What should I do now?

Trafalgarmarine · #1 (**permalink**) 06-14-2007, 09:52 AM

Hi,
My name is Michael. Myself and brother Paul own and operate a small family business called Trafalgar Marine Services Ltd. http://www.trafalgarmarineservices.co.uk/

The site sells rope, rope fenders (bumpers for narrowboats) and also advertises our day boat and local trip boat. Our customer base is generally 30-60 year olds that aren’t technically literate and don’t need flashy images etc.

The site has been up for nearly two years and has been adjusted/added to over this period. I have been reading the various SEO newsletters for around a year and a half. I have seen most of the tools for ranking, finding errors etc. I’m not that interested in a list of numbers confirming the fact the sites not great. I already have an analytics account (which is brilliant) and use several other tools.

My main problem is where to go with the site next. I don’t have amazing amounts of time to work on the site (as I run the company) so I want my time to be spent in the most valuable way.

General ideas I have (which will work best?)

1. Change front page of site (getting rid of table navigation)?

2. Reformat the main logo graphic as it’s a bit of a monster (I have tried to reformat but the image becomes blurred)?

3. Get more links to the site (especially deep links to section heads)?

4. Rewrite some/all of the product pages to give better customer satisfaction and more food for the bots? I think this may be one of my biggest problems.

5. Following on from question 4 should I read a marketing book to improve my knowledge of how to sell (not one of my strong points).

6. Reload site every week to keep it looking fresh?

7. Retake photos (I have a better camera now so I will probably be doing this anyway)?

8. Get other webmasters to change the link text on their sites (should I try to use different wordings for every link to my site)?

9. Get my Facebook and mySpace friends to link to my site (deep links or homepage)?

10. In my rope section http://www.trafalgarmarineservices.co.uk/rope/rope.html I’m way down in the listings. Does this page look spammy to Google because of the content? How could I rectify this?

11. I’m in the process of writing an eBook (A beginners guide to fender making). I plan to create a mailing list (from the thousand or so customers we’ve had) to promote the site and book. Does anyone have any suggestions on which newsletter sites are good and also any good online publishers for the book? I’ve already seen lulu.com but that’s it.

12. Pay some guru to spice up the site? Roughly how much would this cost?

13. Add more articles to the site rather than just having product listings?

14. Change the colour of hyperlinks? Is the blue (unfollowed link) harder to read than the yellow (followed link)? Should I swap these colours?

15. Should I wait until I’m changing my product lines and then do an extensive facelift? Should I move to a database solution even though the products don’t change often?

16. Add videos to uTube, google and Facebook accounts. Very useful for promoting the day and restaurant boats.

17. Are there any other actions I should consider taking first?

If you can answer one or more of my questions it would be greatly appreciated. Remember I’m trying to figure out where time will be best spent to get results.

Thanks for reading, Michael WH Dawson

jadedknight · #2 (**permalink**) 06-14-2007, 10:12 AM

There are many ways you could improve the accessibility and looks of your website. You should check you private message box, as I sent you a P.M

davebarnes · #3 (**permalink**) 06-14-2007, 10:47 AM

#12 - Hire a webmaster on a contract basis. Somewhere around $3000 USD (or 39 English pence). More if you hire a professional photographer.

#5 - Yes. Read a marketing book. Any book by Jay Conrad Levinson about Guerilla Marketing. Amazon.com has lots. All are easy reads and chock full of ideas.

Here are my thoughts:

1. 80% of the website is YOUR responsibility. Editorial direction, content. 20% is your webmasters. Look & feel, navigation techniques.

2. Your time should be spent on running your business and making money. Don't get too involved in the technical details of your website. I am not saying that you should be ignorant about your website; I am saying that your should obsess over the underlying technology.

3. Find a contract webmaster who can work well to general directions so you don't have to babysit him/her.

4. Find a professional photographer to take great pictures.

5. Get a real logo designed. What you have today is not a logo.

6. And, on a technical note: you need a better store/shopping cart. Or consider not having a cart. Make people call you to actually purchase so you can upsell them. I once had a shoe store for a customer where you had to call. I listened to a phone call one day where he sold 3 pair of shoes (at $250 each, Mephistos are expensive) in 5 minutes to someone who called his toll-free (free phone) number.

fastcart11 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007, 01:54 AM

Get some pro graphic work done...or
good design work in general...

If you need a rec for service providers,
send me a PM...

I don't know about you, but the first thing
I look at is the banner graphic...if it doesn't
rock....screeach..I'm outta there!

Trafalgarmarine · #5 (**permalink**) 06-20-2007, 03:30 PM

Hi,
Thanks for the replies and especially to Dave for getting my behind in to gear. I have been pondering over the information that has been imparted for the last few days.

Thinking about it and knowing the amount of time that I can spend on the site (i.e. little) I’m definitely thinking of getting some proper web design done. This will probably be in during the winter months as I will have more time to get things right first time.

I believe the first issue that needs addressing is the cart. Is it better to buy a suitable package or use one of the existing free carts? One free cart in particular is osCommerce. It’s compatible with Website Payments Pro (UK) and is open source.

Has anyone experiences of this product?
Should I even be using paypal pro?

I do have a computing degree but never did PHP or anything similar. However I do have experience of mySql. Very briefly how is the cart integrated into the site? Basically I’m asking whether or not I could get the site designed then run/maintain it myself.

Thanks again, Michael

davebarnes · #6 (**permalink**) 06-21-2007, 11:39 PM

Michael,

Ask yourself this question when you get up in the morning: Am I a web geek or a fender geek? Do you make more per hour selling/marketing fenders or putzing around with code?

If fender geek, then don't use osCommerce. It requires lots of coding expertise.
Find an ASP with a shopping trolley. Outsource your problems. Learn what you really need in a cart.

Remember the "core competencies" fad? Well, you have them: fenders. Don't get carried away with coding. Hire coders and designers.

,dave

Trafalgarmarine · #7 (**permalink**) 06-25-2007, 11:37 AM

Dave,
well I suppose I make more money for the company by selling stock. The problem is I don't have many opportunities to do the whole salesman thing (not particularly good at it either).

Does osCommerce require a lot of knowledge to run after installation? I was planning to get somebody in to set it up then run it myself.

One main incentive to change the cart is the time it takes me to complete the VAT invoices for every customer. Any new implementation will have to automate this task. The time I will save over the first couple of years will probably pay for the redesign! I also would like packing labels being printed from the new system. Is this possible?

Apart from that is there any other cart "must haves"?

I'm I going to need a merchant bank account if I change my cart?

Thanks again, Michael

davebarnes · #8 (**permalink**) 06-25-2007, 11:45 AM

Michael,

I can't answer any of your recent questions as I lack knowledge.

From the tone of your comments I sense that you really want to do coding. So, have at it.

,dave

sam-adam · #9 (**permalink**) 06-25-2007, 12:01 PM

You have there great iddeas but you nee to orgenize and get some design work done.

The same information can be more attractive in some nice clothes

Trafalgarmarine · #10 (**permalink**) 06-25-2007, 01:48 PM

Hi guys,
I have I'm decided to revamp the website over winter. I don't want to do the coding. I want some one to do an implementation that I can maintain and add to. I would prefer to use local designers if possible. Haven't really done any CSS styling so might opt for a table design. Though I would be able to work out the CSS quite easily.

Want to stay away from fancy flash images etc. Just want a more professional easy to read look with the same kind of style there is now.

The other issue I have is ongoing costs associated with maintenance and payment commissions. What is the cheapest cart/payment provider?

Regarding a new logo, the branding on all our invoices etc is the banner logo. Does it really need to go? Obviously it would be a good idea to change while redesigning.

Thanks again, Michael

davebarnes · #11 (**permalink**) 06-25-2007, 03:42 PM

Quote:

I don't want to do the coding. I want some one to do an implementation that I can maintain and add to. I would prefer to use local designers if possible. Haven't really done any CSS styling so might opt for a table design. Though I would be able to work out the CSS quite easily.

1. There is nothing wrong with tables. They work identically across all browsers. The design purists will scream, but ignore them.
2. Make sure your contract with your web designer entitles you to ALL the artwork used in the site. The original images, all intermediate work product and final images.
3. You should absolutely use CSS for controlling font sizes, colors, etc. One external style sheet and maintenance will be so much better.
4. Buy Dreamweaver and learn to use it yourself for "maintain and add to".

Quote:

Want to stay away from fancy flash images etc. Just want a more professional easy to read look with the same kind of style there is now.

Flash has its place. For small movies within the website to demonstrate a feature, it works very well.

Quote:

The other issue I have is ongoing costs associated with maintenance and payment commissions. What is the cheapest cart/payment provider?

You don't want the cheapest. You want great service at a reasonable price. Great service means that you get to sleep at night. Cheapest means you don't. Find some UK-based websites with a cart that you like and then call them and get some real-world advice.

Quote:

Regarding a new logo, the branding on all our invoices etc is the banner logo. Does it really need to go? Obviously it would be a good idea to change while redesigning.

My opinion is a big YES. You should submit your logo to the WebProWorld forum dedicated to reviewing logos and see what the designers have to say.
I am not a designer. However, I do have ideas: logo should be done in Adobe Illustrator entirely as a vector drawing so it is infinitely scaleable up/down without any loss of quality. The fender is fine, it just needs to be done as a drawing and not a photo. The LTD is way too large and I would not have it if not legally required in the logo.

Trafalgarmarine · #12 (**permalink**) 06-26-2007, 11:26 AM

Dave,
thanks for more great ideas, info and the PM. I'm using NVU at the moment thinking about buying dreamweaver but I reckon it will be expensive and take some getting used to.

I'm currently having some short videos produced (by a friend who is also a professional cameraman/editor). I was thinking of putting the videos on uTube and Google video then linking from my site to the vids. Is this the best way of doing things or should the video files be kept on my server?

I know what your saying about the cheap payment processors. Just don't want a situation were most of my profit is being drained by ongoing costs. Think I'm paying about 3.2% and 25p commission at the moment Is this good, bad or average?

I'm going to submit my logo now.

Cheers, Michael

davebarnes · #13 (**permalink**) 06-26-2007, 12:08 PM

Quote:

I'm using NVU at the moment thinking about buying dreamweaver but I reckon it will be expensive and take some getting used to.

Dreamweaver is expensive for us at $399 USD, but that is only 200 quid. If NVU is working for you, then don't spend the money on DW right away.

Quote:

I'm currently having some short videos produced (by a friend who is also a professional cameraman/editor). I was thinking of putting the videos on uTube and Google video then linking from my site to the vids. Is this the best way of doing things or should the video files be kept on my server?

I would keep the video on your website. After all, the only people who will want to watch fender videos are prospects (unless you have naked fenders with naked Paris Hilton). You can provide a much better (larger image, higher quality) viewing experience from your website. It is not as if a million people are suddenly going to overwhelm your server (unless you have naked fenders and a naked Paul Potts singing opera).

Quote:

I know what your saying about the cheap payment processors. Just don't want a situation were most of my profit is being drained by ongoing costs. Think I'm paying about 3.2% and 25p commission at the moment Is this good, bad or average?

I have no idea. You need to talk to your fellow UK retailers.

Dubbya · #14 (**permalink**) 06-26-2007, 02:29 PM

Your current site lacks both the "spit-n'-polish" and usability that keeps users coming back.

I recommend one single book. Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think". It's an easy read and still a bargain at twice the price. Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy ASAP. I promise you won't regret it.

Dave's right, you don't have a logo, you have a text banner. Hire a designer, invest in a great logo, layout and colour scheme for your site. That'll help you gain some credibility with potential customers and make the most of what you've already got.

You don't have any navigation system, so there's no way for users or search engines to find (and index) your information except through your sitemap link. You have a ton of great content that your clients would find useful if only they could find it. That's no good and quite likely the root of your current problem. You'd see huge improvements by simply adding a basic but functional text-based navigation menu.

With just a little careful consideration in regard to your search terms, phrases, descriptions and titles, you shouldn't have too much trouble making significant gains in search engine results.

For your shopping solution, take a look at VP-ASP Cart. It's a low-dough e-commerce solution that's scalable.
Shopping Cart E-Commerce Software - VP-ASP

It's written in VB script, so with the skills you currently possess, you'll be on your way in no time. It'll do all the things you need it to do and it's available in an SQL version, though the Access version would probably work just fine for now.

You can add content pages, tweak, tune and refine to your heart's content, or just use it right out of the box and plug it in to your current site.

It'll print invoices, send email and a ton of other things but you don't have to go and get a Merchant account! Given that you probably don't do many thousands of dollars in sales every month, a merchant account would be much more costly than it's worth. Set it up to use PayPal and let them worry about the backend processing.

You can also integrate realtime shipping lookups or hard code the fixed costs. There are several scripts available for download and they're reasonably easy to implement. There are tons of other plugins and addon features you can purchase as the need arises.

Custom site templates are available for purchase or you can have a custom site made for you by any number of coders who are already familiar with VP-ASP. You'll find links to their sites in the VP-ASP user forums.

Trafalgarmarine · #15 (**permalink**) 06-28-2007, 08:59 AM

Dubbya,
thanks for your comments. Don't Make Me Think I like the sound of that (been doing far to much thinking lately). I have posted my logo to be reviewed/torn apart but nobody has commented yet.

I realise what your saying about the navigation but I don't think there is any point adding a clumsy hand built HTML solution now (i.e. before redesign). This should definetly be in my brief to web developers/graphic people.

About optimising my terms etc your so right, I should have sorted this out months ago.

I have had some preliminary quotes from a few companies but remain largely unimpressed. I swear one of their portfolio sites was worse than mine

didn't seem to pay any attention to my list of requirements either.

I know very little about VB script. Does VP-ASP require any code knowledge after installation? I'll have to download the demo when I get a chance. Also I'm wondering if it will work with parcelforce (my courier) any ideas?

How do you print the new invoices? I'm presuming you log into some kind of browser GUI?

Dubbya · #16 (**permalink**) 06-28-2007, 03:50 PM

You're going through what most site owners experience. It's often difficult to find an experienced and talented "expert" web developer that'll actually listen and who works for a reasonable rate. Keep looking. If you've got friends who run their own sites, ask them to recommend a developer in your area.

vbScript is about as easy a language to learn as you'd ever come across but it can be frustrating as well. Any coding changes for yor initial setup or security patches you'd need to apply are well documented and quite simple to do.

The stores take a little tinkering to get them running but you should be able to configure your shop preferences without any trouble just by using the web administrator's interface.

You'll find detailed instructions in the startup guide but if you're stumped, you can always use the customer forums. Answers are pretty quick and rest assured that if you email the support team with questions, they'll get back to you.

Check out the Online Help Guides

Again, if you're not comfortable with coding or just don't have the time to get too involved in setting up the shop, you can contract out the setup and security testing to the support team.

The invoices are emailed to the customer upon completion of the order, and you get a copy as well. Stock control is built in to the paid versions and there's just not very much you can't do from the admin pages. Check out the VPASP Shopping Cart Control Panel

If you can't find a script for your shipper or payment gateway, just ask the support crew. They'll be able to hook you up.

Simon at BigYellowZone.com does scripting, setups and customising. I searched the VPasp forums and found that he's got an addon that'll allow you to ship via Royal Mail or Parcelforce but it may already be built in.

You can find site templates available for purchase from VPASP Templates - VP-ASP Skins

Have fun!

Trafalgarmarine · #17 (**permalink**) 06-29-2007, 06:49 AM

Dubbya,
yes I think your right. The design is what I really need to contract out. I'll try the demo myself see how easy it is to maintain and everything then buy if I'm satisfied. I reckon it'll be a lot easier than oscommerce to setup.

The parcelforce add on sounds perfect. Hope it will work my existing contract

would the packing info be emailed to me as well as the invoice or do you have to print from the DB somehow?

I remember doing a few VB lessons and getting frustrated getting some of the commands working.

Do you know of any small niche sites that use VP-ASP? I would like to look through the payment steps (though I imagine you can customize said steps)?

Thanks once again, Michael

Dubbya · #18 (**permalink**) 06-29-2007, 10:52 AM

I use VPASP on my site. Click the link in my signature.

I've done some pretty significant modifications as the version I'm using didn't support Canadian taxes very well.

I've also hardcoded my shipping costs and changed the way the mini cart looks and works. Just start out with some minor changes using the admin pages, then start picking apart the code here and there.

It's a template driven cart, so once you find the product display pages you need to edit, it's pretty easy for anyone with any basic HTML knowledge to figure out.

Clicking this link to a Google search will give you links to tons of sites that use VPASP.
shopdisplaycategories.asp - Google Search

Regarding the shipping script, I don't have any idea how it'll interface or function with your shipper. You could email Simon at Big Yellow Zone for those answers.

Trafalgarmarine · #19 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 05:26 AM

Dubbya,
thanks for coming back to me. I went on your site and I like it a lot. Better than the portfolio sites some developers have sent me. I don't know if the look and feel would be suitable for some parts of my site i.e. where I just have information only (e.g.