Crossstitchforum - A FREE forum for Cross Stitchers • View topic - Mabel Figworthy's Fancies -- Special offer for members

Mabel Figworthy · **Posted:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:18 am

Thanks TB -- The time scale at the moment is very rough and ready :-)

but I will make sure that it's a realistic one by the time i go live.

Mabel Figworthy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:38 pm

OK, I need to bounce a few things off you all.

My deadline is fast approaching *panic* and I'm having second thoughts about how to send the chart packs.

I intended to have one price on the website which would include UK postage, and to ask non-UK people to email me to order. But now I'm thinking people might not read that (at the top of the page) and just click on the Buy button even if they're outside the UK.

So then I thought I'd have three buttons for each chart pack, UK, Europe and Other, each with their own price. It's possible but it does look rather crowded, which I don't like. Paypal also offers a drop-down box, so I could have one that says "Choose your location", and then once a customer has done that they click on the Buy button and the correct price is chosen automatically.

That seems the best one, except the way the dropdown box is styled looks terrible, and changing it can be done but is rather laborious. Also, as I was looking into postage, I realised postage abroad, especially with the recent price increases, is going to be quite a lot. For example, a large chart pack (like the Floral Tiles) would be £5.99 for the UK, but to cover postage it would have to be £6.99 for Europe and £7.49 for everywhere else. Would people find that excessive?

So then I started thinking again about my very first idea, selling the chart packs as digital files -- not downloads (I'd have to look into coding a bit more to do that) but by sending them as PDF files via email.

Advantages:
* customer has the chart pack quicker (I can email it instantly as soon as I'm informed of the order)
* more convenient for customer, as they can easily print as many working copies as they like, and also enlarge them
* cheaper for customer (especially those outside the UK) as I could lower the prices
* more convenient for me (I don't have to print the chart packs or go to the post office to send them)
* easier on the website (only one price, so only one Buy button necessary for each design)
* if a customer really wants a printed chart pack, I could say on the website to email me for that

Disadvantages:
only one, really, but an important one -- digital files are A LOT easier to distribute illegally.

Any thoughts on all the above would be very welcome -- if I manage to decide on one solution I may even make my deadline!

Reta · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:55 pm

Like the idea of email instead of post

Better for you as well no need to go to post if its a wet day :wink:

mags · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:13 pm

I would say email too, it will be a lot easier for you.
And as you suggest, offer printed ones as an option on request.
Can you somehow watermark your designs so that they cannot be passed off as someone else's.

Mabel Figworthy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:16 pm

I did consider a watermark but wasn't sure whether it would interfere with stitchers' use of the chart pack -- would you as a stitcher object to a watermark across the chart? The trouble is partly that my charts are in colour, so not sure whether it would make them hard to read. Will try a few to see how they print out!

mags · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:20 pm

I certainly wouldn't object as long as it wasn't too obtrusive.

benceagi · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:33 pm

e-mailing them would be much better, especially for us not in th UK.

A watermark sounds good to me.

Mabel Figworthy · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:48 am

Would this be too intrusive?

benceagi · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:44 am

No, I don't think so.

XandraS · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:25 pm

I don't think that's intrusive at all

Mabel Figworthy · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:43 pm

that might be the solution then!

Midge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:25 pm

It isn't obtrusive but I don't see how it would stop anyone from passing it on via e-mail - maybe I'm a bit thick!
Personally, I like the chart pack idea but can understand how difficult it will be to sort out international postage.

Mabel Figworthy · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:47 pm

Midge, not thick at all -- it wouldn't stop them from passing it on, but at least it would stop them from pretending it was their own if it had Mabel's Fancies watermarked all over it :-)

I do like the idea of a physical chart pack too, and I may change back to that when I've got things up and running, perhaps a choice between digital and printed; for now I will offer the possibility of a printed one but you'd have to email me and I'd work out postage.