Need feedback on online business

leowald

Sun, Aug 26 2012, 12:19 pm

Hi,

I am a work from home Mom (I have 5 kids bah). It got to a point where I had clients calling me all the time and wanting me to work anytime they needed me, interruping my time with my kids, so I decided to start my own online business and be my own client Smile

I actually started this a few years ago, so far I have got very positive feedback, but I just added a new product, which I think will take this to a new level.

I could really use as much feedback as I can before going live.

1)General feedback
2)Is it clear what I am selling I.e what the product is?
3)I also want to get an idea of where to advertise my product (online) I want a place that would reach an audience where such a thing would go. I guess more spiritual people - but open to hear what any of you think.

Click the link below to see the site. Thanks.

Torah Letter Personalized Gifts
TIA,
Leora

spinkles

Sun, Aug 26 2012, 1:32 pm

You're selling letters in a Sefer Torah which has not yet been written. It's unclear WHEN the Sefer Torah will be written--could be many, many years down the road. I would hesitate to buy a gift like this. I would prefer to know that "my" letters will be in an actual Sefer Torah rather than stored in a database for the foreseeable future. Just my opinion....

de_goldy

Sun, Aug 26 2012, 6:22 pm

Maybe you are offering more (which I wasn't able to see from your site), but letters in a Torah can be bought for $1 each. Why would someone pay so much more to buy them from you?

Also, on your about page, you write, "good buy," which should be "good bye."

Your site design is lovely.

Ashrei

Sun, Aug 26 2012, 8:06 pm

I gave it the typical once over I normally would a product site, and I like to think I at least represent normal people... and I don't really understand what you're selling. I didn't read the text (I never do, too many words, takes too long), and I don't see a clear product picture.

After reading the other replies, I wouldn't buy it for the reasons mentioned. If it was something like, "YOUR LETTER will be in the Torah in the new shul opening on the corner of so and so, and it's the letter raish or more details that made it more special... I'd maybe consider it.

hatzlacha in tweaking your idea, I hope it works out

if your in BK, torah times type of print ads might get more feedback... online, all iknow is imamother, aish.com, vousisnois, etc., nothing you haven't thought of...

I'm excited for you, even if this doesn't work out, I'm sure you'll come up with something! what did you do, btw? graphic art / design or web something?

leowald

Mon, Aug 27 2012, 12:23 pm

Thanks so much for the feedback - this is what I need. If anyone else has something different to say, please let me know. I guess things are not so clear on that page since none of you got (from your responses what I am doing)

The idea is a gift with "neshama" - not just a beautiful physical gift but also a spiritual gift - by giving someone their own letters (spelling their name) in the Sefer Torah. The gift is a piece of art work which certifies the letter ownership.

In response to some of the questions above - we have a lot of the Sefer Torah already sold - maybe I should add a thermometer to show that, and the cost per letter varies some organizations charge even $54. Here anyway you are sending as a gift which is more then just buying a letter..

And I am a programmer & did almost everything except for a web designer who did the design.

Thanks again and anymore feedback would be great!

chanab

Mon, Aug 27 2012, 1:34 pm

your idea is basically the same as http://www.kidstorah.org/
I think they are up to the fifth or sixth scroll, I'm not sure. but its basically not as original as you think. They also send beautiful certificates. They specifically don't put the letter or word, just the parsha so a child won't be upset if it has a negative connotation.

leowald

Tue, Aug 28 2012, 1:18 pm

No, the two a different in many ways.

1)One is a gift, one is a certificate - meaning the chabad one is a certificate of ownership of a letter, the other is a personalized gift: it is a plaque with details of the event - for example for a bar mitzvah, it would say bar mitzvah of _____, parsha _________ (parsha of the bar mitzvah) and the date of the bar mitzvah.
It would be a beautiful keepsake of the event.

2)In the chabad one you get any letter that they pick. In this one the recipient gets letters spelling out his/her name(s) and those names are displayed on the gift in Ksav - which makes the keepsake even more meaningful.

3)In chabad one it does not say where the Sefer Torah is going to (unless I missed it) in this one is it being donated to the Kotel, which is a place that the recipients love and make the gift very meaningful.

People love the gift that is not what I am asking, I am asking if the site is clear in explaining what it is.

Thanks

Smiling Wife

Tue, Aug 28 2012, 1:51 pm

When I saw the website the first time I thought you were selling framed letters or names written by a sofer...
Behatzlacha rabba I really admire that you are getting this up I wish you much success!

leowald

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 1:10 pm

Thank you similing wife and everyone else who posted.

I looked at the stie again and see what you mean! It was not 100% clear to someone who does not know what I am doing. I made a slight change. If possible could any of you look at it again and let me know if it is clear now?

Click on this url to get to the page

Also, even though the main page is not clear, isn't it clear what I am doing by looking at the sub pages - like the bar mitzvah page, where a big image of the gift can be seen and read?

Thanks again everyone for your time and help!

auntie_em

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 3:36 pm

The banner makes it a bit clearer than before. For myself, I think there is a lot of text on the page. It's a bit overwhelming to me. Other people are probably more patient than I am though, so they will click on the sub-pages.

There is a typo on the first page though, "OWN letters spelling out the their name"

Hatzlacha with your business and the idea!

leowald

Thu, Aug 30 2012, 2:10 am

Thanks - the problem is without all the wording - for sure no one will understand the concept!
If you have any ideas on how to reduce the wording and still get the idea through, I would love to know.

Thanks again.