Why are frum people's business websites so heimish

spinkles

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 5:05 pm

I just wanted to buy something simple. A hat that both Jewish and non-Jewish women wear. I looked at tons of websites, both frum and not. I really wanted to buy from a Jewish site. But I didn't. Because every single frum website did not have a complete list of inventory on their site. They told you to call before placing your order, to see what colors are in stock. Really? This is 2013. I'm on your website because I want to click a few times and place an order. It's really not difficult. All the non-frum companies manage to do it. I even emailed one of the sites and asked what colors are available. She emailed back very brusquely telling me to call the store and speak to her manager. You know what? I did that, about a year ago. It was ridiculous. I wanted a specific color. The conversation was 20 minutes long because she kept interrupting me to help people who walked into the store. When she finally discovered she didn't have the color I wanted, she tried to convince me I wanted a different color. AAAAAGH!

I really WANT to patronize Jewish small business owners. Why does it have to be so difficult?

If you have a website, make it easy to navigate. Show pictures of each color you offer. Be up-to-date on inventory. Reply quickly and professionally to emails. That's it. No rocket science involved.

Oh, and by the way: if I email you for information about what's in stock, please don't add me to your mailing list!!! I do not want weekly spam from you! If you do that I will bli neder not buy from you again! Exploding anger

TranquilityAndPeace

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 5:14 pm

Lots of frum businesses are still in the 1996 mentality of the Internet - that it's a nice thing, but not all that important for business.

I also see frum businesses on FB that post 5 status updates per day for 3 weeks, and then disappear for the next 5 weeks, on and off again... really unprofessional!

Recently, I had a consultation with a large frum business. They were interested in hiring me to re-vamp their website and integrate an online marketing strategy. A week later, they told me, "We decided that we don't want a large web presence because the rabbonim are against the Internet."

Then, they recently contacted me again and said, "Can you build us an app? An app is not really online the way a website is, so we're more comfortable going that route." Rolling Eyes

Happy18

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 5:27 pm

TranquilityAndPeace wrote:

That is too funny. How is an app less than a website?????
Rolling Laughter

naturalmom5

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 5:34 pm

I think they run regular businesses w/o Internet the same way . Some times you benefit . My husband was just trying to do someone a favor and have CDs of a shiur made.
They told him to use frum places . He thought he was just doing an errand and drop off the files by the store . Three different frum stores all told him come back later ; come back tomorrow; then three weeks later the labels still weren't done. It was more stress and aggravation than anything else, and my husband had no intention to make anything just do the errand.
Finally he just did it himself via a website in another part of the country . It went 123 and my husb made a few hundred dollars .
I don't understand how these heimish places do thingd

TranquilityAndPeace

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 5:54 pm

Happy18 wrote:

TranquilityAndPeace wrote:

That is too funny. How is an app less than a website?????
Rolling Laughter

Ya know, an app just goes through your phone, without the "http://www" which is so treif!!!

spinkles

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 7:57 pm

Quote:

My guess is that most of their sales are not through the web. Otherwise their websites would be upto date.

But they're putting up a website trying to bring in web sales, no? I mean otherwise what's the point. Here's this great opportunity to reach a whole new market (those of us who live OOT and google what we need, plus non-frum people who might like their stuff as well). Everyone's having a tough time in this economy and you would think that if a business is bothering to have a website they might as well make it user-friendly. They might be shocked at their growth!

Quote:

I also see frum businesses on FB that post 5 status updates per day for 3 weeks, and then disappear for the next 5 weeks, on and off again... really unprofessional!

Yes! Or, my personal favorite, the sites that were told they should have a blog as part of the site, so they fill it with posts taken straight from an encyclopedia, telling you the history of particular headcoverings, and using a string of as many SEO keywords as possible in every other sentence. Tip: if you find yourself writing "scarf hijab tichel alopecia chemo hair loss tznius modest" in every other sentence of your blog post, your blog probably isn't accomplishing what you hope it will. Idea

I do see a few frum businesses that do a nice job with that sort of thing. Lena who does shaitel consignment in Baltimore uses FB effectively; she has pictures of real people wearing the shaitels they bought from her, and it's great. She also puts up accurate pictures of whatever just came in. So when she's posting it's actually relevant and creating conversation rather than being the FB equivalent of a robocall.

September June

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:11 pm

Suggestions to Jewish websites:
Update your stock
Answer your customers email questions preferably by the next day
Offer free shipping with a minimum order or flat rate shipping
Update your site to look professional and not home made
If you have a blog/facebook page, update it consistently or take it down

Anything else I missed?

Some frum sites that I love
Shirtstop.us
Mostlymusic.com
ohnuts.com

Any other suggestions?

amother

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:16 pm

I'm anon 'casue I work for a Jewish Web Company.

We actually invest a ton in keeping our website up to date and user friendly.
When it comes to Blogs though, most of those posts that you read that are a little keyword rich or seem to be straight from the Encyclepedia are not written in house . They are usually outsourced so to speak, written by someone who works for an SEO company and writes blogposts all day long.
They are'nt designed to be informative, instead they are just designed to create keyword links to the persons website and drive it to the top of google.
We actually had one of these companies manage our blog for a time and eventually parted ways because we wanted a blog that was more informative.
And I don't think that it's fair to knock "hemishe" websites.
It's more like an age thing there are people who spent decades doing buisness in a diiferent manner then it's done now and while they were great at it in the 90's they can't get used to the fact that now buisness is different.
It's pretty common in the non-jewish/secular world as well.

Culturedpearls

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:37 pm

I live OOT & do most of my shopping on the web. My first stop is eBay for just about everything.
I do buy some items from a frum website here or there, mainly for robes or shells.
The reason I think their shipping is more pricey is because their volume is insufficient to get reasonable DHL/fedex rates.
I have often given my own DHL account to be used as my own company rates are much cheaper.
I agree that they're missing a huge amount of business. My own business has completely changed with the arrival of Internet where 90% of our sales are web driven.

Twizzlers

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:39 pm

Thanks for your endorsement of ShirtStop , SeptemberJune.

Please dont knock all frum people's business websites...not all of us do a "heimish" job.

While our design may not be the trendiest, our stock is constantly up to date, our shipping charges reasonable, and we respond efficiently to all emails.

Please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions, I'd love to hear it!

September June

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:42 pm

Twizzlers: I am not trying to knock frum sites. I have many times, like the OP, wanted to give my business to a frum site but didn't because of the issues I mentioned.

It isn't all frum sites but many of them. I wish they would do a better job with their sites as I would prefer to give them the business.

Your site is wonderful and I really enjoy buying from you! I think ShirtStop is an example of what a good web store should be like.

imamiri

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:52 pm

I assume they don't have the money to hire good web designers or don't see the value in that or don't know anyone who knows how to write code. Perhaps combined with thinking most frum Jews aren't on the Internet (which is not true). I think frum companies could be bringing in way more money with better websites but that would take understanding how the Internet works and that people do live OOT and maybe even people who are not frum Jews may want to buy from you.

Orchid

Sun, Jan 27 2013, 8:54 pm

IMHopinion wrote:

Twizzlers, I was introduced to your site now. I gotta say it's pretty good!
I didn't find the type of shoes I'm looking for, but I like some other products you've got there.
And yes, your stock is very nicely updated.

Same here. Just checked it out and it looks great!