Feedback French soaps online shop

Hi,
This is my first online shop ever, and I was totally unaware about e-shops and SEO. Anyway, we import and sell in Canada Marseille soaps, French soaps, fine lavender and natural products that are made in France . I've been working on it for weeks and now it's time for me to get some feedbacks to know which part I have to work on again.
Please be sincere, let me know about what you think about design, browsing, and everything that comes to your mind !
Thanks to the community !

Nice, pleasant. Fixed width for 1024 could be remedied by setting the master widths at 100% to match visitors' screens. On most laptop machines the two swaths of wasted acreage down the sides bring to mind the days when machines shipped with 1024 screens preset to display at only 800, owing partly to already outmoded software, so now we have forced retrofits to 1024 on 1280+ screes. A little bit unusual; theme 181_douceur_lila. Nicely reserved and sharp logo.

Thank you so much Butte !
I'll work on your width screen remark.
Anything to mention about browsing, and mainly about English language mistakes ?
Thanks again, it helps a lot !

I didn't go through it with a fine toothed comb, yet, but in poking a little bit here and there nothing poked back. Generally, just proofread. Typos are like lost keys, they'll show up in the last place you expect them or look for them, but unlike keys they can just sit there unseen even when you look at 'em. The serif font is also a nice departure from the mundane -- in print before the advent of computers serif fonts held sway for readability, and the longstanding Times series was originally designed for both readability and durability when type was handset and suffered a bit of physical abuse in printing. Some of us antedate Arial and appreciate serifs. It's good enough that several of us will be poking through it for booboos that count, so brace yourself.

When I said English mistakes, I meant grammar mistakes, first, because English is not my native language, and then, because I know bad grammar in any language often means the shop is a scam (maybe it's a wrong reason, but it's my opinion).
Concerning the font, I changed the default one, because it looked too "cheap", too "basic", too "1.0", IYKWIM. I questioned myself about the font choice during a long time

Ok, now send me some other feedback, guys !
What comes in your mind when you just arrive on the shop ?

1/ Purple soaps and lemon linen.

2/ . . . are off-center to the right. In .css nudge to left.

3/ Small wreaths on background solid are distracting, out of place. A "linen" texture for background might be better.

4/ Can't proofread English, it is in French. Scroll back up, hit English and . . . and . . . and . . . and . . . it finally lands; back on French.

5/ The split in the wood occupying the Menu crossbar is distracting. Suggest clone slivers below it onto split or stretch wood till split is out of the way.

6/ Via plan du site hitting Brunelli lands on an array of fonts. Those work together okay but the one in the Collection Brunelli graphic ("Tous les produits . . .") is "pushing it" and try not to mix in any more.

7/ In Brunelli, there must be French for "Queen size 100%" and "Queen 20x30"" but at least 100% and 20x30" are not metric. Why am I seeing those in French mode?

8/ In French mode upon landing I am seeing French Soaps, Fine Lavender Products, and Home Linen near the top, and French otherwise. Suggest something to rotate between English that might jolt French sensibilities over not having a wider Channel or wider Niagra, and French that will tantalize English sensibilities over why the English button returns French after a long delay.

9/ The social buttons near the bottom are not just enormous, they are overly enormous. Argh. They have straight html for width="149" height="142". Suggest width="75" height="71" instead.

10/ At bottom "Powered By" should be "Powered by".

11/ Language mistakes take in spelling, grammar, syntax, and more. English is for now inaccessible. My French is far too rusty to warrant taking on the French.

12/ The credit at the bottom goes somewhere that does not load soon enough to warrant wondering where it goes. However, it does finally stop and shows me something about clicks of success for 50c daily; in French, with no English button. It is crisp, and I'm sure he likes it. Back to soaps and linen.

13/ From the emblem's position alongside payment options I assume that Postes Canada / Canadian Post sells money orders. Otherwise, it is out of place.

I really don't like the circular leaf logo -it just distracts the eye

The banner at the top (of which the whole image is a link to home?) does not line up with the menu

I could not select English in the language dropdown

http://comptoirdeprovence.ca/boutique/c ... ble-canada
the buttons which need aligning horizontally say "Ajouter au" (I cannot read the last word - it is cut off)

I could not change currency to Pounds or Euros

Wow thank you butte, for so much information for free,

First, I need to say that while I was typing this post, there still was some technical problems on the shop. Indeed, the English version is unavailable (and the cart doesn't work as well, customers called me to say they can't order).

1/ It took me time to understand this one. And it took me more time to stop laughing. I'll change the order, "Fine Lavender…" under lavender picture, etc… And FYI, those are olives ! ( which is bad for me because I want to keep my logo, the 3 pictures on top of banner, and Iwant to keep Home Linen, I'm stuck btw)

2/ Yep.

3/ Just added yesterday, bad idea, ok. Gone. Linen or jute texture, you're right.

4/ Technical problem, too bad you came when it was down, because I think there's a lot to say.

5/ Yep.

6/ Ok, I didn't get everything about this one. Is it a font problem on the blackboard ? What means "pushing it" ? Are you telling me not to use this font anymore ?

7/ It's generally accepted and used to say Queen size in French, and it helps sometimes by having a referential idea, instead of having a "forced translation". Anyway, if you could have choose the English version, you'll see the inches dimensions.

8/ I know I should have a French subtitle for the French version and "vice versa", but I really don't know how to proceed. So, I choosed to write it in English as I have more English-spreaker customers ; even if I know that it causes cerebral attacks to many French-speaker to see an English title…

9/ Ah ah. Ok done.

10/ Right

11/ You should learn

12/ Ah ah. I don't know if I have to cry or to smile. But anyway, I do with my budget and my ideas. But you're right, their website design is VERY cheap. And I already think that I won't go again with them next year, after only 1 month. The English version problem is not a new problem on my site, and it's completely because of them. Just for personal culture, take look at the website designs they promote on their welcome page ( http://tinyurl.com/q2lktvb and scroll down until "boutiques"). Ok my design must be reaaaally improved, but…

13/ Yeah, right, to fix.

14/ Thank you so much for the time you gave.

@Dmsims

Thank you so much to you too.
As I said, there's a technical problem that'll be fixed tomorrow, then you'd be able to change language. And currency options.
It's strange for you not to see the last word in "Ajouter au panier" because I see it in all my devices, or computers I checked… :confuse:

Welcome, of course.

1.1/ Olives? You can try a graphics program (fee Corel or Adobe, free Paint Dot Net or Gimp) to duplicate layer, shift hue and adjust saturation, mask those in particular, then flatten image and save. Olives.

4.1/ I'll check it tomorrow or so.

6.1/ The blackboard motif came across, and that excuses the font as being informal where the other fonts are formal (neatly scribbled versus typeset). To "push it" toward improvident choice is along the lines of "pushing the envelope" toward breakthrough or the like -- just expressions, probably idioms that won't translate. I just meant try not to add any more fonts to enlarge the mix already there.

7.1/ I suppose that if there were native French for it then the French would also have their own size of it. It's nice to know that although they pulled off the metric system, they have not pulled off a bedding system. Good, Queen and inches it is.

8.1/ A .gif image can animate a flipflop or other transition between English and French.

11.1/ It is still in there somewhere, every now and then it comes out to visit in intelligible fragments or sentences. Entirely fluent Spanish and German are in there somewhere, too, and sometimes they actually escape for a little while.

12.1/ I just bookmarked that one as a bad example -- thank you, indeed, for noting it. It must be a "happening place," since most of those were not designed but just happened.

If the French language pack is the problem, that can likely be cured by opening all of its files in a pure ascii text editor and simply resaving them WITHOUT BOM.

Indeed, .gif picture is a great idea, and it resolves my slider module problem.
But won't it be too heavy to load ?
And yes, I need to work on the lemons.

The portion(s) changing can be restricted such that what must change does while what needn't change stays static. While an animated .gif would be loading, people would see one or the other language, probably oblivious to it. When it would be loaded, people would see an orderly cadence of the two languages.

CDP wrote:@Dmsims

It's strange for you not to see the last word in "Ajouter au panier" because I see it in all my devices, or computers I checked… :confuse:

Screenshot attached - Firefox 27.0.1, Windows 8.1

Reducing the padding on the button to padding: 5px 9px; fixes it

Here is what I mean when I say banner does no line up with menu:

We both noted that one, he's aware of it (2/ twice or so above). We seem to have English today! Jolly good, into the froth after it.

These seem indicative as sorts of things can be lived with but do bear a light touch.

Marseille Soap . . .

parabens preservatives
parabenz
in full parabenzene

colouring and preservatives free unlike most industrial soaps.
colouring- and preservatives-free unlike most industrial soaps.
free of colouring and preservatives unlike most industrial soaps.

an ordinary soap find in the supermarket (who generally will melt quickly)
which not who, but . . .
ordinary supermarket soaps that will melt quickly

Humidity doesn't affect the soap as well.
[preferably not lesser but no effect]
Humidity doesn't much affect the soap.

, psoriasis and for all fragile
, psoriasis, and for all fragile

Due to its pH at 9.5
Owing to its pH at 9.5

and avoid allergies and irritations
and avoids allergies and irritations

place a cube of soap at the bottom of your bed
(unless you have a puppy; who will try it more than once)
[struck me funny]

You will notice a faster healing process as well.
You might notice a faster healing process as well (not guaranteed).

Beware the tree, bee, bird, and bunny lovers, and if not far enough inland, also Green Peace. Cruelty Free for bunnies with pink ears, but positively Medieval for hard pressed olives.

Provence Herbs . . .

thanks to the "old ones" to the knowledge
thanks to the "old ones" for the knowledge

Home Products and body care . . .

body butter,
[not parallel]
body butters,

Lavender products . . .

perfumes and eau de toilette.
toiletries [?]

Categorical views of Collection Le Chatelard 1802, above. Product views spot checked, a few little things but there are quite a few for clicking systematically.

Among these sections, many paragraphs and subparagraphs need double-spacing betwixt them.

About Us . . .

[In each of the "A [. . .] support" or "An [. . .] support" (legal, financial, IT, etc.) the leading A or An apparently derives from the French translated, but is neither usual in English nor untoward. At about that level, British usage of plain "hospital" and American usage of "the hospital" -- or university or many other destinations or places, are customs. Try seeing how many English Canadians, in person, read it seriously or chuckle.]

send an email at
write to

Shop exterior photograph shows parallax (vertical lines not), fix in graphics program. Shop interior photograph shot well.

Privacy Policy . . .

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is part of the assets transferred and can be shared with other parties participating in those proceedings.

Our service providers and us will be forced to disclose
Our service providers and we will be forced to disclose

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OR be sure all instances are Internet (consistently used and proper noun as a term of art)

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No personal information is stored in our cookies

[Web beacons will jolt some visitors . . .]

you must inform us immediately
you should inform us immediately

you can start receiving our promotional communications again by
you can resume receiving our promotional communications by

Terms & Conditions . . .

within 48 hours (working days).
within 48 hours (2 working days).

Contact Us . . .

175 jean adam
175 Jean Adam

[More later . . .]

wow, butte, I feel so indebted to you, thank you again, it helps me a lot, it's so easier when you know what to focus in.

I'm still working on the first things you noticed, but I've already transformed lemons in olives in my banner (before starting to work on a .gif pic), I reduced the overly enormous social icons, I tried not to use more fonts, Post Canada does not provide anymore money transfert, I used both languages in my pic banner (before gif), gave some texture to my "linen" background to be less "flat"(?) ; and, concerning the credit bottom, toward somewhere that does load soon enough to warrant wondering where it goes, I'd like to delete the credit, but is it an obligation to refer them ?
I mean, could they be mad at me because of that ? (ok maybe not mad, but maybe I can be forsaken by them if I have a problem, they're also my server host)