Introducing......TheVaporsphere, my startup

[biggeemac]

Hey all,

I have my website up that we have been working on for a while. Wanted to share it with the community. Please take a look and post any feedback/questions/suggestions. Have a great day.

The VaporSphere specializes in e-cigarette products and support.

 

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[Darius]

Not bad.

I watched a video about copywriting and increasing conversions. One thing it talked about was using empty questions.
"Why use E-Cigarette" "Why use our products" etc. as the headline. Customers come to your store to get those questions answered not for you to ask them that so a lot wont even read the content underneath.

Example of something to replace your headline "Why use E-Cigarette" :
"Save Money & Live longer"

Example of something to replace your headline "Why use Our Product"
"Insert the value here"

Im not sure where the video is but it showed a lot of case studies about this.

Also put benefits to the customer, at the front of the headline. In the first example above I told them they could save money and live longer. After reading that, they should be more interested to read the content underneath.


I checked out your products and product descriptions. PV (perceived value) must be greater than PC (perceived cost). In the product descriptions, the value i see is "rechargeable battery, Twice the battery life of some other model, and it outperforms smaller ones. Try adding more value in the descriptions. What thoughts in someone's head would stop them from buying one? I don't want to look silly in public, what if it breaks, etc.. You could even reinforce how they're saving money and living longer.

These are just some thoughts that came in my head. At the end of the day -> test, test, test.

Good luck with the store!

 

[biggeemac]

So you are saying dont ask a question.....instead, answer a question, if I understand.

 

[Darius]

So you are saying dont ask a question.....instead, answer a question, if I understand.

Yes.
Hopefully some of the experienced copywriters can come in and add more (or possibly correct me?) as I am just giving you advice based off of a video full of case studies. The video was recommended by Zen a while back but I can't find it.

Ahhhh found it (BEWARE: It is a hour long)

[video=youtube;zbXcPqAI5GI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbXcPqAI5GI&feature=relmfu[/video]

 

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[biggeemac]

Why use e-cigarettes <replace with> A healthier, wealthier YOU !

 

[jon.a]

Your selection is too small and your over priced.
Here's where I buy my stuff.

 

[Darius]

Why use e-cigarettes <replace with> A healthier, wealthier YOU !

In the video they did a case study on clever headlines vs plain and to the point also lol....plain and to the point won.

Not saying you shouldn't use clever headlines but split test the two. I personally like save money and live longer because the customer doesn't have to do any work or use their brain to figure out what I'm trying to say, its right there for them.

 

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[biggeemac]

Thanks Jon.a ...... I am assuming you are referring to the juices. We offer a limited selection of juices and that is intentional. Our customers are FLEEING from the locals here and buying ours because they taste better. And most of these sites out on the internet have 100's of juices that taste the same and are much lower quality.

As far as the limited hardware, that is also intentional. There are literally 100's of combinations you could do at your average vape shop. We are trying to simplify the choice and give the customer something that works great without any confusion.

 

[Darius]

your over priced

Add more value then he's "under priced". Who doesn't like "under priced" goods?

 

[biggeemac]

Never been told that we are overpriced.....been told MANY times that we are underpriced, but people appreciate us being underpriced. Quality, knowledge, and service is king......at least thats the way it appears.

 

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[jon.a]

Yeah limited hardware and to some extent juices too.

The link that I thought I had posted so you could research a competitor sells 15ml bottles for $4-5.
I happen to be easy to satisfy and cheap, so I buy their bulk juice and hit it with flavor shots.
They also have free shipping over $50, so I manage my supplies to take advantage of that.

Anyway, they have onsite customer reviews. I used the reviews in choosing where to begin.
Without that on your site, you just look expensive to me.

Thanks Jon.a ...... I am assuming you are referring to the juices. We offer a limited selection of juices and that is intentional. Our customers are FLEEING from the locals here and buying ours because they taste better. And most of these sites out on the internet have 100's of juices that taste the same and are much lower quality.

As far as the limited hardware, that is also intentional. There are literally 100's of combinations you could do at your average vape shop. We are trying to simplify the choice and give the customer something that works great without any confusion.

 

[biggeemac]

Ok, thank you for your observations. If I stop gaining customers and start losing customers because they found out someone had juice/gear/service/knowledge that is better than what we are offering for a lesser price, I may make some adjustments in that area. For now, any suggestions on the website itself (look/feel/content/SEO/etc) would be very helpful.

 

[biggeemac]

Changed the wording a bit. Also, I just dropped my Fiverr logo in place.

 

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[mentalic]

Some comments:
I didn't see anywhere shipping costs, or aren't there any?
Money back policy?
At the Store at starter kit add also images with the rest of the items
At the front page (The VaporSphere specializes in e-cigarette products and support.) add Kits starting from as Low as 37$ !
No need to show how much you have available
The gray options "Black, Stainless, Royal Purple, Royal Pink" look as disabled
No need to add FB comments at each product for now
If I order this product Store, you aren't going to mail me a glass of juice, right? Maybe you should add the original product and add this as a side image
Also add shipping and returns policy at a seperate page with terms and conditions. No need to add red letters near the add to bag button. It would put customers away.

That's it for now, happy selling!!!

 

[biggeemac]

Wow, thank you for the detail. I will get on these right away. I needed some eyes on my website to help spot the stuff I missed. SPEED !

 

[Thriftypreneur]

For now, any suggestions on the website itself (look/feel/content/SEO/etc) would be very helpful.

Images for your catalog could be cleaned up a bit and served with unified dimensions. A little styling can go a long way on these pages. Oddly shaped images for each listing and lack of styling can make your products look cheap.

Individual product pages could show the actual product they're buying next to the flavor it's supposed to mimic. It felt a little disorienting to me, not seeing the actual product I was buying before clicking "Add to Bag." Again, a little styling on these pages goes a long way.


Copywriting has already been touched on, so I don't have anything to add there.

Is this you?

Domain Name.......... vaporsphere.com
Creation Date........ 2010-07-27
Registration Date.... 2010-07-27
Expiry Date.......... 2013-07-27
Organisation Name.... vaporsphere
Organisation Address. 718 Telford Ave.
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Mountain View
Organisation Address. 94043
Organisation Address. CA
Organisation Address. UNITED STATES

Admin Name........... Scott Fingerhut
Admin Address........ 718 Telford Ave.
Admin Address........
Admin Address........
Admin Address. Mountain View
Admin Address........ 94043
Admin Address........ CA
Admin Address........ UNITED STATES
Admin Email.......... scottfingerhut@gmail.com
Admin Phone.......... +1.6503878464
Admin Fax............

Tech Name............ YahooDomains TechContact
Tech Address......... 701 First Ave.
Tech Address.........
Tech Address.........
Tech Address......... Sunnyvale
Tech Address......... 94089
Tech Address......... CA
Tech Address......... UNITED STATES
Tech Email........... domain.tech@yahoo-inc.com
Tech Phone........... +1.4089162124
Tech Fax.............
Name Server.......... yns2.yahoo.com
Name Server.......... yns1.yahoo.com

If not, for branding purposes, I recommend watching to see if this expires (it expires on 7-27-13 - In about a month) or emailing the owner (scottfingerhut(at)gmail.com) and seeing if you can pick it up.


Aside from a few cosmetic things, I think you're off to a good start! Good luck.

 

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[AJ.]

Thanks Jon.a ...... I am assuming you are referring to the juices. We offer a limited selection of juices and that is intentional. Our customers are FLEEING from the locals here and buying ours because they taste better. And most of these sites out on the internet have 100's of juices that taste the same and are much lower quality.

As far as the limited hardware, that is also intentional. There are literally 100's of combinations you could do at your average vape shop. We are trying to simplify the choice and give the customer something that works great without any confusion.

Say that in your site.

Say EXACTLY that.

Say why you have a limited selection.
Say that customers are fleeing from the locals.
Say that yours taste better.

Say exactly that man.

 

[biggeemac]

Thank you for the words AJ......appreciated. I have no doubt that me and the wifey will be successful......starting tomorrow morning after a good nights sleep. Today has been one for the books. :cuss:

 

[FiveOone]

Awesome Bigeemac! I recently went from being a pack a day smoker to using a vaporizer overnight and haven't had a tar filled cigarette or 'analogue', as they're called in the e-cig world for 45 days. I love the niche you have chosen because you really have a chance to change peoples lives for the better and what better way to provide value than giving someone their life back! Brilliant.
Ill list a few of the reasons as to why I personally made the change to vaping in an effort to provide some insight as to what a potential customer is looking for.

As ridiculous as it sounds I never really took the time to look at what ingredients really went into making a cigarette, it was only when I was researching vaping I found a list of horrors that pushed me over the edge and made me purchase a vaping starter kit. It read something like this...

Acetone: Nail Polish Remover
Acetic Acid: Vinegar
Ammonia: Floor /Toilet Cleaner
Arsenic: Poison
Benzene
Butane: Lighter Fluid
Cadmium: NiCad Batteries
Carbon Monoxide: Car Exhaust Fumes
Cyanide: Metabolic Poison
Chloroform: Anesthetic
DDT/Dieldrin: Insecticides
Ethanol: Alcohol
Formaldehyde: Preserver (Body, Tissue and Fabric)
Hexamine: Barbecue Lighter
Methane: Swamp Gas
Methanol: Rocket Fuel
Napthalene: Mothballs
Nicotine: Insecticide, Addictive Drug
Nitrobenzene: Gasoline Additive
Nitrous Oxide Phenols : Disinfectant
Stearic Acid: Candle Wax
Toluene: Industrial Solvent
Vinyl Chloride: Makes PVC

I mean WTF!? How could I be so naive? Sure I was aware of tar and nicotine, but Nail Polish remover? Industrial Solvents? Damn! And that is an extremely short list considering cigarettes are made up of over 4000 chemicals. Im sure there are alot of people out there this very instant drawing back on a cigarette not know they are filling their lungs with toxins found in carpet glue or embalming fluid. As I mentioned, I basically ordered the kit after reading a list similar to the one above, this is what pushed me over the edge. Im sure others would look for an alternative to smoking if they really knew what they were inhaling.
Put this type of information in your blog, I saw your "40 Cancers Caused by Smoking" post but really go into detail. That truly is some nasty shit up there. There are tons of pain points for smokers that you could take advantage of and give them the nudge they need the cross over from smoking to vaping.

It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom either, you can also focus on the benefits they will gain from making the switch. The major obvious one, health benefits; Did you know that after 24 hours you heart rate returns to normal, In 8 hours excess carbon monoxide is out of your blood. In 1 week your sense of taste and smell improves, In 5 years your risk of a stroke has dramatically decreased. Increased energy, circulation improves! I could go on for hours with these positive side effects that will happen to a person should they quit smoking. Check out Quit.com for more of this type of info.
Also point out the benefits of vaping more. There is no offensive smell from vaping, you personally will no longer smell like an ashtray. You will save money. Your non smoking friends and family will no longer treat you like a leper.... Haha. The list goes on!

Highlight this stuff on your site, its all great and it does happen.

Also, in this industry in particular word of mouth can be huge. What I mean is, I don't even know how many people have asked me what am I smoking, and after I've explained it to them, they generally ask where can they get it from. I literally am an unintentional sales rep for these guys as are many of their other customers i'm sure.

 

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[forchunet]

I like the limitation on options. Don't stray from that. Research shows that people actually spend more when they have less options to choose from. Too much options leads to higher choice anxiety and ultimately increased regret with purchases. Look into Aldi's and study their biz model. There are also a few TED talks on this subject. Youtube is your friend.

I'm structuring my biz model on this concept.

Other benefits are less inventory, decreased inventory purchase costs since you are buying more quantity of the same items, and simpler "picking" procedures when fulfilling orders.

 

[forchunet]

Last note: Read Ca$hvertising if you want help on copywriting. Questions are ok but they have to highlight a direct benefit.

Examples:

"Tired of bland juice?"
"Tired of paying for juice samples?"

Hope I got you mind going.

 

[liquidglass]

Biggeemac, great going buddy, it looks like you've done your research and are really pursuing this, also good on you for taking people's advice I know it's never easy with something you're passionate about. You're headed in the right direction.

I have a few ideas to throw into the mix.

1) Your site design is nice, simple, clean. I like it. However I'm a very utilitarian person. Get a friend that does graphic design or someone in college for it. They would be willing to design your site for FREE just to add it to their portfolio. I've done this many times with friends of mine in that field.

I only say this because when I think smoking I think of the smoke, something fluid, subtle, and ever so slightly changing. It gets the person to subconsciously imagine smoking.

Also if you can't find anyone I have a friend that does freelance work I have him design logos and sites for me all the time. PM me if you want his contact info.

2) I love that you offer kits, it's a great idea for people just getting into the field, keep your options simple like you're doing and you'll win. People often become overloaded when presented with more than 3 or 4 options for the same purpose.

3) Consider changing the titles of "We have GREAT products" to something like "You deserve only the BEST" and "We have satisfied customers" to "We have AMAZING customers", "We Love our customers", or "Only the best for the best customers"

4) I saw your coupon....at the bottom of your page. Which I'm sure it works great, but from what I know people will buy things simply because they are on sale. Perhaps put the coupon in white lettering in a green box somewhere near the top/middle of the page. Then add to it "for new customers we offer 15%...."

Keep up the good work!

Some comments:

No need to show how much you have available

I agree with Mentalic but if the occassion ever arises especially when you're first starting out you can create a sense of urgency for a customer and it being something that itches a nicotine scratch will help to push them over the edge. For example: "Due to the high quality ingredients in our products quantities are limited, order now to get yours!"

Just an idea though others may have better input on this.

 

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