What's Wrong?

[THein]

I started a website two years ago this month. To date, I've had 14,904 total hits on all pages. In that time frame, I have averaged two orders per month (that might be stretching it) from the website. All of my work is custom. The only stock stuff is for local businesses. I'm inviting everyone interested to look at my website, critique the construction of the site and my skills, and tell me what more I can do to increase orders. My website: www.singletreeleather.com

[Spinner]

First thing I can see is that your email and phone number are buried at the bottom of the page and don't appear anywhere on the contact page.

Bring them both up to the header on the main page and put them on the contact page. Many folks will keep moving if they can't immediately see how to contact you.

On the home page, you have a good number of pictures and good descriptions, adding "starting from $xx.xx" type pricing will help folks decide if it's in their range.

General rule of thumb (at least here in L.A.) is if there's no price displayed, most folks can't afford it!

I see you do have prices on the product specific pages but again, make sure your contact info is at the top of every page, including pages 2-3 levels deep in the website.

Hope this helps.

[JLSleather]

Yep, two votes for that. I read Spinner's post before viewing the site, but it would have been the first thing up anyway.

Other thing is the menu. If I want a wallet, which you mention in the first paragraph, where do I find it? I DID find 'em, as I clicked in. Which brings me to the thing here ... opens in the same window. But the menu is gone, so even if I find a wallet I like, I'm not seeing how to order it. And the menu is GONE, so I have to hit "back" to get back where I was - and then I have to do the same thing all over with belts.

The menu is alphabetical, except for color variations, and while I personally like that I think lots o' folks won't even catch that.

I say all of that to say this ...

1.) Kick the "contact" information to the top of the page (in the header, so it's on EVERY page) and

2.) dock the menu so it comes with you (alternately, I actually prefer the page I clicked on to open in another window, so the shopper can either close the window to go "home", or toggle between windows).

These are the things most glaring to me, but two points to Spinner for the starting price (before customizing). Not something that occurred to me right off, but he has a good point.

Your site does appear "down to earth" and friendly, without being "cheesey", which I think is good.

[bullwhips]

One thing about the site is that there is no easy way to order. For example if I wanted to order the Morning Glory Belt, I'd have to email you, wait for a reply, then reply back and figure out how to pay you. You don't clearly state what you take for payment. That makes it a lot of work for the person shopping. Most people shop online because it's easier than getting in the car, fighting traffic, getting lost, wasting gas and time just to buy a belt or whatever.

I bet if you added a paypal "buy now" button to things like belts where there isn't too much customization you'd get a few more orders because for the consumer, they'd be able to pick what they want and pay now and they know what form of payment you take.

Also personally I'd probably not buy from you because from your website I'd guess that you don't take credit cards or paypal. It looks like I'd have to send you a check or money order which is the least secure way to buy online...I know when I shop online if I pay with a CC or paypal and the order never gets shipped and can dispute it with the my CC or paypal and get my money back. However with a check or money order I'd be stuck with the loss if you weren't on the up and up. I'm not saying that you aren't honest, I'm sure you are a fine business person, so please don't take that the wrong way.

[THein]

One thing about the site is that there is no easy way to order. For example if I wanted to order the Morning Glory Belt, I'd have to email you, wait for a reply, then reply back and figure out how to pay you. You don't clearly state what you take for payment. That makes it a lot of work for the person shopping. Most people shop online because it's easier than getting in the car, fighting traffic, getting lost, wasting gas and time just to buy a belt or whatever.

I bet if you added a paypal "buy now" button to things like belts where there isn't too much customization you'd get a few more orders because for the consumer, they'd be able to pick what they want and pay now and they know what form of payment you take.

Also personally I'd probably not buy from you because from your website I'd guess that you don't take credit cards or paypal. It looks like I'd have to send you a check or money order which is the least secure way to buy online...I know when I shop online if I pay with a CC or paypal and the order never gets shipped and can dispute it with the my CC or paypal and get my money back. However with a check or money order I'd be stuck with the loss if you weren't on the up and up. I'm not saying that you aren't honest, I'm sure you are a fine business person, so please don't take that the wrong way.

To those who responded, thanks for your input. I was hoping that I would get a broad range of responses but what I got I appreciate. I am going to implement changes to my site. It will take some time because of my location, I only have a dial up connection. Re-doing much on my site can take hours of phone time.

I have to do some work to be able to accept credit cards or pay pal but I am going to do it.

Oddly enough, just a couple days after your post, bullwhips, a customer's check bounced on me on the last order I sent out I was thinking stuff that would make a sailor blush, he won't even respond to my e mails. And, by the way, bullwhips, no offense taken!

Like my tax man said, education costs money, we just pay in different ways.

Thanks again,

Terry

[JLSleather]

Apparently, you have an idea what you want to do with the site. SO - I'm not going to re-hash that.

I DO, though, have one comment on the items on your site. I looked at it again just now, and specifically your "Cheyenne" wallet. I LIKE this design, and I LIKE that color ... only thing I didn't like about it is those "cheesey" letter stamps. Honestly, I know that sounds more negative than I meant it to ... I meant that I think your craft is too nice to litter it up with those cheap COWPOUNDING stamps.

[TexasJack]

There isn't one terrible problem with the web site, but there are a bunch of little ones. Overall, it's not bad. If you look at the previous comments, I think they pretty much consistently point that out. You might look around at how some others have set up their prices with the items they are selling.Photography is an art, so it's not something that everyone does well. The shiny finish on some of your stuff doesn't photograph well. You have rifle slings, but none on a rifle so that the viewer can see how nice it looks. Background helps to sell.Of course, you can have the coolest web site in the world and make fantastic products and still struggle in a bad economy.