Websites Worried about using a free website

Hey

I'm currently setting up a online lingerie boutique but I'm worried my site will put off potential customers. At the minute I cannot aford to pay for a website to be made, so doing it all myself.
So any tips, advice and comments on the site would be excellent. I really want to know if the overall look is bad, off putting if you woul buy from this site, if its easy to navigate etc....

Thanks

Sam

http://loveasifind.webs.com

 

You can use a free website for a short term, until you can afford a paid site.
Check the free website to determine that they do not use forced ads, and you can use your own ads. There are some very good ones that meet these requirements.
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Also you need to use some compression (zip or ...) on your pictures (some jpegs are good). Try a different slideshow program (many are free and faster - "CSS play" has some good ones.
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The more CSS and the less JavaScript you use the faster the site will load. Much of the effects in JavaScript can be duplicated with CSS. "CSS play" has many of the effects you may want. Also check other sources.
Your main problem is load time, probably pictures and JavaScript. There are techniques to speed up JavaScript.
Suggest you use color pictures, they can be made to load fast, and there are some "free" programs for that also.
Do a search for "free CSS gallery", "free CSS slideshow", also there are some free javascript and flash. Most importand is loadtime.
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hope this helps
falcon

 

photo galleries & slideshows
http://dhtmlsite.com/imagegalleries.php

image gallery & slideshow
http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/resources/57-free-image-gallery-slideshow-and-lightbox-solutions/

http://www.1000files.com/free/css-slideshow.html

http://www.anvsoft.com/web-album-maker.html


Free Website (check the conditions for use on all free programs)
http://www.yola.com/ppc-b.php?cid=248864&gclid=CLPa5dOAwpsCFSMSagod0m9BAg

There are more, but this should get you started
(be sure to check, because software developers
sometimes change the conditions, which is their right)
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hope this helps
falcon

 

if you cannot even afford a website.. then you are not serious in doing business.. try this.. byethost.com. they afford really cheap webhosting. in all you only have to shell 40 bucks/year .... i dont know... if you can't even afford this !!!!!

 

very serious

Hello'

I am very serious about this venture, one of the issues of starting a business is rasiing fund, as I have only began in the past few weeks I do not think it shows im 'not serious' becuase I don't have the hundreds of pounds it costs to make a site. I think I show I'm serious by the makig the very most of the resources I have available to me.
Also I have only just graduated and this venture is a change for me to make the very most of what I have learned and not just settle with any job I can find in the current economic state. Also by business is not going to make a large amount of money in its first year, therefore I need to use what money I do raise towards the most imortant things such as my fabrics and promotion.
So please do not jusdge my seriousness on my site. I am still working to make it the best I can, and in the next few months I am going to purchase the .com but that is mainly to get rid of the ad banner along the top.
Thanks

 

For starting a business, don't worry about the free site. Your main concern should be the site itself. There are many free programs that you can use, and if you remove the idenity in source code, no one will know, and most don't care. First priority is getting publicity about the site. SEO is the easiest way (I didn't say it was easy) and cheapest. There are these things to consider, they are separate but overlap:
- First page in search engines for selected "keywords".
- Increase traffic
- Reduce bounce rate (people staying less than a minute)
- Increase conversione (sales)

For position in search engines, submit to at least 50 of the most popular (do it manually and track the results - Do not submit if you are already listed - check prior to submitting)
http://www.freewebsubmission.com/
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Check your keywords for popularity
http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/
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Run your webpage through a webpage analysis tool
http://www.creatingonline.com/site_promotion/website_checker.htm
some of their suggestions need your best judgement before changing, but they are a good suggestion tool.
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Check with your competition and see what they are doing
Know what keywords they use
Know how their photo album or slideshow is or is not effective
Think of how you can beat them
Submit to several website reviews to get different opinions
Look at "Fredricks of Hollywood" to get ideas
http://www.fredericks.com/
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May want to use a page statistics tool
http://www.statcounter.com/
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Don't worry about what other people say - they want to help, but sometimes they don't have the experience - they give the best advice they can. When I started, I didn't know anything about web pages or the internet. They told me I'd never make it. Now I am 1st page on Google. I sure fooled them, Ha, Ha.
The forums helped me a lot. Some are very good, and others need a little improvement. Also remember, the person who never makes mistakes, never did anything.
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Someone ask me if I was normal
I certainly hope not
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hope this helps
falcon

 

Examples of some similar commercial sites
Victoria's Secret
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/col...Lingerie - General-_-exact-_-intimate apparel

Fredricks
http://www.fredericks.com/Alt_Homepage_SA_NA_Lingerie/Alt_Homepage_SA_NA_Lingerie,default,pg.html

Intimate Apparel
http://www.fairefroufrou.com/

Ample Pleasure
http://www.amplepleasure.com/

Lover's Lane Intimates
http://www.loverslaneintimates.com/
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You should be able to get some ideas from these
Pictures are important, the way you display them more important
You need to use thumbnails effectively with a slideshow or photo album
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This is a flash slide show maker
http://flash.dvd-photo-slideshow.com/overview/sample.php
Check to see if it is still free
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http://www.vicman.net/getfree/Album-Maker_46742s.html
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http://www.vicman.net/getfree/Slideshow-Applet_13316s.html
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http://www.vicman.net/getfree/Photo-Album_48606s.html
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http://www.vicman.net/getfree/Site-Robot_30891s.html
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several freeware categories and software
http://www.easyfreeware.com/freeware/free_album_maker.html
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Some of the freeware will give professional results
You should be able to improve your site with this information
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hope this helps
falcon

 

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the help and advice!!
Many thanks for the grammer etc, sometimes when you look at something that long you don't notice what's wrong with it!
And I need to get working on the promotion of the site, it's just hard to know where to start at the minute. I want to get business cards, postcards etc but I think I should wait until I have the .com of my site.

But just want to get folk interested just now so when my new collection is out on sale I have people to show it to!!


Sam

 

free english grammar checker
http://www.yourdictionary.com/dictionary-articles/free-online-grammar.html
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http://spellcheckplus.com/
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http://www.languagetool.org/
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hope this helps
falcon

 

Hi Sam,
Dont take me the wrong way. when people host on free services they neglect after some time.. i have seen many friends like that.. also free services are really restrictive. I highly encourage you to do online business(it is in fact lucrative) but when people pour money they become serious, atleast they will try to get back what they have spent...
for free hosts i suggest 110mb.com n byethost.. both are good. All the best for your endeavours..

 

I really feel the ads cheapen the site. I think you will sell more merchandise without them. Just a personal feeling. This doesn't seem the type of site that should have a pop up ad at the top of every page. You are supposed to be a boutique. Everything else is very well done.

 

I do see the banner at the top. I have a list of free sites and like Navyfalcon said you should find one without ads. the ad is where your header should be. bmcoll.com on the main page under free webstuff I have some free website providers you should check them out. The only other thing for me is I dont care for black backgrounds. Notice how on this forum all the content is in the center. That is so the site is easy to view on larger screen size . you may want to think about that. Keep the sides empty with the stuff in the middle so thoses with lower res settings can see it without scrolling.