hi,
i took a quick look around…”leif” layout is pretty clean and esay to nav…
i did not look at all
i did not sign up
julie
hi,
i may be confused…
…but the templates are basically a layout style…you insert your own photos and can type in your own headings and text…
so you would be looking for a layout style that you like…the sample shown could be for electronics…shoes…beauty products…those are just to show a “package”…you are looking for “how” the layout navigates from section to section, and perhaps features for product options, shipping options, sales tax options, back end bookkeeping/ sales tracking, etc…
for example, i personally do not prefer websites that
use “scrollbar/ slideshow type layouts, or group products by collection names…
i like to be able to always access the main navigation bar from any page i am on, and be able to click back and forth
i like to see many photos on one page instead of having to click “next”
it is basically a catalog, and you get to pick a template for how the pages are set up…
i like product photo rich pages…not alot of white space…but i do not like tiny thumbnail photos…
i like multiple views of the product as well as magnification
if there are dropdown options, like white gold, yellow gold, i like the photo to change and represent the option color
(i think the ability to have many options would be a key feature i would look for…size/ length, metal, personalization, etc
ie: what features are important to you, to help answer all questions before they are asked, and help sell your product in an “unmanned” shop…
forget about product category for a moment…just click thru ones that appeal to you intrinsically and tgen go in and see if the flow makes sense to you…
i hope i am making sense…
julie
Don’t worry if the template shows jewelry or bicycles, if you could see your work being presented in a way that you like, use the template. My site is a Wix template that I have greatly modified, but the the basic template structure is still there. Wix has worked for me for a long time, but I have used others in the past. I suspect that Shopify works in a similar way. Be careful that you don’t get sucked in by the word “free” if you want to use your own URL, that may cost, otherwise a simple free website may still be possible. Good luck…Rob
I have used WIX as well for about 10 years. I have a site for Old Erie Crafters as well as my band and the finished appearance of both is really quite good. There are many templates to choose from. This isn’t necessarily a good thing if you are chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla type like me.
I find the “Tuning Up” of the WIX site to be a little clunky altho’ not nearly as much as the other sites I tried. But it is worth the effort. My best advice on the look of the site is avoid complicated fonts and overly busy layouts. Don’t overlay frames. Be aware that some font colors just can’t be read when laid over some backgrounds. Also when it comes to text less can be more. A lesson I haven’t learned as I still have huge amounts of text on my site.
Most people look at websites on their telephones and not on television sized computer screens. WIX has the means to be shown on a phone and still be navigable.
I do no business over a website. That requires a degree of “Book Keeping” I didn’t want to mess with but I am reviewing that decision currently.
Lastly things work differently for different people. Processes that I use won’t be efficient for others and vice versa.
Good luck, have fun, ask questions.
Don
hi,
try playing with “leif”…get your feet wet…dive in…get under the hood and look around
(metaphor mixing alert!)
so for example, on the first/ landing page
basically i have the same info, available 2 ways
- navigation bar:
vertical- drop down navigation bar
or horizontal- navigation tabs across the top somewhere
(you pick which)
i can quickly tap the nav bar and see a list of topline “sections” (ie:necklace, earrings, rings) that i can click into
or, there is
- section photos/ “shop now” buttons
with big fascinating, enticing group(?) photos to draw me in…make me go “ooohhh! and to click in!
*** all photo styles and compositions you shoot should support your overall brand image
ok, now i am in…i have clicked into a “section”…say “earrings”…
now, at the top of the page there are a few shopping options for me…ways i can find things…
- i can hit “view all” and scroll down at my leisure
(i love “view all”…i dislike clicking ”next”…or trying to tap a teeny page number, or remembering what page i saw something on…thus my love for “view all” buttons!
or, i can
- click on the “categories” dropdown menu and “filter” for just…say…”hoops”…or…”studs”…or…”dangles”
and! at any time, i can look for the nav bar and go back to a different section, rather than using the back arrow (when the nav bar is NOT accessable from every page)…i dislike having to use back buttons
i do like “home” at the top of the nav bar…this example did not use it…i know intuitively i can usually click on the brand logo and it will take me back to home…but…i like a home button…
i hope i am providing clarity on the “big picture” of how to “look at” these different templates and assess if they “work” for you…for how your brain wants to “organize” the shop…
it is really like a visual ladder that leads you down…from the general (sections), to the specific (categories)
enticing the viewer to keep clicking in, and clicking around…instead of clicking in, and leaving…
also, each click adds to your “popularity score” in terms of search (generally speaking)…engagement…
Google SEO…later!…)
julie
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Great advice, Julie. It’s just gonna take time, isn’t it?
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hi!
your biggest challenge will be to go slow, have fun, and not get overwhelmed!
jukie