Ordering your kilt hose just got a little bit easier

[M. A. C. Newsome]

One of the great things about our gift shop catalog is that it is so extensive. Hundreds of varieties of sporrans, different jacket options, three different kilt styles, plus the imported Scottish food, crest jewelry, books, DVDs, etc., etc.

While all that is great if you like to shop and browse, the down side is that it can sometimes be difficult to find the one item you are looking for.

One idea that we have been toying around with is the creation of alternate mini-sites dedicated to one product or range of products.

We are trying it out first with our popular range of kilt hose. Check it out:

http://comfykilthose.com

Any and all orders placed via the above web site will be processed through our museum gift shop, just as any order made from our main gift shop site. And, of course, all proceeds support the Scottish Tartans Museum.

Please note, this does not effect our main gift shop site, you will still find all the products listed there and available to purchase. It is just highlighting one particular aspect and giving it it's own site (in this case, kilt hose).

Let us know what you think, if you think it's an idea worth implementing for other product lines, and above all, enjoy shopping!

[zirrow]

Would it be possible to show the various types on one page so they can be seen side-by-side? As in, clicking the "Solids" category will display Glenmore, Tain, Lewis, Rannoch, and Skye all on one page.

to save $$ on domain registration, you could also try creating various sub-domains (hose.scottishtartans.org, etc...)

[MacMillans son]

Hi Matt,

It seems like a fine idea, and would likely add some business through web searchers looking for "kilt hose" as well.

In looking at the site it seems the Border Check and Bowmore hose photos don't load. Unless of course I'm doing something wrong.

Best of luck with the new approach.

Brooke

[Lyle1]

I agree with zirrow. Even thumbnail size pictures of each model on the same page would allow the user to home in on the model or models that are of interest, instead of opening each menu item to see what it is. Having separate drop down menus for each model makes it very difficult to compare the models, and if you want to go back to an item that you liked, you must remember the model name, or start clicking all over again.

I personally prefer websites that make it very easy to find what I want without looking at everything to get an idea of what is available. If I don't find what I want quickly, I go elsewhere.

[castledangerous]

I agree with zirrow. Even thumbnail size pictures of each model on the same page would allow the user to home in on the model or models that are of interest, instead of opening each menu item to see what it is. Having separate drop down menus for each model makes it very difficult to compare the models, and if you want to go back to an item that you liked, you must remember the model name, or start clicking all over again.

I personally prefer websites that make it very easy to find what I want without looking at everything to get an idea of what is available. If I don't find what I want quickly, I go elsewhere.

fare thee well

[McNulty]

Thanx Matt. This helps to shorten my searches.
McNulty

[McNulty]

Hey Matt how about including the self tied garters in larger sizes on the new site for those of us with big calves?
McNulty

[seanachie]

to save $$ on domain registration, you could also try creating various sub-domains (hose.scottishtartans.org, etc...)

I was thinking the same thing. Most registrars have a control panel that make this a fairly simple process. It will just take a few hours normally for the info to propagate and update DNS info.

[Chirs]

I like!! Nicely done!

In looking at the site it seems the Border Check and Bowmore hose photos don't load. Unless of course I'm doing something wrong.

I had the same issue.

Is it possible to get an idea of the calf measurements on all of them?

I really like the (sub)page. Great idea.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Thanks for the feedback. I will check on why some are having issues with the Bowmore and Border Hose pages.

Having a summary page for each style category with thumbnail images won't be hard to do, thanks for that suggestion.

To answer the question about calf sizes, in my experience those with calf circumferences of 16" or less can comfortably fit into any of these hose. I know people with 17" calves who wear them with no problems, though they do seemed to be stretched to the limit.

The Skye hose are the wide-calf version, and we recommend that style especially for those with calves over 16".

About the subdomain, yes that is another possibility (and in fact our main gift shop catalog is itself a subdomain off of our scottishtartans.org page). The domain registration fee is a minimal expense, however, and we felt that having a distinctive domain name might help get the site more exposure in the search engines and allow more people to stumble across it.