I have a simple question to a very complex problem. Hopefully someone might guide me. I'm fairly new here and I have little experience in SEO / web design ... none of it being formal.

My website designer built my site (url in profile) using a template-based ISP/website design service named CityMax. From the beginning, I found it restrictive and thought that it produced an amateurish product. This designer was unskilled in SEO or retail/store websites.

I sell guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin strings, effects and pedals and accessories on my site. There are 350+ products for sale.

I have been told by numerous SEO's, designers, potential customers and friends that there are numerous things wrong with my site (bad design, bad code, tough to get around, not SE optimized), etc., etc., etc. This is disheartening since I've personally spent hundreds of hours and quite a bit of money birthing this site and keeping it alive.

Here's the question: can a site like mine be re-built* with the proper coding, shopping cart, and features and benefits that internet buyers have come to expect? Can it be re-built within the CityMax architecture? Is there someone out there willing to do it? (* I have the new site design ready to go.)

Many thanks. Waiting for your reply.

lgc - I haven't looked at your site. There are products out there (StaticStore is one that comes to mind) that will produce search engine friendly stores and product catalogues, often using the same product databases that you used in your previous search-unfriendly site.

You might also want to try searching for search engine friendly stores, shopping cart software, etc, and see what you find. I'm sure other members may have suggestions as well.

In taking a quick look at your site, I can tell you the primary problem. As a guitarist who has been buying strings for 25 years, your prices are too high!! I can go to the local music store and get strings cheaper than what you are selling them for...

ZZounds sells many of the same string you do for $2.95 for a 6-pack...you perhaps should abandon your "single-set" mindset and think about competitively priced volume sales.

Just my $0.02