My new site has just been published. Please review it and tell me what you think.

www.onlycaketoppers.com

Thanks,
Charlotte[google][yahoo][wiki][/wiki][/yahoo][/google]

Hi - just looked you over and I really like your products. I got married last year and would have loved to have gotten a unique caketopper with you. I think you have greate potential to generate backlinks though wedding planners sites, sites that help people figure out how to do their own weddings - also check out anything having to do with bridal showers; in my experience, I found that family members will help a new bride by buying her a nice topper.

The problem I have is that your site has the generic "stock" store template look - check out clip art and other sources and see what you can upload to make your site really stand out. It only takes a little looking, and Yahoo may provide additional images/options - I am on Network Solutions, and I know they give about 250 free images you can upload easily into your template.

Since anyone can go down to a close Hallmark store for a caketopper, I think your best bet would be to minimize the "low" price aspect and maximize how unique your toppers are in your text, something like "In a world where all cake toppers look the same, you can show off a cake topper that truly communicates your personality and the special love you have for each other." Or: "Why settle for what everyone has seen at hundreds of weddings when you can have something special and unique?" "Imagine what your guests will say: 'Charming', 'Looks just like her!' " do you get my marketing "drift"?

I really splurged and bought a Baccarat topper for my cake - so I am sure that price is not an up-front issue. If you have fair, competitive prices and a nice array of special products, you don't need put low-price in your copy, although I would suggest putting it in your meta-tag.

Hope that helps. Julie Larson www.research-resource.com

Thanks Juile, I will take your advise into condsideration. You gave me a lot of good info to put into place.

Charlotte
www.onlycaketoppers.com

On your home page your featured products shows 2 accross - 2 accross then 3 accross. You should consider moving them up so it's 3 accross in each one instead of leaving all that white space.

I also wanted to tell you that I spent a lot of money on books and advice to help maximize my website SEO, but often found nothing really usable. Last week, I found a book called "Search Engine Optimization: An Hour A Day" that is very good for website owners at all levels and will give you some great (and usable!) step-by-step ways to get better rankings. I got it through Amazon.com, it was about $25.00 and very, very worth it.
Also, don't get discouraged if it takes a little time to get indexed through Google. Nobody told me that and I was very 'down' because it took four months before I appeared in the natural search. You can use that time to maximize your website, develop your SEO strategy - and just 'figure things out'. Good luck and hope your site makes you tons of bucks! Julie Larson [Edited by Mod Webnauts. Self promotion is not allowed here at WPW][google][yahoo][/yahoo][/google]

I like the site, maybe make it stand out a bit, just simple things or even a strong header make the viewers lick there lips when they first come to your website

__________________
TopHatSolutions
Web Design Wexford
Web Design Ireland

Thank you all for your advise. I am working on making the header stand out more. Something more eye catching.

Charlotte

no problem, try it and tell me what you think, keep me posted

__________________
TopHatSolutions
Web Design Wexford
Web Design Ireland

For your featured products... you will want those up in your first fold, so be cautious about putting too much text in your reasons to shop area. Also, you have 2 blank spots after your first product on the page... this is happening because your #2 and #3 listing in the 'specials' field when you edit the page are not valid page ID's... remove those and it will bring up your other products.

Another reason this could be happening is because your #2 and #3 special are pages that have been exiled. You will know this is happening because in your editor it will show an item, but not on the live site. To unexile the page, just go to the page in your editor and click the 'unexile' button in your editor buttons.

Also, try to improve your item page text. It will serve you well for search engine placement as well as giving your customers more information about your product.

Your header could use a little more umph - the logo would look best being the same color as your header background color as opposed to the white.