kidsngarden Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 So for the past month I have actually LOST money on my site. Right now I am having some very heavy regrets about cancelling my lifetime enrollment with HCMpro. I had just about NO problems ever with my site using it. I hired a gal (who goes to church with me) who had taken an 18 month intensive course on wordpress to design my site (blog) in wordpress. I had researched marketing strategies and knew this was a wise choice from a marketing standpoint. I was her first client besides her own site and she gave me a deal so that I could be a good reference for her and she let me make payments. I still owe her half the money. Next payment due Dec. 1.Initially I was totally amazed at the work she did and all the bells and whistles. I began working in earnest on generating traffic to my site writing on my blog and also articles and hubs elsewhere. I couldn't get USPS flat rate shipping on so we just made a constant flat rate "Deal" for awhile till it got fixed, but she ended up having to code it in. Then my coupons were discounting the shipping and tax as well as the products. (my coupon options really sucked from the get go compared to HCMpro). My cart was also not showing the discounted total until you got to paypal checkout - which is unnerving as a customer! It was a mess! Then I got an email from a very nice new customer about three weeks ago telling me that my site was severely messed up. My cart was deleting items, then showing too many. It was showing her a gamut of totals every time she went to check them. she finally paid with paypal and felt ok with the total. Well, when I checked the numbers paypal had charged her 30% less than was reported on my site (which in the end the total on my site was correct, except again the coupon she used discounted the shipping as well, GRRRR!) OK, so I made NO money on that sale!!!I was totally mortified. Internet shoppers are not patient folks. From that one person who told me the troubles there are SO many who didn't and will probably NEVER come back!!! I did some tests myself and found all the customers claims to be spot on...So I emailed my designer and called her and left a message telling her the problems. she replied saying she just got home from surgery (which she never told me she was having - and it wasn't emergency surgery) SHE HAD SEEN THAT MY CART WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY BEFORE SURGERY BUT COULDN'T GET TO IT!!!! "Apparently the new plug-in messed things up...." WHAT???? So for how many days was this going on??? Now she could be at the PC for limited time during the day and would do as much as she could. she said I should email everyone and post a blog about the problems with my site telling people I would refund any overages...OK, well there weren't overages! I was losing money! I replied that I was losing money and I need the site working YESTERDAY and could her son who was also trained in wordpress fix it? I said I needed it up because well IT'S NOVEMBER and I had several LBB promotions and also a black friday/cyber monday thing coming up.I emailed my customers and posted on my site for anyone wishing to order to email it to me directly. HOW LAME!Meanwhile I have emailed her a couple more times and called her with my concerns and get no reply.finally I nail her on the phone and she says she is installing a new update to wordpress, a beta model, that I will be a lot more happy with. But we would have to imput all my products again from my back up files, etc. FINE! Couldn't she have told me that awhile ago? Well, hmmm a week has gone by, here we are day before thanksgiving and my only product on my site is bath truffles! I have done everything she asked me to do...now I wait for her end. My products are in my admin waiting to be up, pictures everything. I have tried to figure out why it's not working like I have done before adding new categories, products and such, but I can't get it to publish.I know, I should fire her butt....I want to, but I have no idea really how to keep my site up and running without her. I know how to put products up, install plugins, etc, but if there are big errors like this I am CLUELESS. I can't afford to pay someone else 3-4 times as much as she has charged me to do my site.So I'm thinking I will tell her I am not making my payment to her December 1st because I don't have the money because I have gotten NO BUSINESS in Nov. but really, is there anyone out there who works wordpress themselves? Can I do this myself without taking a course? I'm not a total idiot here...(well, maybe I am for hiring her!!!!)Thanks for reading my rant!!!TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgirl Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Yep.. I just tried to put soap in your cart and got this message..https://capellasgarden.com/shop/checkout/Said I need to use firefox to load.. Guess what.. I am using firefox..I hope you get this fixed soon, being the holidays and all.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Actually, I wouldn't make the payment. Seriously would not make the payment till she gets off her stitches and gets you fixed up. I'd probably also mention that if it isn't done by x date and working properly, that you will be charging her x amount. Can't answer you on wordpress though. Neither can the gal who did my site, but I can recommend another designer to you who won't "dick" around and should get you going in no time at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidsngarden Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Hmmmm, well I told her no site today, no payment. Products are up! AMAZING! Sheesh!But this whole firefox thing is a problem, she told me that on the backend I had to use FF, but I wasn't aware you needed it to shop my site...GRRRR!And the coupon feature is still a mess. no coupons, no black friday/cyber monday promotion, no money for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singleyellowrose Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 I tried it and every time I clicked add to cart, it would add 2.I'll stick with Designer218. Nothing but. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgirl Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Tried it again, and when I go to check out, I still get that error page..I would be PO if I were you. It's not working....This is lost money and customers for you.. .:mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 I use IE8 Beta and get this when I try to open up your site:There is a problem with this website's security certificate. The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address.Security certificate problems may indicate an attempt to fool you or intercept any data you send to the server. We recommend that you close this webpage and do not continue to this website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Your lavender lemongrass shows a price of $0.00 but adds to the cart at $5.50. Nothing is adding double but when I hit checkout I get an IE error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allicia Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Personally I woud never use wordpress for my ecommerce. It is a blog and not a shopping cart. I understand the importance of a blog believe me but I dont think it should be handleing the ecommerce. It should contain a catalog of products with a link to the page in your cart. The blog is used to drive people to your site and products or services but can actually link to a secure cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidsngarden Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 Thank you everyone! I will be switching to graceful hosting ASAP. She just sent me an email telling me my site was ready to go. Uh, no. My test orders were screwed still.Thanks for the info about wordpress Allicia. That totally makes sense to me, but she was telling me that I was being "one of the first" on Wordpress. But it seems to me that I'm one big experiment and every e-commerce plug in is one a big ????? Unfortunately, she told me her hubby lost his job on Friday so now I get to add to her problems, but no, actually, SHE is the one who added to her problems. I didn't make this mess, SHE did. I feel sorry she has to go through her stuff and wish her the best, but this is business and I can't be her little pet project while my rep is being ruined! Thanksgiving or no, she has got to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 You will not be disappointed with choosing Graceful Hosting, Adam just finished switching my site over. He does awesome work and is very helpful !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmeebly Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 which hosting package do you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoapDiva Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 I tried to go to your site, and there are no products listed. A fellow soaper just re-did my site for me, she did an awesome job - I have Zen Cart, and she added a link to my working blog, which is wordpress.She did the work very quickly and for a very reasonable price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire and Ice Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 Well in a pinch you could probably put up and Esty store pretty darn quick! At least your customers would be able to buy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidsngarden Posted November 28, 2008 Author Share Posted November 28, 2008 There was a bizarre thing that happened last night so my site was a little messed up, but today I am adding my products.....alas, there is always cyber Monday. I'm still better off than I was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smacky Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 http://redlimeweb.com/Cherie and Joe do incredible work. I highly suggest them, they are pros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraciS Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I've seen a lot of their sites and they are top notch. Nothing DIY looking about them and most are very unique. I love a site that doesn't look like a kid (or me!) designed it. http://redlimeweb.com/Cherie and Joe do incredible work. I highly suggest them, they are pros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ring of Fire Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I've seen a lot of their sites and they are top notch. Nothing DIY looking about them and most are very unique. I love a site that doesn't look like a kid (or me!) designed it.Oh I love that Bath Nation site in her portfolio. I clicked on several of her sites and they are all real nice. Very professional looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraciS Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I like this one. Very unique, I wish I had that kind of creativity. Well, not quite like that, but you know what I mean!http://werenoangelssoap.com/Oh I love that Bath Nation site in her portfolio. I clicked on several of her sites and they are all real nice. Very professional looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ring of Fire Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I like this one. Very unique, I wish I had that kind of creativity. Well, not quite like that, but you know what I mean!http://werenoangelssoap.com/How cool is that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smacky Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 OMG what a cute site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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