Could use some ideas~

[TwelveBeads]

My site (TwelveBeads) was recently mentioned in an article here...
http://www.beadboard.net/ Although they complimented my work they
said my navigation was tedious. Because I am completely self taught I have probably used the long way when building my site. I looked into the Soho thing but I am afraid I do not have the skills to use this. I tried to follow the directions and got stuck at loading it. :(

So my question is... What is a way I could make my site less "tedious" while staying in BlueVoda and keeping things simple.

[Bethers]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Gwen,
Tedious isn't the word I'd use- but you've made it difficult to see what you are. Are you a store first, or are you mainly an informational site that happens to have a store (which I had to look for?)

If they didn't mention it - your header is way too big - so that I see almost only it - and don't get to find out what you are there either.

As for the store itself, I wasn't sure how to navigate it to find anything - and that will lose you customers. It has to be very easy to understand and find exactly what the products are. I think you may have "overworked" it instead of keeping it simple.

How would you like it to look? I'd like to see more products per page - instead of having to figure out how to navigate (and it took me time) and then having to go page by page to see all the products -

I think you have a great niche market - so making the store easy to navigate should bring you sales.

[TwelveBeads]

Re: Could use some ideas~

How do I do this while maintaining the visual aspect of the site. If I use the gallery option to view many beads on one page then I have pay-pal buttons all over the place. I do have the option to shop by price but again it is tedious because the person then has to get to the page. My biz is doing well but I feel it could definitely improve. When I view other sites I see very high end (Tiffany's is my fav), really bad home made sites or cookie cutter sites. Very high end is out for me because I don't have the cash flow so it has to be home made. I don't want to be cookie cutter and most definitely don't want cheesy ;). I do see your point about my site being informational or store. Problem is I want both ~ Any thoughts?

[Mook25]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Vodahost offers free stores, soho launch and cubecart which could work well for you. Really easy to use and would help you lay out your site better. I did notice a big gap half way down the page which you need to close to make your site look more professional. Thje catagories menu needs to be higher up in the page for people to notice as at first glance as bethers says your site looked like a informational site rather than something being sold. you also have adverts on the page that are not relevent to the content and could cause you not to be favoured by search engines. try to keep your content relevent and the feel of the site the same throughout with navigation menus clearly visible and easy to use.

[TwelveBeads]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Double checked my ads and they are relevant. If you are not familiar with 12 step programs they may not make sense to you. The site is two fold. It is information and store. It is important to have the information I do it for those who need help "getting help" and help with the 11th Step. Again it is information 12 steppers understand. My question is still the same...

How can I make the shop navigation less tedious in BlueVoda? I have been playing with different ideas all day and they all look junky. I am happy with the other parts of my site. I tend to walk my own walk with some things. Ease of the store nav is important to me. If someone out there has a store using BlueVoda only please let me know. I would love to peek at some other ideas.

Thanks~

[larazovich]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Have a look at Bether's sites

[davidundalicia]

Re: Could use some ideas~

When I went to each of your numbered page links, I noticed a description at the bottom which always started off with a different name of the bead.

Why not use a 2 column table with short desc to the left
and a thumbnail of the item to the right.
The name could act as a text link to the actual page to see more detail and to place an order.
If each page had a back button, that would also make for easy navigation.

You really need to come up with something else to improve your site...........
but its not an easy task to advise someone without a dialog.

Good luck.............

[Bethers]

Re: Could use some ideas~

You can make a very high end look, if that's what you want - with the BV program. You don't need to have the buy button on each product if you put more on a page - but have each product clickable to the product page - by it's NAME instead of by a number. Or by a design name or color.

Thing is - right now - it's very difficult to navigate and many will not stay because of it. Your site should be built for who is going to use it - not for yourself - as hard as that is to understand by many.

Thanks Liz! And, yes the 2 stores in my signature are made in BV - and I don't think they look cheesy, and because I use BV they definitely aren't cookie cutter (which I don't want either).

[TwelveBeads]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Bether,
On this page...http://www.pinatapalace.com/minipinatas.html of your Pinata site how did you set it up? That is not a gallery is it? If it is a table how do you do your pics?

Thnaks David,
I do have last and next buttons on each gallery page.

I appreciate everyones help ;)

[TwelveBeads]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Bethers,
I just read a post of yours that answered my question. What I don't know how you do is make gallery items have a link or pay button? How did you do that?

[Bethers]

Re: Could use some ideas~

That page - each line of pictures is it's on BV gallery - then I use Cart Manager for my pay buttons - which are all individually put in. If you are using Paypal, you'd do that with their buttons in the html box. I make my own buttons (need to do better ones one day for that site - I like the ones on A Child's Palace better :) And I don't have large pictures for the pinatas, so clicking on them unfortunately doesn't give people much of a difference, if any. But that hasn't hurt me with that product. Again, on A Child's Palace, I've needed to have the pictures enlarge to much bigger with the detail. And I've set some of them up without using the gallery feature - but using the regular image feature - so that when you click on them you get more information on the product (which you might want with the jewelry - OR give more space between the rows, or next to the pictures to do that.

There are so many ways you can set the page up - so that you like it - and also to make it easy for the customers.

[TwelveBeads]

Re: Could use some ideas~

OK ~ So I started to do this today. I am adding my beads to one gallery and will have a view all page. I still am not sure how to add the html to the text area of the gallery. If I click on the HTML for the gallery how can I edit each pic?

I am starting to get excited because this is what I wanted to do months and months ago but thought it could not be done!

[Bethers]

Re: Could use some ideas~

The only text you can add to the pictures using this gallery feature is a small name - like you see under the pinatas. The rest of my text is added by text boxes and html boxes.

Each line of pictures on that page is it's OWN gallery - it's NOT one gallery of pics for the whole page. Just line them up and work down.

I hope that's clear.

[Dream Lady]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Gwen: You are in good hands with Bethers, David and Liz. I just wanted to tell you how wonderful I think your site is. Yes it needs some nav and gallery work, which you are doing...but in general, I love the concept of the the 12 beads along with 12 step. Great idea. I have several friends that are on the 12 step program and I'm going to forward the link to your site to them. Keep up the great work and thank you for your contribution to a great program.
Cindy

[larazovich]

Re: Could use some ideas~

Hi Gwen-
Isn't Beth amazing? I figured she would be just perfect for you..

I have just spent a while noodling around your site. Lots of good information here - will be back to look some more, too.

You said you could use some ideas, so here are a couple of observations -

As Beth said, your header seems really big. I know you are working on your store at the moment, but after that you might consider making it a bit smaller. It takes up a whole lot of each page, and when I click on a button to look at something I am not sure I have gotten there, because I have to scroll down to see anything other than just what I was looking at on the homepage..know what I mean?

And the offsite links I see right below the buttons make me feel like I am already at the bottom of tha page. They are quite distracting, and would definately be better on the side, or at the bottom of the page.

Seems like there is alot of empty 'real estate' at the right of the header and between items on the page. I get that the space gives a sort of light feeling to the page, but it feels alittle unbalanced..
Oh, heck, now I see. Try centering the pages (View-Page Properties-tick the box that says Center in Browser)

I am looking at the addition page, and it is really good. (LOVE the information, btw, wish I would have had this site to look at back in '89..) but anyway, just noticed the in-page links, great idea, but would help if they were a little more definitive as links - maybe emphasised with a darker color, or button maybe - didn't get they were links at first glance.

On the Stories page, I love the quotations you have used below the peoples links, but they sort of blend in, and almost go unnoticed. How about trying an additional color of text, or maybe bolding parts to isolate and define a bit more?

Same with the quotations on the books page, and other in formatino on other pages on the sides - they are hiding amongst and underneath the links on the side.. these things are GOLD, and for 12-steppers looking for help here, it'd be nice to have them more visible.

Okay, there are some thoughts from me. I love your site, and like Cindy, will pass it along to other program people.

Good Luck - I will be looking forward to seeing your site grow and change