Greetings and Salutations!

[Tawaka]

Just wanted to come in and say hello and see if anyone has any advice to offer. My friend and I have started our business, (www.thebellaboutique.net) an online children's boutique. We have been open for almost a month and a half and I have been advertising all over the net with no results. Can anyone give me an idea of something they have done that actually WORKS? I don't know about you guys, but I can't keep paying to advertise without seeing results! Anyway, I look forward to meeting you and hearing what you have to say:)

[miracoli]

Hi Tawaka,

The clothing on your site is so sweet! I love it, although I don't think my boys'd go for it. ; )

Your About Me page is terrific. You tell such a personal story and create an immediate connection with your visitors. The more you connect with people, the higher conversion rate, I believe. Reading about your friendship and building your shop thousands of miles apart with a singular vision was invaluable. By the end of the page, you had me. I simply did not care if my boys would not wear Bella Boutique dresses, I had to have one. I began counting up my nieces... : )

Have you worked with Search Engine Optimization? I'm just starting a class that teaches that and web marketing, and the small bit I've learned so far is that search engines want text. About 1,000 words per product page with carefully placed keywords in your write-ups should help.

I would also consider the possibility of adding a blog to your site. Blog entries seem to hit the search engines with blazing speed as compared to websites. And if your visitors add your blog to their feeds, they'll get instant updates from you every time they open up their feed readers. These are just my own personal experiences; you may want to consult with a professional on this subject first.

But the personal connection is priceless. In our super-quick-hurry-hurry impersonal world, a personal website is such an oasis. People want to connect, want to be a part of your vision and your mission, what you believe in your heart about children. It's so much more than the product that any of us are selling. I'd just about bet that if you infuse your product descriptions with the same voice as your About Us page, you'll see an increase in connections, loyalty and sales.

But talk to a pro! My 2c is based on the smidge I've learned in class and my own personal experience. YMMV.

Best wishes for much, much success!

Peace,
Jennifer

[Tawaka]

Thank you, Jennifer for your kind response! Actually, I don't really know about the whole search engine op that you wrote about, so perhaps I can pick your brain a little bit about this?

I have been considering doing a blog, but think I would like to take a look around at some other sites to see what others do. However, my writing has always been my strength, and I can't imagine writing anything other than what comes out of my heart. Never have been very good at things that don't matter, you know?

At any rate, I have stopped in briefly to see your site, and will be dropping by tomorrow when I have more time.

Thanks so much for your warm and thoughtful response:)

Tawaka

[miracoli]

Pick away! But trust me, it won't take you long. LOL

I started the SEO classes, but got stalled because of the whole website issue, so I haven't learned much yet. What I did learn so far is that there is such a thing as ethical and non-ethical SEO (who'da thought?) and that you don't ever want to be banned from a search engine for non-ethical SEO practices.

Any particular questions that I can be of no help with? ; ) I might could point you in a direction, though.

Peace,
Jennifer

[ladymeinking]

Ah, you must be taking Cricket's course, Jennifer... excellent course! I HIGHLY recommend it. I learned most of what I know from Cricket, and the rest from doing it. Best of all, it's a totally free course!