Knitters: Need Help With Website

In My Humble Opinion
1

As many of you know, Mrs Blather and I have a yarn store and website. Web sales are doing well, but we think there is more potential. I’m looking for ways to draw people to the site in addition to using Google AdWords and advertising in magazines. The stuff we sell is on the higher end (we don’t carry Redheart for example) and we try and find stuff that is less common and then go deep (we have over 100 colors of Koigu).

So my questions:

What draws you to knitting/crochet web sites? Cost, particular products, attractiveness of site, ability to navigate and search, customer service, …?

Would adding “content” to the site be appealing? For example, a tips and tricks section?

How about tools like needle size charts, yardage calculators, metric/US conversions, etc?

How about the ability to have your own personal page where you keep track of what size needles you have and post pictures of your projects?

Would having free patterns attract you to a site and then make you want to buy yarn, or would you just print out the pattern and then shop at your LYS?

Any other ideas to attract and serve knitters?

Thanks!

2

I think signing folks up for a e-newsletter might be nice, or an online forum for knitters to chat. All your ideas are good…the problem I find with buying yarn online is I can’t touch it. I’ve bought stuff through Knitpicks.com, but that’s because they recommend a certain yarn for a certain pattern. I do know I like the help videos some of the sites have…they actually show someone doing the stitch, which for me is much better than a written description.

Do you offer ancillary products…knitting bags, cream for roughened hands, counters, markers, stuff to hold your patterns in place?

Can you provide a link to your site?

3

What draws you to knitting/crochet web sites? Cost, particular products, attractiveness of site, ability to navigate and search, customer service, …?
First, I go to websites that carry the particular color of the particular yarn I want–often I’m after a certain shade of Rowan Felted Tweed or Rowan Cashsoft, and only one of my regular hits carries it. That’s the hit that wins. So, you’re doing the right thing by going deep.
If I have a choice, I then–obviously–go for the cheaper option. Since designer yarn is pretty much standardly prices, that means I go for a website that offers free shipping for buying a certain dollar amount of merchandise, or that offers an incremental discount.

Would adding “content” to the site be appealing? For example, a tips and tricks section?
The only content I’m ever interested in are pictures: good pictures of each color of each yarn, and if the website sells pattern books, good pictures of each pattern inside the book. Nobody wants to buy the new Debbie Bliss or Rebecca without seeing what’s inside it first, you know?

How about tools like needle size charts, yardage calculators, metric/US conversions, etc?
Dunno. Indifferent. It’s nice to be able to search the whole inventory by color, weight, and fiber content.

How about the ability to have your own personal page where you keep track of what size needles you have and post pictures of your projects?
That’s what knitting blogs are for.

Would having free patterns attract you to a site and then make you want to buy yarn, or would you just print out the pattern and then shop at your LYS?
Because there is so much yarn available, my LYS almost never has the color or the particular yarn I want. I usually just go there to “network” and see what’s new. 95% of my yarn purchases are online. As for a website having free patterns–free patterns are almost always mediocre. I’ll download them and keep them, but they aren’t a draw and I rarely knit them.

Any other ideas to attract and serve knitters?
Nice big pictures of yarn and of pictures of patterns in books. You might also want to balance your needle inventory so that you are selling needles of each metric unit, not just each US size. 1.0mm needles, 1.25mm, 1.5mm, 1.75mm, 2.0mm… and make sure that the website gives those metric measurements! Nothing ruins a sock buzz more than buying the wrong kind of US1 needle! And get those new lace-knitting Addis with the pointy tips, please.

4

**What draws you to web knitting/crochet sites? ** Mostly products and customer service. Price can be a draw too, but if it’s higher end yarns I’m willing to pay a bit more.

Would adding “content” to the site be appealing? For example, a tips and tricks section? It wouldn’t hurt, but there are tons of knitting websites and how-to’s out there. Unless it’s directly related to your products (one website for patterns has tips and videos on how to work specific things in the patterns… like button holes).

**How about tools like needle size charts, yardage calculators, metric/US conversions, etc? ** Those sound good. A yardage calculator would be great, as would conversions. I’m decently handy with a calculator but not everyone is and I still make mistakes.

How about the ability to have your own personal page where you keep track of what size needles you have and post pictures of your projects?
Sounds interesting, but I have a blog to share my projects and I have a good idea of all my needles (so far knock on wood). I can see such a thing coming in handy though, if you have a list on the site and you go to buy something it could let you know you already have half a dozen needles in that size…

Would having free patterns attract you to a site and then make you want to buy yarn, or would you just print out the pattern and then shop at your LYS?
I do just this a lot, but if a pattern appealed to me and I couldn’t get a particular yarn at the store I might just buy it online. I’ve bought notions and such online, but not yarn yet as I like to hold the yarn and see it in front of me. This is not for lack of trying though, as I run across yarns I fall in love with online (usually Etsy) and find they are sold out or won’t ship to Canada.

Any other ideas to attract and serve knitters? One store I’ve bought items from emails updates when she gets new items in if you’re registered as a customer on the site. (My LYS does this too, and often posts them on the blog with pictures to tempt).

Most of the stores I visit online are from word of mouth/on blogs. Generally because of patterns on the site, or gorgeous yarns that people are raving about. Only really found one on my own, and when I go on another spree online I’ll buy from her again.

5

PS: there are some British yarns that everyone wants, and nobody seems to be able to get reliably. These include Jamieson & Smith two-ply jumperweight, Jamieson two-ply jumperweight, and just about everything by Jaeger, but especially the Extra Fine Merino in DK and 4-ply.

6

Although I rarely use them, free patterns are ALWAYS what gets me to a knitting website. Tools and books are a good thing, too, but the yarn doesn’t do it for me. For me, I’ve got to touch it if I’m going to buy it.

7

So my questions:

What draws you to knitting/crochet web sites? Cost, particular products, attractiveness of site, ability to navigate and search, customer service, …?

Several things- attractiveness of the site, easy navigation and EXCELLENT search are all really important. Know what I hate? When I search “Lambs Pride bulky” and get 50 unrelated links. GAH! HATE! I will seriously move on to a different site entirely if that happens. I also like sites (like Knitpicks.com) where yarns can be sorted in all different ways- by material, by color, by weight. In other words, I want to see all worsted weight yarns in yellow. Now I want to see all worsted weight yarns in yellow and 100% wool. That sort of thing.

Would adding “content” to the site be appealing? For example, a tips and tricks section?

Content is nice, but some free patterns are better. I would include some basic “how to knit” text and some video- the video part is important. There are only a few places online I’ve found that have good how-to videos and if you had a lot of traffic coming through for that, you could link to related products on the same page like a knitters start up kit- a set of needles, some yarn, and basic instructions for a set price or link to some beginner books, etc.

What about a message board for tips, tricks, and pictures of finished items? All you need is a few very active members and more will follow. People love to have a place to chat about projects, favorite yarns, etc.

**How about tools like needle size charts, yardage calculators, metric/US conversions, etc? **

Yes, yes, and yes. This should be on all yarn shop sites as far as I’m concerned.

How about the ability to have your own personal page where you keep track of what size needles you have and post pictures of your projects?

Similar to what I said above- I think a message board format like this one or like the one at craftster.org would be great for that. The more interactive, the better.

Would having free patterns attract you to a site and then make you want to buy yarn, or would you just print out the pattern and then shop at your LYS?

I don’t know if free patterns attract one to a site, but I was at one recently and the cool thing was this: Some patterns were just free to download, others were free with a purchase…so you could add the patterns to your shopping cart at a charge of $0.00, but you had to make some sort of purchase to recieve them. I suggest if you do something like this that you give the option of having the patterns instantly available upon purchase rather than waiting for them to come via mail.

Any other ideas to attract and serve knitters?

One thing regarding patterns- instant download is the way to go. I would have a page of basic patterns for $x.xx that immediately upon payment the person can download the pattern and go to town with it. No one likes to wait.

I would offer sample cards so that if someone knows they want to use Lamb’s Pride Bulky, for example, they can see the colors with their own eyes. Most people buying online (IMHO) are familiar enough with a particular line that they already know what it’s like. An online store has the disadvantage of not being able to touch the yarns, but the advantage of being able to engage the customer in other ways.

I would offer monthly/weekly/whatever contests. Send out a weekly newsletter that includes a fun new pattern or stitch to try. Don’t forget about crocheters- that’s a whole WORLD of yarn buying people that often get neglected in online stores. How about spinners? Have you considered carrying some fiber for spinning? How about dyes? You could have an entire section on how to spin, how to use spindles and wheels, and how to dye fiber and/or yarn. All of those kinds of things make your presence a one stop shop kind of place that would be fun to visit and return to.

Speaking of returning, it’s nice to have a “what’s new this week?” section so that the page isn’t always the same. People like to see new things, not the same old same old. Things that are fun that bring people back, IMHO: Featured project photos, contests, giveaways, interactive activities.

Don’t forget reasonable shipping. I think Knitpicks is the best on this. I like that I can buy 1 hank of yarn from them and the shipping is just a few bucks, so it’s worth getting that single hank. Some sites are so high in shipping on small orders that it nearly doubles the cost to the customer. I like the free shipping over $40/$45 that some sites have, too. It definitely inspires one to stock up.

OH! Am I making you crazy yet? Timely answers to questions/live help. I have been communicating with my local yarn store (well, not very local, but as close as I have) trying to buy an umbrella swift. Not a cheap purchase. I first mailed them on Sat about it (they’re open on Sundays, too) and so far got one reply saying they would check into it. By now I’m not at all interested in buying it from them. I find it hard to believe in 3-4 days they can’t have seen if they had one in stock or ordered it. Very annoying.

One more thing- how about a referral bonus? For every person you refer to the website that makes a purchase, you get 1 credit. When you accumulate 10 credits, you get a $10 thank you gift card! (or more, I’m sure the people they’re referring will buy more than $1 of merchandise and you won’t lose money on it). And for that matter, offer gift cards/certificates if you don’t already.

8

Thanks for all the great input so far and keep them coming. Some of these we do already (like a newsletter) but it helps to know the relative importance of those as well.

9

Well, what gets me to a site the first time is usually that they come up in the first couple of Google pages when I’m searching for a specific yarn. What gets me to buy is probably not all that special – good prices, the color I want (with pictures, please!), the information I need easily found.

If you’re looking for more traffic, you might try offering free patterns, as others have mentioned, but doing what you can to get them listed in some of the “free pattern” websites – if I’m looking for a free baby bootie pattern, I’ll click on almost every link I find, and if the site interests me, I’ll click around there some more and maybe bookmark it.

Also, buy ads on knitty.com, knittersreview.com, and other sites like that. Those are sites I “hang out” on and I’m likely to check out some of the ads – especially if they have special deals for Knitter’s Review members, etc.

10

I actually went on and checked out your newsletter- I was thinking more of a “sign up here for our newsletter- get a 10% off coupon for doing so!”. That way you get a weekly/monthly/whatever reminder of "Oh yeah- I should check out that cool website I liked so much!)

11

From a different perspective entirely - what about a beginners/intermediate section? I’m only a dabbler in knitting and I’ve never ordered supplies online, but I’d love a site with a few free patterns, some explanations of techniques, differences in different kinds of yarn, etc. Heck, if I saw a well-explained (ie, I could follow what the heck I was supposed to do) project that I was interested in, with the appropriate type of yarn and needles listed and linked to, I’d probably buy them right there.

12

From my own experience:

Make sure people know what brands of tools you sell. I’m always disappointed in my LYS’s selection of needles and crochet hooks, so I look to web stores for those things.

Free patterns draw me in. If I see a picture of the pattern done up in a particular yarn and it looks great, I’m much more likely to purchase the yarn then and there.

13

This is just a “brainstorming” idea that popped into my head, so I’m sure it’ll have its issues, but here goes: AFAIK, none of my local yarn stores (LYS) offer online shopping. They all have websites, however. What if you partnered with LYS in other cities (you’re in Portland, right? So maybe you’d partner with stores here in Seattle) to advertise your online shopping on their websites? It would have to be carefully done, of course, so that they didn’t feel they were losing customers to you. But I know that I go to my LYS first, and if they recommended an online retailer for things they don’t carry, I would at least check it out – especially if it was another LYS, just in another city (as opposed to a big, online-only company).

14

Knitter here, who designs web sites and LOVES Koigu!!

As for me, I prefer high-end yarns and spend a lot of time searching for online yarn stores that have what I am looking for. What attracts me the most is good photos of the yarn, and maybe even a knitted swatch of the yarn, photographed up-close. ALSO I would LOVE to have a place where knitter could post photos of finished objects made of certain yarns you carry, so shoppers can see examples of items made from a yarn they are considering buying.

I have more ideas but I gotta run, but I will be back later.

p.s. sorry if you have already answered this, but can we get a link to your web site?

15

I’m pretty loyal to one online retailer for yarn unless they really just don’t have what I want. There’s a second retailer that has a better selection of colours in my favourite yarn so yes, lots of colours of a given yarn is a good thing to me.

What draws me back to my preferred online retailer is the configurability of how to see the yarn. They offer it organized by brand, weight, fiber content, sale status, and also they have a ‘new’ section. So I can browse, and frequently do, eyeing yarns for later purchase. Also, they have the best customer service (recently refunded me the price of a ball of yarn even though I didn’t return it, because I let them know it had quality control issues) and something that really appeals to me, they are very ‘out’ about the physical location of their store and how they are part of the community and they’re located in my state, if not close by.

Don’t care about content. Would love needle size/yardage/etc charts. Don’t care about a personal page, not especially interested in free patterns. I do like to see sample projects in a yarn though! That is always kind of neat and helps me picture drape, etc.

Oh. Make it easy to buy a gift certificate!! I have knitting friends too and had to send one a check recently so she could get a particular set of needles for her birthday because I couldn’t figure out how to gift them or give her a gift certificate.

And definitely consider those addi lace needles. If I’m anything to go by people will be looking out for those and trying to find a reliable place with a good selection! Especially if you’re a higher end place that might be a good thing to carry.

16

I think it might be against the board rules unless he asks a Mod first.

But he could pm it to us doe eyes Pretty pretty please

17

Yes yes pretty pretty please?

18

Don, got the link - thanks! I really like the site. I can’t think of anything really that could improve it. I am glad you have good photos of the yarn. I will post more ideas later as I am quite sick and drowsy on cold medicine at the moment…

19

Feature a YOTW: Yarn of the Week Sale or New Arrivals. Or something like YPOTW: Yarn Porn of the Week. Knitters like their porn, dontchaknow.

One thing I wish sites would do is show the skein of yarn next to a swatch so we can see how it knits up. Simply Knitting Magazine does that with its yarn reviews and I love it. (Heck, I’ll even volunteer to do the swatching on any thing just to help other knitters out there.)
Maybe adding some kind of ‘button’ for people to put on their blogs to link it to their favorite online yarn stores.

20

What draws you to knitting/crochet web sites? Cost, particular products, attractiveness of site, ability to navigate and search, customer service, …?
All of the above, but ease of navigation & searching are one of the most important things. I like to search by guage. Clear pictures of the yarn are also important. While not all colors are going to look the same on different monitors, I have seen yarns on some sites that look very drab, and the same yarn looks great on another site. Also, make a note if you’re willing to special order - if you carry Artyarns, but not all their yarns or colors, would you be willing/able to get them for a customer who’s already ordering other items?

Would adding “content” to the site be appealing? For example, a tips and tricks section?
Sure, even adding links to other helpful sites (like knittinghelp.com) would be a good idea.
How about tools like needle size charts, yardage calculators, metric/US conversions, etc? It certainly couldn’t hurt, especially if you have a lot of customers from different parts of the world.

How about the ability to have your own personal page where you keep track of what size needles you have and post pictures of your projects?
This is something I probably wouldn’t use myself. I already keep a Flickr account where I post pics of finished projects. A lot of people also keep blogs and might not use a second place for posting. An area where you as the web-master posted pictures of FOs from the free patterns listed on the site, or made from yarn bought there, might be fun though.

Would having free patterns attract you to a site and then make you want to buy yarn, or would you just print out the pattern and then shop at your LYS? I tend to be loyal to the stores (both online and local) that are the most helpful to me. If I found a pattern I wanted to make on your website, and you had the yarn I wanted to use, I’d likely order it right from you.

Any other ideas to attract and serve knitters?
Advertise on Knitty.com if you don’t already, and maybe Craftster (not sure how they deal with advertisers).