# My site...IS FINALLY DONE!



## SouthernEssence (May 20, 2008)

I've had my site for over 2 years and I've never been happy with the way it looked.  I think I finally got it right.

What do y'all think?

www.southern-essence.com


----------



## Laurie (May 20, 2008)

I really love your site.  I like the simplicity of it and I love the way you have all your bars pictured on the right hand site.  Yet you can click on it and see a picture of the bars with a write up.

Very impressed here,
Laurie


----------



## SouthernEssence (May 20, 2008)

Thanks Laurie.  All I have left to do is take better pictures.  I'm going to take all my soaps to a nearby river dam and take pictures of the soaps on a big rock with the water rushing out of the dam in the background.


----------



## Guest (May 20, 2008)

On my browser, all of the layers merge together.  Thats ok though, linux users are a minority.


----------



## Guest (May 27, 2008)

You have a really nice site Trisha! I should know since I've been doing my own websites for about 10 years and critiquing other sites too. Your site is nice because it's very clear and coherent and uncluttered yet still appeals on an artistic level. Your pictures are great too. Above you mentioned going to a nearby dam, let me suggest to vary the background from bar to bar, a rock here, stream there, maybe a brushy pasture or horse corral for another (the Marlboro look, perhaps men's soap). Your current pictures are appealing because of the natural background gives the viewer more than just the soap to look at. The nature shots connect with the idea of natural wholesomeness of your products.

I was surprised to see that you used Yahoo SiteBuilder to generate your page. I don't use automated generation programs myself (I write the code directly, I'm an engineer) but it's surprising that the results are so professional looking.

I've got a bookmark folder "friend's stores" and I've bookmarked your site there. I don't know if I'll ever actually sell my soap but it will be handy to have good examples like yours. 

I've often wondered why all the Etsy and Ecrater sites, and why share a cut out of your profits with them? It's so much better that you bought your own domain and did everything by yourself. Very professional!

I'm sure that if there's a living to be made selling hand crafted soap, you'll be a big success!


----------



## SouthernEssence (May 27, 2008)

Lovehound said:
			
		

> You have a really nice site Trisha! I should know since I've been doing my own websites for about 10 years and critiquing other sites too. Your site is nice because it's very clear and coherent and uncluttered yet still appeals on an artistic level. Your pictures are great too. Above you mentioned going to a nearby dam, let me suggest to vary the background from bar to bar, a rock here, stream there, maybe a brushy pasture or horse corral for another (the Marlboro look, perhaps men's soap). Your current pictures are appealing because of the natural background gives the viewer more than just the soap to look at. The nature shots connect with the idea of natural wholesomeness of your products.
> 
> I was surprised to see that you used Yahoo SiteBuilder to generate your page. I don't use automated generation programs myself (I write the code directly, I'm an engineer) but it's surprising that the results are so professional looking.
> 
> ...



Thank you!  Your comments make me feel great about my site.  I've been in business for going on 2 years and I feel now that my site is more professional, my business will pick up more.

Thanks again!


----------



## Guest (May 27, 2008)

You're welcome. 

I think "professional" is worth doing for professional sake alone, you know, like any job worth doing is worth doing it well. I expect however that your professionalism of your website will give people on the borderline of buying more confidence in your product, so you may turn some "iffy" buyers into actually buying your products.

BTW I neglected to mention another professional appearing part of your site, that your material is written very well, good concise writing style, nice descriptions, good background material, FAQ, everything. Everybody who isn't sure how to style their site would benefit by emulating you.

Well I better quit or your head will get all swelled up.


----------



## SouthernEssence (May 27, 2008)

> Well I better quit or your head will get all swelled up.



To late...it's about to pop.


----------



## naturallymimis.com (May 28, 2008)

Looks Great!


----------



## IanT (May 28, 2008)

Great job!!! I love it ! 

I like seeing the transformation from the first time i looked at it to this, I think youve made worlds of progress!!


----------

