Website critique please (and a GLOAT too)

[Dario]

I got to playing with SiteKreator last month for a couple of hours...but never had time to tinker with the started site again until early this week.

Yesterday we finally sent out "invitations" (to friends and family) to view/critique our site. Got some good input and worked on some of them last night 'till morning...now I think I can have the professional penmakers/artists take a look and give me the low down.

Note that this site is made by newbies in websites but with the help of LOML, I think we did rather good (again coming from newbies perspective LOL). Can you tell I am proud? [^] We like the "Gallery" the most...we spent some time on that one.

I know we still need to add a lot of stuff (like my profile , etc.) but we believe it is good enough to atleast try start selling pens online at...

www.AOTurnings.com

BTW, SiteKreator ROCKS! Very easy to learn took me and my wife probably less than 2 whole days total to get all these done. Biggest thing is collecting info to post. I highly recommend it...and it is FREE!!!

Thanks to Al (DocStram) for the main page writeup. [^]

Okay you can burst my bubble now... FIRE AWAY!!!

 

[emackrell]

Dario, great website! And the gallery is a real delight. Some seriously gorgeous pens there. Congrats!

One web note: the link to "gallery" at the bottom of the main page leads not to the gallery but to the SiteKreator page.

cheers Eileen

 

[turff49]

Dario,
Looks great. The thumbnails are of a good size to decide if you want to enlarge or not. Only thing I could find is when I click for the next page it shows the same page over again. Same for the 3rd page, it's the same as the first page. Maybe you haven't uploaded the other items yet and Site Kreator automatically defaults with 3 pages. Your pricing seems shall we say a little on the low side compared to some other sites I've seen. Good going and congratulations on the ones already sold!! Brian

 

[gerryr]

Dario,
I looked at it the other day and think it looks good. The only comment I would make is that it somewhat defeats the purpose if people have to email you in order to buy a pen. You can get the code for a PayPal shopping cart free from PayPal. The downside is you have to generate item specific code and then paste the code in for each item. It takes a bit of time, but I think in the long run its worth it.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Very nice gallery and reasonable pricing for such high quality work. You may want to correct TSW (Trade Secret for Wood) and it's NOT a wax and NOT a finish as you describe on your site. Minor quibbles, but, I know that you strive for accuracy.

-Peter-[]

 

[MesquiteMan]

Dario,

Nice site. One question...did the curly mesquite you show on the pen in your gallery come from south Texas? If so, south Texas mesquite is Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa rather than what you have listed. Also, if it is Juliflora, then you have a typo since you have it listed as prosopis julifora. The difference is the "flora" vs. "fora".

Not trying to be nit picky. Just thougt I would point that out.

Other than that, it is a great looking site and I hope you get lots of well deserved business from it!

 

[Dario]

Guys, thank you for all the input.

I am taking all of these and making revisions now. The "gallery" link is a bit problematic and not sure why it is insisting on that and also popping up a new page since I hard coded the html not to...but after saving the page it reverts back to it. Will probably check with SK tech's later...for now I took out the hyperlink.

The arrow is for another gallery (sold pens) and though it goes to the next page...the ones up for sale are anchored on the top . We will move the Sold pens to another page instead later.

I've considered the paypal button but still not sure since a pen might get sold more than once. Though it may not happen, I don't want to deal with that for now...maybe I'll do it later with a disclaimer.

Will work on TSW description later

Mesquite description is corrected.

Thanks again guys! Keep 'em coming!

 

[JimGo]

I think your prices are too low! As for the site, it works well, though it loads a little slow (but that's probably not your doing). Nice, simple, clean site, which is great.

 

[johncrane]

Good luck with your new webb site Dario looks very good . hope you sell heaps mate

 

[gerryr]

Dario,
As I recall when I was starting to do my site myself, you have to tell PayPal how many are available. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong about that but I seem to remember that was the case. You might contact PayPal about it. Whenever I've asked a question, their response time has been quite good.

 

[arioux]

Dario,

This is a neat looking site. Just put your Emperor price up, this pen is worth more than what you are asking for !

 

[1080Wayne]

Dario <div align="left"></div id="left">To be very picky , I`m not fond of white print . Perhaps it is just my old eyes , but the light blue in the headers is much easier to read . <div align="left"></div id="left">On the home page , second paragraph ,select/selection/select is used in three consecutive sentences , and `highest quality` is used twice . That comes across a bit too strong to me . Also , `more discriminating buyer` might be taken as a put down by a sensitive customer . Perhaps `for the buyer searching for something unique` ?<div align="left"></div id="left">On the Special orders page . Perhaps `We will gladly custom build a pen for you . Some customers want a unique pen made from a wood or material with special sentimental value to them or to the gift recipient ...` `From `an` old furniture--Are you encouraging the conversion of antique furniture into pens ???<div align="left"></div id="left">On Ordering info - interested `on ` (twice)<div align="left"></div id="left">Wish my pens looked half as good as yours .<div align="left"></div id="left">Wayne Richardson

 

[DWK5150]

Nice looking site. I think your prices are to low and it does seem slow to load but that could just be my POS computer.

 

[Johnathan]

Dario, I feel a little different about the whole "pay-on-the-site" thing. I might not get as many sales, but I always seem busy making pens in my not-so "free-time". As an artist, I think people will respect needing to speak with you to purchase your work. It shouldn't feel like going online and buying a pair of shoes, it should feel like personally contacting the artist for their work.

I think you've started on the right foot. If I have the time I'll send you an email with suggestions.

Also, are you crazy? [] $150.00 for a 22k Emperor Fountain pen in Amboyna Burl? Is your time and talent worth nothing to you? If you start off by asking little, people will feel your work is worth little. Just a thought. Your work deserves a higher price.

Once your pens get in the right hands, word of mouth will be your biggest selling point.

 

[Dario]

Gerry, we will look into that.

Wayne, Thanks, we will revise it and tame it a bit []. Re: the old furniture, we were hoping to convey the re-cycling of destroyed/damaged ones (beyond repair)...and not the destruction of good pieces, but it is kinda difficult to mention it there.

Don, I'll see if we can do more to speed it up. SiteKreator is very friendly on the building part but as with most...there is overhead and it is paid somewhere.

Johnathan, $150.00 is a revised price and is already increased! [:0][] I am not sure about pricing since I only sold a handful and my current local market is almost restricted to my officemates who mostly find $25.00 handcrafted pens very expensive (I understand though since I am paid the same way they are LOL).

Thank you all for the great input. We are taking them all in consideration and will find the best compromise and implement changes within our limited ability. []

 

[Nolan]

Very nice Dario, you have inspired me to do my own site. I started it but havent had time to finish it up.
Nolan

 

[Daniel]

Dario, I took just a quick look, adn was very impressed. certainly for a first pas sort of thing. I nknow my web site is a constant project and is always evolving as my knowledge and ideas change. your first site is far better than mine was.
as far as a shopping cart. according to web site lore, it is a collassal o no to not keep everything easy and convenient. web surfers live in a lightening fast world and want is easy and conveneient. jsut think if you had to call CSUSA every time you wanted to order pen kits. I know some of us do but it almost ahs a wierd feeling to it.
having said that, as a crafter of one of a kind, one at a time items. the impersonal process of having pay buttons is a huge handicap. I do it that way but every order has a big uneasyness about it.
make a big deal on your pages about how this is a personal and creative process and person to person contact is necessary. It may help shine a positive light on the need for your customers to call or at least e-mail you.
nice photos of yor pens as well.

 

[Ligget]

Great looking site Dario, photos are a lovely size before clicking to enlarge. The pictures are also very clear and your pens are beautiful, I hope you sell lots for many years to come.