Hi Catherine,
I agree!  There are just too many choices.  This is something I never thought I'd say, but I guess there can be too much of a good thing.  It does need to be simplified.  Maybe if there were an alphabetical list of search words to click on that take the buyer straight to the category page that that word describes?

Catherine, Teri, Shari-
 
We have all been signing the same song for a long time. . . "second verse, same as the first!"    Choice Is a great thing, but it can be overwhelming!  We've heard this before.  But with close to 70,000 cards and over 2000 categories. . . WHOO!  I know that artists (card designers) are getting overwhelmed. . . think about the shoppers!!
 
I agreed that a Google, Yahoo or even an MSN search will find a certain type of card more easily than searching the GCU specifically site for a certain type of card.  And I think that these are found on the major search sites by KEYWORDS more than categories.
 
We really do want to bring shoppers to GCU and then have them be able to easily find what they are looking for.  I don't think that that is happening.  I could be wrong.  But once someone is directed to GCU their shopping experience should be able to REFINE their search, not send them out into LaLa land where the are too many choices.  I know a new "search module" is in the workings, but from what I hear it's not until the end of the year. . . AFTER some major holidays.  Holidays where there is the potential for some very big bulk sales.
 
I know GCU started out with a focus on the reminder services and all of our cards (or most) are featured on those sites.  The original "categories" selection may serve that venue well, but with the desire to acquire "bulk" sales, I believe some modifications need to be made.
 
Store buyers and companies are buying their Christmas/Holiday season inventory/company "send-out" cards NOW, in July.  TIME is money to everyone, and even more-so in today's economy. Finding what one wants in a click and a click and done. . . reasonable price, reasonable delivery is key.  Nature of the biz.
 
I believe we (GCU) can do it, but we are not there yet.
 
My thoughts-
 
Ernestine

I made this point sometime ago in a series of posts. At that time, I suggested that instead of having "most popular" and "newest" as viewing choices in each category, we should have "random". Norval, I think you are being very optimistic if you think that people will click though seven pages of cards. I doubt that many would get past two pages. This benefits artists who have sold early and often when GCU was much smaller. Now, many categories are now enormous but the same cards are always present on the first page. Randomisation as you enter each category would ensure that each card in the category would get its chance of being on the first page. "Newest" does not help here - most days there are over 300 new cards per day! Sure, they are spread across the categories but still "newest" does nothing for the countless cards which are high quality but have never seen the light of day.
 
Mindy/Shaun - please give randomisation another thought! It is only the only process that give equal representation to each card and, therefore, each artist.
 
Thank you,
 
 
Rosanne

Your encouragement is very sweet, Kathy, but I beg to differ. Also I have been here for some time too. Any system that promotes any card by popularity is not "fair" and does not "work" for everyone. Most people's attention on the internet is very short - if they do not find what they want in the first couple of pages, they tend to move on. Randomisation is fair - it is completely objective. Popularity is subjective.
 
Cheers,
 
 
Rosanne

Hi Norval,
 
I don't know about being better with words - I think that you have described the situation in a bricks and mortar shop very well - the good shops rotate stock and always make sure the shop looks fresh. What we would like to see here is the same - each time a shopper would click through to e.g. Happy Birthday, they would see a fresh new selection of cards, made up of old faithfuls, brand new ones and some that are in between - in other words a random but pertinent assortment.
 
Cheers,
 
 
Rosanne

That would help me out too. Though, I have to say I've not put anything up for a while due to the changes going on and I've not changed any of my cards or upgraded them or did any of the copyright stuff on the back of my cards as yet as it's all new stuff and sooooo. Maybe I'm getting old. My cat of 15 years passed away    this past Sunday July 13 th, 2008 and so I'm in mourning and still hurting at her loss. If I tried to look hard enough, I'm sure there might be some sympathy cards for pets that have passed away. I'm not looking now, though. Cherish your pets no matter if it's a bird, cat, dog, lizard, mouse, rat, rabbit, snake, turtle, etc... and give them a great home, great vet care, the best food that is good for your pet or pets and that they enjoy what they are eating, and nice bed or great sleeping quarters, a fresh bowl of water etc..., Grooming if they need it, a bath if they need it  and most of all LOVE .

Thanks Gina . I have redone the edits on a lot of my cards so it's good for younger ages and not just for ages 18 to 105 in general. Just think what it's like to do more than the 40 cards I have in my store. Those with 100's to 1000's of cards that have to redo and redo again, AAAHHHHH! LOL. I feel for them as that would take days and maybe weeks to redo. Glad I'm a slow drawing creator, lol .