Website/nursery rating please????

I made our website using tripod and would like to know what you guys think of the website and the nursery by what you can see if you don't mind. The website is Check it out for me, and also Dave if you read this, how do you get Daves into so many search engines, I have tried but I still can't find our nursery on any search engine I look on UGH

Katrina

It was taking too long to load, keep in mind some of us are still using dialup accounts. Limit the number of pictures you post on the first page. Looks great so far!

Yes, my bosses camera is really high resolution I think thats what did that....

Katrina

Where is the URL??

Paul

http://allseasonsnursery.tripod.com

click on that

This message was edited Saturday, Dec 21st 9:45 AM

It look good. You need to dispaly pix of the different types of plants you have. I'm intrested in Coleus.

Paul

I went to your perennial page and got a listing of some different plants, but could not click on anything to see what kind of Daylilies etc. you have, there's no photos of particular plants for sale and also no prices listed.
No offence, but you lost my interest there and I just keep surfing for another nursery to shop at.
If you want my attention, you need good descriptions of plants, a fast loading photo (no patience to sit around) and a price so I can determine if I should bother to keep looking.

I agree, even the copies of catalogs I get at home. If there are no pix or black and white pix I have no intrest.

Paul

Well currently we don't sell off of the web, only in store sales except for the few I put on Daves Garden, that is kind of a description to let people know we're here. Do you still think descriptions and prices are as important even when not selling directly off the web???

You have followed the FIRST and almost only important rule in web site design for a small business: KEEP IT SIMPLE.

I find the site easy to navigate. It's obvious what business you are in and what you have for sale.

Why not try adding a link to Yahoo Maps so people can actually view and print out driving directions?

I am connected on a T~1 line, thus your site loads immediately. The point made by another member about loading time can be crucial when trying to make your site "sticky" (how long does a viewer stay on it). Industry standard is EIGHT seconds, after which people seem to become impatient. Page design can influence loading times.

Have you tried viewing your site using different browsers? AOL, IE, Netscape? Sometimes small modifications are needed to ensure easy viewing by various browsers.

Two last thoughts:

1. A web site needs what I call an "AH HA!" moment. That is, if you think of your web site as the STORY of your business, the story needs a climax. In business, this is the moment when potential customers are convinced to give YOU their money, rather than to the guy up the street.

2. Books strongly recommended:

Homepage Usability, 50 Websites Deconstructed, by Jakob Nielson & Marie Tahir

Designing Web Usability, by Jakob Neilson.

Neilson is the master of site design, and these are the bibles of the craft. They are in plain English, very heavily illustrated in color, and will provide masses in insight into how to continuously improve your web skills.

Good job.

Adam.

If a new nursery opened up nearby I would go check it out whether it had a web site or not. But if you want me to drive out of my way you would have to tempt me with something.

If you had a listing of all the plants for sale and it included something I really want, I might drive a couple of hours for it.

If your prices were listed and they were better than the nurseries here I probably would come to see what quality plants you had to offer.

I like thumbnails, they give you a good idea, and if you want to take the time to look closer you can.

If I had a nursery and a website, I would make sure to get every customers email addy. I would have a page for new plants and one for specials, and then email a link to the customers every time something new happend.

I have my favorit nursery and my plantguy has learned to email me every time he gets something new in. It took awhile to get him in the habit, but it helps me out, and I know he makes a lot more money from me because of it.
The fact that I always know what he has makes me a very reliable customer. I have no reason to go any place else.

my web sites and their contents are on most search engines without me asking or paying for the privilage

Im general, I agree with Mark (his websites are marvelous to look at), regarding paying for search engine placement (He implies that this is not required).

It is possible, through payments to most search engine operators or their intermediate agents, to negogiate placement and positioning when a surfer types specific terms into a search engine.

The costs involved in achieving this depend upon the demographics of the search engine users (age, gender, income, geographical distribution, etc), and a thing called their psychographics (a sort of statistical voodoo that determins what they will buy based upon what they have already bought).

Paying for search engine placement is a subtle business decision..., will my one year contract at $X / month, yeild me sufficient increased marginal revenues to pay for the contract? Do I care about that? Or is the fact that I come up first, second or third enough? Am I seeking long~term publicity, immediate sales, etc.

Study of search engine algorithms (search engines gladly offer you this information) and their underlying logic(you don't need to know any math), will help you select the searchable terms that best define your site in a manner that will influence how it is listed on various search engines.

A little careful reading of search engine info could in fact replace chunky monthly payments and yeild lovely results.

Adam.