 

This is only a start. Next should be to add some meta tags and SEO improvements so that your pages show up in the search results of the main search enginges.

 

abra

 

for response to 4 & 5...Now see, this is the type of information I need to know for marketing purposes...what may appeal to one person, will not appeal to the other, so thank you for this input.

 

Okay, and I am not totally out there, but what is SEO? Search Engine Optimizaton? I have been reading some on this area...is there any place that will provide me with a better input than another? I'm not willing to put out tons of money and getting scammed and it seems a lot of the SEO's out there are all about that. Your opinions on this would be truly helpful.

 

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to look at my site and let me know your valuable input. It is from people like you that people like me learn the most and I am so thankful.