Check out my new website.

[jackbenimble]

I think your site is visually pleasing, but your facts are wrong. I find some grammatical errors that should be fixed. If you are going to have a business, be prepared for people to sing your praises AND to not think your product is as good as you do. It's business, not personal.

I also think your votives need to have a repour, as well as your tarts to provide a flat surface, and would help qualify your pricing. Those little extra steps will keep your product as appealing (visually) as your website.

Good luck with your endeavor.

who's website are you looking at? I don't sell votives or tarts.

[debscent]

Sorry Jack, I must have been on two sites at once. But check the spelling consistency of goats milk in your soap section. And no reason to be on the defensive.

[summerbug]

I would suggest citing the information on your History of Soy Candles page.

Here is a good website to follow http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/

[Abbiepql]

Hm...you know what they say about being careful what you ask for? LOL I always cringe when I see posts titled "Check out my new website".

My observations: Those wanting to buy your products want to see your products not pictures indicating the scent. You have to do three clicks to see your products - not good. Make your fonts and sizes of fonts consistant througout your site. Long paragraphs in center justification is annoying looking because it leave small sentences and sometimes hanging words depending on the viewers screen size/resolution. I like pictures that are all the same size, the mixed sizes are confusing and look cluttered, especially on the home page. The background on your FB box needs to be colored, it blends in with the background and you can't read it. If you don't have complete links - sale - blog, please don't include them or at least say something explaining why you have lured your customer there with nothing to see! See your terms and conditons for some rogue coding in the returns section. You have some font formatting issues on the title section of candle safety, they are riding on top of each other.

And just a side note, of no consequence - but you may want to consider this. Gift sets usually represent a cost savings for the customer. If I add up the products in yours, I get a total of $21.50, I don't know the price of your room/linen spray - I don't see it listed but unless it's over $8.50, a customer would be better off buying the items individually. Just an observation...

And finally, you opened this post thanking those here for their previous help and advice, then solicited more help and advice. As soon as the advice and comments became something you obviously did not want to acknowledge - because they were warranted - you flamed back at those that took time to help you previously and were advising and helping you yet again...not good.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Abbiepql
cuz I can't spell! LOL

[Guest handcrafter]

i like the basic design of your site, but really think a few things don't work.

it takes several clicks before you can actually see the candles. home page has nature scenes representing candles, but they seem like fairly unexciting stock photos to me. click one of the scenes (like holiday frost soy candle) and you're taken to a page with a now larger version of the holiday frost nature scene and a tiny picture of the actual candles. click the candle picture once and its a little bigger, click it again, before you really can see it.

if i want to look at all your products, it would take a lot of time and clicking. you have a very short window of time that people will stay on your site (unless they are loyal customers). i'd recommend having your candles prominently displayed and make it easier for people to see them. If you want to test this, get google analytics (or something better) on your site. switch out the half the nature scenes with the product picture. give it a few weeks and compare where people are clicking and how high your bounce rate is for each.

I found it hard to read all the text on the right side of the screen where the facebook section is and below. also you have a blog but aren't using it. i'd recommend either use it or get ride of it. Un unused blog says your site isn't really being updated. I noticed you are posting on facebook though...a quick way to drive people to your site is to post everything important you want to put on facebook as a blog post on your website, then just go to facebook, write a quick into, then post the blog url into facebook. if people actually read it, you will notice a jump in your website traffic immediately.

just my 2cents.

my first post by the way. hope it doesn't make me to unpopular

Edited December 10, 2010 by handcrafter

[jackbenimble]

If anything thanks for all the hits to my site! I will address some of the problems with my site. If only to make it better for my customers not because anyone on this forum said to. Thanks your your input however you intended it.

Bye!

[summerbug]

If anything thanks for all the hits to my site! I will address some of the problems with my site. If only to make it better for my customers not because anyone on this forum said to. Thanks your your input however you intended it.

Bye!

Wow, with that attitude I actually feel a little sorry for your potential customers. Critiquing does not involve sugar-coating.

[jackbenimble]

Ok. So let's all play a little game. Who can say something nice or encouraging?

Give all your "real" critiques all you want. I'm happy to hear them BUT, after your done bashing me you have to say something about my site that you like or a message of encouragement. If you can't then keep it to yourself please. Can we try this? I know we can!

Here I'll even start. I think you are all self important snobs but I really appreciate all the "realness", knowledge, and experience you have given to me and this forum.

[IwantItgreen]

Here I'll even start. I think you are all self important snobs but I really appreciate all the "realness", knowledge, and experience you have given to me and this forum.

NOTICE to all craftserver posters: Let's stop this one dead in it's tracks. Please no-one post anymore on this thread. It has gone too far. For shame, Jack

[Guest handcrafter]

sorry, I can't not reply.

Are you serious Jack?

You asked people for advice. I saw a ton of people say nice things about your site.

Personally I spent at least 10 minutes looking at, thinking about and writing suggestions for you because you asked for it. I didn't do this to help my business. Turning around and saying we're snobs for giving advice because you asked for it? Should I have just said 'great site....keep up the good work.."? it would have only taken me 5 seconds and required very little thought.

Edited December 11, 2010 by handcrafter

[jackbenimble]

sorry, I can't not reply.

Are you serious Jack?

You asked people for advice. I saw a ton of people say nice things about your site.

Personally I spent at least 10 minutes looking at, thinking about and writing suggestions for you because you asked for it. I didn't do this to help my business. Turning around and saying we're snobs for giving advice because you asked for it? Should I have just said 'great site....keep up the good work.."? it would have only taken me 5 seconds and required very little thought.

guys I'm just kidding Not even I am that cruel.

I am saying this for real with no attitude. Thank you for your time and thoughtful advice. It's alot to rake right now but I'm taking it anyway. If everyone on craft server thinks we should stop this thread now. I'm cool with that but if you want to continue to keep it real:) then I'm cool with that too. Thank you!

[Carrie]

You are a real piece of work. You do everything you can to piss off everyone and then say you were just kidding. Go play somewhere else, we're tired of your games.

[EccoLights]

Ya know, I have been following this thread from the beginning and wow... Not on all the folks that gave honest opinions or to the folks that were so called "rude" but to the OP.

When you ask for peoples thoughts, you have to expect good... AND bad... if the world was full of lollipops and gumdrops then this would have never went this far... You would have heard "Oh how great!" "Love It" and that crap... which is good, but from what I have seen, everyone's points are fully valid and most of all. HONEST! Isn't that what you wanted? A honest, non biased opinion of your site??

Anyways, Ill be honest. I glanced at the site, read the forums and then walked away from it.

We have been working on our site as well for the past few weeks and its coming along... maybe Ill post a thread for everyone's thoughts on it... but this time.. I won't cry over it like some =P

[safetysue]

Jackbenimble I think you just - "PISSED IN YOUR WHEATIES" so to speak! I for one will think real hard before I'd post to any of your future post and gauging by the other posters I'm not alone. I've posted questions on this site and received some "sharp" responses and probably deserved them. I put my big girl panties on and dealt with it. You should be prepared to deal with much worse than what's said on this forum because running any type of business is not for the thin skinned.

Good Luck with your website and your business.

[jackbenimble]

Well I guess that's it then? Anything else?

[nursenancy]

In my opinion, critiquing someone's website should not involve pricing. If a customer doesn't like the prices, they will move on. I would never expect someone to question my pricing without knowing my overhead.

[jackbenimble]

In my opinion, critiquing someone's website should not involve pricing. If a customer doesn't like the prices, they will move on. I would never expect someone to question my pricing without knowing my overhead.

Thank you so much I agree

[safetysue]

You crack me up Jack.

[jackbenimble]

You crack me up Jack.

How so?

[safetysue]

With this comeback.

Well I guess that's it then? Anything else?

It was a good one. LOL

[jackbenimble]

Ok guys! I have went back after everyone's comments and fixed alot of stuff on my website. Some things i did change some I didn't. Please go back and let me know what you think and what still needs work. I promise to not get offended by any comments and take them as help not as a personal attack.

I know someone will comment on my prices. Unfortunately i cannot lower them right now. Thanks guys and I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

http://www.jackbenimblecandles.com

[MoonshadowLane]

I wasn't able to spend a lot of time, but I took a quick spin around the site.

I think you've made a lot of progress. One major improvement was showing the product with zoom capability after clicking on the scent image.

There are still some minor grammatical errors. It might help to have a friend look over all the captions, descriptions, and text on the site. Fresh eyes will often spot mistakes that you will miss.

One note. The possesive case of "Goat" is "Goat's" not "Goats". You should use either "Goat's Milk Soap" or "Goat Milk Soap". Just Sayin'.

I'm afraid I can't read the blue text on dark brown background in the Facebook area.

It would be nice if I could ship my purchase to a different address than my billing address. I might want to send someone a gift.

As far as pricing is concerned, that's your business. If you can get $1000 for a bar of soap, more power to you. If your products aren't selling, you may need to adjust pricing accordingly.

Best of luck.

[jackbenimble]

I wasn't able to spend a lot of time, but I took a quick spin around the site.

I think you've made a lot of progress. One major improvement was showing the product with zoom capability after clicking on the scent image.

There are still some minor grammatical errors. It might help to have a friend look over all the captions, descriptions, and text on the site. Fresh eyes will often spot mistakes that you will miss.

One note. The possesive case of "Goat" is "Goat's" not "Goats". You should use either "Goat's Milk Soap" or "Goat Milk Soap". Just Sayin'.

I'm afraid I can't read the blue text on dark brown background in the Facebook area.

It would be nice if I could ship my purchase to a different address than my billing address. I might want to send someone a gift.

As far as pricing is concerned, that's your business. If you can get $1000 for a bar of soap, more power to you. If your products aren't selling, you may need to adjust pricing accordingly.

Best of luck.

Thank you I'll fix the goat's milk thing. The facebook area I can't fix. That was actually the lighter option. They had another but it was really dark. Maybe people will click the link yo my FB page and become a friend. IDK. I did not know you could not ship to another address other than your shipping I will definately be fixing that. Thanks again!

[jackbenimble]

Really? Nothing...well thanks

[Flickering Dream]

Oh Stop !