What does the advertising tell you?

I was going to put this in another section, but I'd only get the input of merchants there I think. And I want to hear the experiences of everyone, merchant OR customer.

It's been very noticeable to me that whenever I find something in SL that I am interested in purchasing, the quality of the example photo/placard tends to indicate the quality of the product for sale.

Well, DUH, you say?

Now, of course, this is a generalization and, generally, all generalizations are false But I don't think it's easy to refute the logic: If a merchant has the skills and attention to detail to create a visually-appealling display, he/she will also usually have the same traits applied to the product itself.

I see such a flood of real dreck on the SL market. Are the people still selling all-prim hair (no layered textures or accessories) and using funky old Poser2 models doing any business at all? Is someone actually getting $200L for an outfit that's nothing more than a painted-over undershirt template with little or no textures and NO prims attached?

Is the designer who created my friend's plaid outfit with the horrible seam matches *in the middle of the pattern* still in business? What would I expect her sales displays to look like? And what about the jewelry I bought the other day which looked decent on the display but which proved to be a pain in the patootie to edit-adjust on my Avatar?

I bought a pair of very nice looking high heel shoes with embedded scripts to change color and "sexy walk", for about $150L ... Why would I ever want to buy someone else's mediocre looking shoes without any scripting or color change for $250L? I went back and bought a second pair of the color-changers. 140 possible colors with a slash command, OMG.

Some of the store displays in SL look as though they were designed by RL professional display artists. They avoid loud primary colors and floating-text spam. The store music is relaxing and enjoyable rather than the incessant pounding hip-hop that permeates SL. They don't force a landmark on you. And their descriptions in the mouseovers and on their signs actually tell you what is included in a purchase, what it does, and sometimes even offer custom mods for a price. I'd almost bet I could tell the kind of customer support I'm going to get from a merchant just by looking at their store. I haven't been wrong yet.

So maybe there are more questions here than my initial one. One - do you tend to ignore primitive or shabbily done ad displays without looking at the product itself or do you even notice the displays? Two - what does draw you to look at a product? (High listing in "Find"? Appealing product concept? Imaginative scripting? Word of mouth?) Three - what other indications of quality and customer service do you look for when you browse a store?

My last observation: After buying a couple of $1K skins I didn't like, I've taken the attitude that I will never again buy an expensive item if I can't demo it somehow, whether it's animation balls, skins, houses, or what. If I'm paying the merchant that big of a chunk of my personal bank, I want to be sure I'm making the right decision. And merchants who do offer free demos are telling me they care about my satisfaction. They will get my business as well as my referrals to friends.

I think that's generally a good rule of thumb, but I have to mention the exception that proves the rule (at least for me)...scripters.

I've met some absolutely smashing scripters that couldn't texture a prim to save their lives. I can texture a prim all the live long day, but will stare at a blank script with a blinking cursor until I finally collapse bawling on my keyboard.

Attractive advertisements are generally the realm of the graphic designer (who also manages skins, clothes, etc.) - unless a scripter is also a good graphics person, or knows one and buys/barters services, the presentation for the product can be really underwhelming - even if the product is top notch.

Otherwise, I agree with your post, especially the part about demos for skins. They're far too expensive for me to even consider purchasing unless I can try it out first.

A very fair point, Azazel. However, as I'm reading that I'm thinking there's a business opportunity there

I've had to back off on my ambitious plans to open my own store only 2 weeks into SL. I'm taking some extra time to learn things, to create new products, and to look around more and *observe*. But one of the things I've very quickly come to believe is that when I do open up, I'm going to be hiring some professional models to pose my outfits. I've already been in touch with a couple, and I'm networking with other folks who can help with scripting, etc. I don't see how I can accomplish what I want, maintaining high quality standards, without a great deal of help from others -- help that I fully expect to pay for.

I've long been guided by this force I call rippleshock, which in hindsight has drawn me here and from place to place. You articulate things really well Cindy, and I agree that I like to be able to demo something out to see if it looks as good on my avbod as it does on the box.

However, with your example above, I understand what you mean but I do realize that, that sort of promotion does appeal to a certain target audience of SL. For example, selling blingwear in a shop is often hoisted on the poles of grand hyperbole, so having some phat rap joints to lay down the bassline like it's the Queen Mother's law is a great idea in those types of venue. I've seen very ugly (IMGO) "loud primary color" displays, but I've also seen some amazingly well-done ones -- for a specific example, I'd check out Curious Kitties by Ameshin Yossarian and Synthia Veil. They've got the technique down like James Holden can craft glitchy edits.

There's always a lot to be said for juxtaposition, however...

Azazel made a good point about scripters -- there are a few uberscripters in SL I can name that not only script, but have lovely personalities and are giving graphic design a good shot instead of forgoing it altogether.

When in doubt in here, I enjoy seeing fruitful collaborations... complementary personalities and all that, getting together and connecting on SL to make cohesive, superb products that are enjoyable both practically and impractically.

Yeah, I decided that was probably a good idea as well. Every vehicle I sell has a demo version available from any of my vendors. The demo version is exactly the same as what you buy, with the exception that it disappears when you stand up. You can rez a demo version at Bens and ride it around SL all day if you want.

I can't imagine how people sell vehicles without providing test drives. For me personally, how a vehicle drives is far more important than what it looks like...

- Jon

I started making clothing in SL almost two years ago mainly because I wasn't completely happy with the quality of the things I saw for sale, or I couldn't find exactly what I wanted to buy. I can count on two hands the number of different merchants from whom I've bought clothing, shoes, hair, skin or jewelry in the past year in SL. I also make sure of the quality of the sellers' items before purchasing from them by seeing the items on other avatars, or being familiar with the quality of their work.

Having said that, I have a few other things to note. I rarely buy clothing that has prims attached; I just don't like dealing with it. My philosphy in store design involves simple, clean lines, easy accessibility and display pictures with clear back and front photos of the clothing I'm selling. I don't want to mess with complicated backgrounds or things that detract from the clothing. I never touch up or Photoshop a picture of clothing, and I make sure I get good lighting on all angles so I don't have to lighten it.

I keep clothing prices low and I always honor requests for transferrable items, usually throwing in an extra item for the buyer's trouble. I have NEVER had a request for a refund or a lower price on an item in all the time I've been selling clothing in SL, and I usually get return customers (I can tell because I keep records of who bought my clothing).

Are people really that wigged out about floating text over signs and landmark givers? I had no idea it was a problem for shoppers, I thought it was more of a convenience and visibility issue.

I'm attracted to clear packaging, with the product well displayed. I want to know what I'm buying. Even if the item is sold with the box, I won't be keeping the box and displaying it on my mantle, so a lot of bells and whistle and special effects won't appeal to me. Just show me the product clearly and, if possible, attractively, and I'm good.

I'd rather have great wine in a plain glass than Night Train in a crystal goblet.

Um, yeah, what Jonquille said, 'cause she said it waaaay better than I did.

hehe.. What Jon and Beryl said, because they both said it better than I could!!

To add one thing. I make and wear a really unique type of clothing in SL. So I end up buying only pieces/one outfit or two from other designers in SL for myself. But I see people wearing certain styles all the time that make me want to send them to one designer or another (and I've hosted plenty of fashion shows for other designers simply because I love showing off all the various talents). Knowing that the designer I send others too will fill their tastes, and knowing that the designer is a good business person, is important to me. As I feel it reflects on me a lot as well when I recommend someone. So word of mouth of course is a big advertising thing for me to use, but also signature and/or unique styles help. At least I know it helps me know where to direct others.

Pendari, I think you've hit upon a new SL career for an enterprising SL resident who is in the know about the SL shopping scene: Personal Shopper/Image Consultant. Does anybody else watch that show "How Do I Look?" on the Style Channel, where three people put together a new look for a friend/relative, who gets to choose the one he/she likes best? I'd love to see that in SL.

If the building looks tacky or crappy, I don't even bother to go inside. You can tell alot about whats inside a store just by looking at the outside. Marketing counts. But then again, I don't shop much anymore.

I forgot about that, Beryl - another great source of business is when people see another avie wearing your stuff. I've bought skins that way, for one. (Of course sometimes it feels like I'm saying, "I love that skin/bustier/pants you're wearing. Please tell me where you found it so I can look just like you!" )


The wonders of Debug I tend to keep my sun UP while I'm in world anyway, but it also helps me to take clearer snapshots. And just from what little I've done so far, you're right. There's no need for fancy stuff. A little descriptive text and a front AND back view do everything I need as a customer. Too often I see displays that don't show what an outfit looks like from the back. In men's wear maybe that's not important, but many women's outfits look entirely different from behind. We're assymetrical creatures.


No, I wouldn't call it "wigged out". Most of the time I think it's very helpful. But I have been in stores where floating text was taken to ridiculous extremes. In one, the text overflowed to the point that I couldn't tell what any individual display was saying.


Well said! I even keep the notecards or landmarks sometimes, but the box goes. Those merchants who have figured out how to simply create a folder with all the unboxed items in the root of my inventory folder get special gold stars from me - no messy box to unpack.

OH neat!! I have not seen the show myself Beryl, but I agree that would be a really fun idea for SL. I know I've been personally curious to see how others would dress/make over me! heheh

Oh! I want to see one of these! I'm too new to have seen any yet, and it's such a great idea!

I agree totally.
And with the boxes... how about someone makes a box that politely dissapears after you empty it?

As a new person, I am *constantly* confused by the empty boxes and bags and the weird messages one gets when you delete them. Very counter-intuitive interface IMO.

example:

- You buy something called "Bue Dress" in a box called "Blue Dress"
- It shows up in your inventory (either in "objects" or "inventory" you never know)as an object called "Blue Dress"
- you drag the stupid thing on to the floor and open the contents and drag them back
- this new "Blue Dress" now appears beside the old "Blue Dress" (which is still a box)
- depending on permissions, the first "Blue Dress" is now either....

a) an empty box called "Blue Dress"
b) a box still containing an object called "BlueDress"

So you throw away the empty box, but is it really empty?
If you keep the box cause it appears to have a "Blue Dress" in it, can you really take another dress out of it, even if you see it in there?
Well sometimes, but sometimes not.

Sometimes it looks like it is still in there but wont let you take it out. Sometimes it *appears* empty, but when you try to delete the "empty" box, you invariably get a scary message about how you may be deleting something for good.

Furthermore...

Every time you wear "Blue Dress" and then put it back, depending on whether you use "take" "take a copy" "delete" or "return" you either get multiple copies of it in inventory
(or not!, maybe... sometimes),
Aaaaaahhhh!

I know folks put a lot into their bags and boxes sometimes, but seriously, I would rather there be no box or bag at all. My favorite items are like those from PixelDolls or Exotica where a purchase siply creates a top level folder in your inventory (much easier to find than digging trough a thousand objects in the objects folder), named the same as the outfit. Most people change by dragging folders anyway, why put the customer through all that work of creating a folder and dragging the crap out of the box into it?

I would also add that IMO people should really stop trying to make stores look like RL stores.

Rarely is the siumlation done with enough art to make it interesting to look at, mostly it is just adding a lot of walls, stairways and doors (read "obstacles"!), to an already laggy situation.

I know of several stores for instance that I have gone to maybe five or six times and never made it upstairs. Whatever is up that narrow little staircase might as well be on the moon for all I care.

Nyterave's store is a notable exception. There is a winding spiral staircase going all the way up the three levels, but if you're navigationally challenged she has teleporter prims right at the bottom of the stairs and on each level

In fact, that store has quickly become one of my all-time favorites. The variety of goods offered (avatar eyes & manicures, jewelry, vending machines and security devices, poof animations, avie poses and animations and so forth) plus the wonderful ambience in the place (helped along by radio io.ambient) all add up to a very cool shopping experience. I sometimes take friends there just to show them, and end up buying a little sumpin-sumpin for myself.

That's why I use Sell Contents instead of Sell Copy. The items will go directly into a Folder with the same name the Box had, and you don't have to rez and edit anything to get access to it, and no trash to clean up.

I do that or put things in boxes that give the items then die. Everything I sell that is boxed, unboxes itself I hate unboxing things, it ruins my Avie life.



People really have a lot of weird gripes about shopping. I'm glad I made my items and store for my own entertainment and not to please others. Good Lord.

Yess!

This is exactly what i am talking about.
Everyone should do that.
All the classiest places I have shopped at do.