!! Total Electronic Cigarettes (TC) -- Competition -- Great prize for your ideas !!

[Loveridden]

Just visually the site is bland - I hate the lime green and carpet brown....no offense. You should make your site look more stylish and visually appealing. It's kind of basic, so adding more categories and perhaps a more interesting (but still readable) font would look better. When I go on a site to purchase something I feel better ordering from a more updated, modern looking site (it just says professional) than a site that is just the basics or looks like it didn't take much to put it together. You may want to add an animated banner at the top. Also, I love sites that have chat boxes when you want to ask a question. Even if it's not available 24/7, that would be a cool feature to add for your clients. Or you may want to add your own little message board for customers with questions, linked from your site.

 

[Ceegary]

A few things in regard to SEO. I checked though US Google Adwords which usually brings up the ranking keywords. SEO takes time, if you hired them recently it may be too soon to judge. I ran another check with Spyfu, that shows these rankings...
4 ii cartridges
20 pro mega
21 pro cartridges
38 electronic basics
44 cigar carrying cases

 

[Sandrita]

Reference on most, if not every page(s), that what you are offering is a "Healthier Alernative To Smoking" and is in no way intended to be an aid to stop smoking.

We have been reviewing all the great suggestions and comments. I hope you will actually see changes over the next short period and we will review our pricing. We are doing a promotion in Gibrlatar to move some of our TC Pro kits (DSE 510) and perhaps will do a big discount shortly. We will consider mixing things up with some new design work.

Regarding the quoted reference, we must have misread your message as we stay away from saying healthier alternative. Similarly we would like to say 'safer alternative' but again, I believe this borders on health claims?! anyone?

Best and keep up the great work.

Sandrita
For Total Electronic Cigarettes

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

A more socially acceptable alternative to smoking

doesn't really roll off the tongue though

 

[StotheK]

The health thing is always tricky. Could go a little more generic like the modern alternative to smoking (or high tech, or civilized, or cleaner, etc)

 

[Sandrita]

A more socially acceptable alternative to smoking

doesn't really roll off the tongue though

lol agreed, but appreciated.

TC - A CIVILIZED AND MORE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL CIGARETTES. ;P. Not quite there yet.

 

[Pamdane]

I like your TC emblem. I agree with the previous poster that the site looks bland. I might use the emblem as a starting point. It has a metal look to it, more modern, less farmer John look. The burlap does nothing for me. If you want neutral colors, try bronze, coppers, gold back grounds. I like your social links, but at the top makes it look like I just found someones facebook or twitter account. Maybe give them their own little square in the upper right hand corner. The page back grounds are all white. Maybe consider a cloud or smoke type of imprint(I'm thinking along the lines of faint water marks we sometimes see on better stationary)

From a marketing standpoint:
I would also recommend showing people actually using the products on each page. People tend to feel comforted when buying a product they see other people already enjoying. Remember to change this seasonally.

Testimonials after a product work in the same. It shows people are using the products. An easy way to obtain testimonials is to run a promotion, such as free bottle of e-juice drawing on the 1st of every month for those who submitted a review within the previous month.... It serves a 2 fold purpose- encourages buying your product and encourages reviews. It also means a positive review- they wont enter a contest to win something they didnt like....

 

[StotheK]

Testimonials after a product work in the same. It shows people are using the products. An easy way to obtain testimonials is to run a promotion, such as free bottle of e-juice drawing on the 1st of every month for those who submitted a review within the previous month.... It serves a 2 fold purpose- encourages buying your product and encourages reviews. It also means a positive review- they wont enter a contest to win something they didnt like....

To further that idea, and going with something mentioned previously... perhaps see if you can get some review samples into the hands of reviewers (probably from your target markets) who are willing to consider reviewing your product. It's a tricky line though since you have to balance somewhere between someone who will say anything for free stuff and a reviewer who might pan your product because they have a preference for a certain type of device.

Note: I'm not in the target geographical market, so this wasn't a ploy for free stuff

 

[Pamdane]

<perhaps see if you can get some review samples into the hands of reviewers (probably from your target markets) who are willing to consider reviewing your product. >
Just so. If you consider inviting people from this forum, go to the review section and invite the people who have posted to sample. Then you know the type of review you are likely to get. Be prepared for honesty. Dont do it if your not sure they would like it, unless you can accept an honest opinion.

 

[Ceegary]

Smoking burns, e-cigs vaporize!

 

[Neo]

As an experienced user, the problem I face when I look at your site is I have no idea what you are selling. You have in house branded your merchandise; this appeals to new users, likely with the thinking that they will stick with your goods as they need more since they will not know where else to go. This is all fine and good but as a business plan, I think it's short sighted as you are not appealing to the masses of current users who are looking for model numbers they are familiar with.

If I ran across your site at random, I'd leave in about 10 seconds as soon as I saw it was in house branded. I would not email to find out what products these actually were as it wouldn't be worth my time.

If you sell spare batteries, I couldn't find them.

I don't know the difference between your Pro/Classic/Flight/Top Flight models even after reading your descriptions.

The cartridges look like they come in vitamin bottles. You might show the actual product.

 

[Sandrita]

As an experienced user, the problem I face when I look at your site is I have no idea what you are selling. You have in house branded your merchandise; this appeals to new users, likely with the thinking that they will stick with your goods as they need more since they will not know where else to go. This is all fine and good but as a business plan, I think it's short sighted as you are not appealing to the masses of current users who are looking for model numbers they are familiar with.

If I ran across your site at random, I'd leave in about 10 seconds as soon as I saw it was in house branded. I would not email to find out what products these actually were as it wouldn't be worth my time.

If you sell spare batteries, I couldn't find them.

I don't know the difference between your Pro/Classic/Flight/Top Flight models even after reading your descriptions.

The cartridges look like they come in vitamin bottles. You might show the actual product.

Hi Neo,

Thanks for your comments, they made me wince a few times but all good and constructive. Everything has been done for a reason and the 'pillboxes' as you mentioned were some of the very first child proof cartridge boxes on the market. At the time and still, you see so many packs of 5 pre-filled cartridges in a small box, 10 boxes to a sleeve. Simply put, we took it a step further and offered more (8), additional warnings and instructions from a company we had completed our due diligence on and actually visted..etc.

Its been interesting to learn that a new user, simply did not want to be fussed with liquid, leaks, dripping etc and we largely made a shift to our super mini TC Flight II which has been very popular. Simple, quick and easy, no leaks, good vapour and discounted cartridges in Gibraltar.

There are a few items you have mentioned that I will take back with me and consider for the next while. Glad for your comments!

Best,

Mark
For Total Electronic Cigarettes

Keep them coming and thanks to all. Critical is constructive although Sandrita didn't reply as she is crying the washroom at the moment ;P joke.

 

[Pamdane]

True what Mark said. Consider, if your e-cig is not proprietary, listing its thread and compatable threads it accepts.
You may find you get cross over business this way.

 

[5cardstud]

I would make the page larger. The border takes up 50% of the site.

 

[kritter]

Maybe different colors on the home page

 

[Lambch3p]

I agree that you need a button for $. You could also add a place to subscribe to get coupon and sales information. This would help you build an email database you can directly contact when you get new products and have sales.

 

[Sandrita]

Hey Kritter
Good ideas everybody! Simple suggestions can sometimes be the best so keep the comments coming and get your place in the hat for zeee prizeeee.

Maybe different colors on the home page

 

[Puffadder]

I have to say I largely agree with what Neo said but have some other thoughts. I like the overall design of the website and your kit and supplies look top notch. The branding has been tastefully done and I do not have an issue with that per say. However if you a looking to branch out over the internet I think you will have some difficulties with the brick and mortar approach. Now I can tell that the Pro is a 510 system because you added (DSE510) in the description. By doing something similar with the other models you can subtly let the more experienced customers know what they are getting without intentionally steering new customers away from your branding. As someone who lives very far away from your base I would want to know that if you were out of stock I could look elsewhere for supplies to tide me over if needed. Smokers tend to have a strong brand loyalty and this carries over to vaping. If we really like your product and cs we will continue to buy from you.

Someone had also mentioned the pill bottle packaging and thought your reasoning was sound and a positive yet I can't find it mentioned that these are supplied in child proof packaging. This would be a good (and apparently unique) selling point to anyone with kids.

Also since you are registered on ECF I would assume you are trying to reach out to experienced vapers. If there are true advantages of your products over the many Brand X's such as manufacturing process, cultivation of your flavors, special cartomizer or atty design etc. you should emphasize these on your website more.

EDIT: It would also be comforting to know that if I was already using a particular pv that when traveling to Gibraltar or Spain I could pick up supplies for my PV at one of your shops.

 

[Puffadder]

I would also have a map available on your website that shows all of the locations of your retail outlets.

 

[Sandrita]

Hey guys thanks for such great feed back!! If you have any more comments keep 'em a comin!!! Yayyyyy