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Post by karmasuture on Feb 6, 2011 15:34:46 GMT -8
Another suggestion is to provide clearly linked pathways to the pages where you offer seeds for sale via PayPal and the shopping cart. The only way I was able to find the seed offers I ordered was via a link provided by Mr. Jones at another tomato board. When I go directly to newworldcrops.com home page, the only link I can find to a shopping cart for tomato seeds has just one variety listed for sale, and not the three I ordered from the other page for which I still can find no link from the home page. In fact, at this point in time, I have only been able to identify about 5 tomato varieties actually offered for sale via a shopping cart methodology. Other than that, there's just that one long listing of variety names only, without discriptions, and without an ordering mechanism.
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Post by Tom Wagner on Feb 6, 2011 16:48:57 GMT -8
The website is new, I am new to this, and my webmaster is nearly an hour away from me. We are learning how to handle PayPal beings neither of us have used it before. The very first days orders were mailed yesterday with packing slips received Friday from my webmaster since I did not have the knowledge or the capability to to handle anything with PayPal.
We have a brand new website with technologies unknown to us. We are learning fast but Karmasuture's order is only two days old and this is a Sunday. His order was packed Saturday and I cannot take it to the post office until Monday...needing a receipt to cover the costs of all mailing.
Karmasuture's order was Feb 4, 2011 Payment From XXXXX XXXX was Completed Details Payment From XXXXX XXXX
awaiting these functions * Print shipping label * Add Tracking Info * Mark as shipped Rob trained me last night how to do these functions since I am the one who has most of the seeds.
Last night we were able to set up a printer for me at my home since I have not had one for over a year. Now I can print out a packing slip....but must go out and buy envelopes since I don't have any and I will click the shipped button tomorrow AFTER I actually have a receipt for mailing.
The Super Bowl is on and that is slowing me down as I type this watching the game over my shoulder. Two touchdowns for Green Bay at this moment.
Therefore, two days is a very short time for tending to orders when one is trying to learn the system.
The website is showing the tomatoes because I wanted people to know I had them.....I can't write descriptions of them and fill orders at the same time. And many of my TPS are awaiting uploading to the site with all the PayPal buttons applied...it takes time when only two people are trying to complete the listings.
I may not get the tomatoes listed with a PayPal if I am busy filling orders instead....and I don't want to sell a couple hundred tomato varieties until I can catch up first. It becomes a teaser, I know...but better that then people wondering what I have. Rob is still holding the list of 300 TPS varieties on hold until we can handle the traffic. I have hundreds yet of tomatoes to list but may just forget it until the ordering system slows down.
I have a ton of questions to answer on the help emails from the website. I don't even know how to access those properly.
With mail orders for seeds and tubers in the past, I almost never handled the order immediately but since I have never ordered with PayPal before....I am learning the protocol.
Sorry for any inconvenience. The computer is freezing up on me the last couple of days and I can't do anything about that.
Tom
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Post by karmasuture on Feb 6, 2011 20:07:59 GMT -8
Let me be clear, I'm not complaining about the speed at which orders are filled or delivered. Planting seeds is at least 45 days or more away for me. I was just making suggestions. And I'm finished making suggestions for this year anyway. Good luck with your sales. You should do very well.
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Post by dkelly on Feb 6, 2011 22:45:34 GMT -8
a common way to increase traffic on your site is to have a friends or links page with like minded websites. -d
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Post by Tom Wagner on Feb 7, 2011 0:18:44 GMT -8
Rob added more of my TPS (True Potato Seed) to our site. I am pushing the potato end because so few folks are dedicated to potatoes as I am. Much more than I am with tomatoes.
I have 128 varieties of tomatoes sown as of yesterday. These will be available to a few greenhouses that will acquiescent to my begging. It will be nice if folks would beg plants from me for a change locally. I am still rather unknown in my neighborhood.
If I can get my orders out tomorrow, I hope to get 128 kinds of TPS sown. One cube of each of those listed on my website and and 60 or so very valuable hybrids.
There are a lot of changes that I have to make....I can't read the printed names of seeds on my envelopes...font is a handwriting style and too small for me to read. I also need to write up something on how to start potato seed, transplanting suggestions and general gardening tips.
I am thinking of listing a premium tomato list...fewer seeds and a higher price for really unusual tomatoes.
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Post by wmontanez on Feb 7, 2011 8:48:29 GMT -8
I saw the new listing are great! Would you be adding more TPS listings to that list? I could not find the SVG hybrids etc. So far I am trying hard to narrow down the list of wants, I still have time until next month to pick.
I will pass the info of the site to a blog I know that would start generating more traffic also.
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Post by Tom Wagner on Feb 7, 2011 13:37:41 GMT -8
Even though Rob added a few more TPS to the list, I noticed that my Skagit Valley Gold hybrids are still not up there....It must take a lot of time to update these lists with the paypal buttons. I still have not put the more rare kinds up...hundreds of those.
Problem doing this project is that we all have other lives to attend to.
My on line catalog will have additions monthly or more for the rest of my life.
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Post by wmontanez on Feb 7, 2011 18:10:49 GMT -8
It is a huge undertaking indeed! I think it is a great start with so many varieties to choose from now. So many thanks to Rob and you for such a good job for launching the site. It feels like I am being part of history in the making.
Its funny you mention the other lives we need to attend to.... I do have a full time job in solar engineering which I feel its a means to support my true calling.... When I talk to co-workers about my gardening activities like growing heirloom tomatoes, seedsaving, my quest for selfsufficiency, promoting biodiversity and particularly about my TPS growing (which by the way no-one knows it even exists sadly) they are surprised to say the least. The common questions is: with what time do you doall that? I joke about that gardening is part of my ongoing solar research because I work with solar collectors (food plants) in my free time. I guess my formal training comes in handy when running experiments with food plants that is what I enjoy the most.
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Post by DarJones on Feb 7, 2011 19:09:45 GMT -8
I'm a sun worshiper. In fact, I am so taken with the sun that I plant solar collectors to harvest the rays. Other people do this indirect. They keep 4-legged combines to harvest the grass that collects the sun rays. I'm a gardener. The others are ranchers.
DarJones
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Post by thefuture on Feb 7, 2011 21:14:52 GMT -8
Its funny you mention the other lives we need to attend to.... I do have a full time job in solar engineering which I feel its a means to support my true calling.... When I talk to co-workers about my gardening activities like growing heirloom tomatoes, seedsaving, my quest for selfsufficiency, promoting biodiversity and particularly about my TPS growing (which by the way no-one knows it even exists sadly) they are surprised to say the least. The common questions is: with what time do you doall that? I joke about that gardening is part of my ongoing solar research because I work with solar collectors (food plants) in my free time. I guess my formal training comes in handy when running experiments with food plants that is what I enjoy the most. Interesting. I also work as a power engineer and find time to collect solar rays during "my" time. Even my closest colleagues pass off my self sufficiency, food sovereignty quest as a pastime, hobby that won't change the world....if only they knew...
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Post by wildseed57 on Feb 8, 2011 20:14:36 GMT -8
Hi Tom, I plan to order some of the tomato seed that you have other that the one shown, I will have to wait till March unless I can get things settled some with my finances. So At this point I'm not in a hurry I do have some questions about some of the tomatoes that I'm interested in. 1. Make My Day is this a determinate type I know it was crossed with OSU Blue, but I never did hear whether or not it was Det. or Indet. I'm hoping to get a few seeds from that cross along with some strait OSU Blue seeds or close to it. 2. Mount Olympus (Nematode resistant Strain) basically the same question about how it grows. 3. Once in a Blue Moon, out of the Blue and Pineapple Blues - I was wondering if these are out of your work with the OSU Blue strain or not. 4. Scarlet Missouri Same basic question about its growth. 5. Sky Reacher s Vintage Wine, I seem to remember a little about this one I seem to remember that it was a better cross with Brandywine? It sounds like a winner to me. Thanks for any info you can give me about them, I have to figure out just how much room I will need for this year's grow outs and test trials. I have to talk with my nephew about some land he offered me to do my grow outs and field trials. You can either post when you have time or PM me. George W.
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Post by Tom Wagner on Feb 9, 2011 0:17:19 GMT -8
My data retrieval has been compromised because I had it set up by a numerical code and for the catalog listing I took the seed extraction inventories out of that identity to list in the catalog. Instead of immediately putting the seed inventory into a new alphabetized order......they are shuffled like multiple decks of cards.
I will have to set down in front of the computer and type out descriptions. I should put all of the seeds in alphabetical order first, and then start the laborious task of reading my shorthand notes. No one can read my notes but me....all handwritten by me and is illegible to everyone but me....
I am spending way to much time after packing TPS, trying to address immediate concerns in the comments page, forums, emails, etc.
My eyes are near shot looking at the computer so much...I need trifocals bad....I have to type in huge fonts as I cannot see what I am typing unless I am six inches away from the screen...can't focus at a normal relaxed distance of twenty inches or so.
George....I noticed your list of tomatoes which need descriptions are in alphabetical order. Once I get that done for the catlog.....I will submit the descriptions little by little to Rob, my webmaster, to be set up with PayPal, requiring a drag paste for each variety. I don't know how to do that.
Because I want to keep the Tater Mater Foum somewhat up to date...I will put a few comments after each of your selections of interest.
1. Make My Day DETERMINATE (MY BLUE CROSS CANNOT BE FOUND) 2. Mount Olympus (Nematode resistant Strain) STRONG SEMI DETERMINATE 3. Once in a Blue Moon INDETERMINATE 4. Out of the Blue INDETERMINATE 5. Pineapple Blues - INDETERMINATE 6. Scarlet Missouri NEED TO LOOK UP 7. Sky Reacher NEED TO LOOK UP 8. Vintage Wine INDETERMINATE
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Post by wildseed57 on Feb 9, 2011 19:06:55 GMT -8
Thanks Tom, I know just how you feel and have eye problems that I have to keep in check, I often have to use the magnifier option to read at times. Thanks for the info on the Tomatoes it will give me a Idea on how much land I will have to till under come spring. I might get away with 2 one hundred foot strips along with my small raised bed garden, if I can get everything set up in time. George W.
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Post by Jonathan B on Feb 10, 2011 4:46:22 GMT -8
Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but approximately how many seeds are in each TPS package? Thanks.
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Post by Tom Wagner on Feb 10, 2011 8:32:53 GMT -8
TPS packets that I am sending out have 30 to 50 seeds. As I start posting about some rare seeds or special hybrids, the count will go down to maybe 10 seeds. I am not sure just how many of those will be listed. I would rather have my first year costumers work with a higher number of true seeds and learn from mistakes that I know will happen. TPS is a learning experience.
Tom
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