Plans for the future
A new site with lots of grand designs for the future. I have kept initial start up costs low by building everything on this site myself. So I have tried to keep this site as simple as possible to start with. However with your support, I'm hoping to develop this initial experiment into a growing concern. Following are changes I am either; currently working on, planning soon, or considering for the near future:
- Quality
- Transparency
- Advertising and promotion
- Newsletters and articles
- Improving search criteria
- Additional services
- International connections
- Linking up to other businesses
Have you got any feedback or suggestions ? I would like to hear from you !
Please email andy@bloomingstyle.co.uk
Quality
High calibre garden designs are paramount to make this web site work. Lower priced designs shouldn't mean poor quality. If anything, more consideration should be made because they should be robust, detailed, easy to construct, and adaptable for as many customers as possible. The designs you submit are representations of your work. Customers may subsequently decide to avail themselves of your services based on what they have seen.
To encourage a level of quality I would like to introduce the following:
- Reviews by designers (professional representatives)
- Customer comments from people who have bought the design
- Awards and special merits
- Show case some interesting designs
I believe that by making good quality garden designs more accessible to the general public, the market for garden design will increase and develop further. People may return to buy another design when they move to a new house. They could also recommend it to their friends and family. Increasingly customers could start to become more comfortable with the concept of investing and improving their outdoor spaces. More and more customers will also want personal touches and therfore consider employing the services of a designer directly.
Initially all new designs/designers will be vetted by myself, but I would like to reliquish this responsibility to a more qualified person/s or professional body.
Transparency
Initially, I shall have to perform a number of processes manually. One of these is the payment processing. I'm hoping to automate these soon and process each transaction seemlessly straight to you're account. Work is currently being done to:
- Automate email notifications for designers at point of sale
- Automated payments
- Full Account of all sales
I am happy to open my accounts for inspection to designers. I will not however divulge sales information of designers, unless the designer has consented for me to do so. I will not make available customers' personal information to anyone. Designers will only be able to view the name and e-mail address of customers that have purchased one of their designs. Otherwise, customers are completely anonymous and I take customer privacy seriously. I do not sell or pass on customer e-mails or other details.
Advertising and promotion
I am considering various mediums for promoting this site:
- Target Magazines (Gardening, Design, Interior, Building, and Home improvements)
- Shows and Exhibitions
- Direct promotions and competitions
- Internet (search engines and links)
- TV and Radio
I am keen to spend on targeted advertising that will get the greatest return in sales or interest. I would like to keep the site fee as low as I can. I am also open to suggestions on how and where to promote.
Newsletters and articles
Regular newsletters are invaluable for enticing customers to return to a web site. They are also a good way of promoting your business or service. I intend to launch this very soon. Some of the suggested regulars:
- Articles on "How to..." hardlandscaping & gardening projects
- New and interesting designs and concepts
- Feature garden, design, or designer
- Wildlife and nature corner
- Fun stuff for big and small kids
- Plant database
Would you like to contribute an article ? Please email news@bloomingstyle.co.uk
Improving search criteria
The search options are still fairly basic. I would like to incorporate a few more advanced options like:
- Irregular shaped plots
- Exisiting features to be retained (e.g. tree, shrub or shed)
- Combining garden designs (i.e. separate rooms)
- Plant selector
- Refine the options and user interface
Additional services
I would also like to provide some additional services (some for free):
- Print and post designs to customers (at additional charge)
- Sell vouchers as gift (to buy garden designs with)
- Plant swap for customers to exchange plants between themselves (free service)
- Message board for customers
- Message board for designers (for postings visible to designers only)
- Refine the options and user interface
International connections
The internet is bringing the world closer together. Each country or location may have it's own special considerations (e.g. local climate, materials available and cultural considerations). Certainly some designs can work outside their original setting, indeed it can make a refreshing difference.
I will be launching a North American version of this web site, with a few nuances for the American market. Eventually different language verions for our European neighbours (initially perhaps German, Spanish, and French). English will be the default language, but customers would be able to search for designs in a specific language.
Designers can choose whether to make designs available in specific markets. Designers can also choose to supply versions of their designs translated into several languages.
Linking up to other businesses
I would like to promote and support small local buisness as much as possible. Some possible features for the future;
- Store front for small business that have products that relate to gardening or design. To enable small buisnesses an easy and cheap way of having a prescence on the internet for mail order products.
- Register of local builders and suppliers who can construct or supply materials to implement a garden design.
- Full garden construction plans for some designs. These may include project plans, material check list with potential suppliers, possible builders and/or how to guides, plant stockists, and other service providers (e.g. garden maintenance, tree surgeons, and other specialists).
- Landscapers, Architects, Interior Designers, Nurseries, Artists, and other services and products that may be of interest to customers.
Have you got any feedback or suggestions ? I would like to hear from you !
Please email andy@bloomingstyle.co.uk
Respectfully Yours,