the good and bad of low cost web stores
DESCRIPTION
Hiring a web designer can be a daunting task. Who can you trust? Who will give you the best web site for your e-commerce store? One way to build a web presence is through the use of low cost web stores. Learn how to separate the good from the bad when choosing a low cost web store platform.TRANSCRIPT
The Good and Bad of Low Cost Web Stores
Rodney Resella – Web ProductionAugust 1st 2011
@Vendio
Agenda
Introductions
What To Look For In A Web Store
Store Design Options
Custom Design Option
Hiring A Designer
Closing Thoughts
Questions?
Introduction
Leading On-demand eCommerce platform for small and medium sized merchants (SMM)– 90,000 merchants selling over $1.5 Billion of goods annuallyIncorporated in 1999, headquartered in Silicon ValleyMulti-channel eCommerce Platform offering – Customizable fully-hosted online store– Inventory, channel & business management solutions– Reporting & analyticsDealio.com – coupons and deals website Acquired by Alibaba.com in July of 2010Acquired SingleFeed in June 2011 – CSE data feed management company
3
About Me – Rodney Resella
Director of Web Production at Vendio
16 Years of Design Experience
13 Years of Ecommerce Experience
11 Years at Vendio
Web Design, Graphic Design, Web Development, Visual Design, UI Design
What To Look For In a Web Store?
Store CentricProviders
Different Types of Store Providers
DomaineersMulti-Channel
Providers
LowestMonthly Fee Transaction Fee Storage Bandwidth SKUs
$ - 0% 500 MB Unlimited Unlimited
$ 24.99 2% Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
$ 29.95 0.5% 5 GB 50 GB 250
~1K ? ? ? ?
$ 39.95 1.5% Unlimited Unlimited 50,000(max)
$ 29.95 0% 1 GB 5 GB 25
$ 49.95 0% Not published 10 GB Unlimited
$ 29.00 2% 100 MB Unlimited 100
$ 19.00 0% Not published 1 GB 100
Feature Comparison
Other Store Features To Consider
Small Medium LargePricing Free $ $$
Ad Supported Yes None None
Support Help Documentation
Help Documentation, Email Support
Help Documentation, Email Support, Phone Support, Chat, Personal Account Assistance
Importing & Setup Time 1-3 Min 5-15 Min 1-2 Hours
Scalability Fast Performance
Fast – Moderate Performance
Moderate to SlowPerformance
Store Design Options“You get what you pay for”
Low Cost Store Design Options
Option Pro Con
Upload a logo and adjust colors
-Free-Very little work
-Very plain look for store-Do you have a logo?
Use Predesigned Templates from Web Store Host
-Free-Easy to Use -Tested
-Looks Like Other Stores
Design and Build it Yourself - No need to hire anyone - A long time to learn and do the work
So You Think You Can Build A Website?
http://vitamintalent.com/vitabites/post.htm?id=70e9a612-1dbd-4da4-bbe8-3385a4f306fa
Medium Cost Store Design Options
Some tweaks
Option Pro Con
Copy a Predesigned Template and make some adjustments to it.
-Free to start-Slightly different than other stores
-Might still look similar to other stores-Easy to break if you don’t know what you are doing-Need to retest-May need to hire a freelancer to make changes
Purchase a Premium Template from an online Template provider
-Relatively cheap options-Design and code is already done
-May need to hire a freelancer to tweak and integrate the template into webstore-Template may not fit all store layouts-Test template
High Cost Store Design Options
Option Pro Con
Unique Store Design created by an agency
-Different than any other store. -The way you like it-Built Specifically for your audience-Your own
-Will Cost Time and Money. Could take months and thousands of dollars.- Agencies and great freelancers aren’t cheap
Types of Designers
Freelancer vs. Agency
Generalist - Web Designer vs. Specialist - Web Developer, User Experience Designer, Visual Designer
Contract or Fulltime.
Offsite vs. Onsite
Where to Look for Designers?
Ask Friends, Family and Peers First
Ask Store Owners on Your Web Store Platform
Freelance Marketplaces: Elance, Krop, Dribble
Agency & Freelancer Directories
Job Boards: LinkedIn, Craigslist
Interviewing Designers
First Learn The Basics and The Lingo
Ask Lots of Questions
Design Process Details
Years Designing
Staying Up To Date
Examples of Great Store Designs
Other Projects
Familiarity with Web Store Platforms
Choosing the Designer
Review Designer’s Portfolio, Stores and Sites
Check References
Get Quotes from at least 3 designers
Detailed Written Contract
Empathy, Passion and Communication
Future Opportunities?
Get Feedback
Leverage Friends, Family and Peers– Usertesting.com
Ask Your Customers What They Think– Free Survey (Poll Daddy, Survey Monkey)– Embed Google Survey link on website– Email, Social – ask your customers, they will help you!
Conclusion
Size Matters
You Get What You Pay For
Store Designs - Build Vs. Buy
Find The Right Designer
Get Feedback
