Know-How Exchange : Website Critique

Your return policy is where people are going to look for the fine print. On that page you first say you offer a 90 day warranty, then you say you offer extended warranties, then you say you offer forever warranties -- all in the same paragraph! Which is it? And why would I buy an extended warranty if I'm already getting a forever warranty? You need to think this through and spell it out clearly.

Hi mvaliunas,

hope you're having a great day but most of all a wonderful life.

Looking at the website products are evenly placed with a click you get a good enlargement of the product and a nice layout. Overall I like the website in terms of menuvering around it. What I would improve on is the human quality in how it reads.

PORTRAY COPY WITH MORE HUMAN...MAGNETIC EMOTIONAL APPEAL...
The information for each product is presented in a very mechanical nature. Product benefits should be more user friendly. Copy under each product will sell better when written to communicate to an end user in a way that is first emotional. Right now the information is being communicated as if the end user is a reseller of the product.

That's my main concern about the website in general. I believe with a more ---FOCUSED--- *TA, "Target Audience" you can give your website personality. Right now it appears as a purely representational presentation that lacks the VOICE to speak to a particular audience of people. I think this is because the products concepts are not anchored with a foundation that is intentional about reaching out to a particular audience. It comes across as if it's trying to reach out to everyone...So who is your model customer? What is their age range and why would they want to buy your product? REMEMBER... our only real problem in life is our failure to be "MORE Creative" than we’ve ever been. If you “Invent” your opportunity YOU WILL most definitely create your future. I'm only an email away from you if you need my help. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Your Servant,

Deremiah, *CPE (Customer Passion Evangelist)

You're not going to like my response because you've put in a lot of work, as I can tell.

It looks great, but the name doesn't translate into appliances. I thought by looking at the name and the logo as it loaded that it was keepsake items. When I saw appliances, I was totally thrown. So, if you're definitely stuck on the name, then the logo must change. The red infinity, which is nice, looks like ribbon, which is keepsake-y. Looks like it's a site like redenvelope. Make the logo more high tech looking, not so much pretty and soft.

Good luck!

Hello, mvaliunas,

Well, your website is not bad, but you there is lots to improve.

Let's talk about impression. You, probably, know body language. Here is another version - graphic language. What does your website say to a visitor?

First of all, the colors are very light and washed away. It's like you are unsure what you are talking about. There are some bright pieces (red bag), but it doesn't relate to you! It's a customer's bag! The Mebius Ring in your logo doesn't represent the idea of forever warranty, neither your motto. I can tell you more. Suspension points are saying only one thing: there is something else going. You have to be defined. There should be no "if", "but", or "or". Where warranty lasts forever. Period!

The colors are pale and gray, you know, like dull gray. The whole look doesn't represent that you are selling something great! And, I should telly, you, what you are into calls irresistible offer (Hope you've read the book!) Forever warranty is something! Everything should scream how cool you are. And how cool your cooling and other devices are! :)

Pictures of merchandise are good, but, again, they are washed away, If they are white, gray and blue, you should not take these colors as background. Background for your images could be white, but I would go for other colors for the whole project. Why wouldn't you pick nice burgundy as a background? It is bright! It is a statement for a good offer! Did you want your project color scheme to represent the clearness of air your products care about? Great! Go for intense blue! Combine it with nice glowing silver, burgundy, beige or emerald green! Make a statement.

Now, your layout is unsure not only through the colors. You see, when you open a page, all you see is a huge banner with a bag and a useless sign "Shop now". First of all, you are not selling bags! And someone may think so, because words "vacuums, ac's, etc are not really visible in the menu! And please, tell me, why you are making a button like element which is not clickable? It's a very bad mistake. Everything which looks like it's leading somewhere should be a link or removed. The same relates to words Shop now and an arrow. Arrows have always been signs of links! You may not trick your customers like that, they may think that you are a tricker. And, by the way, 2006 is so over! Are you offering leftovers?

You need to scale all top banners, your logo and the whole header to as most as 1/4 or at least 1/3 of a screen view. They may not take 100% of a first page.

The idea of SALE is definitely to help sell something faster. That is why you need to place your sale items on top.

Prices in Recent items and sale items are given in list and our price. That is so confusing! If there is no difference, why would you separate recent items from sale items? Or, may be, everything is on sale in your store? If yes, you have to say so and don't use a "recent items" section. If there is a difference and you have "list price", "your price", and a "sale" price, you need to add that "sale" price to your sale items!

I am sure no one will try to find what's going on and where is a sale price. They will just leave a store.

The news is as of 1/3/2007. so, why are you selling 2006 stuff?

All sections with one paragraph in them (Affiliates, Return Policy) should be either combined in one, or removed. I also think that bottom menu is too long, at least it should not take two lines. or if it does, your Copyright link should be on a separate line, on the bottom, and all centered. Left menu is totally unlogically created, because it contains the same sections as top menu. It's waste of space, you could put there more important information like links to privacy and return policy, phone numbers and other information. Top menu is also unbalanced (names of sections are not centered.

There are serious issues with the layout and design of your project. Header is unbalanced (Customer
Service, Shopping Cart [0], Login) is not aligned with a search window. Header is too big, Menu looks very strange with a space between actual menu and shadow. Have you ever seen shadow running a yard behind you?

I believe images of merchandise should be all the same size, otherwise tall images brake the harmony of a merchandise table.

Overall opinion about the design is not satisfactory.

I would add more comprehensive Description and more keywords in your project.

Here is what your website could look with the same idea of design and content placement if it was made by a professional:

https://www.artographica.com/images/foreverstore_layout.jpg

Just brief look at a bright side. Not perfect, but some idea of how it could look:

https://www.artographica.com/images/foreverstore_layout_1.jpg

I hope my input helped. Whatever happens, I wish you

Good Luck!

Natasha Chernyavskaya

Well, I share all the Natasha points, mainly the header that it's really too big and take space to the real focus of your site, the products.

I would suggest a search engine done with Ajax, to give users results since they digit the first 3-4 letters of what they're searching.

Also with Ajax, if your products will not be a lot, there are examples of very simple Shopping Cart where you just drag and drop the item to the cart, very simple to use for users (ask me for links, I have plenty of them!).

Another point: why do you repeat two times the link (in the main toolbar and in the side toolbar)? Try to adopt one and one only navigation scheme, it will be easier for users not to loose themselves.

Finally, I would try to let the products be more valorized in the layout, with a background or something graphical. Try also using graphic together with categories name to give a bit more 'easy' look to the site.

The use of descriptive page names (like c-7-vacuums-floor-care.aspx) is very good, and will let search engines go through your products easily.

Keep on the good work and try to see all through your customers' point of view.