24 replies to this topic

[horsetags]

Hi,

I would be grateful for any critique on our Mom and Pop site (although, being UK, should be Mum & Dad :-)

http://www.cardsnscrolls.co.uk

I have tried to make the site as easy to understand as i think, but i would be pleased to hear of any usability problems anyone has.

I have (rightly or wrongly) designed with 1024 resolution in mind, although it will still look reasonable at 800x600.

The site is designed around a javascript shopping cart as it gives me the flexibility that i required on the shopping pages and changing this is not possible with my level of knowledge.


General
Is this site completed or under construction?

It is completed, but products and articles will be added on an ongoing basis.

It started as a basic site with minimum coding knowledge from me and has gone through 3 changes, the second one (an oscommerce design), although a powerful setup, i feel was a mistake. This third one has been live since July and struggling.

SEO

We have 36 incoming links , but some i didn't ask for, but about 12 that relate to our theme(ish) although Google shows 2, both ones that are ryubbish and i didn't ask for.

The main keyphrases are 'handmade greeting cards' and 'personalised greeting cards' but rank well for the individual keyphrases that are on a lot of the categories (and ranked well in google until most of the links reverted to supplemental at Christmas).

Do you want your code reviewed for errors or improvements?

Yes please! Although i have taken great lengths (within my knowledge) to code correctly, i am no expert.

Marketing

Our target audience, although we sell worldwide, is mainly UK based, or people abroad sending something to someone in this country and 99% of our orders are UK.

Most of our customers are middle aged with a percentage at either side.

Mostly women, but some of our most loyal customers are men!

Income and education level i cannot be specific with, but most seem to order from home (so have their own computer, and the new site design (and shop) depend on javascript, so has stopped some people ordering from work I think.

We cater for people that want something special and don't expect them to buy our cards for everyone they know!

We also supply personalised gifts, but i decided last year that it would be best to promote the site to the search engines as purely Handmade Personalised Greeting cards to simplify the theme of the site.

Thank you

Paul

[Akuta]

Few things:

The first, best thing you can do is to bolden your category titles on the left/right lists and change their color so they stand out. As it is now, my eyes have no idea where to go on this pink beast (finding a new theme color would help).

If you have the option of ranking the cards (on the left lists), I would rank them by importance (Christmas, Mother's, Father's, etc), not alphabetically like they currently are.

"You are on the Home Page" text isn't necessary floating out there in the middle of no where; you don't need to worry about users getting lost, they won't.

Don't put both of your images on each side of the home writing (in the center column), it's irritating and makes me not want to read it. Both on the right (stacked) would be fine, or put them above or below all of the text (side by side). Also, align the text to the left, not center (the bold, purple writing w/ signature, etc is fine centered, but not the main content).

Those small changes will definitely make an improvement.

[horsetags]

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time.

We looked at sites that had this type of theme and for what we were doing, pink looked good:-) and my wife liked the colour, although it did start off life years ago with a white background. Food for thought there though.

I agree with the bolder text. I did start off with it bigger but the text used to wrap, but it does need improving, i accept that.

I also agree with your other points and will be changing it to see the effect.

Not sure about the importance bit as i am not sure that what i reckon was important, would be the same as everyone else!

Thanks again

[redsonia!]

Hi horsetags!

I love your cards! Very nice! (Too bad you're not in the US, I would definitely order from you.) I have a couple of gift sites and would send my customers to you for cards, but they are primarily in the US.

I disagree with Skew about the pink. I like it. Maybe it's a "girlie" thing but I think it's very nice and sets the appropriate mood for your site, especially since you stated that most of your customers are women.

I do think that it might be easier to read if you increased the contrast a little bit. Bold print for the text? Also the background print is nice but it interferes a bit with those first images in the middle text area. I like the print but maybe you could add a little more space between the print and the images in the text area?

I also think that you should maybe reorganize the categories instead of doing it alphabetically. Maybe put the ones you sell in the most volume at the top?

I don't have much time, so this is a quickie but I will try to get back to it again later. Good Luck!

[horsetags]

Hi horsetags!

I love your cards! Very nice! (Too bad you're not in the US, I would definitely order from you.) I have a couple of gift sites and would send my customers to you for cards, but they are primarily in the US.

I disagree with Skew about the pink. I like it. Maybe it's a "girlie" thing but I think it's very nice and sets the appropriate mood for your site, especially since you stated that most of your customers are women.

I do think that it might be easier to read if you increased the contrast a little bit. Bold print for the text? Also the background print is nice but it interferes a bit with those first images in the middle text area. I like the print but maybe you could add a little more space between the print and the images in the text area?

I also think that you should maybe reorganize the categories instead of doing it alphabetically. Maybe put the ones you sell in the most volume at the top?

I don't have much time, so this is a quickie but I will try to get back to it again later. Good Luck!

Hi Redsonia,

Thanks for taking the time.

Skew is a young lad and i agree with him on most things, but not the pink :-)

Our U.S. postal charges are quite reasonable :-)

Not sure what you mean by the background print though. Are you talking about the background images on the home and main category pages?

The individual product pages have no background image.

I don't disagree with your category idea and this is what Skew said also, but i thought that grouping everything Baby, and everything Birthday in their own groups would be the best way. If i grouped the popular ones at the top, then the rest becomes a jumble.

I will give it a lot of thought as it is important, and more so seeing that 100% of the reviewers think so :-)

I have changed the nav text so i will now change the text from dark grey to black and see what it looks like.

Thanks again for looking

[vegatina]

Hi Horsetags,

I’m American so some of this might not apply.

On the home page

This sentence: “With my cards, tell me what you want and I print the message out and then print out 'Love from Jane' etc in a blue handwriting font”
I’d reword it. The sentence just before explains its about. Also your using the word print twice.

This sentence: “Whatever they are celebrating, make the occasion more special by giving them a personalised handmade greeting card”
You might consider switching to you - maybe something like - “whatever you are celebrating...by giving a personalized handmade greeting card”. I noticed this because most the text was “you” based and then you switched to “they”. Also if “you” are sending a card, your celebrating the event too.

What happened?
Didn’t know what that was at first - thought it might be a complaint area. I really like those cards. You might change it to “what happened cards”

I like the site and its “handmade” quality and the realness of the person behind it shines through. And I also like the pink - LOL

Hope this helps :-)

[horsetags]

Hi Vegatina,

Thanks for your time - it ALL helps, whether you are in America or not :-) and your kind comments about the cards :-)

I agree with all you say and have modified the page AND the 'What happened' link. This is nothing to do with the cards, but an information page about one of our gift ranges, and i never liked the 'What happened' bit, but couldn't think of what to say to describe that page in a few words.

Your comment has made me do something about it:-)

All these outside comments really helps focus on the points i can't see as i am 'too close to it'.

Thanks again

Paul

[Scottie]

A few comments:

• Help define the center content area by adding a border around it... at least 2-3 pixels. Everything is a little busy and the content area needs to be defined.
  
  
• Your logo and tagline: Cards 'N Scrolls- "Making occasions special"
  Making occasions special.... how does that entice me to buy? What does it even mean? It's fluff. Something like "Handmade Cards for Special Occasions" actually tells users what it is you sell instead of just being words to fill a blank spot on the page.
  
  
  
• You really ought to invest in a copywriter. I like that you sign the home page with "Sue", but the copy doesn't read like a personal message. It's a list of features. Features are great, but they come after you've piqued their interest and they want to know more about the merchandise.
  
  

• Why send an ordinary commercial card when you can send a handmade, personalized greeting card for the same price?

  That's your selling point, but it's a little lost in your list of changing names and verses, etc. You are starting out with the how but you need to start out with the why. You are telling them how to build the card before you've told them why they'd want to buy one in the first place.
  
  
• "Handmade Greeting Cards - Personalised Greeting Cards - Handmade cards"
  If you are going to include these at the bottom of the page, at least make them links to specific pages so that they have a reason to be there (other than keyword stuffing!)
  
  
• Your home page testimonial is somewhat lacking in enthusiasm... Testimonials without some sort of a name are completely unconvincing as well. You may want to put them in quotes and italicize them too. Torka has a great article on Convincing tesimonials that might help.
  
  
• I clicked on "Birthday Cards" and I got this strange message at the top of the list:
  
  

  If you think the Sister card would be great for your Aunt (or anyone), who's 67 etc , you will be able to change these details on the actual card page.

  
  
  Why do you assume that I am searching for a card for a female who's 67?
  
  
• I clicked on a card and I'm being forced to buy right away, it seems. There's no copy about what's unique about this card, suggested occasions or recipients- I'm immediately hit with a form to fill out and a tiny thumbnail image of the card that I can't even see. You need a bigger picture of the card on the card page as well as some explanation of the card and why I need to buy it now!
  
  
• It's not just that the site is pink, it's that it's 3 shades of pink. They are sort of low-contrast and blend but ... not really. I like pink and have no problem with it, but I think a professional designer could give you a better color scheme (still based on pink) for a very small investment.
  
  
• I gotta say, overall that the writing is a real problem and doesn't give a very professional image nor does it really SELL these handmade cards. Where are the descriptions of the lovingly made personalized cards that will let your loved one know how much you care? Where are the pictures of happy customers opening their cards? Convince me to buy something- don't just stick it out there with an order form.

If this is more than a hobby for you, I would recommend some professional help.

[horsetags]

Hi Scottie,

Thank your for your time and comments.

Did the border. Meant to do that a long time ago (2 minutes in the css!)

This site is more than a hobby, it has to be, as i am ill health retired and not in a great financial position, hence the 'do it myself' design and copy. All wrong for a business, i know, but my wife (the cardmaker) and I are doing the best in the situation. The copy i agree is grim, but as i was concerned with duplicate text, i though that describing the card design was the best way as i couldn't think of 50 + ways of saying 'This is a lovely card' :-) but i will re read my john caples book and try and get it into my brain more.

All of your comments are great and will be acted on, and the sad thing is, i know that the benefits should be there before the features.

When we had a nice 'glitch' just before Christmas and Google listed 200 of our pages as non supplemental for a week, (rather than the slowly growing 40) the orders came in well, so i know the site sells. (they're slowly coming back.)

I also know that Search engine results should only be the gravy, but we don't have that much of a choice, and do depend on SE traffic a lot.

Where the images are concerned, the site is mainly UK customers and i was worried about download speeds and, as the products have a load of variables on the page, i worried about page length, but i will have always been concerned that the images were too small, that's why there is an option to see a larger image, but i will increase the basic thumbnails (long job:-()


I agree the colour scheme needs a few contrasting colours to break up the 'pinkiness' and make it more vibrant, another job, but worthwhile also.

If I could afford a copywriter, I would, but one of the reasons i asked for a site review is so that i can get some pointers to improve what i have by my own devices.

It's not perfect by a long chalk, but the three reviews that I have had , have all been very welcome, and have made me realise that i need to put more hours in. (not sure where i'm going to get the 25th one each day though :-)


That's the trouble being a one man designer, programmer, copywriter, seo' er (and obviously not very good at any of it :-)


Scottie, great stuff and thank you, and I agree with everything you say! (except for the 'making occasions special') as that tagline needs to cover gifts as well (plus i liked it, and thought of it:-) but i will also look again at that, as you've done this stuff longer than i have :-)

[Jill]

I also know that Search engine results should only be the gravy, but we don't have that much of a choice, and do depend on SE traffic a lot.

Why do you not have a choice? Everyone has a choice.

[horsetags]

Why do you not have a choice? Everyone has a choice.

Agreed, but they usually cost.

We tried the craft fairs, but our cards take time to make and the premade ones didn't sell that well, but i would be the first to agree i am not a sharp business card, and could be missing the obvious.

[Jill]

Yes, some things will cost. But the trick is to make more money than you spend. Positive return on investment (ROI) and all. The old adage that it takes money to make money is very true, and you shouldn't be afraid to invest a little of it into the biz and measure how it does.

[Scottie]

The copy i agree is grim, but as i was concerned with duplicate text, i though that describing the card design was the best way as i couldn't think of 50 + ways of saying 'This is a lovely card' :-) but i will re read my john caples book and try and get it into my brain more.

If all you know about your cards is "this is a lovely card" then you are lost. I have no reason to buy one of your cards if each one of them is not unique and special... I thought that was the point?

Why do I want a bald eagle card? Why do I want a fashion card? Why do I want a card with a mobile phone on it?

Bald Eagle: The bald eagle birthday card symbolizes great power, strength, freedom, and independence. Let this proud bird carry your birthday wishes in a beautiful handmade card to the powerful people in your life.

Mobile Phone: Where would we be without the mobile phone? For many people, their mobile IS their life. Our adorable mobile phone birthday card sends a message of cheer. This is "old school" texting at it's finest.

Get the idea? SELL the card, don't just tell me it's a lovely card.

Where the images are concerned, the site is mainly UK customers and i was worried about download speeds and, as the products have a load of variables on the page, i worried about page length, but i will have always been concerned that the images were too small, that's why there is an option to see a larger image, but i will increase the basic thumbnails (long job:-()

Images sell. Full stop.
Larger images (at 72 DPI) shouldn't take very long to load at all. I'm not sure if your images are optimized for the web or not, but if you are concerned about download times, I'm thinking maybe they are not? Photoshop has a "Save for the web" feature that does a pretty good job of optimizing images.

I agree the colour scheme needs a few contrasting colours to break up the 'pinkiness' and make it more vibrant, another job, but worthwhile also.

Here's one of my favorite color tools: Colorschemer. There are more complicated tools, but I find this simple one can help you come up with a scheme that harmonizes without too much agonizing.

If I could afford a copywriter, I would, but one of the reasons i asked for a site review is so that i can get some pointers to improve what i have by my own devices.

I'm not sure you can afford to overlook this. It's like saying "I'm a bad salesperson, but I can't afford to hire anyone to sell for me." If you are going to go it alone, check out Karon Thackston's articles on copywriting.

Copy and pictures are all you have to convince someone to buy, so they have to be great.

Scottie, great stuff and thank you, and I agree with everything you say! (except for the 'making occasions special') as that tagline needs to cover gifts as well (plus i liked it, and thought of it:-) but i will also look again at that, as you've done this stuff longer than i have :-)

I don't mean to offend, but it still doesn't say anything worthwhile. "Gifts and Handmade Cards for Special Occasions" actually can let people know what you do. "Making occasions special" says nothing. It's not critical, but when you really need sales, you need to use every tool in your box to reinforce what you offer.

[horsetags]

I'm not offended, far from it!

I'm happy you are picking holes in our site as i know it could be improved, but not sure how, but now i have a better idea.

I have firefox (bought a couple of years ago) and do know about web optimization and all are optimized, but i still worry about download speed.

Maybe i'm paranoid.

And i have Color schemer! ( i know, use it!)

I have been busy all day increasing the image sizes and Removing the shades of pink that really shouldn't have been there.


Thank you for your card descriptions! I just though that type of copy is over the top for us stiff upper lip British?

If you think not, then i have learned a big lesson and i thank you for it.

I will look at Karon's article and concentrate more on trying to improve the copy for the foreseeable future.

I understand completely about hiring a copywriter, but please understand that we are not in the best situation and i must do the best i can. And i know it is not the best way to run a business.

We do get orders and loyal customers, but we do need to improve the traffic and conversion rate, and all that has been pointed out by the reviewers has and will help greatly.

Tagline and index page next, with the 67 year old aunt copy going afterwards.

With the bigger images i have a lot more room for some descriptive text :-)

Again, thank you so much for your time.

Edited by horsetags, 21 January 2007 - 03:40 PM.

[torka]

If you're in the position of DIYing your site, and conversions are important, here are some resources that may help you improve your conversion rate:

• the archives at GrokDotCom
• Marketing Sherpa
• Marketing Profs
• Marketing Experiments

It's a lot of reading, but these sites offer tons of information about marketing your site and maximizing conversions.

HTH!

--Torka