Nancy Fraser said, 'It may feel more productive to be DOING, but it is actually more constructive to be PLANNING."
Before redesigning the Maine Warmers' web site, I debated about whether or not it was worth the time, effort, and expense.
Should I have hired out the new design? I was told not to spend my time doing that -- to let the people who know web design do it. "You don't have to know how to build a car to drive one," was the argument. I did not follow that advice because web site sales are the majority of the business and being able to make changes and updates when I want to without having to pay someone for that service is critical. I have training and expereince in web design after creating and managing Maine Warmers.com for several years. Also, creating the content is a huge part of the design, and I would have to do that part anyway.
The goals were to make the site clear and simple to navigate, to show the products and uses, and make ordering easy and secure. Sometimes a fancy site can be misleading or take up so much band width with Flash and photos that viewers tire of the download wait and move on.
With customer demographics in mind I gathered my team to decide what needed to be included in the site. We looked at the competition and other web sites we liked and didn't like. I talked with other people and considered what I had read and hear about usability over the years. Then, taking advantange of the slow summer season I set upon the redesign.
Betsy Hanscom, owner of Maine Warmers, LLC created her first online store in 2000 for the sale of microwave heating pads and gentle ice packs. She sells wholesale to gift stores offline. Stores that carry Maine Warmers are listing on the web site on the "Where to Buy" page. Cozy Sheep and Dachshund Neck Warmers are a few of the items sold on this site and make perfect well gifts.
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