Knifemaker website suggestions

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
What kinds of things would you guys like to see on a knifemaker's website?

Sometimes we only see things from our side of the fence....

Help us out with some suggestions.

Is there anything lacking in most makers websites? Is there too much of any one thing? What would you rather see more of? Any particular features you'd like to see used?

I think many knifemakers see their websites fulfilling two roles:

1 - as a gallery....basically, a glorified business card
2 - as an opportunity to explain their particular craft/art

What else could we add to it?


Also, go into detail about things that turn you on/off.....

Pics too big? not big enough? what's a good size?
Overdesigned? Simplistic? Corny? Color schemes?
Text size? Font? Pop-ups?

Don't hold the punches - let 'er rip.

My hope is that this thread will be a good reference for anybody making a knifemaker website - whether for themselves or somebody else.


(Feel free to cite examples of good work, but please don't trash anybody's site in this thread. It's fine to post pet peeves, of course...as well as any suggestions, complaints, gripes, annoyances, etc. as long as no fingers are pointed at anyone in particular).
 
Ease of navigation, and organization of the layout of the page are musts, also I can't stand it when I can't find the buttons because they are too small or they are not readily apparent as buttons. My .02
 
Projects, things in the works, future knives, like a teaser.

Also, separat knives you currently sell, and also have a separate archive of former knives that were made.
 
Short answer: http://www.knifeart.com Yes, it's a dealer's site, but it's got so much going for it that if it was used as a guide you'd be on the right track.

Long answer:

I think the basics should be the same as any other site:

1. Keep it simple, don't replace content with gimmicks.
No flaming animated logos, music, flash movies of knives cutting through planets. Try to stick to one layout, color scheme and background image (if any) for the entire site. Avoid 8 different colors of text on one page and annoying layout like that. All the gimmicks also cost you bandwidth, too. example: http://www.osborneknives.com/

2. Technical considerations
Don't develop only for Internet Explorer. Use the html validator at validator.w3.org. If you have a shopping cart, (probably not a concern for custom knives) test it. Use SSL. Test it again.

3. The knives (and the maker) are gonna sell themselves.
No ignorant hyperbole like "OMGWTFBBQ TEH KNIFES R BEST!!!!!!" is gonna help, only hurt. Even if your knives *are* that good. See Strider's website. They're doing it right. (Their links could be better marked, though)

And the stuff specific to a maker's site:

1. You, the maker, are an artist. The site is your portfolio.
A lot of people are introduced to your work through your website. (You hope, anyway) Present it with care. The quality of your photos is crucial for a good presentation. Specs for the knives, too. A good example: http://www.radehawkinscustomknives.com Good photos, knives laid out in categories, detailed specs, availability listed, too. Good job.

2. You're an artist. Have at least one page about you.
People want to see you (have a portrait done. really, do it.) and know something about how your art is made. A top notch example: http://www.dozierknives.com/profile.html

3. Give at the very least a ballpark of cost for your work.
Even if it's only a ballpark, just say so.

4. Contact info
Email, phone, address. Gotta have it.

I don't think that's everything, but hopefully it's a start.
 
unixdork nailed it pretty well.

my pet peeves...
no price, not even "something similar would cost between 400 and 800".
Lousy pics. This is a visual medium! Learn (or have someone else) to take decent pics. The ultimate is to see a sharp clear pic of the overall knife and a close-up of the makers mark and the ricasso/guard/grip area. That 1-2 inch space will tell me a world of info about the maker and his skills.

and keep the darn thing updated! it doesn't have to be everyday but when I see a site with knives and prices that haven't changed in years :mad: :mad:
 
Check out one of your fellow knifemaker's webpage ( http://www.aescustomknives.com.ar/ ). This page has everything, from gallery, to stuff for sale, to interesting information for clueless newbies like myself. I like to read about processes ued in making a knife and might decide to buy one just like that because of text description. This is the best knifemaker's website i've seen so far, it's like everexpanding encyclopedia of knifemaking and pretty stuff avaliable for purchase is always just a click or two away :D

Other pages i've seen lack in text (descriptions) somewhat but they're still nice. Oh and one thing that really bugs me - some knifemakers decide to post the price for their avaliable knives but hide it so well it's sometimes hard to spot - put the price up like the abovementioned page, if it's out of my league i'll just have a look at it, if it's not i might consider splurging for it just by seeing thumbnail image that leads to bigger pictures (which will then definitely sway me over) :)

I agree with what UD said as well. Pop-ups and crap like that belong to p0rn websites and kids' webpages and are a poor substitute for content.

One thing UD hasn't mentioned: don't make your website for specific resolution - people use different resolutions and having one tiny "window" in the middle of the screen is just as irritating as having to scroll horizontally all the time to read each and every line of text. If you avoid useless gimmicks like flash and/or java (which you don't need on webpages that are by their nature pretty static) you'll have far fewer browser compatibility issues.

Things you (makers) find obvious and mundane might be a total surprise or turn-on to us (customers). If you made damascus blade you might want to mention how many layers it has and stuff like that, i don't think there could ever be too much info about a product you intend to sell - people not interested in reading will just skip the specs.
 
Unixdork hit the nail on the head.

Others have given good examples, so I'll give an example of a site that does everything right except for one thing.

I really like Graham Knives. I think small fixed blades are just awesome, and (though I've never seen one of their knives in person) I think their knives are incredible. But... if you go to their page Example you'll see lots of photos of knives (good thing!) with "SOLD" listed as the price. Did these knives sell for $100? $250? $500? I'm quite interested in the knives, but since I have no idea what the price range is, or what options increase the price, I don't know how much to save. I imagine that there are others like me that don't want to bother a busy knifemaker with simple questions, and would just like to know if they are purely dreaming about purchasing a Razel (or *drools* the Pocket Kukri :eek: ), or if the knife in question is within fiscal reach. Something as simple as replacing "SOLD" with "SOLD for $XXX" would be enough.

Now, if you wanted to do something a little more complex, you could have a page listing the base price for the various models, and then a list of ... options or upgrades. That way, I could look at the price of a 4" utility Razel, then go over to "handles" and see that using blue G-10 would raise the price by $25-$50 or so. Making it from S30V rather than 154CM would raise it another $40... You get the picture.

Quite frankly, I know precisely jack about the knifemaking business, but a page like the one I just described (although taking some time to put together) would probably cut out a lot of the "tire kickers" who just want to know how much a knife would cost. People who were really interested in buying would still call and discuss custom options and such.

***************************

Oh, and another thing. When picking photos of knives to go on your page, go with a mix of the "artistic" type photos and the "plain" photos. The Pocket Kukri page is an excellent example of this, as it even shows a photo of the knife in-hand. If you're low on bandwidth or server space and have to choose just one type of photo, go with the "plain" photos... I can appreciate your artistic sensibilities and skill with a camera, but if I'm looking to buy a knife, I want to know what it looks like in real life, not in whacky perspective views. :D
 
These are all great suggestions - please keep 'em coming.
 
Daniel
Great Idea on this thread. A website is a job in itself, and it is a hard job when you don't really know that much about computers.

Foxhole,
Points well taken, we will see what we can do to improve our website. We can't fix it all today, but it will be a work in progress. Thanks for the helpful advice.
 
Josh, my fee for web consultation is normally $500, but for you guys, I'll be happy to accept one Pocket Kukri in S30V with blue G-10 handles. :D

Seriously, though, you guys have a great site overall, and your knives look fantastic. I've come close to talking one of my "non-knifey" friends into one of your Razels, I think. ;)
 
Mr. Unixdork's list is great, a very good blueprint for a knifemaker's site.

I suggest putting all pictures up at two resolutions. First, a lower resolution, perhaps 400x300 pixels. That's enough to basically see the knife. Then, click on that picture to see a big, perhaps 1024x768, version of the same picture. Those big pictures take a long time to download, especially on dialup connections. This way, people can see a the smaller pictures and click on the ones that catch their interest.

A ballpark price range will save you a lot of lookie-lue e-mail. A ballpark indication of lead time is also a good idea.

A biography of you is a must. It doesn't have to be long or intimate, but it should help me get to know you a bit.

I like an artist's statement too. Again, this doesn't have to be long or flowery. It's just a statement of why you are making knives and what you hope your knives will be.

A shop tour section is nice, it draws interest.
 
I think the above ideas are all good. I would add that non-knife related material should be kept off the website. I've been turned off by some views that I think are stupid even though by all accounts the maker makes great knives. 'Course that maker would think my views on non-knife related topics are stupid too. :D

Oh yeah. Make great knives consistantly.

Bruce
 
KNIVES, SHOW ALL OF YOUR KNIFE, AND KEEP AN ARCHIVE!!!!!
I hate going to a knifemakers website and seeing all of six knives,
then when you go to a retail site, you see a completely different side of that maker. Keep a large and representative number of pics of your knives.
to me, that's the most important,
AND POST PRICES too, including the prices of older models, not necessarily what they sold for, but something like "I can make a similar piece for X dollars". I really like that.
thanks for the ear, Dan.
.
And a good explaination of why you chose the materials and construction techniques works for me too.
 
What about food and recipes?
After all, I would venture to guess that the most common task for knives are food prep...

BTW, Bruce, hows the kid coming along?
 
BTTT


Again - keep it "general" as much as you can.

So far the biggest suggestion has been to post prices. I can understand why some makers are reluctant....don't want to lose buyers before they even get a word in edge-wise.

I've always appreciated when a base price is set and the "options" or "alternatives" are offered.
 
I can understand why some makers are reluctant....don't want to lose buyers before they even get a word in edge-wise.
Click to expand...

Every maker has a minimum price for which they are simply not willing or able to make any kind of knife. Post that and you'll save yourself answering a lot of e-mail that leads to nowhere. The people you will loose are people you'd have never caught anyway.
 
The first thing I look for on a knifemaker's site is the "knives available now" section. In order for this section to be meaningful, you have to update the site as inventory changes, but you also get a chance to hook an impulse buyer. Let's face it, some people are just never going to buy a knife if it isn't ready to ship immediately.

Besides that (and prices) I like to have some technical details. Not just the blade and handle material, but the reason the maker uses specific materials, or the reason they grind their edges a particular way.
 
just wanted to let you guys know that I did listen to your comments when designing my website.

Thanks for being open and honest.

click below
|
|
|
V
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top