catalog suspended

[suederry]

I suspended the calalog as instructed for the v9.0.5 upgrade, but my site remains suspended after de-selecting suspended. Any ideas would be most welcome, I'd like to start trading again!

Thanks

Problem solved by refreshing the website, but that wasn't obvious because now in v9.0.5 the publish and refresh progress boxes look identical and I was fooled into thinking the functions were also identical.

happy again

[leehack]

Have you uploaded the site?
Does the add to cart button show on the preview screen?

PS - don't bother suspending unless you have a very very busy site. It's not worth the hassle. Just upload at a quiet time in future IMO.

[leehack]

If you don't do something about the colour of your links, i'd be surprised if anyone uses the site anyway, they're practically invisible! You have a shop window which has been effectively blacked out using some tint spray from Halfords.

Search engines won't like that either as it was an old trick to get a right load of text onto a page but hidden in the past, now frowned upon.

[Darren B]

are you using the live site or the test site http://www.sandedge.com/acatalog/test/acatalog/

change the script id, restart actinic with a compact database and then upload

[guccij]

There's visible affiliate (?) code for a well known cheap car repair company at the bottom of the home page. Also a Google search box.

[suederry]

If you don't do something about the colour of your links, i'd be surprised if anyone uses the site anyway, they're practically invisible! You have a shop window which has been effectively blacked out using some tint spray from Halfords.

Search engines won't like that either as it was an old trick to get a right load of text onto a page but hidden in the past, now frowned upon.

Hi Leehack, not quite sure what the ref to Halfords means, I'm sure you did not mean to cause offence by your comments about the links and the number of users on the site.We usually find the Community very helpful on the few occasions we have had problems and am grateful to those who find the time to make their knowledge available to us all.

[leehack]

Not sure which browser you use Sue, but if you look at your site using the world's most popular browser (Internet Explorer, around 65% of your users use this), you should see that the links in the sidebar to your sections are barely readable as are much of the important headings on your site. White text on very light blue background is mostly unreadable, much the same as a shop window tinted black would not show passers by anything either.

You want to make your shop a joy to browse, not a struggle, a simple change of color will enhance the experience for your users tenfold. I and many many others would leave a site like yours almost instantly, because we'd perceive that if you can't be bothered to make things readable and it's a bind to use, how could you ever look after my money and the products i'd like to buy from you.

As also mentioned it is not good for search engines. So you can stick where you are and do nothing, or make it more usable and keep more people on the site once they arrive? That's a no brainer surely?

Screenshot attached in case you are lost on what I am on about.

[Sean Williams]

I'm in agreement on this - I'd advise changing the text in the navigation to something dark - preferably black. Sometimes usability has to take preference over the absolute aesthetic.
I'd guess that a good percentage of your customers may be of an age where their site isn't as perfect as it once was (i.e. anyone over 40 ) and they could well be put off browsing right from the start.
Even if you don't agree - try it for a trial period and check your stats to see what difference it makes.

[markburley]

I agree - I very quickly gave up as the colour scheme was difficult to read. I would imagine that most people would find it the same.

Mark

[suederry]

OK guys, I get the picture and appreciate the help and the suggestions.

Oddly enough we get a lot of favourable comments on the sites appearance from customers....

Just a thought, as it's obvious I'm no whizz with the tech side, what's the verdict on google optimizer as a test for, amongst other things, the font colour change?
Thanks again

[pinbrook]

the overall theme for the website is fine, all that needs improvement is readability on the text. Rather than using pale colours within your palette for text go for the other end of the spectrum and choose dark colours for contrast.
Overall the look wont be that different but people will be able to read it more easily

[leehack]

If you get a lot of favourable comments, then there must be hundreds of people not so happy, so the site should get a massive boost by just a few simple usability changes. You'll be inundated with good comments once the masses see it as usable.

If you are not a techy person, don't get hung up on things like the google optimizer. Trust your own eyes and common sense, it really is nothing more difficult than that. If Marks & Sparks had a big black sheet in front of their window display masking the products they have in the window, you'd walk past and think to yourself WTF are they doing. Use the same thought process with your own site, don't look at it as your lovely fluffy bunny that you are so proud of, look at it as a money making machine which needs to be right on all accounts. No high street shop makes a sale if they don't open their door, online principles are almost identical.

[suederry]

ok here I am at the design tab for change default font for the store and it seems to be telling me just the size and style not the font colour.
I suppose it is obvious where to change it... just not to me,
thanks again

[leehack]

Theme configuration is where you need to be (design drop down menu), the same place where you first set it to be the light blue. Steer well clear of the design tab, all you need to control is in the theme configuration option or in site options. Read the inbuilt help for a tutorial on what to do if you are confused, it should be pretty clear once you see it though, you must have been in there before i'd imagine.

[suederry]

Hi have taken on board your suggestions and thanks for the help, much appreciated