Advice On Website

[RuralWeb]

FatFace's site is a really nice site, and what I am seeing time and time again that nicer ecommerce sites are not built on actinic's framework

You could build a site similar to fatface with actinic easily IMO.
If you think Actinic is expensive then Im sure fatface cost a whole lot more

[TraceyHand]

A bad workman ....

well, I might not have put it quite like that but blaming Actinic was pretty lame, IMO.

Actinic is VERY versatile in many areas and cannot be used as an excuse for a poorly thought out concept!
Ok, so it lacks a dynamic element, but none of the issues mentioned by anyone generous enough to reply to your thread have had anything to do with that. Or anything else specifically Actinic-related, for that matter.

I think the best suggestion made was to stop trying to be 'clever' and go with what has been proven to work.

[bamboo]

well, I might not have put it quite like that but blaming Actinic was pretty lame, IMO.

Proving once again she is an angel.

[TraceyHand]

Proving once again she is an angel.

I'm certainly NO angel!
Although it's always nice to be called one

[RuralWeb]

I think the best suggestion made was to stop trying to be 'clever' and go with what has been proven to work

FatFace obay the rules you dont so if you like the site why dont you do what they do - is it because thier site looks like its been built in Actinic????

[sgtbash]

Sorry Tracey, I am finding it hard to find how Actinic is versatile.
Admittedly improvements have been made from previous versions but again and again actinic limits what we want to do with the site. Once classic example of this is having to use individual sections to have single products on one page.
We managed to find a way of doing this an setting the navigation to show which levels we wanted, but it took far longer than a dynamic db driven site would have done.

Maybe it is just me - as always not knowing the program, but I am sure after 4 years of using it I should be getting there.

[sgtbash]

FatFace obay the rules you dont so if you like the site why dont you do what they do - is it because thier site looks like its been built in Actinic????

this has been mentioned above, fatface although are not as big as quick and ripcurl and billabong, are a corporate and mainstream brand.

Nineplus are not.

[RuralWeb]

fatface although are not as big as quick and ripcurl and billabong, are a corporate and mainstream brand.

Nineplus are not.

I dont understand this - are you saying that because you are not well known you have to have a "different" website to everyone else

[sgtbash]

I dont understand this - are you saying that because you are not well known you have to have a "different" website to everyone else

Almost - Its not that we are not well known, just not well known in the main stream markets.

Nineplus is a niche brand that has a specific customer base. The kind of person that will shop at the big 3 will not necessarily even know of Nineplus; this is because they shop with quick/billabong/ripcurl because it has the name on and they want to wear a surfing label.

People that buy Nineplus buy it because they want to be a part of what we are. Im finding it hard to explain as I myself don't fit into the retro longboard movement.

So yes, we do kind of want to have a different website to all the others as we are different to all the others.

I am now trying to find how i can still have the 'different' effect but still host a useable and functional site.

[sgtbash]

Im going to get a good night sleep for my long day of website rejigging tomorrow

Thanks all for your help and ideas.

It seems I have started some sort of debate - oops.

Anyway, thanks again!

Have a great night all, will post my results tomorrow

[RuralWeb]

Not to mention its extortionate price tag

This speaks volumes and indicates to me that your site is not making much money - if it was then the cost of actinic would be insignificant to you. I have clients who spend more on adwords every day than Actinic costs and they dont bat an eye lid because they are making lots of profit.

I know it may sound "retro" but you need to design your site for your users NOT you. Consider doing some A/B testing and see what works best for your shoppers.

[leehack]

Having just read through all of this, the one things that stands out to me Dan is that you have tried to be different, but what you changed was all the things that should come as standard with an ecommerce/info site. We all drive different cars, but they all have 4 wheels an engine and a steering wheel. We want to be different is very close to saying 'we are setting ourselves up to fail', UNLESS you are very very clued up on what to do. You've sacrificed useability to try and look different, when in reality (i call upon numerous sites of experience here) a bog standard actinic theme would probably serve you better and take more money.

I have no problem with different, i actually like it, but it's no good being different and failing. I'd rather be a loaded sheep than a skint unique person. Get the site back to core basics and the good times can roll.

[sgtbash]

This speaks volumes and indicates to me that your site is not making much money - if it was then the cost of actinic would be insignificant to you. I have clients who spend more on adwords every day than Actinic costs and they dont bat an eye lid because they are making lots of profit.

I know it may sound "retro" but you need to design your site for your users NOT you. Consider doing some A/B testing and see what works best for your shoppers.

I am afraid your 'indications' are incorrect.

I was merely commenting on the price of Actinic compared to other platforms, even the free ones I have seen knock the socks of actinic. Sadly, when I started, I was a newbie with ecommerce, I chose actinic, and for the moment that is where we will have to stay.

[leehack]

I am afraid your 'indications' are incorrect.

If it's doing well, ignore all this advice you have been given and leave it well alone. No need to change something successful and make needless work for yourself, reviews are only opinions. Your users are obviously telling you that you got it very right, stick with it.

[Goz]

I am afraid your 'indications' are incorrect.

I was merely commenting on the price of Actinic compared to other platforms, even the free ones I have seen knock the socks of actinic. Sadly, when I started, I was a newbie with ecommerce, I chose actinic, and for the moment that is where we will have to stay.

If 'the free ones knock the socks off Actinic' then shouldn't you be making a move in that direction?

"Sadly", while Actinic is far from perfect, if you give everyone the impression that you think it's a crock of sh*te (which you are doing) then you'll find it increasingly difficult to get the help you're after.