NationStates

I’d like some feedback & advice on my storefront.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=483407

Dukin Donuts wrote:I’d like some feedback & advice on my storefront.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=483407

Hmmm, interesting approach in positioning this as a franchising-oriented storefront.

In that, I will have to suggest that you include more information in your descriptions. I feel that franchise operators will want to know more about your company, its organization, and why opening a franchise with your business is sought after. You already have the outline for your descriptions in your storefront, all it needs now is to elaborate more on each section.

Maybe I'm being silly but I don't want to release a thread that looks too shody. Is it okay if I just copy the thread code and get feedback on how it is formatted that way?
Thanks.

Absolutely, feel free!

You can also post your thread but leave it [Closed] until you're ready to open, but I understand the desire to post it open - it probably gets the best impact anyway.

Thank you very much for your help. After thinking about it for a little longer, I've decided to just go for it.

Could I get feedback on my thread (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=485057)? I have not finished it as of now but I would like to know how other think of the current way the storefront looks!

Xaojie wrote:Could I get feedback on my thread (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=485057)? I have not finished it as of now but I would like to know how other think of the current way the storefront looks!

Promising start. The OOC spoiler is unnecessary. Everything in the title is pretty self evident in that regard.

I like the services. The intro might need more. You have a very basic 1 paragraph history, but no characters that actually made that happen. I think adding a founder, family, other executives carrying on the legacy, might add a lot of richness to the history of your company.

Also, where's the fleet? What are the planes that your pilots are flying? Maybe you could even put in some pictures of pilots, ground and terminal crew to really enhance it. (Just beware of copyrights. Indicate fair use/parody if you must, use clipart if you can.)

You can go 2 routes to build your fleet. Picking RL models, of which there are many to choose from out there. Again don't lift whole descriptive paragraphs out of wiki or some source site, but use your own words. Or...
Buy up some NS storefront aircraft. I'm a personal fan of Genesis Aerosystems. There are quite a few others out there who might still be active and selling planes. A quick search might turn them up, and some players might want to jump in here with their preferences. Going that route means it might be easier for you to get express permission to re-paste their stats and descriptions. Put a link in there too, back to their respective storefronts to throw them some business and that quid pro quo.

Lastly, and some of this will come with time, but you might want to look at partnerships with other airlines and also picking out destinations, or setting up an app for nations/travel authorities, etc. to apply with their airports.

Neu Engollon wrote:

Xaojie wrote:-snip-

I will be adding these things shortly to my storefront since not everything has been finished.

United Gordonopia wrote:

6. Expanding Your Storefront

Another type of expansion is buying out. Once your company gets large, you may want to think about buying competitors. You may notice that there are large companies that go around to each new storefront in their industry and offer to buy them out. If you grow large enough, that may be you some day. That way, you can be safe knowing that the competition is yours.

My question is how this is performed. Another question is whether there is an example in the form of an IC post or further information on how to do this properly.

Dukin Donuts wrote:I’d like some feedback & advice on my storefront.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=483407

It's a solid start, nicely laid out, but lacking on more information on the company and the opportunity. Instead of having a link to have information on the brand, I'd encourage you to include at least some of that in the thread to fill it out more without having to jump to another page then find your way back to the thread.

I'd also give further information on the benefits of being a franchisee. The overall look is good though. Keep it up!

Xaojie wrote:Could I get feedback on my thread (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=485057)? I have not finished it as of now but I would like to know how other think of the current way the storefront looks!

It looks quite solid, I think the biggest thing it lacks is... personality in its design. Black text and a couple photos lends a simply, almost bland look. Nothing bad, but if you'd like it to feel more welcoming and modern, you'll definitely need to add some color in there. Something as simple as using the color code for some text can help, or making a transparent-background logo/banner for the airline would take it another step. Same for section headers too.

Also, use formatting. Blocktext, Tab, tables, and box as well as floatleft/right all add simply, easy design to keep things interesting. Hope that helps!

Chricoma wrote:GE&T seems so slow now, is this just a natural drop in activity due to school or is GE&T dying?

It's the natural ebb and flow of things. There'll be times when GE&T is banging, and times it seems slow. Don't worry about it.

ViZion wrote:

Chricoma wrote:GE&T seems so slow now, is this just a natural drop in activity due to school or is GE&T dying?

It's the natural ebb and flow of things. There'll be times when GE&T is banging, and times it seems slow. Don't worry about it.

Not even sure how far back this is reaching for response, but case in point, I don't know that GE&T has waned since this point. It has only been on the incline for quite a few months now. I have personally mentored quite a few new players into the forum who have worked on some solid new storefronts and seen many others adding some quality of their own, unfettered, non-mentored minds. Some others, not so much on quality or positive intention, but nonetheless, activity has been high. Naysayers usually CTE and/or move on to something else, or are relegated to the heaps on NSG that angle for a mod sanction. Contribute to the positive!

Tupeia wrote:My question is how this is performed. Another question is whether there is an example in the form of an IC post or further information on how to do this properly.

There are a few possible approaches and results. Most involve approaching a storefront / storefront owner with the offer to buy, but sometimes the storefront will be put up for auction. It's important to distinguish between in-character and out-of-character transfers of ownership. In a solely IC takeover, the guy who made the storefront might continue to run the thread but acknowledge that it's now 'owned' by your company. In an OOC takeover, the company might still be based in its home country with little in-character change of management and ownership, but now, OOC, you manage the business and the thread (probably a newly created thread, because that's easier). It might also be both IC and OOC: the company is bought out by your company, you now run the storefront, it's a subsidiary of your holding company and so on.

So, how to conduct a takeover? Let's assume it's a friendly operation. You could lead with a telegram to the storefront owner, expressing interest in acquiring his company, whether it's IC, OOC or both. It would be important to provide your rationale and what, if any, benefits the current owner can expect from the purchase. If he's interested, conversation should continue from there to establish what you and he want retained or changed in the new incarnation of the business.

I don't have any examples off the top of my head of an in-character offer of acquisition or expression of interest. There are certain basics, however, which should definitely be covered, and a letter is almost certainly the best way to package those up. Introduce your business, explaining who they are and what they do; praise the other guy's company and storefront and outline why you think it would be the perfect jewel in your crown; make an initial offer for the business; invite their consideration and their reply.

Alternatively, if you don't have a target in mind, you could make a general 'looking to buy' announcement thread which would invite other GE&Ters to offer their businesses to you. Look at Vizion's United Mailing Service expansion thread from 2013 for an example, or his more recent "Kingston MCE Seeks to Purchase ..." thread. An advantage of this approach is that you're more likely to get a positive answer, since the companies being sold might not even have storefronts and so less (or no) sentimental attachment from the seller that would impede the sale; but companies summoned from the void just to be sold don't carry the same prestige when you buy them, so there's a trade-off.

Maltropia wrote:

Tupeia wrote:My question is how this is performed. Another question is whether there is an example in the form of an IC post or further information on how to do this properly.

There are a few possible approaches and results. Most involve approaching a storefront / storefront owner with the offer to buy, but sometimes the storefront will be put up for auction. It's important to distinguish between in-character and out-of-character transfers of ownership. In a solely IC takeover, the guy who made the storefront might continue to run the thread but acknowledge that it's now 'owned' by your company. In an OOC takeover, the company might still be based in its home country with little in-character change of management and ownership, but now, OOC, you manage the business and the thread (probably a newly created thread, because that's easier). It might also be both IC and OOC: the company is bought out by your company, you now run the storefront, it's a subsidiary of your holding company and so on.

So, how to conduct a takeover? Let's assume it's a friendly operation. You could lead with a telegram to the storefront owner, expressing interest in acquiring his company, whether it's IC, OOC or both. It would be important to provide your rationale and what, if any, benefits the current owner can expect from the purchase. If he's interested, conversation should continue from there to establish what you and he want retained or changed in the new incarnation of the business.

I don't have any examples off the top of my head of an in-character offer of acquisition or expression of interest. There are certain basics, however, which should definitely be covered, and a letter is almost certainly the best way to package those up. Introduce your business, explaining who they are and what they do; praise the other guy's company and storefront and outline why you think it would be the perfect jewel in your crown; make an initial offer for the business; invite their consideration and their reply.

Alternatively, if you don't have a target in mind, you could make a general 'looking to buy' announcement thread which would invite other GE&Ters to offer their businesses to you. Look at Vizion's United Mailing Service expansion thread from 2013 for an example, or his more recent "Kingston MCE Seeks to Purchase ..." thread. An advantage of this approach is that you're more likely to get a positive answer, since the companies being sold might not even have storefronts and so less (or no) sentimental attachment from the seller that would impede the sale; but companies summoned from the void just to be sold don't carry the same prestige when you buy them, so there's a trade-off.

Building on what Malt said, I used to do IC offers a lot, rather it be for airlines or other companies. While this dates back a little while, here's one of my IC letters/offers to a competitor... just gives you an idea of one route to take. See my offer here to Air Miraco.

My defense storefront has some views but no replies and isn't particularly flashy. What I can do to make people buy stuff?

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=486810

Liberimarcat wrote:My defense storefront has some views but no replies and isn't particularly flashy. What I can do to make people buy stuff?

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=486810

Flashy is good and it might help, but it's not everything. There's also a lot you can do with BBCode formatting - adding boxes, blocktexts, tables. You would definitely benefit from a logo with text on it instead of a basic star. Really everything you did is basic, down to the content which is just real life gear repackaged. You could expound on the bio of Carter Davidson, your CEO. You could also go more in depth into the development of the company, but again, you're left with a very basic catalog that everyone is doing. Anyone can claim their military uses an AK-47, AR-15, MP5 SMG, or M1911 .45 Pistol without shopping your storefront, but how many can say they own claim to the ZAMBooMaster 5000 Smash Gun without buying it from you? (assuming you pick such an awesome name. Go ahead, you can have that one.)

Bottom line is this - Defense industry/armaments storefronts are the number one most popular theme for a storefront in GE&T. If you don't stand out from the other lackluster storefronts with something different to offer, then your storefront will continue to get a quick glance and nothing more.
I think you need to come up with your own original products, or you're doomed to obscurity. if you can't do graphics or images, then throw some stats in for your rifles and arms (but do that anyway even if you do include graphics). Stats blocks can up that appeal because it gives a comparative tool for your shopper to compare to other equipment out there. Within reason, of course. You can't say your machine gun shoots 500,000 rounds per minute or something identically ridiculous.

The next step after that is cleaning it up and encouraging more IC RP instead of a two line application for purchasing your products. Not everyone is going to feel the need to tell you why they need the stuff, but if you offer training in a specialized product, it might encourage another player to think about what use they could put it towards and how you could work with them to integrate it into their force. Eventually, you could add a post that lists where and how the products were used. There's lots more you could do, but that's a start.

Neu Engollon wrote:

Liberimarcat wrote:My defense storefront has some views but no replies and isn't particularly flashy. What I can do to make people buy stuff?

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=486810

Flashy is good and it might help, but it's not everything. There's also a lot you can do with BBCode formatting - adding boxes, blocktexts, tables. You would definitely benefit from a logo with text on it instead of a basic star. Really everything you did is basic, down to the content which is just real life gear repackaged. You could expound on the bio of Carter Davidson, your CEO. You could also go more in depth into the development of the company, but again, you're left with a very basic catalog that everyone is doing. Anyone can claim their military uses an AK-47, AR-15, MP5 SMG, or M1911 .45 Pistol without shopping your storefront, but how many can say they own claim to the ZAMBooMaster 5000 Smash Gun without buying it from you? (assuming you pick such an awesome name. Go ahead, you can have that one.)

Bottom line is this - Defense industry/armaments storefronts are the number one most popular theme for a storefront in GE&T. If you don't stand out from the other lackluster storefronts with something different to offer, then your storefront will continue to get a quick glance and nothing more.
I think you need to come up with your own original products, or you're doomed to obscurity. if you can't do graphics or images, then throw some stats in for your rifles and arms (but do that anyway even if you do include graphics). Stats blocks can up that appeal because it gives a comparative tool for your shopper to compare to other equipment out there. Within reason, of course. You can't say your machine gun shoots 500,000 rounds per minute or something identically ridiculous.

The next step after that is cleaning it up and encouraging more IC RP instead of a two line application for purchasing your products. Not everyone is going to feel the need to tell you why they need the stuff, but if you offer training in a specialized product, it might encourage another player to think about what use they could put it towards and how you could work with them to integrate it into their force. Eventually, you could add a post that lists where and how the products were used. There's lots more you could do, but that's a start.

Thank for this. I will keep this in mind and simply create a completely new thread to start fresh and trash the old one.

would like stonks

Flashy is good and it might help, but it's not everything. There's also a lot you can do with BBCode formatting - adding boxes, blocktexts, tables. You would definitely benefit from a logo with text on it instead of a basic star. Really everything you did is basic, down to the content which is just real life gear repackaged. You could expound on the bio of Carter Davidson, your CEO. You could also go more in depth into the development of the company, but again, you're left with a very basic catalog that everyone is doing. Anyone can claim their military uses an AK-47, AR-15, MP5 SMG, or M1911 .45 Pistol without shopping your storefront, but how many can say they own claim to the ZAMBooMaster 5000 Smash Gun without buying it from you? (assuming you pick such an awesome name. Go ahead, you can have that one.)

In some cases you simply should understand that investments should work on you and give you the maximum profit. When I've discovered this website few weeks ago, I've found there a lot of working scenarios of how cryptocurrency can be used as an investment tool, and in which platform you can invest to be sure your money will be used more effectively.

Railroad Crossing wrote:would like stonks

Mankind9w wrote:Well, it's actually a valid point.

Did either of you have a question about making or improving a storefront, which incidentally, is the purpose of this thread? Feedback is nice too, if it's constructive.

Hello, I'm working on a new storefront that is still WIP, so some of the products don't have prices and images to accompany them and the "Associates" and "Ordering & Applications" sections are still empty. But I want to get feedback on the current selection I have and on the overall design and accessibility of the storefront.

Here's a link to it. Constructive criticism is highly welcome.

Danlina wrote:Hello, I'm working on a new storefront that is still WIP, so some of the products don't have prices and images to accompany them and the "Associates" and "Ordering & Applications" sections are still empty. But I want to get feedback on the current selection I have and on the overall design and accessibility of the storefront.

Here's a link to it. Constructive criticism is highly welcome.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, armaments storefronts are the most popular, by far...by miles...storefronts done on GE&T. So, keeping that in mind, you have to distinguish yourself from the heaping stack of other storefronts doing the same thing. You have to consider images of your products that will just make gun porn enthusiasts drool, or...
You have to know your stats backwards and forwards for your arms, vehicles, aircraft, etc., (although, really that's still not nearly enough most of the time) or...
You have to have way better graphics than banners looking like they were made on an Apple II, or...
You have to offer something that absolutely nobody else offers to make you different from every other new GE&T arms storefront done every other week.

I suggest the latter. I don't want to be totally negative. You put in some effort, you did your research and are obviously basing your arms on some RL arms and your stat sheets for them don't seem to be too off. However, if you can't make it 'sexy' for others, either through original descriptions or graphics, then you are only fulfilling a niche in your own canon, which is fine, but it's not going to get you random NS customers that you don't already know. Not a lot, anyway. If that's your goal, then you have to take either of two tacts - glam it up, or...
geek it up with the best descriptions of why your arms are leagues above their competitors.

Neu Engollon wrote:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, armaments storefronts are the most popular, by far...by miles...storefronts done on GE&T. So, keeping that in mind, you have to distinguish yourself from the heaping stack of other storefronts doing the same thing. You have to consider images of your products that will just make gun porn enthusiasts drool, or...
You have to know your stats backwards and forwards for your arms, vehicles, aircraft, etc., (although, really that's still not nearly enough most of the time) or...
You have to have way better graphics than banners looking like they were made on an Apple II, or...
You have to offer something that absolutely nobody else offers to make you different from every other new GE&T arms storefront done every other week.

I suggest the latter. I don't want to be totally negative. You put in some effort, you did your research and are obviously basing your arms on some RL arms and your stat sheets for them don't seem to be too off. However, if you can't make it 'sexy' for others, either through original descriptions or graphics, then you are only fulfilling a niche in your own canon, which is fine, but it's not going to get you random NS customers that you don't already know. Not a lot, anyway. If that's your goal, then you have to take either of two tacts - glam it up, or...
geek it up with the best descriptions of why your arms are leagues above their competitors.

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll go for the geeky descriptions approach, but for sure I’ll make a new logo and some extra graphics cause that was something I rushed and forgot to replace when I started the thing. Also I’ll finish making images for all of the products before opening the storefront for orders.

I've considered a new niche - caravans, but am not quite sure how to make the storefront better:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=490213&p=37557513