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BigBlue
Posts: 130
Joined: 1/31/2002
From: Murrieta CA USA
Status: offline
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Ready for a make-over, but need suggestions - 4/6/2002 18:27:44
I've got a small corner of my site where I sell t-shirts, mugs and mousepads (that sort of thing) via CafePress (a really neat concept).
I'm preparing a slew of new products (the current catalog is pretty meager), and I'm going to redesign the storefront. I'll be hosting my own catalog and product detail pages, but the shopping cart and checkout will continue to be served by CafePress.
I'm hoping to get some feedback before I dive into the redesign. The new design will include:
- a "front page" where I can feature specific products and add some jazzier graphics
- a product listing - I'm undecided as to whether I'll categorize by design or item, but I'm leaning toward categorizing by design.
- product details - this will show an larger view of the product with all the usual details. This is where users would select the size and quantity.
Known problems with the current design:
- product images too small - I recognize that I need to have a larger product image, maybe something similar to what they've done at www.uthstuph.com
- poor contrast (white-on-white) - this is trickier, because my site design is pretty much based on a white page background, but the basic CafePress products are all white!. Will adding drop shadows be sufficient or ???
- Crummy name for the "gear" section of the site
- Poor integration - this should be solved (as much as it can be with CafePress) when I host my own product detail page. I've seen some sites that open the CafePress shopping cart in a pop-up window, which might be better... any thoughts?
Almost forgot! Here's the URL: http://www.bigblueball.com/store/default.asp
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Jeff Hester
www.BigBlueBall.com - Everything about instant messaging & chat!
Edited by - BigBlue on 04/06/2002 21:20:42
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DarlingBri
Posts: 3123
From: Left of Centre, Cork, Ireland
Status: offline
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RE: Ready for a make-over, but need suggestions - 4/6/2002 21:58:01
Hi again! 
Actually, I love the white on white thing. If you think it's not defined enough, then yes, a drop shadow might be good, but I like it the way it looks now :)
As for design/cat... since it's in a db, why not have the home page show one of each type of item (cups, pads, hats, etc) and show each one in a different variety. Then below it, do:
show all mugs | show all products with this design
Let the shopper choose.
Pop-up windows for carts are fine - they're used by millions of PayPal shoppers, but I find it just ever-so-slightly "low rent" unless it's very customised and slick.
--Bri
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BigBlue
Posts: 130
Joined: 1/31/2002
From: Murrieta CA USA
Status: offline
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RE: Ready for a make-over, but need suggestions - 4/7/2002 12:14:02
Hello again, Sabrina!
What can I say, CafePress is low rent! There are really only three options available to me:- Redirect to their site - Everytime someone puts an item in the shopping cart, they are redirected from the product page to the CafePress site, with minimal branding from my site. If they click "continue shopping" from there, they get sent back to the URL of my choice.
- Open the cart in a pop-up - Here the cart opens in a pop-up sized so they can still see my site. If they click "continue shopping" the pop-up closes.
- Full customization - If my sales ever reaches the point where I qualify, CafePress will allow full customization of the cart and checkout to match my site's design. It's still hosted on their server. www.Salon.com is a good example of such a site (yes, they use CafePress).
In all cases, the actual checkout transaction is hosted on CafePress' site; I've no choice in that matter.
You're other two suggestions are excellent! A 'featured product' or some such thing on the homepage would improve visibility. And letting the user choose...what a novel (and obviously correct) idea!
I'm still bothered by the poor contrast of the white shirts with the white background though. I found one other interesting method of showing the design: http://www.johnbaynham.com/index.php
He highlights the design (in this case, a single-frame cartoon), with small rollovers for the various products (t-shirt, mug, mousepad). Works really well for his particular product. Not exactly what I'm looking to do, but a bit closer (as far as product display).
Thanks for the advice!
Jeff Hester
www.BigBlueBall.com - Everything about instant messaging & chat!
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DarlingBri
Posts: 3123
From: Left of Centre, Cork, Ireland
Status: offline
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RE: Ready for a make-over, but need suggestions - 4/11/2002 2:10:57
OMG! I LOVE THAT!!!!!
--Bri
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