ForumsShop Talk

I understood the offer. My first response was: "Wow. With a trained designer this could really be a great site."

There are a lot of designers on this forum who can do the basics but this requires an experienced designers hands to turn the site into what it should be. That is no slight on whoever did this or any of the other designers on this forum, it is just my opinion. I haven't seen high level design skills from many of those claiming to be designers.

To the whiners, I am not hijacking this thread. I am answering her honestly. The problem isn't understanding the offer, the problem is creditability based on the look and feel of the site itself. This is one of those projects that if designed right could really take off. It is easy to understand the off, the question is what level of quality do I think I am going to get for my money? In the hands of the right designer, and there are a few here, this idea could sing!

Here, let me show you with a written description: A person enters your URL, immediately the screen is a rich purple (a color of royalty), your crest comes up in the center of the screen. The crest then opens like a set of doors to reveal a great hall. The person travels down a long red carpet towards the throne. The throne is empty, up comes you copy and navigation, and the experience begins.

This is just one idea and not good an idea but it shows you the difference I am talking about. A really good designer come make this fun and exciting while presenting the offer. This could be huge, and I don't say that often. I can see the press and the stories this could generate. This is a great idea if done properly.

Ask to see the designer's book or portfolio if you decide to upgrade the look and feel. If the work doesn't impress you, keep looking. This is going to require some real skills.

I think more information is needed . . . specifically what size is the scroll, what does it say, how is it printed, etc.? Given that there is no personalization or selection options involved, why not have more and larger pictures of the actual product (including the inside)?

It's impossible to tell from the one small photo if this is going to be a rolled-up cookie fortune sized strip of paper that says "You're a prince!" -- or a poem in calligraphy on 17 inches of cloth bond rolled around an elegant carved wood post. Given the look and feel of the website (and I concur with Iwrite about that), I'm afraid that most visitors would suspect that it wasn't going to be worth $18, and steer clear.

It IS a good idea -- a clever idea. So if it's worth $18, show it -- give the buyer evidence of it. Design the site to appeal to the potential shopper/buyer. Also, it's important to make shipping cost and return policy information available -- almost no one clicks a "buy now" button and begins the checkout process unless they know those two things.

Hope that helps. Best wishes.

Thank you both for your input and suggestions. They are well taken and graciously accepted. I will get to work on it right now.

This is much better but think about Lighthouse's comments about information. The design was only part of the solution. You need to talk to your audience more, give them information - make a connection.

Go to some of your favorite sites and look at the language and how they present the information. Think about the things you need to say to get your audiences' heads nodding in agreement.

I hope this helps.