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10-26-2007, 12:16 AM
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WebProWorld Veteran
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Reside in Riverdale, NJ
Posts: 675
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Please review my site
With the dollar low, targeting a site for the UK market, any feedback, particular from the UK would be appreciated....briefcases-usa.com
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10-26-2007, 10:54 AM
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WebProWorld MVP
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Denver, Colorado USA
Posts: 1,448
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Re: Please review my site
Overall, good.
Contact info should include traditional USA phone number.
You need to scour the site and remove "Americanisms" such as the FAQ on sales tax.
As someone living in the USA, I can't comment on what reaction John Bull will have towards the site.
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10-26-2007, 11:11 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Florida Keys/Western NC
Posts: 1,789
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Re: Please review my site
Under the Free Shipping graphic, it should read For all orders shipped to the UK.
Picky, picky, I know, but my mother was an English teacher, what can I tell you.
Personally, I think the site needs a little color or pizzazz of some sort ... but I am in the US, too, and can't speak for a UK audience.
I do think the Jack Georges logo is very attractive, but I find the layout to the right of the logo a little empty and asymmetrical. The logo is also jammed down against the left navigation bar and the logo is not quite transparent ...
Best wishes with it,
MJ
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10-26-2007, 03:05 PM
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WebProWorld Member
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 43
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Re: Please review my site
Hi
From a UK perspective, may be able to offer a few points.
I'm sure you are ahead of me on the first, which is just to confirm the need for a UK designated site. Apart from the proven preferences of UK customers in choosing a .co.uk, a high percentage use Google UK as their search tool.
The site gives an impression of quality and that is the right end of the UK market to target. Only a couple of hours ago, I happened to receive the results of a recent UK property auction, which left 50% unsold, compared to 20% a year ago. Most of the problem lay at the low end of the market, reflecting the fact that average earners can barely survive in the UK, let alone buy inessential items. The days of hyper credit are also over, so at the lower end, there is no market.
To maintain that image of quality, every section of text needs to be looked at by an English writer, there is much that will not stand up. Equally, some sections need to be removed/replaced. The entry explaining what a briefcase is may be acceptable in the US but in the UK, with your target market, will result in a click on X.
The sale/reduction tags are also a negative. Although not directly connected with the site, I am aware of figures following changes to a .co.uk site, selling high quality costume jewellery. There were other tweeks but a prime one was to remove all references to price reduction. This produced a month on month increase in turnover of 12%, at 30% higher prices. There are of course more indirect methods of making people feel they are receiving an extra financial advantage and these should be considered.
Alongside that, sites of this type that succeed in the UK, do so as part of a style package. The sites provide unique content, allied to the lifestyle of a well researched target market. They just happen to sell suitable products.
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10-26-2007, 09:56 PM
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WebProWorld Veteran
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Reside in Riverdale, NJ
Posts: 675
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Re: Please review my site
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
Contact info should include traditional USA phone number.
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OK, certainely can't hurt
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
You need to scour the site and remove "Americanisms" such as the FAQ on sales tax.
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good catch
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
As someone living in the USA, I can't comment on what reaction John Bull will have towards the site.
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No doubt, its hit or miss on that one. Its driven by the dollars recent decline which makes me more affordable there.
Thanks.
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10-26-2007, 10:03 PM
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WebProWorld Veteran
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Reside in Riverdale, NJ
Posts: 675
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Re: Please review my site
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtaylor
Under the Free Shipping graphic, it should read For all orders shipped to the UK.
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Think I am going to use the word 'despatched'
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtaylor
Personally, I think the site needs a little color or pizzazz of some sort ... but I am in the US, too, and can't speak for a UK audience.
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I'm with you on that one. I took my style tips on this one from aspinaloflondon.com
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtaylor
I do think the Jack Georges logo is very attractive, but I find the layout to the right of the logo a little empty and asymmetrical. The logo is also jammed down against the left navigation bar and the logo is not quite transparent ... .
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Good catch, I mis-sized the logo file.
Thanks....
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtaylor
Best wishes with it,
MJ
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Thanks.
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10-26-2007, 10:28 PM
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WebProWorld Veteran
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Reside in Riverdale, NJ
Posts: 675
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Re: Please review my site
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palindrome
Hi
From a UK perspective, may be able to offer a few points.
I'm sure you are ahead of me on the first, which is just to confirm the need for a UK designated site. Apart from the proven preferences of UK customers in choosing a .co.uk, a high percentage use Google UK as their search tool.
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I agree, but I am limited to registering a .com, if it were feasible to take a .co.uk, I would (I even looked into it), at one juncture I even took a .eu domain name but somehow I got 'caught out' and the name was pulled from me, so I don't want to do that again and have, whatever it is that MIGHT be built, pulled out from under me for failure to be a resident of the UK.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palindrome
The site gives an impression of quality and that is the right end of the UK market to target. Only a couple of hours ago, I happened to receive the results of a recent UK property auction, which left 50% unsold, compared to 20% a year ago. Most of the problem lay at the low end of the market, reflecting the fact that average earners can barely survive in the UK, let alone buy inessential items. The days of hyper credit are also over, so at the lower end, there is no market.
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China doesn't exactly give me an option, its either high end or no end...to produce in a first world country you either produce world class products at the higher end of the market or you will be producing nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palindrome
To maintain that image of quality, every section of text needs to be looked at by an English writer, there is much that will not stand up. Equally, some sections need to be removed/replaced. The entry explaining what a briefcase is may be acceptable in the US but in the UK, with your target market, will result in a click on X..
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The website is gunning for the term 'briefcases' - either that keyword exists, at least in some quantity, or it won't rank well. I don't care for it either, but believe it or not my experience has been that users DON'T scroll (or at least very few do). That text at the bottom will eventually get me 100+ visitors per day which will lead to 1-2 customers, that same text will drive away 3 potential customers, BUT without the text those customers wouldn't have come anyway. So you always have to strike a balance there. With respect to the English, I'm constantly drafting new content/editing content, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palindrome
The sale/reduction tags are also a negative. Although not directly connected with the site, I am aware of figures following changes to a .co.uk site, selling high quality costume jewellery. There were other tweeks but a prime one was to remove all references to price reduction. This produced a month on month increase in turnover of 12%, at 30% higher prices. There are of course more indirect methods of making people feel they are receiving an extra financial advantage and these should be considered...
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That is an excellent insight. I have noted that on the English websites. So, to clarify you just think I should go 'fixed price' ie. instead of Retail Price $100, our Price $90, sale price $75, I should just say my price is $75 (in pounds of course)? That I will definitely do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palindrome
Alongside that, sites of this type that succeed in the UK, do so as part of a style package. The sites provide unique content, allied to the lifestyle of a well researched target market. They just happen to sell suitable products.
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Thanks for your input.
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