Redesigning the store?

Why do so many designers / store owners seem to feel the need to redesign the store layout so often? Is it just that creative instinct that pushes them? I go crazy so often when I go back to a store and all of a sudden cannot find anything. In some cases the new design is really hard to navigate / fly around / cam around, and the store loses my business.

While I am asking questions about store design, what is the reasoning behind not allowing flying in a store? I can maybe understand in some sim settings, but in a store?

Since I am not "in the biz", I may just be missing something. If you are a store owner and redo the layout of your store frequently, I really would like your reasoning.

In real life I think it's some kind of marketing strategy. Even if a store is not wholly redecorated, but just rearranged, it cuts down on your zipping in and going directly to what you need (well, for guys anyway) and forces you to wander around and maybe make an impulse buy. Or it's like stirring up the dry food in the bowl to make us think it's fresh. (Hey, I never fell for that.)

As for prohibiting flying - I don't know. Arrogance? Inbreeding?

There's a simple answer for you..

Sometimes, we just run out of room!

When my shop was originally built, I had 3 items. I was forced to redesign when I had more than 4. Then I had another store that suppoeted 8 items.. which I had to redesign when I made it to 12.

Each time I designed a store, I laid it out to make the few products I had, not look like "almost nothing".

When my store moved to Healy, I could support about 40 products, in 6 categories. The problem was that the store's design only really supported 4 categories. (4 walls). so, I ended up having to redesign again. NMy current layout supports roughly 80 products. Since I have about 40, I have some time before I'll be forced to reconsider the issue again.

There is also the creative impulse, and of course, most of my stores I built "for now".. expecting that I'd update them as soon as I had a really good idea.

I think a lot of store layouts are driven by sales, ease of use, what's selling well, what are people complaining that they can't find.... We break things down into groups "vehicles" lets say, but then the number of vehicles gets big enough that we have to make it into 2 sections, or three. (cars, planes, etc)..

It really just depends. When I made my current store, I had a "robot" section that had one avatar, 6 hairs, and a matching jetpack. That section now has 2 avatars, 10 hairs and a jetpack. Soon it will have two weapons.. and who knows what else. That section is growing, and I might have to move it to the other side of the store, where there's more room.

Sometimes, we just gotta move stuff around. It's nothing personal.

PS. That thing about no-fly.. many stores, partocularly those run by the "fasion/club" people, tend to see "flying" as a form of "griefing"... since many store-griefers (back in the day) would show up with cage-guns, and hover while in mouselook, shooting up the place.

While it doesn't stop any griefing at all.. many ill-informed new store owners/staffers tend to connect flying and griefing. (they're usually the same stores that disable scripts from running, or enable "health" for no reason).

Pretty much, yeah. I'm still kind of new at this, but I have 6 mall stores so far plus a kiosk. My business is still growing, so as I get more products in I have to rearrange here and there. The store size and shape are really the deciding factors for me. One of my stores has been rearranged several times over the past few months, but one of the larger stores has required very few changes except to keep it looking fresh from time to time.

The "run out of room" reason actually makes sense to me. I can easily see that this would cause a need for a redesign. Though I do still think that a few store owners could benefit from a "consumer consultation" on their layout. What might seem logical to them, since they created the stuff, might not seem so to others.

Hmm - maybe I'll see about offering my services to a few.

Then again, maybe not - some folks are touchy about constructive criticism and I'm sometimes not the greatest at wording things without being a bit too blunt.

Can not speak for others of course, but for me, it is more boredom and the simple... because I can

I think one person had it right when they did a blog post about me and said I am a builder at heart.

I love to build.

Have been considering redoing it yet again, but this time, so I can reduce prim useage, sell some land and downsize, but still offer the items for sale.

*shrug*

sold some land already, more on the market (selling to someone) once they buy it then I will see where I stand and how much I can drop tier, then sell more if I have to.

I really would like to keep the store, but made a promise to myself that if it doesn't cover tier I downsize, till it can cover the tier, and now.. it is not covering tier, so time to downsize.

LittleMe, I just purchased another parcel bordering the one my store is on and am doing what started out to be an addition...of course once I started that, then I had some ideas about things I'd like to change. Once I got working on that, it grew into a complete rebuild and redesign...and of course, that wouldn't be complete without a complete layout restructure....lol I am putting together the new shop 500m up and when it's done I will pull it all down. Anyway, the building itself is almost done, and I am putting together all new displays.....I would LOVE some feedback If you like, feel free to fly on up and go in and check it out! Just be aware, a lot of stuff is kinda crammed to one side because I have more stuff to bring up and once it is all in I can put all where it goes. But you are welcome to check it out!

Oh man I used to redesign my shop all of the time. So much so people used to tease me about it. For me it was mainly boredom and never being happy with the previous design. I`m sure it irritated people. At this point in my SLife I can finally say I never want to redesign my shop ever again.

Let me change the question slightly . . .
Pep (Once a pair of shoes is comfortably broken in, I wear them all the time)

ive redesigned my store completely about once a year for 4 years. Evertime the goal has been to present my expanding product range more effectively. My latest new store opened 1st Jan and my profits have increases by over 70% since then. You learn how to use SL to better present your products and my skills at building and texture creation are allways improving so I feel my store should be too as that is an advertisment for my skill.

I have never understood that one myself and sadly, have never been able to get a sensible answer out of the owners. Since I'm mostly flying, I often stay that way when I enter a no-fly zone without even noticing it is one. So quite a few times I have been yelled at, quite a few times ejected without a word and once I got the glorious threat "get down or get banned". Needless to say, these stores didn't see a single penny from me.

I asked most of those owners why they were so upset about it, and in the few cases I got an answer it was along the lines of "It's our rules, obey or get out". Y'know, something along the lines of "We're a medieval market and feel it would enhance the flair of the place if people weren't flying" or whatever I could understand - and just one good reason why it irked the people so much was actually all I wanted.

So, in conclusion - currently, I think most store owners don't even have a reason for setting it no fly. It's just a case of bigger balls syndrome.

I also think that as some store owners get better at building, they see new possibilities. Cutting down on the number of prims for the building is one reason. This will free up prims for more product or vendors that can now be put out.

And store owners could be thinking it is just time for a change. That modernized medieval look just doesn't work anymore, for example.

In RL, stores regularly change their layouts and displays. If you don't rotate your stock, it looks stale and bland. You want to draw your customers in, to see what is new or what they might not have noticed before.

I've not run into the 'No Fly Zone' much so far. If the store is huge? Yes, that can be annoying at times. All they'd have to do is post a sign saying 'due to past griefing of our customers, we have been forced to make the premises a NO FLY ZONE. We do regret the inconvenience to all of our customers and hope you understand'.

I don't think there is one coverall answer to the question. Some of the reasons that spring to mind are:-

* To fit more stuff in of the same types that are already in.

* To fit new types of stuff in - new depts.

* More space is acquired, so spread stuff out.

* For something to do (genuinely).

* To try different product type layouts; e.g. placing the more popular stuff where it is more easily seen.

* To try different things; e.g. make space for the newest items to be displayed near the landing spot as well as in their 'proper' places. (I just did that, but I didn't need to clear a space for it).

* Small changes to the layout can give the impression that something is new and, therefore, merits a good look round.


There are constraints on changing things around too. One that I'm always faced with, as I add more and more things, is that my store has several parcels cut out. For instance, although it doesn't look like it, the fireplaces are on their own parcel that is individually promoted in search. So I can't just move the fireplaces section to somewhere else in the store, or I'll lose the Picks that people have to it, and affect its rankings. So some of the main sections are pretty much fixed. A lesser constraint, but still one that some stores should take into account, is that people take LMs wherever they are in store at the time, and often because the stuff where they are is what they want the LMs for. If the layout changes a lot, and they use their LMs, they could easily arrive, not recognise the things around, and think, "This isn't the place. It must be another LM I have", and go away. I've wanted to move the beds section for some months, and have it on its own parcel (still in the store but on a seperately cut parcel). Existing Picks and LMs are the reasons why I don't do it.

Personally, I generally don't change things around much at all. I usually adjust things to fit new stuff in. I'm fortunate, though, in that I have plenty of unused land and I can extend as needed. In January I opened up 2 new 1024 sized rooms for 2 new product lines, for instance.

I've no idea why a store would prevent flying. I have a large sign in the center of my store's main area - "Beware of low flying avatars!"

there's one reason for "no fly" that i can think of...
store owner lives on the same parcel of land, either the store's on the ground and home is in a skybox, or vice versa... and the store owner doesn't want to get interrupted by customers while having buttsex.
after all, all of SL is just about buttsex.


..at least that is what mainstream media still believes.
... in another thread there's a heated discussion about that, after some canadian tv show showed a "documentary" that again claimed such a thing... I posted a comment to the opposite, which so far has not been allowed in by their moderators.

point proved, case closed.

I am afraid I'm always changing and tweaking.I also ...to my detriment...... change venues a lot.I think,with me at least,it,s more about the need to keep busy.If I don't build or texture I get bored.
I would like to be methodical in my layouts,but my stuff is all strung out all over the place.Perhaps thats why I sell more on Xstreet than inworld.

oh for those not in the know...

if you go to a no fly zone, just activate the advanced menu, then the admin thing, then you will be able to fly (or at least you could last time I had to do it)

I also used the admin thing for offering teleports to people not on my friends list, when we had that bug where we did not have the ability to offer teleport to non friends.

To fly in a no fly zone:


Avanced > View Admin Options > Fly

Redesigning a store for space, or sorting out the products into departments or defined areas, makes sense. BUT - for heaven's sake store-owners, if you end up with very large premises with widely spaced areas then please make it easy for people (ME!) to 1) find my way around again and 2) move closer to items with as little hassle as possible.

If a reorganisation really is necessary then I think storeowners need to remember that many people will keep draw distance down quite a lot of the time to speed up rezzing. They need to see directional signs and info boards from the entrance or tp point.

I really hate being prevented from flying at a big store. Especially the ones that think they can also make you walk for what seems like miles before even arriving at the entrance. It's really irritating if I'm pressed for time and I tend to avoid places like that. Must try and remember the workaround hint in future - thanks for the reminders.
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Aes

One of the main reasons I redesigned my store was because I simply got better at building simply while still adding actual detail to my work. I did get very lucky that a server side "glitch" allowed me to create some actual megaprims of my own to replace some of the parts with.

So, mine looks more like a simple store, but I like that feel.

As for no fly? Bah. I hate places that don't let me fly when I'm shopping.

Aeslyn:

You said something that makes me wonder if it's why some store owners prevent flying - to make people walk and see the products better.

Your comment about signs is very good. My store is rambling and isn't difficult for new visitors to lose their bearings in, but I have large clear signs all over it, and in front of the landing point there's a big sign with direction arrows to the various main areas (product types).

No fly: It's to remind us to crank up the viewing distance and cam-shop from the landing point.

Whenever we've done a redesign it's to save prims and/or make room for new products. We try not to make major changes unless absolutely necessary - don't want people to get lost, and I'd have to redo the direction sign teleports and I just don't feel like it.

I think no-fly sucks. When you are small and have short little legs like me, flying is a speedy way to get around. I also hate no-script areas, because my Tiny Empires HUD won't work in them and that's a pain! I can see the point about griefers flying around and shooting people, but honestly, I wouldn't want to inconvenience ALL of my customers on the off chance that a bad guy might wander in.

Hello Phil. Yes, quite probably they do - but I feel that's stuck in a RL mode of thinking about how people use stores.

In RL when I go to a big store and want the dept that's right at the back or up three floors, I have no option but to walk around and pass by the other depts and other goods, to get to the item I want to see or try. In SL we can TP and fly (oh joy) and unless I really *want* the whole wandering around and browsing each item experience (which now and then I do, and I'm sure lots of people enjoy that in SL) then I can just as easily stand in one place and cam quickly around - or call up search and tp off to another easier to get around location. So for me, anywhere that tries to dictate where I go, how I get around and what I look at, isn't going to appeal as much as the hundreds of other competitors here that give me the choice.

The other point someone mentioned about roleplay sims having a no-fly rule is understandable for their general areas, but in the shopping locations then I still think they're limiting sales from anyone wishing to quickly get around to check out the items on display.

I don't see why the stores areas there have to be no-fly too. Many stores that I've seen, e.g. in mediaeval or fantasy RP places, don't even look very much in keeping with the themes anyway, so it'd hardly matter.

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Aes

I disagree...I've not had buttsex in many months.

I redesigned my store several times in two years to make room for new products. Originally I made my store with only four products for sale and currently I have more than one hundred so you can imagine the needs for rebuildings....

I will redesing the store in a few days but this time is just becose Im bored