Hi, I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting this but I was wondering if you guys could give me some feedback on my online shop. This isn't spam, I honestly just want to do some market research! Thanks SimplyGro Post approved by admin
Hi Everyone The link to my shop is simplygro.co.uk and I'd be really grateful if you could take a look. I'm particularly interested in feedback on the veg seed. I sell smaller quantities of each variety but you get more than one variety in each pack. Does this appeal to you? Would you prefer to have individual varieties or larger quantities of seeds? Thanks SimplyGro
Looks good. Might be worth explaining what a seed ball is though. I know you do once you go into the product description but I think it would be beneficial to make it a bit clearer up front. As it stands, it looks like its a fiver for a few seeds that many shops would sell much cheaper, so somebody searching very quickly (remember the 5 second rule, if you have a website, you have 5 seconds to grab the attention of the reader otherwise they click off), may simply skip away when they see the price whereas once you go into it, it seems ok.
Visually appealing and nicely laid out. It will appeal more to novice gardeners rather than experienced ones, as the way the seeds are categorised seems to dumb things down a bit. (I looked at courgettes). People who know what they want will just want to read a list of the varieties you stock, a brief description of each and the price. You have to click several times to find out if you stock a specific variety. Also the herb range is an excellent basis but not extensive so gardeners looking for something specialised will look elsewhere. Perhaps you need to stock a few things not readily available everywhere else? Are you going to stock more flower seeds as time goes on?
I'm glad you like the look of the site and that it's easy to navigate. At the moment I am primarily aiming at novice gardeners who are overwhelmed by the amount of information available. However, I had hoped to attract experienced gardeners who like to experiment. Do you think that most experienced gardeners would prefer single varieties or would the mixed packets be more appealing if I categorised them differently? I am currently looking at stocking more flower seeds. Initially I will focus on edible flowers but then hope to broaden the range into cultivated but wildlife friendly varieties. Thanks for giving feedback - it is much appreciated!
I like that idea. I try to keep my garden as a working but ornamental garden. Last year I experimented, with some success, with the idea of growing veg in the flower beds. I've struggled a bit to find a good range of fruit and veg that looks good, is low maintenance, and produces a worthwhile crop.
I like the web-site. Also your idea of selling mixed packets for beginners is good and buying just a few seeds of each variety appeals to me too. Personally I would like to be able to select which varieties were in the mixture, I don't know if that's possible - it would need some thought how that would look on your web-site. It might work if you pack to order, but if you make up the mixtures in batches then it might be too much trouble for you. I'm assuming the varieties are supplied in separate envelopes?
I'm glad you like the website - thanks for looking! All seeds are supplied in separate envelopes within the external packet so you have control over what you sow. I do pack to order, but logistically it would be difficult to allow customers to create their own mixes as FERA require me to keep careful track of seed batches. However, if I find that the demand for the packs I have created is low then this is something I may consider.
I've just created a new page that has a list of all the veg varieties I stock so people can just read down it and click on what they want. What do you think? http://www.simplygro.co.uk/veg-seed-list-36-w.asp