Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

First off - you need to have analytics added to your site (Google Analytics, for example). This will tell you how much traffic you're getting (and from where).

Next, who do you imagine your ideal customer to be? How old? From where? Why would they buy buttons from you?

Once you know who, then figure out where else these same people hang out online, and make the connection - post articles, reviews, etc. in their community. Your FB page has 1326 likes - how many of these are people who have purchased from you, visit your page (again, look at analytics), etc.?

First of all, yet me say that I am impressed with your efforts. The way you really get to know about eCommerce is to actually do it and learn. You are doing that. No one knows everything and it is a lifelong learning effort.

Here is some advice that might help.

Web Site

1- The big graphic box on the main page can go. Put your logo on top and smaller. Nothing else in the Graphic box helps to sell your product. Lesson: Always highlight the product first. (Where the money is). Your company name comes second.

2- Think about your categories. Seems to me that you have duplicate categories and the Love IS category are pins also. So why not just have a category for Pins and another for Custom Services and don't use the same graphic for both. I would assume selling custom pins is much harder than selling pre-made pins. You might do better with just selling pre-made pins of different types. Lesson: Simplify.

Marketing:

1- Define your target. To me, it would seem the market is pre teen and younger, but I am not so in touch with the teen market so I will leave that to you. Keep in mind that you are asking people to buy online where they will need a credit card and not many of our youth have them. So you also have to consider parents in your targeting plans. They have the money (or at least credit cards).

2- Try to determine the various ways your product fits into the lifestyle of your target customer. You mention putting on backpacks as decorations. That is one use. Perhaps anther use is for handouts at birthday parties for the younger kids. Moms are always looking for something different to put in the gift bags. Think up uses and communicate them to the customers via your web site and other tools. Show more photos of your product in use on real people.

3- Study about SEO (Search engine optimization). There is a lot of information on the web about this subject. Learn and apply what you learn to your web site. Put emphasis on finding the best keywords (phrases) and then writing good sales copy about your products.

4- I would start to create some digital footprints that lead back to your web site. These can include social media sites, online directories and bloggers. Promote your social media sites on your web site. Try Pinterest as well. It is pictorial and gets your products to a large audience.

If you do some research you can generate a list of bloogers who blog for Moms and about kids. Send these people emails about your products and when appropriate samples. They will write about the products and increase your brand image and perhaps generate some links and sales to your web site.

Okay I think that is enough for now. Just keep in mind that you need to study, study, study and you need to keep asking questions.

Good luck with your endeavors.