Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

Hi, julezdevil
So, I'll be gentle.
I liked your web site a lot - in terms of your products and products' prices.
However, I'll tell you why I, as your target customer, would not buy from you.
As a customer stay clear from any companies who didn't care to shape up their web sites. Unprofessionally made web site tells me there might be people who either don't care what their customers think about them or don't know better.
If you are just starting up - get a template (google "web site templates") and hire someone to set it up for you - all together it may costs you 200$. Just with that you'll give impression of professional established company.
Just compare this one https://www.templatemonster.com/website-templates/12140.html and yours, and you'll see what I mean.
Another reason why I wouldn't buy off a web site like this is that I'm simply scared to stick my credit card everywhere on internet. And home-made looking web sites don't make me feel comfortable sharing my credit card information - I don't know if I can trust a company and I don't know if I can trust security they set up for payment gateway.

But - again - I think you products are wonderful and I wish you luck with you store.

How many unique visitors ("traffic") are you getting to your site?
What pages are they clicking on? How did they find your site?

As for the items, there are a number of things missing: size of the item, materials, close-up of details, etc.

As a buyer, I'd want to know "Why are your prices so cheap?". Are you the craftsperson? Do you know someone from a village that manufactures this? Are you representing a group of artisans?

Before I buy something from you, I'd want to feel like I can trust you. I want to hear the story behind your business or products. Are your pieces unique?

I'm not a web designer but you might need to get traffic to your site. Are you familiar with the use of keywords? Google it, it's pretty basic stuff.
I like the functionality of the website, the way the shopping cart is set up, etc, but I agree your site is a bit amatuerish looking. The photos set against the textured background looks like a lower end site. You want people to shop with confidence that you are an established and professional business. Decide what niche you fit into and look at your competition, then try to set yourself apart.
Don't be discouraged, this is the fun part. You are well on your way you just need a little tweaking. I may sound blunt but I come from a commercial art/advertising backround we all have thick skin.
Good luck, Brian

I've just put these bits of advice on another post so apologies in advance for seemingly to double post!

Two bits of advice:

1. Write down five core things that your website means to you, what should users get from it, what are its values? Now look at your website and see if you can find evidence of these values either from the homepage or within two clicks (or preferably one) - if you can't find them easily neither can your potential visitors. This small test is done to just see if you are promoting your self and getting your key messages across effectively.

2. Go to https://blackwhite.uk.com/free.htm as they currently have a free guide on what makes websites highly effective operations.

Good Luck

Not to discourage you, but I think the key problem you have is competition: there are just too many people trying to do the same thing you are doing on the net... because of this, you are forced to implement a low-pricing strategy that further hinders your potential for success. The fact is, everyone can do what you do very easily, particularly with the drop-ship strategy booming.

The truth is this: unless you have a product or service that is break-out, new, and others are not marketing it online like you (yet), then you will have a very difficult time making a lot of money online with a simple yahoo store.

Look at some of the competition that is doing it right, on a very high scale, and making good money:

https://www.bluenile.com/
https://www.jewelry.com/
https://www.superjeweler.com

Even though you are small, you should be benchmarking these big players to an extent. The reason is because you MUST find a way to set yourself apart from the thousands and thousands who are doing the exact same thing you are. Otherwise, I fear you will never get hardly any orders at all.

In the end, if this is something you enjoy, and you are not dependent on it for your living expenses and needs, then don't worry so much about the number of orders right now. Just keep learning more about how to make your site better than your competition. It may take a long time before you begin to get more orders than them, but if you are passionate and committed, there is no reason, over time, why you cannot have a measure of success.

I do wish you all the best!
Peter