# How do I get traffic to my new custom phone case site?



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

First of all thanks in advance for any tips you can share. I am grateful for any strategies at this moment.

My site is www.tattoomycase.com and I feel like only I know about it because I have done an awful job so far about getting traffic to the site. 

My Title and description Meta tags contain popular keywords for what I'm selling, I've had Google index the page, I even tried a Facebook and Google AdWord campaign and even though I didn't get any sales from them, what I was most dissapointed in was the low amount of visitors I recieved. 

Can you please share with me what you have found most effective in directing traffic to your site?


----------



## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

For me the site was so slow to load I almost gave up. Even selecting a phone case took a lifetime. There are too many people doing the same thing for people to wait around that long for pages to load.

Even if they did load the pricing is way way high. Blank phone cases are less than $5.00 - selling them for $35 is a huge stretch.


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

Riderz,

Thanks for the constructive criticism. It's good to hear visitor feedback. 

Regarding the speed, I don't understand why it loaded slowly for you. The site loads up quickly for me. Once you click on a phone model it does take a couple seconds to load the online design tool, but that's probably because the tool is more robust than other content on the site.

I'm not sure what $5 blank case you are referring to. Probably Iphone4 (only) where the images are sublimated on the flat back. 

We infuse the images into the actual case (for all popular smartphones) reaching all visible edges and fall into a different quality category all together.

My competition's prices for the same case are as follows...

getuncommon.com $39.95 + $5 shipping
custom.case-mate_.com $35 + $5 shipping_

I was going to sell for $29.95 + $5 shipping but decided to just sell for $34.95 with free shipping.


----------



## Gecko Signs NT (Aug 3, 2012)

Loaded quite slow for me as well. I like the designs, but I also think they're a bit on the expensive side. Even for the Australian market. How successful is your competition?
As for getting traffic to the site, I'm not much up with SEO so maybe someone else can help you with that.
Best of luck


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

If you look at my original post you will see that my biggest concern right now isn't conversion, it's getting traffic. I will work on speeding up the site however right now what I need visits. How do I stimulate this?

I've heard that case-mate sells about 30, 000 customized cases per month through their site at the pricing I shared which is $5 above my price. And talk about loading slow...go to their site imakemycase.com and you''ll really see what a slow load time is.

Anybody have any good advise about increasing visits to their site?

I've been reading allot about SEO but I would like to hear what SEO tactics were most effective for you.


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Elmo Hong Zito said:


> Riderz,
> 
> Thanks for the constructive criticism. It's good to hear visitor feedback.
> 
> ...


Clear your browser cache and then load up your website. Part _but not all_ of the reasons it is loading slow for others and it is not slow for yourself is because you have been visiting frequently and your images are fresh in your cache. Any new visitors have no benefit of cached images.

It is painful slow.


----------



## TheEsko245 (Apr 1, 2008)

The site is definitely slow loading. As for traffic, as mentioned before seo is important. Also, using facebook advertising increased my traffic about 400 percent. It costs money, but I really couldn't argue with the results. Good luck!


----------



## ryan barker (Jul 21, 2011)

did you convert those visits to sales?


----------



## TheEsko245 (Apr 1, 2008)

ryan barker said:


> did you convert those visits to sales?


Unfortunately, no. It was my first time trying and I did a bad job of advertising for sales, so someone with a little more experience would probably do a better job of hitting their target demographic and increasing their sales.


----------



## ryan barker (Jul 21, 2011)

don't feel bad. i've seen many ppl mention they're happy with the traffic, but not the sales. i think the conversion rate is, what, 1-3%?


----------



## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

Key words are almost useless these days. You need to have the info on your page. I didn't have you page come up on google with a few different searches. I only look on the first page. Page does load slow. The other page you mentioned loaded 2x faster than yours. Create more content, maybe a few sub pages with info the google bots will move your page up on the searches


----------



## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

Elmo Hong Zito said:


> Riderz,
> 
> Thanks for the constructive criticism. It's good to hear visitor feedback.
> 
> ...


I am guessing most all cell phone and related cases are dye sublimated. Total cost of a complete cell phone case dye sublimated is under $5.00 unless they are being done with a 3D dye sublimation press which will up the price. 

It is a tough market now as everyone has been conned into thinking they can make a million in their spare bedroom. The issue with any product is traffic. It is pain staking to increase traffic. Just Google custom cell phone cases and it is a never ending list. Even if you hire someone to do SEO for you it will not get you on the front pages as the big boys have that wrapped up. Small things add up. The easiest is to include your web site and facebook page in your signature. It creates a link. You may want to do AdWords but you have to know what you are doing or it is a black hole. It is always much easier to market to a niche market than the general market specially when you are new.

Good luck!


----------



## thcrepublic (Aug 18, 2012)

A few good ideas is to search the web for blogs that are discussing the product your selling and drive traffic that way onto your site. Another is with twitter following and getting follow backs again matching them in searches for people who have tweeted about the product... Have an edge also over you competitors ie for a limited time buy one get one free of equal price to drive both traffic and sales... In the meantime to generate income get yourself avenues of sales... Malls that sell said product undercut their suppliers so you are guarantying your companies survival... Market at fairs stores with display material direct people to your site for said product you would be surprised what a free sample to the store owner and wife would buy you...Word of mouth


----------



## kylec922 (Feb 16, 2012)

That's one of the slowest websites I've ever been on..


----------



## ryan barker (Jul 21, 2011)

how did the big guys get big?


----------



## ryan barker (Jul 21, 2011)

for shirts, a lot of people offer coupon/codes on their FB and twitter.


----------



## wonubee (Oct 2, 2007)

Okay.....I love the idea and I love your designs and I love your custom designer thing. 

I'm not a marketing guru but when I go to search for something like what you're offering I search online for quite some time before I purchase online.

First off I know you've heard this but your site is super slow. Even if you came up in my search I would have left your site long before the page loaded. Even if I had waited around for the site to load, the first page I clicked loaded just as slow and I would have left your site.

What makes your product better or different? Why should I buy from you and not your competition? Why are your prices so high? I mean the average online shopper is looking for a good deal. I can go to the mall and get what you are offering for much less and get it immediately.

Even if you get people to your site I doubt it will translate into sales. I market on all the social media sites. Facebook Twitter Reddit Imgur Pintrest and I get visits.......but not many sales. I still get more word of mouth sales. I don't know if this helps but I tried.


----------



## junkdruggler (Feb 21, 2012)

We have a huge niche market in the cellphone case market.. if you pm me with an email we can start a dialogue.. I can guarantee more visits and sales.. maybe we could work out an arrangement.. 
We sell tpu cases that have our designs on them already.. we have been wanting to be able to offer one off cases but bought a dtg printer and decided to offer t shirts instead.. 

Sent from my HTC One X using T-Shirt Forums


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Some really good ideas. 

Riderz, my cases are 3D dye sublimation and the material costs alone are more than double the $5 cases you are referring to. Another additional fixed cost is my cost for shipping the case which is about $5 per case.

As far as the retail price point, I have done my research and I do not see any other company selling personalised 3d dye sublimated cases for a lower price. If you know of any please let me know so I can relook at pricing. IMO having them personalised on demand with any image justifies charging a premium which is why these cases are not the same price as a predesigned case you see at a mall kiosk. Again, I will reconsider lowering the price if I see others offering the same product dropping their prices.

Some of you mentioned doing a buy 1, get 1 free or lowering the price b/c people shopping online are looking for a deal. I'm about to create a coupon for 50% off + free shipping just to get some action going. At that price I will just be covering cost, but I'm ok with that if its going to get me word of mouth sales later.

In terms of niches, can you guys think of any that might be a solid niche for personalised phone cases. Based on the research I have done, this product is more frequently purchased by women.


----------



## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

I would do 25% and free shipping. You should never just cover your cost.


----------



## junkdruggler (Feb 21, 2012)

We offer a buy two get one free deal on our website and our customers love it.. 

Sent from my HTC One X using T-Shirt Forums


----------



## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

Elmo Hong Zito said:


> Thanks for all the feedback so far. Some really good ideas.
> 
> Riderz, my cases are 3D dye sublimation and the material costs alone are more than double the $5 cases you are referring to. Another additional fixed cost is my cost for shipping the case which is about $5 per case.
> 
> ...


If they are true 3D you need to not only advertise as such but show the sides of the case as well just like all the other 3D phone cases. As it is shown on your site it looks like the standard Octi-Tech case you can get for next to nothing. 

Surely one off designs demand more than a standard case but you are in a very very competitive market with many of companies already having a stong foothold. Charging the same price for the same product as do well established 3D providers will get you nowhere. 

Furthermore there is a great number of people who will not purchase on the web from a site with no phone numbers, no addresses, etc. Personally I would not if I could purchase the exact same thing from a reputable vendor with a number to call.


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

Riderz Ready said:


> If they are true 3D you need to not only advertise as such but show the sides of the case as well just like all the other 3D phone cases. As it is shown on your site it looks like the standard Octi-Tech case you can get for next to nothing.
> 
> Surely one off designs demand more than a standard case but you are in a very very competitive market with many of companies already having a stong foothold. Charging the same price for the same product as do well established 3D providers will get you nowhere.
> 
> Furthermore there is a great number of people who will not purchase on the web from a site with no phone numbers, no addresses, etc. Personally I would not if I could purchase the exact same thing from a reputable vendor with a number to call.


Riderz, thanks for pointing out that our phone number is not listed on the page. We actually do have a phone number. The Google "Call Me" widget on the homepage will connect the call for anyone who clicks on it. However, now that you bring it up I am realizing that it can only help to actually list the phone number on the homepage. Thanks for looking out.


As far as advertising that the cases are true 3D with images that show the sides, the animated banner I should be installing in the next couple of days should probably take care of this. But honestly I do not think that the consumers are cognizant of that particular feature. You and I naturally are because we have done our research and understand the production process. Again, it can only help if I display the sides so I am grateful for the feedback. Keep it comming...


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

Hey guys, I was wondering if you can help me out. I'm trying to get the support desk at magento to speed up the load time of the site. Some of you that said that the load time was really slow, can you help me answer their questions below?

"From our current location we see Magento page load times of 1-2 seconds, with visualiser load times on average 4-9 seconds."This was from multiple tests at differing times of day, each time with a cleared cache, these figures are also concurrent timings not stacked.I also asked for a little more information regarding the page load times you are seeing. "Taking a long time" could be considered a little subjective, could you please provide us with idea of the amount of time taken to load the page, including the connection type & speed & location the test was performed from? A little more information will help us to respond to your query with a more specific answer."


----------



## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

Elmo Hong Zito said:


> Riderz, thanks for pointing out that our phone number is not listed on the page. We actually do have a phone number. The Google "Call Me" widget on the homepage will connect the call for anyone who clicks on it. However, now that you bring it up I am realizing that it can only help to actually list the phone number on the homepage. Thanks for looking out.
> 
> 
> As far as advertising that the cases are true 3D with images that show the sides, the animated banner I should be installing in the next couple of days should probably take care of this. But honestly I do not think that the consumers are cognizant of that particular feature. You and I naturally are because we have done our research and understand the production process. Again, it can only help if I display the sides so I am grateful for the feedback. Keep it comming...


There is a huge difference in cases that only dye sublimate the top versus 3D that sublimate the edges. If you do not think the consumer gets the difference why would you or anyone pay all the additional cost for a 3D case to be made? A case by Unisub that is not 3D is under $4.00 -


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Elmo Hong Zito said:


> Hey guys, I was wondering if you can help me out. I'm trying to get the support desk at magento to speed up the load time of the site. Some of you that said that the load time was really slow, can you help me answer their questions below?
> 
> "From our current location we see Magento page load times of 1-2 seconds, with visualiser load times on average 4-9 seconds."This was from multiple tests at differing times of day, each time with a cleared cache, these figures are also concurrent timings not stacked.I also asked for a little more information regarding the page load times you are seeing. "Taking a long time" could be considered a little subjective, could you please provide us with idea of the amount of time taken to load the page, including the connection type & speed & location the test was performed from? A little more information will help us to respond to your query with a more specific answer."


Just now took me 16 seconds to load your page. Broadband shared connection at my office.

At home I was getting similar results. 20 Meg down and 1 Meg up at home.


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

Riderz Ready said:


> There is a huge difference in cases that only dye sublimate the top versus 3D that sublimate the edges. If you do not think the consumer gets the difference why would you or anyone pay all the additional cost for a 3D case to be made? A case by Unisub that is not 3D is under $4.00 -


If the only difference between a 3D sublimated clip on case and the sublicover case you are referring to was the edges being sublimated, then your darn right I would have gone for the sublicover case at about 1/3rd of the cost. Unfortunately that is not the only difference. 

With 3D sublimation, regardless of the phone case model, you are always sublimating the actual case, not an insert with a half-a** adhesive backing that will go onto the case. This is where the huge difference you are referring to is most noticeable. A high quality product creates repeat customers and referalls. 3D sublimated cases are high quality products. 

Now going back to what I was referring to with displaying the decorated edges on the images of my site...It is naturally better to display this feature rather than conceal it. However, the point I was trying to make is that my overall sales will not be affected because the images on my site are not showing the decorated edges. In other words, people looking for a custom smartphone case online are not thinking about how close to the edge does their image reach. Their looking for a cool looking, high quality case at a fair price.


----------



## Elmo Hong Zito (Apr 29, 2009)

mgparrish said:


> Just now took me 16 seconds to load your page. Broadband shared connection at my office.
> 
> At home I was getting similar results. 20 Meg down and 1 Meg up at home.


Thank you MG


----------



## cryptkeeper (Apr 26, 2010)

I develop using magento. 

I am assuming that you are running on a shared host/vps server. 

You will need a minimum of 256 Meg's ram, 512 recommended. 

Your server is probably using 32. 

Make sure caching is enabled. Make sure gzip is enabled. Install fooman speedster. Minify your CSS/js and get a dedicated server!

Yes my hosting for my site went from 10$ a month to 215, but it's bloody fast!


----------



## musicthreads (Feb 3, 2012)

You could try listing your service/product on etsy? Or perhaps sending complimentary cases to phone bloggers - I'm sure they exist.


----------



## printingray (Apr 4, 2012)

Social media is the best thing for getting traffic, but not only social media social media marketing is the main thing. At the second number SEO in which target a keyword and build link on that to get high search rank which is the cause of traffic and sales.


----------



## wubuer (Dec 10, 2015)

cryptkeeper said:


> I develop using magento.
> 
> I am assuming that you are running on a shared host/vps server.
> 
> ...


appreciate, useful information for Minify CSS: http://www.online-code.net/minify-css.html
and minify js: http://www.online-code.net/minify-js.html.


----------



## cryptkeeper (Apr 26, 2010)

As other people replied, your site is slow.

You have (only on your homepage) 1mb of data, and 79 requests. Your time to first byte is a whopping 15 seconds. That means nothing is happening for 15 seconds. 

If your site does not load in 2.5 seconds, every half a second you lose a % of people. 

So after 15 seconds, you have lots of people which your analitics will not even pick up.

To add to all that, your page loads in just over 43 seconds.

I'm just telling you that having a pageload like that will not get you anywhere. Before you focus on marketing, fix your site. Get it into at least 4 seconds.

You have 2 failed calls to "the find" remive that.

Forget about minifying your css and javascript right now. Step 1) get a better host. Magento is very heavy, you cannot run it on a vps unless you want a client or two on at a time.

Secondly, install a full page cache. Get lestiFPC. Deploy it with redis to keep it in memory. 

Do these first, then focus on minification of images,css and js

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

cryptkeeper said:


> As other people replied, your site is slow.
> 
> You have (only on your homepage) 1mb of data, and 79 requests. Your time to first byte is a whopping 15 seconds. That means nothing is happening for 15 seconds.
> 
> ...


Excellent post


----------



## keithhos (Jan 14, 2017)

Very slow to load


----------



## sinGN (Oct 12, 2016)

Forum posting and blog posting helps you to increase the traffic.


----------

