I might as well jump in for some honest criticism

[Pixie Soap]

Hi Bob,

Your site is looking great!

I agree with the above. That Santa picture is blury, I cannot really even view it.

I do love the template. Someday I will have to learn about Zen Cart!

Good to see you working on a site!

Patty

[robertjohnston]

Ok I've Redone my page by widening it. On that background gif in the header I'veenlarged but its to wide to high to show the bar on the bottem should I make a new gif to show the bottom bar or does it look allright like it is

[The Tavern Wench]

It looking good Bob! 

Find this piece of code in your stylesheet.css:

Code:

#logoWrapper {
  width: 100%;
  height:133px;
  background-image: url(../images/header.gif);
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  }

Where it says height: 133px  adjust that to maybe 150px for starters.  Keep adjusting it until the header looks right.   

[robertjohnston]

Hope I'm done for a while

Bob

[vinewood]

  robert 

    great  job 

[farvelcargo]

Hey Robert!
Your site is looking so nice!
I really like the colors you picked too!
WTG!
Sue

[robertjohnston]

I'm totaly remodeled thanks to Deb. I like it and I hope all you crabby folks do to.

Thank's Deb

[The Bar Keep]

Hi Bob,

I love the newly installed template. Congrats on a great new look. I do have a list of suggestions that Crabby gave to me that really worked so before she gets to you allow me because she can be really Crabby. 


1) Site meter on independent websites is a major turn off to buyers. The ones that understand what it is for feel like they are being tracked so I would lose that as Crabby told me to. Besides if you have the user tracking mod installed it does far more then site meter and is hidden from view.

2) I turned off the who's online box on my site at the suggestion of Crabby. When someone is browsing through your site they really don't need to know if they are alone or not. Major turn off to buyers.

3) The Alexa box needs to go from my point of view. Buyers tend to not understand what Alexa is all about and it is only a gauge that is vague at best. I have studied Alexa more then most and have a pretty good grasp of how good the gauge is here is my results:

Alexa is a feel good number that will confuse all independent website owners for years to come.

4) Talk to Deb or myself about a review of your meta tags and text for your homepage, Deb and I work together on this and we both feel we can improve your search results drastically.


5) Last thing is a recomendation I give to all media type sellers. Brand yourself through Amazon marketplace. I sell media type items there to supplement my income and from what I can tell a media website owner needs a site such as Amazon for a marketing channel.


I know that is alot all at once but you are well on your way Bob and I wish you all the success in the world.


Joe - The Bar Keep

[yardsalesurfer]

Hello,
I have a suggestion...whether it is a good one or not I'm not sure...Bob I checked out your site when I first registered for the forum because I have a weakness for buying books! I thought your website looked great and had a 'comfortable' atmosphere about it-which I think is a very important thing because I think many people who have been online for ages forget...most people still are getting used to shopping online. The one thing that I was disappointed with is that there really wasn't anything for young children in your store.  I am a mom of 3 who are 7 and under. I shop online mostly out of necessity. Going to a bookstore is a nightmare for me right now because my youngest who is 1 and a half would just tear the place apart. You may have very good reason not to have such inventory and you may have tried children's stuff before and not had much success with it..but I just thought I'd let you know..because if you had had a children's classic like 'The Story about Ping' or something of the sort you likely would have made a sale off me!

[robertjohnston]

yardsalesurfer

Your right I am missing the boat not having childrens books also Audio Books I will see what I can do to include those in my store. I begain selling on the internet because my wife is a avid reader and was getting a large supply of books around the house. I now go to grage Sales and purchase a lot of my books. I find childrens books are perrty ruff shape but I will look at them a little harder.

Bob

[chiquita]

Bob

Your site is coming along nicely. You can find children's books at goodwill too. I have built an entire Dr. Seuss collection from buying there.
 

Also you really need to try selling some on Amazon Marketplace. You could make your own bookmarks out of card stock paper and print your web addy on it. I buy almost all my books there and many sellers send me a free bookmark with a discount coupon to buy on their website.

Good luck with your site, and here's to many sales
 

[yardsalesurfer]

Hello Again,
I can relate to the problem of having too many books around the house. I am a recovering book collector junky. I had to quit my habit because we move too much and when the kids came along..well that was the tip of the iceburg!
Definitely a good idea about the good will and other thrift stores. I find generally they are just 'giving' kids books away. And I have definitely bought my share of children's books on Amazon and I usually buy used-the kids will wreck them anyways! I was thinking of other suggestions as well. I played 'if I were to sell books online who would I think would be my ideal customers?'
here is what I came up with:
1. Homeschoolers-because they need to purchase most of their reference books etc...for schooling. Kids who go to school get plenty of things to read for homework and also get sent home with book orders which offer great books at great prices.
2. People with lots of kids-time constraints, and mobility issues;)
3. People who are online.
So my number 1 candidates that fit this criterion are: Christian Homeschoolers!
From my experience these people often have large families, homeschool and network online.-well anyways I entertained myself today whilst doing the house work:)
I'm sure chiquita has a much better idea about what sells than I do! Good luck!

 

[CrankyCanuck]

Oh yeah, Bob, that is ever so much better with that new template, I love the look.  Nice going!  :clap :clap

Shelley

[farvelcargo]

Hey Bob!
I don't know how close you are to your local library but the one in my community has a table of books when you walk in that are free! Back in the beginning of my online selling days I made a few bucks picking those up!
Sue