ForumsAdvertising, Sales and Marketing

Hello, My opinion is that your website is not focused. You have jewelry mixed in with electronics. You have case quantities (48 of the Ten commandments). The links at the top of the home page do not work.

What is the motivation for me to buy from you?? Just because you have it out there, so doa lot of other people. So again, what is my motivation to buy from you??

I think that you need more focus and drill your products down to what you want to sell. Based on the name I expected to see predominately a religious products website sold by the piece, not by the case.

Just my opinion. Jim

Not trying to be rude, but you say that you are a "honest family based business". How do I as a customer feel that? Lots of people say a lot of things on the web. There are a lot of sharks out there. So, how do I believe that?

As far as using the means you talked about to get customers, how about talking direct to people in your community, church, social organization, circle of friends, etc. I developed my business and website from "pressing the flesh" and driving people to the website. They trusted the website because they trusted me.

I am no expert in websites or sales, as there are a lot of people much smarter than me in this community. These are just my opinions and as such they are worth what you paid me.

Jim

I too visited your site this AM. The links in the CENTER OF THE PAGE do not work. Only the links at the left of the web page. I agree with Puzzleman, the website is not focused. Your selection of goods only serves to show that you have not yet defined your identity in the e-commerce world. Your responses to the comments also show that you do not intend to focus on building a brand. Branding is how customers find you.

When I lived in Europe, I did not speak many of the languages but I was always able to purchase my favorite products because of the branding.

Not developing who you are (your brand) is a turn off to customers, people purchase on line because of the 'brand identity' of the seller. You have no brand identity.

I understand the name Heavenly Blessings, but before I went to the website I thought it was another christian bookstore-christian-supply-place despite what your post said. Who would buy electronics from Heavenly Blessings? Would a first time visitor be willing to do business with you? The Who We Are section was just a website regurgitation and an aol contact address for an e-commerce website is a total no no.

Another problem is the ispeedway portal. You need to do business under a dot com.

Bottom line...your website does not indicate that you are seriously in business to make money and be a driving force in e-commerce.

There are people out there that can help you get it together. I am being tough on you because people I loved and respected were tough on me to build our brand, from logo to trademark to even the website environment, business cards, brochures etc. Even our spreadsheets have the trademark and black strip across the very top. Every piece of information we have or will have is designed with our brand in mind.

If it were me.

1. Decide what you want to sell.
2. Get rid of the rest of it.
3. Get a dot com domain and loose heavenly blessings. (trust me)
4. Decide on some kind of family business name.
5. Get a logo professionally designed.
6. Find a web designer and an ad copywriter to do the copy for the website. Designers do lousy copywriting jobs.
7. Be sure to pay the people you hire. Very important for karma.
8. Do your own SEO research, your ad copywriter can help with keyword placement in the copy.
9. Start advertising in the brick and mortar world. Fliers at church, at the grocery stores, post cards on doors, etc.
10. Get booths at flea markets and fairs as well...many of the sellers at Canton Texas First Mondays have online stores as well.

It is going to be hard work, probably the hardest thing you have ever done. But if you want to be in e-commerce these are some of the things that you have to do. Setting up an online store, putting whatever you have in the closet (that's what it looks like) and having the 'if we build it they will come' attitude will not make you any money.

Telling me what you think about my religious views is extremely unwise, as you know nothing about me. You need to retract those statements.

This is a BUSINESS FORUM....

Neglecting business advice and pouring out ad-hominen attacks on commenters because you are convinced that your religious beliefs are going to save the day is unwise. When you neglect HONEST, FAIR PROPER basic business principles in favor of 'leaving it up to your religion' it may not go over well with any legal implications you may face because your site failed and you failed to pay your bills.