Lies and Statistics...

...well, okay, just statistics.

Today I have redesigned the front page of the Design By Claire website.

Ten days ago I signed up for Google Analytics, so that I could track what kind of activity was happening on my website. It turns out that a fairly large percentage of people were turning up to the home page, seeing the Queen of Hearts dress (Photograph © S L Hodkinson), and going away again.

Given that the Queen of Hearts dress isn't really representative of the work I'm doing these days, I thought that was a very clear indication that it was time for a change!

One thing which is also clear - I'm going to have to publicise the website to a much larger number of people, if I'm ever going to make any sales through the new shop. Most of the people who go to the shop page do click through and look at a number of items while they're there, but nobody's actually bought anything yet.

Next year I want to try and change the balance of my work - taking on fewer custom sewing commissions, and concentrating primarily on the duvet cover skirts and on the Fair Trade cotton, when it arrives from Bishopston Trading. In order for that to happen, I need to be encouraging people to buy directly from the shop, so I'll be selling quite a few more ready-made pieces in the New Year.

I'm currently being inspired by Gudrun Sjoden. I was looking through some of her old printed catalogues the other day, and I particularly like the way that the collections are designed to be mixed and matched and layered together. If I can design some garments which work in that kind of way, and make them from the Bishopston cottons, I'll be very pleased.