Yet another online store-Vintage Clothing- Need suggestions

[SandraM]

Hello.
I recently opened my first online store. I sell vintage and designer clothing. I sold on eBay and wanted to add content to my sales. My friend helped me create the site using MT.

What can I do to increase my hits? I have a links page. I am constantly looking for places to exchange links. I was thinking of opening an eBay store just to drive some traffic to my website.

What else can I do? I am open for any suggestions.

By the way, I love this site. I am new but know I will be back to learn and share.

Sandra
www.debutanteclothing.com

[Tubby]

Hi Sandra, I had an enquiry a while back (couple of years) from someone looking for a his and hers outfit that would suit a 1940ish Buick that was at an early car show, the owners wanted to complete the image. and look the part in photos.

I think there is probably a market there for you.

I can find room for a few individual items (worded right) with a link.

[SandraM]

Thanks Tubby. That's a good idea. I have some 40s and 50s dresses and shoes. I will send you a few pics and a link so you can decide Tubby!

anyone else? I could really use suggestions on the overall optimization of the site.

Thanks.
Sandra

[sytemaker]

Hello.
I recently opened my first online store...
How recently?

[SandraM]

Hi Sytemaker. Just about two weeks ago. I have a links page and am working on getting more on there. Anything else I could do?

Sandra

[Tubby]

Sandra - List your outfits here.
http://restocar.com/cgi-bin/usfm/form.cgi?form=18
list the item by year - for make put either Chevrolet or Ford.(busiest) and use words like - driver or passenger accessories, for show or parade - then describe the outfit. and in the space for the url place a link to the page with the outfit on.

you will automatically get an email explaining how to deleted the ad etc. update your listing after about eight to 12 weeks or it will fall of the bottom of the page.

[sytemaker]

Hi Sytemaker. Just about two weeks ago. I have a links page and am working on getting more on there. Anything else I could do?

Sandra
Wait and work on it for another 6 months or so. You won't have much SE success until then I'm afraid. I usually tell my clients to expect nothing from a brand new site for between 6 - 12 months.

Patience is definitely a virtue in this game.

Good luck.

[Tubby]

If she gets those ads in the classic car pages - google MSN Yahoo will find the dresses she advertises within a few days. those pages will get seen and be found.

[khurramali]

I am only aware of Google Sandbox,

Yahoo and Msn might have similiar filters but they are easier to get into,

Try PayPerClick programs of Adwords and Overture to drive relevant traffice in the short term and your SEO efforts will bring results in 6 to 12 months.

[send2paul]

Hi Sandra :)

I like the colour and feel of your website,(Lots of lovely CSS - I like :)), but here'a few design/SEO observations you may want to consider:

1. The banner image is 782 pixels wide - which causes a scroll bat to appear across the bottom of a browser for a person, like myself, (and about a third of the viewing population), who are browsing in 800 X 600 resolution. I suggest redesigning the banner to around 740 pixels to stop this happening.

2. You need to put a link to your homepage on the banner - and that be on every page. (You know the kind of thing where people expect to mouse over the banner and find a quick link back to the website's homepage as opposed to site navigation, back buttons etc?)

3. IMHO - lose the picture of the lady with the drink off the homepage, and perhaps the Topsite banner link as well, (move to a link page?) For me they sort of cheapen or degrade what starts off as a good looking webpage - but as you scroll down you think, (or I did?): "Who's the bird the drink - and why is she there?" ;)

4. Content and copy - You need to sharen up on the content of the first page. I see you have a splattering of <h1> - <h4> tags around the page. And some of those tags appear to be around keywords and phrases - but some of it doesn't scan as properly constructed English sentences. Try to make flowing text, with keywords in it. If it looks spammy - then when it gets to whether somebody will click on your website, or somebody elses when they are reviwing their Search Engine Results PageS, (SERPS), in Google, Yahoo etc - there's a good chance they'll click on someone else's website link.

5. Look to see what your competitor's are doing. Yup - it's called plagurism if you steal anything LOL. But seriously, you can get some good ideas for content, design , SEO etc from websites that are above you in search engine rankings.

And as sytemaker said before - changes in SEO on your wbesite may take months before you see any results - so patience, as they say, is also a virtue in this game :)

I hope all this waffle helps :)

[SandraM]

Hi send2paul.

1. The woman who helped me design this site, because I know nothing, suggested an 800 pixel banner for presence. I suppose 740 won't make a huge difference. I will try that.

2. Good suggestion on putting a link in the banner. Will do!

3. The vintage clothing stores I love always have an arresting picture on the entry page. I thought I would be different and put a lovely lady, looking very glamorous in vintage clothing and accessories on the main page. I guess I was going for a certain, fashion magazine look. But apparently I didn't do a good job. I have another pic, very cheesecake, pin up style. Is it a pic in general that "cheapens" it, or this particular pic?

3.5 I was afraid of putting too much text on the main page. I know when all I see is text on a first page of a shopping site, I lose interest and leave. Shopping for clothing is very image oriented.

I didn't see anything grammatically incorrect about the text. Can you give me an example?

Thanks for all your insight!
Sandra

[send2paul]

Sandra - hi again :)

I think it's that particular picture - it's too long, and I think it doesn't show off any of your product. If you'd had a smaller pic, something like this (http://www.owlfish.com/weblog/2004/07/vintage-clothing.jpg), which then linked to the page showing more of that product - then that would be more attractive to potential browsers.

Copy/Content

You have:
Welcome to Debutante Clothing. We are pleased to offer you vintage and designer vintage fashions. We take runway trends, subculture style and classic designer names and blend them into a tasty vintage fashion cocktail!

To be blunt - nobody wants to know, or cares, whether you're pleased or not, about the website - they just want to know what it's all about.

You've "technified" that second sentence as well. I had to read it two or three times to understand that, "Okay - there obviously is a difference between vintage and designer vintage fashions". Sandra, you may know the difference between these two categories of fashion design - but I'm guesssing that the average punter arriving at the website won't have a clue.

In the line above the first paragraph it states : "Debutante Clothing :: Vintage and Designer Fashions for Your Unique Style!" - so, is it "Vintage and Designer Fashions" or is it "Vintage and Designer Vintage Fashions" ? You need to have consistency in your content. The first few lines of your homepage are vital as to whether or not a person stays or goes. If they are confused by what they read - they'll go. (I thought you might have missed the vintage word out of the top title because it looked better in 1024 X 768 resolution, but I just checked - and that top title drops down a line in that resolution anyway).

So :).... hope you're still with me here! To summarise, if this were me I would:

1. Probably lose the big picture off the front page - or be it just a smaller one with a link to the products page. Definitely lose the Topsites banner.

2. Lose the small navigation links at the top of the page, move the text up, change the top title to something like: "Debutante Clothing: Vintage Designing With Vintage Fashions"

3. Change the first paragraph to something more snappy, perhaps: "Welcome to Debutante Clothing. The place for vintage designing with vintage fashions. Runway trends, subculture style and classic designer names are shaken into a tasty vintage fashion cocktail" (Lose the exclamation mark).

4. If you're going to have no other text on the page apart from that one paragraph, I would have small thumbnails with links to different products directly below that first paragraph.

5. The, (complete), in-line navigation bar could then be put at the foot of the page.

So there! :) I hope I've explained things a little better Sandra. You've got a good business there, and maybe some of my ideas and suggestions might not be right for your website/clientele - but I started typing this post before lunch, so I thought I'd better finish it off now!

Good luck :)

[Tubby]

Thats good advice . . .

Quote
"I would have small thumbnails with links to different products directly below that first paragraph. "

I think is a 'Must'