Surfboard Muse - Opinions & Advice Please

[PaulJensen]

I'm Paul Jensen...

I'm lucky that I still love my job as a high end finish carpenter, but I'm hoping to transition deeper into my muse, teaching how to build museum quality hollow wooden surfboards...As niche of a market as there is...

My website is: http://www.hollowsurfboards.com/ (http://www.hollowsurfboards.com) ...

http://www.hollowsurfboards.com/HSBHowTo%20Cover.jpg

What I primarily offer is a CD-ROM detailing in words and pictures "How To Build A Hollowsurfboard" that I sell for $100...I also offer templates to assist board builders and am developing an easy "Snap Together Frame Kits"...

If someone wants a custom board I can do that too, but that as much as I love doing it, is too time consuming...My boards sell for about $2,500 - $3,000...Just building and selling two or three a month could allow me to transition from "real worK" to following my muse...But, like I say, it's time consuming...

Last year I sold about $10k of CDs...This year should be better...So far I haven't advertised anywhere...That will likely change...

My goals are to get my CDs into the public schools, but so far cracking through the beauracracy is difficult...Finding the right State, District and Local contact people is the hard part...Multiply that by 50 states and you see the dilema...I have hope, but I don't have the time to fully persure this path yet...

I'm also hoping to offer what I know and do, as a "value added service" to Surf Travel Companies...Ideally they will pay me to come to say Peru, New Zealand or Canada, to some land based surf travel camp...The "pay to play surfers" would be able to build a board in the evenings after they surf, eat and have a beverage or two...At the end of a week of vacation they would have a board to go home with...Possibly a more memorable part of the trip than the surf...???...

I would also like to travel internationally just teaching my method to groups of twenty or so...I did that in Ireland last May and loved it...!!!...

Then there is the Boat Show angle that I'm just beginning to explore...

As you can see, I'm embracing the 4HWW ideals, and see my future as being rewarding on multiple level...

Please, please, please, offer suggestions and opinions on how you see what I'm doing or not doing...Let it fly...

Thanks in advance,

Paul Jensen

[wildsoul]

Hot idea, Paul!
That photo is perfect to illustrate, too!

[Peter Bowen]

Hi Paul,

I'm a surfer and would love to build a nice 9ft longboard in the evenings after a great session at some warm water spot.

I think the tour connection is fantastic idea.

Cheers

Pete

[KerriK]

How about teaching your course at surf-shops of your choice around the country. Charge lass than the price of one board, say $1000 for the workshop. Surfshop owners will probably let you do it for free to get the exposure. You get 20 guys in a class, yeehah, that's twice what you earned in DVD revenue last year.

How about taking on (high) paying apprentices to learn your craft. Cheaper than college and they have a REAL small business with real skills.

Yipes, just looked at your website: Where is a picture of a board on your home page?? Your home page is your first impression. You have these beautiful boards and you give me text!! Your logo is actually really nice, your Home Page should match your other pages for consistency. It's totally different and it "feels" strange because of it.

And the link to your #1 product, your dvd is buried amidst a whole bunch of text. Don't be afraid to put a link up that proudly states "Do it yourself DVD". You can also put it elsewhere, but you've got to TELL people that you have one for them to buy it.

How about keyword optimization: what are people looking for who might want your boards or the dvd? I'm sure someone can help with that.

I can't read the cursive text. It's attractive and the right size, but I can't follow it. Not sure what it is, seems I can't follow it all the way to the edges, maybe tighten it up into the center for easier reading.

Another thought. I think that you're selling your boards for NOT ENOUGH MONEY for your handmade boards. You still have a day job and you're bringing in extra cash from the dvd. Why not try selling your boards for $5000 or even $10,000. If you are a master and they are gonna get the best, you'll get a WHOLE new market for them that wealthy people will pay BIG bucks for. What's his name from Virgin Atlantic charges $10,000 a night for a room on his private island and its booked out a year in advance. When asked why people would pay so much, he remarked that there is always a market for the best.

There is also something that you're website said to me. I keep getting a "feeling" that you're afraid of making money and that there is something that you are doing to keep yourself from being successful- not trusting yourself due to societal programming. Maybe, just maybe I'm full a shit, but check for some unconscious programming there cause something keeps telling me that. We all have SOME of that, some just more than others. Try reading Millionaire Mind by T Harv Ecker if you haven't already.

Hope this helps, I LOVE your boards and I wish you much success.

Kerri

[Sven]

I love the quality of your boards!

But I wish I could say the same about the website... It seems to me that the quality of the website does not match the quality of your product.

Your website was built in 2005 and it shows. It is very uninviting to read.

Have a look at our webgals blog for some inspiration: http://webpreppro.com/blog/?
She knows this stuff!
Good luck!
Sven

[shanerbock]

I agree with Sven... you are doing yourself a real disservice by having this website... I mean its probably better than nothing, but you need to update it...

My personal suggestion, hire someone to set you up with a wordpress site (utilze the blog or not).... and make it easy for you to update, and keep on top of things.

Best of luck!
shane

[Sven]

Yup.

Or learn how to do it yourself. From what I hear it's easier then people may think and it is a valuable tool to have mastered.

[KerriK]

I agree about your website. If you are willing to brave the learning curve while someone is holding your hand at all times and walking you through it, then check out:

65% of this webhosting company's websites (with the vast majority being do it yourself-ers) are in the top 3% on the entire web.

Also, I was thinking even more about your boards, and in my humble opinion, I would LOVE to see you not doing ANY boards except HIGH-END custom boards for $7500 and up!! The board that they come away with, you have LOVINGLY created from the best materials money can buy and they come away with something so unique and high quality that nothing else will come close. You thought that you had a small niche before... try doing this and your niche will drop even further. If you started on this route, you could have movie stars and pro athletes and Saudi princes tracking you down to get your boards. What a trip. You CERTAINLY have a product of a caliber that you could go this route -if you have the balls to do it!!

Kerri

[Sven]

Kerri, you are definately spamming. STOP!

[Caesar_X]

Paul, I agree with others that your product looks really nice and I think it's a great niche! I think going to surf spots and teaching classes while you get to hang out and surf yourself is genius!

But your website is a turnoff to be honest. The text font is difficult to read, and it's often tough to tell which words are actually links.

I was rolling with all of that until I found the (long) story about why you decided to pull the free how-to instructions off the website. I'm sure the experience was annoying for you, but I fail to see how it is relevant for your visitors and potential customers. I started reading more of the website and kept running into perfectly honest commentary of yours that isn't helping you connect with your customers or sell boards.

Perhaps you need to decide whether you want to preach or you want to sell. Both are certainly fine, but it's hard to do both at once. At the very least, perhaps you could keep the website a strict sales tool and to get people excited about surfing and your boards, and save the commentary for your blog.

Just being honest.