Website Review – York

Reviewing the websites of the best businesses in York.

Clothes Shops

To find out what are the best independent clothes shops in York

Want to know which are the best independent clothes shops in York? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best clothes shops in York.

Clarksons of York

• Location – 33 High Petergate, York, YO1 7HP
• What’s near by: York Minster
• Sells – casual shirts, formal shirts, trousers, knitwear, casual wear, jackets, suits, outwear, ties, waistcoats and accessories
• Type of website: eCommerce

Our first ‘clothes shops in York’ is Clarksons quaint shop supplying classic men’s suits, shirts, tweed jackets, trousers & accessories.

Clarkson’s of York digital presence

• Good navigation bar – products are sorted and displayed well in their respective category.
• Product preview – when you hover over an image, it is responsive and shows another picture.
• Customisation – the website allows you to customise your product which is a welcomed feature. For example, if you choose a shirt, the site visitor can pick a colour, fit, collar size, cuffs style.
• Shopfront Picture – a quick win – Clarksons shop, located on one of the main pedestrian routes into York, is less than a minute walk to York minster. If you’ve been to York, it’s likely you’ve walked past it and will recognise the shopfront. As because fo this, I would have expected to see a picture of the shop on their website. This way, you undoubtedly connect the digital shop with the physical shop building a level of trust.
• Missing Padlock – The men’s clothes shop in York website lacks an SSL certificate. Impacting the store’s search engine position and click-through rate as some web browsers might warn the visitor the site is not safe and give them an easy option to exit the website before they have visited it. Applying a padlock is something we do as standard and is part of our hosting package.
• Search bar – positioned in the header of the website is non-functional. I searched for items they sold and had in stock, but the search bar shows a blank page. Pro-tip design a search archive page to ensure your products can both be detected and presented nicely.
• SEO – the website does not have an optimised title, does not make use of header structures, lacks meta descriptions, not all photos have alt text, and the data is not structured. The great news is that these steps are manageable, and if implemented, Clarksons would see an improvement in Google visibility leading to more online business.
• In summary, as far as men’s clothes shops in york go, this one is worth a visit.

Giselle Ladiesewear

• Location: 14 Swinegate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 8AZ
• What’s near by: York Chocolate Story
• Sells: specialise in quality collections that co-ordinate as well as timeless stand-alone exquisite pieces
• Type of websites: Advertises their brand – not an eCommerce website

Next, on our list of ‘clothes shops in York’ Giselle Ladieswear York has been established for over thirty years. We are a small team of highly experienced fashion advisors. At Giselle, we pride ourselves on building long-standing and close relationships with our customers. We aim to make their shopping experience, relaxed, unique and pleasurable. We specialise in quality collections that co-ordinate as well as timeless stand-alone exquisite pieces.

Giselle of York digital presence

• Images – they use large, high-quality brand photos on their website and it’s brilliant. It gives off the feel of professionalism and is on par with a high-end fashion magazine. Other designer clothes shops in York need this look!
• Contact Details – clearly states where they are based and how to get hold of them, a crucial step I’ve seen many forget.
• Missing Padlock – As explained earlier with Clarksons, very easy to fix and vital for this ladies clothes shop in York to have.
• In summary, if you are looking for dress shops, York-based make sure to visit this one.

Old Sole

• Location: 16 Swinegate, York, YO1 8AZ
• What’s near by: Browns York
• Sells: shoes, shoe care kits, wallets
• Type of website: eCommerce

Next, on our list of ‘clothes shops in York city centre’ is Old Sole York’s newest luxury shoes & bespoke services. In-store you can find shoes by Carmina, shirts by Smyth & Gibson a range of accessories.

Old Sole of York digital presence

• Hero – nice professional large images on the homepage in the hero section. Gives an idea immediately what the shop sells and what services it offers.
• 404 – When you click the gift card page, it displays an error. It happens to us all at some point in time; it’s why every website owner needs to carry out an SEO audit at least monthly. The site is still usable and great!
• Interesting – clicking on the ‘bespoke’ tab takes you to a different website. Same business, same product and services it just jumps to another website. Apart from that if your shopping in york pop in.

Wild & Westbrooke

• Location: 3 Lendal, York, North Yorkshire, UK, YO1 8AQ
• What’s near by: Museum Garden
• Sells: clothing, footwear, scarves, leather goods, bags and home-wares
• Type of website: advertises products and has a blog but not an eCommerce online shop.

Next, on our list of ‘clothes shops in York’ is Wild & Westbrooke. Located at number 3 Lendal, within the walls of the beautiful city of York is a ladies clothing shop. A local family run business, we are dedicated to providing York with the latest in ladies country fashion. We are delighted to be the exclusive stockists of many well-known and loved brands.

Wild & Westbrooke of York digital presence

• Parallex – The image in the picture above shows a clothes rail. You can’t see the picture fully at first, but when you scroll down the page more of the image is revealed. I like it! It’s similar to how you would experience the shop in person, opening the door to see the clothes rail a bit at a time until you are fully inside.
• About us – great to see pictures of those who run the shop. It offers a nice personal touch, and it’s great to see photos of those whom you will meet again in person.
• Homepage – with my web designer hat on – Upon visiting the site, a large part of the homepage is taken up by a grey background. Upon first impressions, it isn’t easy to know what the shop sells, where it is based and what sets it apart from other women’s clothes shops york-based. A tip would be to change the landing page image, as it stands it doesn’t impact the quality of the store; hence why it made our list of best independent shops in York.
• Navigation Bar – swapping hats to a web developer – pro tip keep the bar visible at all points.
• SEO – last hat swapping – thin content, lack of schema, few pages and with no option to buy any of the products means their visibility in Google search results is limited; we discuss what is SEO further in a separate blog.
• Overall, it’s excellent to see someone who has thought hard about their niche and is doing it well!

Best department stores

Want to know which are the best department stores in York? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best department stores in York.

Barnitts

• Location: 24-26 Colliergate, York YO1 8BW
• What’s nearby: York Shambles
• Sells: kitchen, garden, home wear
• What they say: “department store for comprehensive home and garden product range”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: could link more to their social networks within their website to assist their social media marketing

Browns

• Location: 21 Davygate, York Yorkshire YO1 8QT
• What’s nearby: Bettys Café Tea Rooms
• Sells: ladies fashion, fashion accessories, menswear
• Type of website: Blog
• Digital Marketing review: very surprised it was a blog website with a generic call to actions as opposed to an eCommerce website

Browns of York digital presence

• Accessibility – navigation bar stays at the tops of the page and contains links to all products and services.
• Blog – surprised Brown’s department store was not an online eCommerce shop. I feel like it could have benefited from allowing customers to buy online. If you click on what a product it takes you to page with little content and the call of action is simply ‘visit Browns’.

Fenwick

• Location: 2 Saint Marys Square, Coppergate Centre, York YO1 9WY
• What’s nearby: Clifford’s Tower
• Sells: clothes, healthcare, fragrances.
• What they say: “range of luxury fashion, beauty, and more.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: great website

Vintage Clothes Shops

Want to know which are the best independent shops where you can buy vintage clothing York located? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy vintage clothing in York.

Bowler and Betty

• Location: 52 Fossgate, York YO1 9TF
• What’s nearby: 2 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: vintage clothing
• What they say: “vintage clothing. From classic, vintage-inspired wardrobe”.
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: a functional website that could benefit from SEO

Dog and Bone

• Location: Shop 1, 28 Castlegate, York YO1 9RP
• What’s nearby: 1 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: Vintage, retro, fashion, lifestyle clothing
• What they say: “
• Type of website:
• Digital Marketing review: would benefit from a web design project and could take advantage of eCommerce

Expressions Clothing

• Location: 12 Walmgate, York YO1 9TJ
• What’s nearby: 3 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: America jerseys
• What they say: “American Football, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball jerseys”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: all products well displayed.

Priestleys Vintage

• Location: 11 Grape Ln, York YO1 7HU
• What’s nearby: York Rose Framing
• Sells:
• What they say: “
• Type of website:
• Digital Marketing review: would benefit from a web design that would help the website with broken links. The website has a lack of SSL certificate (included in all website maintenance packages) meaning some browsers might not show the website and will impact their SEO search engine results in position.

Antique Shops

Want to know which are the best independent antique centre York-based are? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy antiques in York.

Antiques Centre

• Location: 41 Stonegate, York YO1 8AW
• What’s nearby: York Minster
• Sells: antiques
• What they say: “Georgian townhouse with 5 storeys of antiques”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: was not obvious it was an eCommerce site at first.

Red House York

• Location: The Red House, 1 Duncombe Pl, York YO1 7ED
• What’s nearby: York Oratory
• Sells: antiques
• What they say: “the 3-floor antique emporium with an extensive range”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: lack of SSL certificate which I offer as part of the hosting package.

where do you buy your antiques in York?

Best places serving food

Want to know which are the best independent places to eat in York? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to eat in York.

Blue Bird Bakery

• Location: 2 Little, Shambles, York YO1 7LY
• What’s nearby: York Shambles
• Sells: bakery, tea cakes, bread
• What they say: “brilliant bakers and bread buffs”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: websites use bold, bright colours to help communicate what they do.

Love Cheese

• Location: 16 Gillygate, York YO31 7EQ
• What’s nearby: York Art Gallery
• Sells: Cheese
• What they say: “Light-filled bistro.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: host regular events and promote them well.

That Fudge Guy

• Location: 57 Broome Cl, Huntington, York YO32 9RH
• What’s nearby: Huntington
• Sells: Fudge
• What they say: “hand made, artisan confectioner”
• Type of website: advertises products
• Digital Marketing review: very basic website which would benefit from being re-done and their web design re-worked.

York Coco House

• Location: 10 Castlegate, York YO1 9RN
• What’s nearby: St Mary’s Church
• Sells: chocolate
• What they say: “Chocolate-based cooking and drinks from breakfast to afternoon tea”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: using a wide range of social media platforms which is great for their social media marketing.

Best Restaurants

Want to know which are the best independent restaurants in York? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best restaurants in York.

Buongiorno York

• Location: Acomb Wood Dr, Woodthorpe, York YO24 3XN
• What’s nearby: Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park
• Sells: food
• What they say: “a lovely moment in your busy day”
• Type of website: advertises venue
• Digital Marketing review: would benefit from a new web design and SEO project so they rank higher in the search results.

Corner Grill House

• Location: 9 Walmgate, York YO1 9TX
• What’s nearby: York Castle Museum
• Sells: steak
• What they say: “grill platters in a casual space with cosy interiors”.
• Type of website: advertises venue
• Digital Marketing review: nice looking website that clearly sets out the menu.

Skosh

• Location: 98 Micklegate, York YO1 6JX
• What’s nearby: Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar
• Sells: Food
• What they say: “contemporary British cooking with an international influence”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: good use of photos on their website

Spark

• Location: 17-21 Piccadilly, York YO1 9PB
• What’s nearby: St Denys’s Church, York
• Sells:
• What they say: “eat, drink, shop, venue”
• Type of website: advertises food and venue
• Digital Marketing review: the website has a really nice theme.

Best places serving drink

Want to know which are the best independent shops where you can buy gift drinks in York? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy gift drinks in York.

DemiJohn

• Location: 11 Museum St, York YO1 7DT
• What’s nearby: Musuem Garden
• Sells: drink, food, gifts
• What they say: “Demijohn is the Worlds first Liquid Deli.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: great website but improvement needs to be made on their local SEO.

The Potions Cauldron

• Location: 9¾, Shambles, York YO1 7LZ
• What’s nearby: 3 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: drinks
• What they say: “A magical drinks emporium for Wizards”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: great theme from 9¾ address to background of their website.

Trembling Madness

• Location: 48 Stonegate, York YO1 8AS
• What’s nearby: Barley Hall
• Sells: beers
• What they say: “quirky medieval bar serving hard-to-find beers”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: a lot brand personality.

York Gin

• Location: 12 Pavement, York YO1 9UP
• What’s nearby: 2 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: Gin
• What they say: “world’s best gins in small batches in York’s only distillery”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: good use of photography to capture the products brand.

Best places to buy art

Want to know which are the best independent york art gallery shops where you can buy art? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy art.

According To McGee

• Location: 8 Tower St, York YO1 9SA
• What’s nearby: 3 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: originals, prints
• What they say: “exhibited the most exciting artists in the UK”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: regularly post statuses which is great for social media marketing

The Braithwaite Gallery

• Location: 42 Low Petergate, York YO1 7HZ
• What’s nearby: York Minster
• Sells: prints and paintings
• What they say: “Selling prints, artwork, paintings.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: parts of their website lack a SSL certificate which adds security. This is something we offer in our hosting packages

Chris Ceaser

• Location: 89 Micklegate, York YO1 6LE
• What’s nearby: Holy Trinity Church
• Sells: prints, cards
• What they say: “gallery is situated in a lovely old timber building”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: full set of site links in the search results which is great helps with SEO.

Copper Gate Gallery

• Location: 21 Castlegate, York YO1 9RN
• What’s nearby: Coppergate Shopping Centre
• Sells: prints, sculptures, paintings
• What they say: “wide range of traditional, classical and contemporary art.”
• Type of website: advertises products
• Digital Marketing review: uses free Wix account which means website advertises Wix as their banner.

Pyramid Gallery

• Location: 43 Stonegate, York YO1 8AW
• What’s nearby: York Minster
• Sells: jewellery, art
• What they say: “Discover unique jewellers, artists, crafts, ceramics, jewellery”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: lack of Favicon

Snow Home

• Location: 42 Gillygate, York YO31 7EQ
• What’s nearby: BBC Radio York
• Sells: designed, bespoke products
• What they say: “home essentials using the highest quality materials”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: could improve on their social media marketing

Village Gallery

• Location: 14 Colliergate, York YO1 8BP
• What’s nearby: 4 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: art
• What they say: “great selection of antique, less-old and new art” sculpture and silver
• Type of website: advertise products
• Digital Marketing review: website doesn’t do much besides leads onto another website in order to view their products. In my opinion, maybe it would be best to have the one and update the web design of the current site Google My Business leads you to.

Best places to buy jewellery

Want to know which are the best independent shops where you can buy jewellery York-based? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy jewellery in York.

Azendi

• Location: 50 Low Petergate, York YO1 7HZ
• What’s nearby: The Belfrey
• Sells: jewellery, pearls
• What they say: “Azendi is a specialist silver Jewellery firm.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: Need to update Google My Business so it takes them to the homepage

Bradleys the jewellers

• Location: 56-58 Stonegate, York YO1 8AS and 67 Low Petergate
• What’s nearby: Roman Column
• Sells: wedding and engagement rings, watches
• What they say: “housing some of the world’s finest jewellery”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: offer a lot of information from products to size guides

Cavendish jewellers

• Location: 44 Stonegate, York YO1 8AS
• What’s nearby: York Theatre Royal
• Sells: rings, earrings, bracelets
• What they say: “Experienced, family-run jewellers offering antique and designer items from around the world.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: Actively use pay per click to advertise

Silvarious

• Location: 76 Low Petergate, York YO1 7HZ
• What’s nearby: York’s Chocolate Story
• Sells: necklaces, bracelets, rings
• What they say: “Handcrafted silver jewellery and distinctive gifts”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: website maybe not as modern as the others on the list.

Best places to buy wedding clothes

Want to know which are the best independent shops where you can buy a dress for a wedding York-based? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy a wedding dress in York.

Elena Ferrara bridal

• Location: 64 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF
• What’s nearby: Saint Andrew’s Evangelical Church
• Sells: wedding dresses, alterations, dry cleaning
• What they say: “we are by appointment only”
• Type of website: advertises products
• Digital Marketing review: one business, two websites. bets to have the one

Glory Days York

• Location: 3rd Floor, Cromwell House, 31 Micklegate, York YO1 6JH
• What’s nearby: The Stained Glass Centre, St. Martin’s Church
• Sells: wedding dresses
• What they say: “Carefree gowns for the off-the-beaten-track bride.”
• Type of website: advertises products
• Digital Marketing review: good use of photos to advertise their dresses.

Molly Browns

• Location: 21a and 27 Stonegate, York YO1 8AW
• What’s nearby: Bettys Café Tea Rooms
• Sells: mother of the bride, prom dresses
• What they say: “family-run group of beautiful boutiques”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: posts regularly which are important for social media marketing

Best gift shops

Want to know which are the best independent shops where you can buy gifts York-based? The following is from the larger best businesses in York list, I’ve handpicked the very best places to buy gifts in York.

Cleggs york

Location: 6 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LQWhat’s nearby: York City Walls on Roman FortressSells: bags, gift tins, scarves What they say: “We are a family run business selling an eclectic range.”Type of website: eCommerce digital Marketing review: lack of favicon.

Rise and shine living

• Location: 44 Fossgate, York YO1 9TF
• What’s nearby: 2 min walk from JORVIK Viking Centre
• Sells: a mixture of home furnishings and gifts
• What they say: “Rise & Shine living to bring you beautiful, contemporary.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: more info could be added to Google My Business

Stonegate living company

• Location: 22 Stonegate, York YO1 8AS
• What’s nearby: Barley Hall
• Sells: homeware, furniture, home fragrance.
• What they say: “We are an independent homeware and gift store”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: need to improve their SEO to strengthen brand awareness.

The bath house shop

• Location: 64 Low Petergate, York YO1 7HZ
• What’s nearby: Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate
• Sells: body care, face care, fragrance
• What they say: “We stock our complete range of Bath House natural”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: improve SEO so York branch is higher on the results page.

The little Yorkshire candle company

• Location: 72 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF
• What’s nearby: Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate
• Sells: candles, diffusers, homeware
• What they say: “love of the countryside, nature and natural things.”
• Type of website: eCommerce
• Digital Marketing review: social media buttons do not work. The internet is a fragile thing, always audit your website