Vendor Section Enema

[X Bubblehead]

Is there a valid reason to maintain the threads of inactive vendors in this section - or on this forum?

Though evolution, revolution, or just the passage of time, they're nothing more than digital fossils. Half of the (active?) vendors haven't had a post in years. It wouldn't hurt to give this section a thorough cleaning, rather than give the appearance this hobby is dying from an apparent lack of vendor support with the carcasses of decaying former vendors on display.

[feet wet]

No argument with that idea. Everything can use a cleaning now and then.

[QuarterMaster]

You can expect an enema of the whole forum itself.

Change is coming.

[lhdockyard1]

I for one stopped posting new products as i never received any interest in anything that was posted. Many new plan sets and hulls to post if there is any interest.

Don
Loyalhanna Dockyard

[salmon]

Don,

I save up and buy, rinse and repeat. I would love to see what you have going on!

Peace,
Tom

[bob the builder]

We should set up a list of vendors and schedule a quarterly reminder to touch base and update their product lines. I can definitely see the value in that...

Bob

[X Bubblehead]

I for one stopped posting new products as i never received any interest in anything that was posted. Many new plan sets and hulls to post if there is any interest.

Don
Loyalhanna Dockyard

I sympathize with your dilemma Don, but your website is a cautionary example of how NOT to generate interest in a product online (I'm referring to the Submarine Hull section.) While you offer a large selection of submarine hulls, the majority of the visual descriptions are low-quality internet pictures of a boat, some text, and nothing showing your finished products. Ancient, grainy black and white pictures are not about to do justice to your products. In essence, this is what you're depending on to represent your products. Does this resonate?

Yours looks like a 25 year-old website design. Where online merchandising is concerned, one must evolve or extinction is inevitable. It isn't enough that you build awesome hulls, you have to offer compelling evidence that displays your craftsmanship as well.

Two companies offer similar products online. Neither are inexpensive, so potential customers want to ensure they're getting the best value for their money. Company A describes their product in simplistic terms with little or no useful visual information. Company B depicts their products with large, high resolution photos from multiple angles with detailed descriptions that give the potential customer the impression the company is really proud of their offerings and persuades discerning customers they're making an investment in a superior product they'll be as proud to own as the builder who created it.

Whom are you more likely to purchase from?

For example: https://www.loyalhannadockyard.com/SUBDSRV.htm or this : https://www.loyalhannadockyard.com/SUBAKULA.htm What incentive is there for someone to shell out $1550 dollars for a boat, sight unseen? While I'm sure you produce a fine boat, I have no way to verify this from the information contained on the website.

How does a black and white line drawing of a DSRV promote your product in any way?

The completed boats you sell with pictures of the finished product are weak where advertising is concerned. For example: https://www.loyalhannadockyard.com/SUBELEKTRO.htm

There are three pictures, all low-rez with no way to blow them up and examine the details I assume you painstakingly craft into them. This is a real shame.

If you want to increase your site traffic and chances of increasing sales, buff up your site; and by that I mean thoroughly overhaul it. You just might be surprised with the results. You obviously have little to lose from your admission of "giving up" due to minimal interest. If generating interest and the accompanying sales are important to your business, it's imperative to advertise to the intended audience. RC Submarine enthusiasts are a pretty savvy crowd of inquisitive, detail-oriented people. This isn't a cheap hobby, it's in your best interests to offer a compelling reason why someone should reach deep into their pockets to pay the big bucks to own one of your products.

There are even worse RC vendor examples online to learn from. One begins with an excuse, has nothing to sell, but features "Future Project" emblazoned over nine submarine pictures. Basically it's a group of non-existent products. The site has been up for years without any meaningful status changes. I mean, what's the point of having an online storefront at all?

I'm don't mean to ping on you, so please don't take my observations personally. I just see an obvious problem with an even more obvious solution. If I didn't care about your success or moving this hobby forward, I wouldn't even bother to post.