no customers

[JKZ33@AOL.COM]

Hi....
I have two sites up and running....finally have the ssl certificates and such...but.....
no customers???
Can someone please look at them and offer any advice on them?
Do you consider them easy to navigate?
Easy to place order?

Any advice on how to advertise with a low budget?

Thanks for any help,
Angela

WWW.CRAFTYTIDBITS.COM
WWW.SPOILEDPETZZ.COM

[met00]

For what it's worth (my bowser is the latest version of firefox) this is going to be rough.

Let's start with the first site:
CraftyTidbits.com

Burn it. I don't mean to be rude and crude, but it's a mess from top to bottom. Over writing images, colours that clash, no style or format, and that's just the front page. I can't even start to describe all the things you have done wrong

CraftyTidbits.com

Hmmm, "let's see what we have here" - lord no! What's with the big green text boxes? Turnkey websites and barcode systems? WTF?! A hit counter? Dear lord. NO!

CraftyTidbits.com

My eyes are starting to hurt... green and white splotches on brown...

Let's try the other site.

Spoiled Petzz

Much better. I have no idea what that thing off to the left may be. More with the turnkey websites and the barcode? If you are only offering one language, you can get rid of the language selection button.

Spoiled Petzz

Still with the "let's see what we have here". It has to go. 11 distinct different colours on the page. That's about 7 too many. And still with the hit counter.

Please, take a moment to look at other sites using osCMAX or even some OSC sites. Then redesign these both (actually, I would toss the first one completely there is nothing in it worth saving). If you can't do a design, buy one.

KISS. Keep It Simple, Silly. This is NOT my store (it's a client) Pool Supplies Including Pool Pumps, Pool Filters & Pool Heaters
Note that there are 3 colours (themed). Large blocks of text, clear navigation. No "let's see what we have here" anywhere, no counters, all navigation at the top of left side.

As for advertising. May I suggest CONTENT. Determine where the customers are for your products. Then go to the top three forums and start to answer questions there. Be helpful. Put content that gives detailed answers to their questions on YOUR site (use the article manager) and then provide links from your answer to the detailed response on the store in the article. Promote the stores content, not the products. It will get eyeballs to the store and it will also get content specific links which is the best SEO you can't buy.

[JKZ33@AOL.COM]

Hi....
Okay, Okay....truth does hurt
You were supposed to look at it and like it!
I hope your eyes have recovered enough to offer a little more help...lol

How do I remove the counter and the barcode/turnkey stuff?
I am using coffecup ftp and have virtural site designer and html editor..but not sure what to do?? I can change everything in the virtural site designer but can't get it to change on my site?

As you can probally tell....I am new to this....

Thank you for your time,
Angela

[argentbeads]

Unfortunately, met00 has it right for craftytidbits.com.

Besides the colors and layout, the tan-with-ivy 'Sign up now" block went nowhere. I suspect that you are attempting to use the banner technology incorrectly.

The fairy graphic for craftytidbits takes up some pretty valuable real estate "above the fold" and seems redundant with the logo graphic in the upper right.

It looks like you took care of the hit counter already.

Make sure you implement SEO URLs and have code to give you distinct title tags for each page and have content.

Then for driving traffic:

As for promoting your site:
* Hotfrogusa.com -- includes limited press release capabilities
* Kellysearch.com -- also includes limited press release capabilities -- you will probably also get a sales call for their ppc program
* Joe Ant (become an editor to do it for free or pay a nominal fee)
* If you have a physical store presence also: wikitravel.org (which also seems to get copied to etriptips.com) -- you have to relate it to a locale or a type of trip
* Gimpsy
* If you can create a slideshow with content: slideshare.net
* PRNewswire if you want to pay $150 annual membership + fee for newswire distribution
* PRBuzz
* Yahoo!
* ezinearticles.com and similar article distribution points
* start a blog
* "ping" the blog, tag it with deli.cio.us, twitter, technorati
* Google Adwords or other pay-per-click systems

Your site promotion is a gradual and continuous process. Just the bulleted list above will take some real effort to use effectively. Without blowout celebrity promotions or very newsworthy tie-ins, there is no single traffic generator bonanza.

Paul
argentbeads
Bulk Jewelry Chain, Findings, Jewelry Making Supplies: Shop OhioBeads.com

[met00]

Originally Posted by JKZ33@AOL.COM

Hi....
Okay, Okay....truth does hurt
You were supposed to look at it and like it!
I hope your eyes have recovered enough to offer a little more help...lol

How do I remove the counter and the barcode/turnkey stuff?
I am using coffecup ftp and have virtural site designer and html editor..but not sure what to do?? I can change everything in the virtural site designer but can't get it to change on my site?

As you can probally tell....I am new to this....

Thank you for your time,
Angela

You really have 3 choices.

1) learn what it takes to hand code HTML and hand code the page and the components you want on the page.
2) go out and find someone who does the above and will do it for a fee
3) go out and find a template that works and then modify the template (slowly) so that it works better for you.

While anyone can "put up a store" using OSC or osCMAX building a professional image is another ball of wax. I personally love it when a customer calls and they ask for a department and then find out that the place they have been dealing with is a single guy working part time from his home office. A good site will look like a "big business" because it nice, clean and gives that impression.

Like I said, go look at sites that are using OSC and osCMAX and see what they look like, how they function, what makes them work, and then copy and steal from them. There are any number of successful sites out there, and they all have one key similarity. They all look like businesses, not personal sites.

Cleanliness may not be next to godliness, but it is next to making money on-line.