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Cattrina Careless

And to make things worse I'm not even sure I'm posting in the right sub-forum, so make the thread mooove for me if you need Cristiano

Anyway, yesterday I got "downsized", "restructured", "separated" ... FIRED

Having just completed all the requisite paperwork I've discovered that working on changing ones unemployed status doesnt actually take up much of the day. I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands for a little bit (at the moment that has me wishing I'd been fired years ago - lol)

I figured if I had the time perhaps I should use it to really get my SL business working. I really dont want to get to the point where I have to sell/drop the island because of this mess.

So the reason for this post. Although my store has never done badly, its also never done really well either. And I refuse to believe its because I make crap I think its because as a brand - Catt's Creations lacks a soul, a personality, that pop that makes people remember who you are.

I would appreciate it if you are in-world if you would pop by the store. How does the atmosphere feel to you? Are the sales posters working to make you want to buy the item? Suggestions for how to give my little piece of SL a soul would be muchly appreciate

You'll notice I havent given you a LM. Well thats deliberate I wanna know if its even possible to find my store, perhaps thats why no-one visits!

Yeah this is kinda rambly, but any help or suggestions would be appreciated. And no I dont want anyone from here to go on a shopping spree, if you see something in my store that you like while you are there let me know and I'll pass it over. You lot help ppl all the time and I love giving out freebies so it works out great for both of us

Catt

Parker McTeague

i'm sorry to hear that, catt. i wrote myself a note to check out your store tonight; i'll offer any advice i can.

best of luck with your sl business!

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also you can read my blog!

Derrits Mapp

Decadent

Sorry to hear about your job situation.

Well, you definitely don't sell crap. I see a few piece I'd like to pick up when I can. The bikinis in particular are adorable, and the live models are a nice touch.

However, the build is a little too impersonal and prefab, with no personalized touches that I can see. The photography on some of the ads is also a little flat, selling the clothes short somewhat -- you have older skins and hair in some photos, which jars with the newer, sleeker looks in others.

Maybe re-shoot some of your ads and find a build that's more you, and a little less open? You could save space by offering one shirt with multiple colors in vendors as opposed to all colors side by side in one big block, which would allow you leeway to look into downsizing into a more personal, boutiquey build.

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Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I..

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Tya

Decedent is correct here.

If you are to make a go at it, revamp your image to start. Just like RL, imaging is a huge part. Unfortunately.

Your ads to your build should flow, people will want to stay there and look around.

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Derrits Mapp

So, checking it out:

Yes, you'd really want another build to start with. Preferably something smaller. If it hadn't been for me wanting to check it out, I'd have left because with draw distance set to 64m (slooow machine), I can't see all of the shop. Something that has some contrast added, maybe a few more colors instead of having it all one in one. It's easy to get lost in the place and not see everything due to the design. Look at some of the more well known places (SiniStyle is a great example for a fitting look of shop and items sold, Nyte 'n' Day has a nice, but also too big place, Mischief is maybe rather close to what you're looking for).

Don't use vendors. Ever. Size down color choices, maybe. NO Vendors. Don't do it.

As for the boxes. Redo them. Maybe let somebody who has had some experience with SL photography/advertising help you. I wouldn't want to buy anything from your place, as far as I have seen it. Make the ads more of eyecatchers, add some smiling, (state of the art) models, add contrast to the pictures and make them stick out. Use neutral backgrounds that preferably do not change between the different items, or at least not between the different categories. Get rid of the JPEG artifacts.

Decadent

What I meant by "vendors" was like in Nyte & Day or Kyoot Army for her Photosphere textures -- colored buttons or texture samples under one main photo, instead of one whole photo for each color.

Derrits Mapp

Well, in that case, that's exactly what I would do.

Aki Shichiroji

I'm game...

- First off, i notice you didn't leave a LM here, but I also note that you don't have your business listed in your profile and you don't have a signature/advert for what you do. For that matter, I have no clue what you make, so maybe a banner or link in your signature suggesting what you do would help?

- A search for your name shows your profile and some of the groups you're in, but *not* your store name. Since the land you've built on belongs to someone else, you may wish to add your name to the search terms in your place description.

- One of my biggest pet peeves about graphics for stores in search/profiles: If you sell something that someone can look at, why not show a picture or sample of what you sell in that profile picture, rather than putting more text in the picture? (especially when that's what the text box is for!) I think it would be a good thing to see samples of what you make in that picture, not a listing of types of things you make. Or perhaps as a compromise, a more unified listing of what you make, alongside a picture of one or two of your items.

- Overall store layout is spacious, which I like, however the fact that everything's pretty big and spaced out could make a visitor tired out if they're looking for something specific. That said, the store directory is a nice touch... so i'm sorta back and forth on this point. Having stuff closer together so you can see more outfits together would help people buy more at one time though, imo.

- Vendor graphics are clear and uncluttered. Customers get a good idea of what they're buying. However!! I did notice that there isn't a common visual identity from vendor graphic to vendor graphic. You have a varying selection of fonts and colours, and in some cases graphics don't have text on them at all. Some have borders, some don't. Some have background patterns, some don't. Try to pick a few fonts that you're really happy with and try putting together a template for your vendor graphics so they all have common elements. This can be as simple as choosing one font for your company name, another font for your permissions, and maybe putting in a border of some kind. Keep the template saved *non-flattened* and write-protected somewhere so all you have to do is pop in your new pic under your template and change the text as necessary.

- Model placement tasteful, good presentation of the quality of your work.

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Cincia Singh

Awww Catt, I'm sorry to hear about your RL job drama. Been there done that about 3 yrs ago and I'm going to be in recovery mode for a while yet. I'll swing by your shop tonight and take a peek. Happy job hunting (talk about your contradiction in terms!).

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Cattrina Careless

Sweet! You lot are awesome.

Ok with the vendor pics everything you suggested I have recently started working on. You'll notice that every one in the new releases area is from the same template. Now I have time (you know I'm still seeing this as a good thing from getting fired) I can actually redo all the old ones. Although no-one has really commented on the design so I'm thinking maybe it needs redoing first.

Aki. Thankyou!! I did not even realise that the store listing didn't have a picture. It used to. My husband is always recutting the land on the damned island and I'm thinking this got lost in the last recut/relisting. Will fix immediately!

Decadent, unless you want me to send you every bikini I make you might want to PM me which ones you like specifically.

Which leads me to Derrits first comment yes I give out freebies, well my stock with its associated perms for free to some people. As I see it, its a way to get my clothing out into the wild at little expense or loss on my part.

Morrrrreee, more feedback, loving this feedback, I love you guys!

Cattrina Careless

Everything else I agree and I'm gunna work on. This makes me go huh? Am not sure what you mean.

Derrits Mapp

DPanswer: Defects

Uh. Quick sumup: Save .jpg files with less compression. More filesize.

Cincia Singh

OMG send me one of everything with full perms please

/me starts preparing the 25L mall featuring you stuff (just teasing)

Cattrina Careless

huh. ok I have to go through and read that in more detail, but I'm actually saving the sales posters as tga's. I gather that format suffers from the same issues?

Cattrina Careless

You know just for that I should send you everything I make no transfer

Derrits Mapp

In that case, the signs are either not rezzing completely for me, my eyes are broken or the overall quality of your sign textures is not very crisp. I'm not sure right now myself, especially as I've never worked with TGA myself.

Decadent

Ned Easterwood

I just looked at an old thread, Catt, and I agree that you make nice stuff - I have four of your denim skirts.
I do remember the store being big, though, from when I was there - and agree that a smaller build would be nice.

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Ned
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Malachi

TGA is a lossless image format which is (like all images) converted to jpeg2000 on upload. Do remember the "rule" that all uploaded images should have dimensions that are powers of 2 (64, 128, 256) or SL will resize them for you and will do a worse job than you can.

Since you asked for critique I am trying to be constructive not hurtful (although I never do that as well as I'd like). Your store is BIG. The construction and design is nice and airy, but there is too little product per meter. This seems to have caused you to grow your sales boxes to excessive size which makes them look jagged and unclear; the best example is the Mod/Copy/Trans text on them is blur-city.

Given the 43k m^2 size of your main store and its 600m height, unassisted flight isn't possible so one has to literally hike around the place (even with the teleporter in the center)

Your designs appear competent but lack any particular "gotta have it" zing. I also noticed the no copy/mod/trans permissions which most women hate as it prevents outfit generation. copy/no-trans is usually much preferred.

N.B. I'm a guy, I have like 2 outfits in SL, please understand that in my fashion advice. The architecture and layout statements I stand behind more firmly.

Good luck.

Bams

What's wrong with Vendors? sometimes they are needed in spaces where there is a low prim count, I use one for my fantasy skin line and it's easy to browse, containing all of the same products for a line in a single space.

I agree vendors can be overdone but I do not agree that they should never be used. If anyone has a valid reason why vendors shouldn't be used I'd be interested to hear it because I cannot see the downside from the vendors angle or the consumers angle.

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