Web Sites - Template, Pro Developed or Self Built?

[goldfish]

Ok, perhaps they were although looking at the same FTD images that I have on my site and the same image you have on your site with the Cosmopolitan name under it along with another name that you have, can you really do that without FTD clkimbing up your shorts so to speak.... If this is legal, then what would prevent me from taking Rich's images or Cathy's images and "altering" them and then putting my watermark on them.

Not sure if it's "illegal" or not, but sure looks like a material breach of the license agreement with FTD. It's not a good idea to alter any digital images that you do not own. Licensing does not trasnfer the copyright ownership. The following is the license agreement for all of you to examine. Actually this is the first time I ever read this kind of stuff.

A. GRANT
This Agreement when signed by both You and FTD confirms FTD’s grant to You of the right to obtain and use the Images in accordance with the following terms and conditions:

1. The Images are subject to a license only for your use in the production of promotional materials for FTD products. All wire orders generated by use of the Images must be cleared through FTD.

2. All printed copies, reproductions, and uses of the Images must feature the FTD mark, copyright notice, product number, and any other text assigned to each Image as provided by FTD.

3. The Images may not be modified, altered, adapted, or changed, in whole or in part, to create derivative Images of any kind, other than to add the information specified in the Ad Slicks (e.g., shop name, address, phone number, etc.).

4. The Images shall not be used in association with any trade name or mark other than the florist store’s Member name and the Member’s city and state address must be prominently displayed in each advertisement featuring any Image.

5. The Images shall not be used in proximity to images of non-FTD products or non-FTD marks and names so as to cause confusion as to which products are those of FTD.

6. The Images may only be used on the website, if any identified below. A separate license is required for each website, if any.

7. Membership Rule 2 (See Section O. herein) applies to all use of the Images and FTD marks.

8. The Images shall not be transferred or given to any third party for any purpose not in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

9. You will be in material breach of this license agreement as well as in violation of FTD Standards of usage of its Marks, if you scan, copy, download or otherwise obtain FTD Images or advertising from any other florist’s website or from any other source whatsoever other than directly from FTD by e-mail or in CD form, from an authorized FTD Website or as may otherwise be authorized in writing by FTD designating an FTD authorized source.

10. Use of the Images shall be immediately terminated:
a) when FTD ceases to use an Image in the most current FTD Floral Selections Guide unless otherwise expressly permitted in writing by an authorized officer of FTD;
b) in the event your FTD Membership is terminated or suspended, or you are put on probation;
c) upon request of FTD for any reason, with or without cause, and FTD shall have no liability for such termination.

[snip]

N. FEES
Your fees for use of the Images are $7.50 per High Resolution Image (as ordered through the Marketing Department—If no images are ordered, no fee will be applied).

Gosh, I didn't know that I have to pay $7.50! Lucky that we don't have any FTD images on our web site.

 

[Sher]

So then, I gather that you must either have made a licensing agreement with FTD you use and alter their i,ages or you are still a member of FTD ...Am I correct? I did check with Cathy and she is not interested in me using her images...can you belive that??? How disappointing....well, the best to you with your altering skills and your website. Thanks for the info,
Sher

 

[hcflorist]

From the beginning, except for some recent ones Kathy forgot about, we've always edited the photos in our wedding galleries to include "www.bloomeryweddings.com". This was as much marketing as it was protection of our designs. Brides continually post and repost our images on blogs, websites and forums. Each one is like a little ad for us (on our site, we state that brides are free to post the images as long as they link to us, but commercial use must be licensed). Digging through our site stats, we can see many visits from the popular sites via links on bride's pages.

That's a good idea. Maybe we'll think about changing our name and location off of our images in favor of our URL. Should serve our purpose of protecting our image work and do a better job of advertising for us, I'd hope.

Or maybe we'll leave things as is on regular departments and try the URL idea on the wedding department ideas. We do get a lot of weddings and inquiries on weddings that originate with our website.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[goldfish]

Not interested in WS sites (don't want to start a WS/noWs debate). Who has a template site? Who has a professionally developed and built site and Who has a self built Web Site.

We have a self-built site. Currently the main site and e-commerce site are separarte.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of each and why do you have the kind you have? Just curious.

I like the amaturish look of our site, meaning that it looks different from any template site. On the downside, the e-commerce site doesn't work too well. I am not a web-site developer and don't have a skill to build a full-fledged e-commerce site.

WS sites, on the other hand, never produced much orders; a few per month. We canceled it after 6-month experiment.

Our self-made site started 4 months ago. So far it produced 27 orders, mostly in the last two months. Since I spent a LOT of time on this site, so the pay-off is definitely negative right now.urpletea But it's a start anyway. When our store ever gets more profitable, I will hire a pro to re-do the site. At this moment, we don't have capital to do it.

Again not trying to start a debate over WS sites either pro or con. If you have a WS site and it works for your shop that is whats important. If you have a Pro custom built site and it is brining in buckets full of orders that is great too. The big thing is what works for you and why?

My choice of building a site by myself was because I had no other viable choice. WS sites were too expensive to maintain (with negative ROI), and any pro-built site... we couldn't afford. Well, not quite true... we probably could afford, but I thought the money should be spent on something else.

Because buiding a self-made site takes so much time (unless you are a pro), it's really not for everyone. Even though I'm not a web developer, I'm not computer-illiterate either. So it worked for us.

 

[clay]

Digital Thoughts

My site www.smithsflowers.com is done by a company called Digital Thoughts Interactive out of Austin Texas... Brent is a member of the FlowerChat Community

For me, I neither have the time nor the expertise necessary to maintain a full blown Ecommerce site and this competitively priced platform works well for my biz and customers comment all the time how much they like both the look and functionality of the site. I do have full control over content and function, but I do not have to learn coding to be able to work on it.

Best bet, is a stand alone, easily workable site that you control. As to self-built vs. Pro-built...if you have both the time and expertise to do it yourself, then I would go that route, but if not, find someone you can work with, that provides what you want in a site.

The Digital Thoughts platform, will see 5 new formats with 5 versions each in the not to distant future, and these are changable with a simple click of the mouse, so that you can change the look of your site on the fly....

Happy hunting....

Hey Guys-

Been at Dallas Market when this got started, so just wanted to say something about the Digital Thoughts website(s);
1) you controll the website completely from catagories, product items, product description/prices, when you want your product visable to the public, all of the header catagory content, you banners....so much more.
2)A bunch of new features coming on later this summer that Brent is doing the back end engineering.
3)Just got on line (not completely finished) a new stand alone sympathy website (it also linkes off of our single sympathy catagory on our McAdams Floral website) at www.mcadamsfuneralflorist.com . Brent is in the middle of engineering a cool feature that Cathy suggested....I will bring it up when it is going. Next on the list is a stand alone Wedding website that would link off the Wedding catagory on our McAdamsFloral.com...or we would just give our bride prospects a business card with just the wedding url.
4) For the 300 or so website orders we got in our first quarter, that would be another $525 to $885 on top of the monthly fee....depending on which website package you go with.

 

[Eric S]

The only thing that everyone needs to remember is the more unique your website the better.

That means everything templete images and content.

Just like running our floral business there is no easy way out and its going to take work....


By the way my problem was hot linking to my images in myspace.

 

[BOSS]

Mark,
You are correct. Our delivery fee on our website is $1.00 more than the price quoted if you called the shop. How would you pass on the cost to the consumer?

Better make it $1.75 higher to recoup the expense and thats how I would do it as well....

 

[clay]

Everything

The only thing that everyone needs to remember is the more unique your website the better.

That means everything templete images and content.

Just like running our floral business there is no easy way out and its going to take work....

Yep, those items and the 8-10 other items listed previously by Cathy/MLou.

 

[Dazeal]

Quick advice: Don't do a cookie cutter site. When customer's look at a cookie cutter site, they see the same comoddity the grocery stores are pushing. Selling the comoddity and not the emotion = out of business for future shops.

If this next statement crosses your mind folks, you are in big trouble: Grocery stores are my competitors.

Be passionate about the evolution of our industry, be one step ahead... and in this case, your website.

WOoooooHOOOOOO off to work and am filled with the goodness of Pete's Coffee in my chubby lil belly!!

P.S. - Those stock FTD images hurt our industry as a whole more than people think... but help my business and like mind businesses.. so YAY FTD, keep up that keen work you're doing! My daughter might just get to go to college!!

 

[virginia_Bob]

As always a great exchange of ideas and information

Thanks to everyone for the great discussion and information. I never cease to be amazed at how much knoweledge and insight one can get from the communities sharing of ideas and information.

Real Florist keeping it Real
Bob