Web Page help w/E Commerce capability

[SF_BHT]

OK

I am not a web master but I need recommendations to help out my LDS (Local Dive Shop)

Their web page is terrible and the person that was going to fix it is AWOL.

I really like this lady and she runs the best real LDS in the area. She is not very computer savvy.

What I am looking for is the following:

1st Option - Recommend a good software off the net (Not too Pricey) or Freeware that is low end user friendly. It needs to be e-commerce ready.

2nd Option - Someone to build it for her remotely

The shop as most just gets by and she has little money in the budget for this but fixing a new web site could increase her business.

Thanks for any recommendations.......

SF_BHT

[JJ_BPK]

B

1)A really cheap and easy start is FaceBook. You can open a page and start telling your friends. google spiders list FB commercial pages.. Here is a list of FB Scuba Shops:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pembro...278&type=pages

2)Another place to start looking with is your friends ISP. Many like AOL have free applications to start internal AOL sites..

3)The local CoC or the PR Tourista Bureau may have help.

4)Getting listed on the local hotel web sites will get more exposure, especially if they are the Hilton ot Holiday Inn type with international web exposure.

5)Her Product Vendors should be able to list her shop on their web sites. When I worked at our LDS we sold ScubaPro, Cressi, and a couple other brands. They listed the shop and allowed us to link to their site.

6)Your location & local talent will be the gate, as she has already found out. But if she can find someone on the local LEO dive team,, that is web smart, she may be able to trade time for gear.. One of our best instructors worked in the LEO dive locker.

Tell her elaborate web sites are great,, but a simple link with the shop name, phone number, & email will do 95% of the work and costs the least..

Good Luck..

[SF_BHT]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

B

1)A really cheap and easy start is FaceBook. You can open a page and start telling your friends. goggle spiders list FB commercial pages.. Here is a list of FB Scuba Shops:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pembro...278&type=pages

2)Another place to start looking with is your friends ISP. Many like AOL have free applications to start internal AOL sites..

3)The local CoC or the PR Tourista Bureau may have help.

4)Getting listed on the local hotel web sites will get more exposure, especially if they are the Hilton ot Holiday Inn type with international web exposure.

5)Her Product Vendors should be able to list her shop on their web sites. When I worked at our LDS we sold ScubaPro, Cressi, and a couple other brands. They listed the shop and allowed us to link to their site.

6)Your location & local talent will be the gate, as she has already found out. But if she can find someone on the local LEO dive team,, that is web smart, she may be able to trade time for gear.. One of our best instructors worked in the LEO dive locker.

Tell her elaborate web sites are great,, but a simple link with the shop name, phone number, & email will do 95% of the work and costs the least..

Good Luck..

Thanks here is her site right now....http://www.osdivers.com/

Very basic and not very appealing to draw in the tourist which is her bread and butter.

Hell maybe if I can get smart on this I can get some Pro Lessons from them. Never thought about that. Problem is I do not have much time in this job here.

[JJ_BPK]

B

That's a very good start. It covers all the basic points, not cluttered, simple message with easy to navigate pages. I didn't go to all the sub-pages, but the ones I tried all worked..

If she can get list listed at a bunch of sites as I stated she should be GtG.

Trying to make web site to complicated does two things,,

1)spends money
2)consumes resources

The ROI going from simple to complicated is an exponential fail...

PS: I will give her a free PR shot on FB..

[SF_BHT]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

B

That's a very good start. It covers all the basic points, not cluttered, simple message with easy to navigate pages. I didn't go to all the sub-pages, but the ones I tried all worked..

If she can get list listed at a bunch of sites as I stated she should be GtG.

Trying to make web site to complicated does two things,,

1)spends money
2)consumes resources

The ROI going from simple to complicated is an exponential fail...

PS: I will give her a free PR shot on FB..

JJ

I will let her know and pass on your sugestions.......

[RockSolid]

-Paypal and google offer simple e-commerce solutions.

And both integrate pretty simple, into webpages. (I.E. Simple HTML coded "BUY NOW" buttons)

-Homestead.com offers some great, simple and easy solutions for start up webpages with graphics etc.

Anyone can access a homestead website offsite via a program that will allow for full manipulation of the website. The program is download'able from homestead.com

She will have to bring her current web address over to homestead.com not quite sure how to do this but i know it can be done.

-Lastly Id suggest some S.E.O. (Search Engine Optimization - this stuff is a little more complicated with meta tags etc but I successfully managed to get my personal training gym ranked in the top 5 for my key search words. I can assist there also.

This is all just my .02......This is all the trial and error stuff I learned when I started by business and had to do everything for it by myself.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance. Im sure there's some bigger brains about all this stuff, I have only self taught skills.

-RS

[Nightfall]

I concur with the PayPal statement. It is by far the easiest, and from there she can go on to sell her wares on the Ebay and Amazon if she cose to setup an online shop.

I also agree with the keep it simple. As I have in the past run several web sites, the problems start the more compicated you get. As it gets complicated you run the risk of compatibility issues with the various browsers. A huge pain in the rear.