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Topic: What do you want in a store/website?

Hey guys,

We're preparing to launch our updated website/store, and were wondering what you'd like to see. Specific examples would be great - for example, I like the way www.qu-bd.com and www.lulzbot.com handle things.

Also, would you rather the item always be shown as in stock with a lead time that varies, or in-stock/out-of stock with notify when in stock feature?

What functionality of the site would be helpful? What annoys/upsets you about other 3D Printing vendor's websites?

Thanks!

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

I've shopped at qu-bd.com and the setup is OK.  Have you checked out www.adafruit.com and sparkfun.com?  I really like having the items pictured in various perspective. 

I prefer the in-stock/out-of-stock with notify when in stock.

Please have a good shipping estimator upfront.  I really really really dislike going through the whole checkout process only to find out how much shipping will cost.

Good luck with the new store, can't wait to do some shopping smile

-Will

makin' stuff

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

I've seen those sites. Unfortunately they have about 2 orders of magnitude more staff than I do, and at least 2 orders of magnitude bigger revenue streams! They're good goals to strive for, though. Just not sure if I have the resources to go that far.

The shipping estimator is a great point, I'll look into it. Luckily shipping is pretty cheap, especially domestically - parts are pretty light/small.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Well, I was hoping the flow from product selection to cart to checkout would be similar.  Not sure what sparkfun is running but store.makerslide.com has a similar feel to adafruit.com and they are on a much smaller scale.  You probably have an e-commerce software package selected but if you are still on a lookout, they are running Zen Cart.

Definitely have at least one good pic that represents the item being sold.

Here is another recently opened store site that has plenty of pics: http://openbuildspartstore.com/

Will you be having a test/trial period before releasing the site to the public?

Thanks,

-Will

makin' stuff

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

To answer your question, I much prefer in-stock/out-of-stock than in-stock+leadtime. I also absolutely will not buy a product that doesn't have decent pictures. You should consider having customer reviews, or a way to ask questions about products if you can swing it.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Put some images like this one in the store, 5 days straight running 10 pounds of natural no kinks, ramen or inclusions. Wow
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/8x8x0hj1pljrizz/BZJdM8y9el

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Too bad you didn't do a timelapse of that one.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

supraflyer wrote:

I laughed out loud. Well done!

9 (edited by DePartedPrinter 2013-06-05 21:27:57)

Re: What do you want in a store/website?

supraflyer wrote:

Put some images like this one in the store, 5 days straight running 10 pounds of natural no kinks, ramen or inclusions. Wow
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/8x8x0hj1pljrizz/BZJdM8y9el


wow indeed...

It looks like some bizarre contemporary art piece.

SD2 with E3D, SD Press, Form 1+
Filastruder
NYLON (taulman): http://www.soliforum.com/topic/466/nylon/

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Wow, it looks like Ian`s spooler is needed smile
Great photo.

@Tim, Zen-Cart has a built in shipping predictor so people dont have to go through the whole process to find out the shipping costs, and its less server intensive than Magneto. Having used both of the stores you mentioned, theyre both pretty similar, id prefer to see things that are in stock rather than order something with a level of uncertainty when its in. You can never be 100% sure that the suppliers will supply on time. Photos are good, videos better smile

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

PLA colorant please

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

OSP already carries it. smile

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

elmoret wrote:

OSP already carries it. smile

Thanks, ordered.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

supraflyer wrote:

Put some images like this one in the store, 5 days straight running 10 pounds of natural no kinks, ramen or inclusions. Wow
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/8x8x0hj1pljrizz/BZJdM8y9el


Your mrs must like you as much as mine likes my solidoodle on the dinning room table!

15 (edited by jesse 2013-06-09 01:29:23)

Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Spools, filament winder, some people might want filastruder filament as a sample

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Staffordknot wrote:
supraflyer wrote:

Put some images like this one in the store, 5 days straight running 10 pounds of natural no kinks, ramen or inclusions. Wow
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/8x8x0hj1pljrizz/BZJdM8y9el


Your mrs must like you as much as mine likes my solidoodle on the dinning room table!

I got just about completely kicked out to the garage, I am sometimes allowed to build inside tongue

Roo

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

If your truly going mainstream.  Being able to purchase it on Amazon is where its at for me.

I am an open book, write on my pages that I may learn the wisdom that you posses.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

1.75 mm and 3.0 mm inner diameter clear tube for joining strands of plastic

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

jesse wrote:

1.75 mm and 3.0 mm inner diameter clear tube for joining strands of plastic

Why don't you just use some heat shrink tubing?

I doubt there would be enough to make much contamination.

Ralph

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Ralphxyz wrote:
jesse wrote:

1.75 mm and 3.0 mm inner diameter clear tube for joining strands of plastic

Why don't you just use some heat shrink tubing?

I doubt there would be enough to make much contamination.

Ralph

You mean to shrink down to do the joining? The heatshrink won't extrude through the 3D printer, though perhaps you could cut it off when you finished. The only issue would be whether the heatshrink would melt with the plastic to become unified, and if you could control the heat so you didn't carbonize the ABS. Could be cool, though!

What Jesse wants is a means of joining two strands of filament to become one. As of right now, you can do this with acetone or heat, but it's hard to keep the strands aligned. This is one solution:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:9850

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Now I like the end results but I could not follow those pictures to see what was happening.

re: using heat shrink to join filament, you could use a piece of heat shrink 1/2" long, I can see that you might get a small lump which you would have to try to place on the inside of your object. I'll have to play with the idea.

I used to be certified to do Butt Fusion welding on Poly Ethene gas pipes. the problem with butt fusion is you extrude excess material. You could probable clean the filament with a exacto.

Ralph

Ralph

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Spares of each part.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

Upgrade kit of making (and cooling) PLA filament

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

jesse wrote:

Upgrade kit of making (and cooling) PLA filament

Shouldn't need anything special as far as the extruder goes, a spooler would go a long way though.

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Re: What do you want in a store/website?

For a small web store, I really like how hotends.com is organized.

They're somewhat famous for the in-stock/out-of-stock - in their case I suspect it prevents a huge backlog of orders for a very popular product. That seems like a problem the filastruder is likely to have in the short term, especially as testimonies like supraflyer's start rolling in.