Have thick skin - Please reveiw my new site

[FergusM]

Over the last few months I have designing, stocking and attempting to SEOing my new business ieDepot - Tools and Hardware. Please look through it as I would like advice and feedback on design, SEO, product content, user experience etc, etc.. If you do see something you like during the month of March use this code IWF0312 at checkout on any orders over €100, and you will get 10% off. But please do review the site. The shop is not hugely stocked at the moment but it is growing steadily. You can use the phone number on the site if you have any questions or feedback.

Fergus

 

[Alerner]

Hi Fergus

Well done on the site; it must be difficult to get a big product portfolio up on the website.

Just some user experience feedback:
* Authenticity ... you company seems to have a lot of background and expertise in what you do. But it does not come out enough on the website. Add some more imagery, photos and information about Galway background all over the website, including more images on the home page.
* Product prices ... why are the majority of these showing reduced prices, and what do the reduced prices mean? It cheapens the site if you have too many markdowns ... and does it mean off a discount off a sale price, off a recommended retail price etc?
* Product images on home page ... to give first time website visitors more trust in the size of your catalogue, put 12+ product images on the home page.
* The scroller is scrolling too fast for a first time user. It is making the home page too busy also; slow it down.
* Colours ... the blues in particular are giving the site a washed out feel. In particular, the blue background and the two horizontal blue nav lines. Can you change these for brighter, more vibrant colours? A designer would give you some options in an hour.
* Watermarques under each photo ... this makes some images difficult to see. Why is it there? Does it really need to be there?

Hope this helps

 

[FergusM]

Hi Fergus

[Well done on the site; it must be difficult to get a big product portfolio up on the website. ]

Thanks, yes it is huge amount of work


Hi Alerner,


[Just some user experience feedback:
* Authenticity ... you company seems to have a lot of background and expertise in what you do. But it does not come out enough on the website. Add some more imagery, photos and information about Galway background all over the website, including more images on the home page. ]

As I don't have a physical store I can't put up a picture of that, though people are welcome to come and pick up there purchases. What other photos were you thinking of?


[* Product prices ... why are the majority of these showing reduced prices, and what do the reduced prices mean? It cheapens the site if you have too many markdowns ... and does it mean off a discount off a sale price, off a recommended retail price etc? ]

These are the list prices which typically are charged here, and higher. But I do agree with you when used as much as I have it probably does cheapen things.

[* Product images on home page ... to give first time website visitors more trust in the size of your catalogue, put 12+ product images on the home page. ]

Yes I know what you mean, that is why I have the categories listed on the left. It is also the reason I put the two strollers above the fold. It seems that many site are putting less on the front page and concentrating on projecting a great corporate image but I think that they are losing site what their site is for. I am changing the products on the home page each week but again I take your point that the first time visitor will only see it once.]

[* The scroller is scrolling too fast for a first time user. It is making the home page too busy also; slow it down. ]

Yes I will slow it down.

[* Colours ... the blues in particular are giving the site a washed out feel. In particular, the blue background and the two horizontal blue nav lines. Can you change these for brighter, more vibrant colours? A designer would give you some options in an hour. ]

I got there in more than a hour with a designer, but yes it is a little washed out


[* Watermarques under each photo ... this makes some images difficult to see. Why is it there? Does it really need to be there? ]

Because these HD photos are expensive to take and process and most other sites use the low resolution photos from the manufacturers sites. When I started the photos were being downloaded and used on other sites. I contacted the sites I found and they removed the photos. The watermark came inn at that point.

Thanks for the feedback and advice

 

[achieve]

Hi Fergus,
Just going through your site now and will list a few things that come to mind as I go through it. Can I ask what shopping cart software is used?

1. As previous poster stated, I would be mad about the light blue background colour. It does make the site look somewhat dull. I'm sure it's easy change that if you want.
2. I like the tabbed screen on product pages.
3. After placing a product in the cart, I very nearly and registering with your shop, I very nearly couldn't proceed as the shop was looking for a tel no for the driver. However it wasn't obvious where to enter this info. It was beside a small "hi" which could be missed.
4. On my quick review everything else seems to work just fine - well done.

Best of luck with the site.

Declan

 

[achieve]

Hi Fergus,
Just going through your site now and will list a few things that come to mind as I go through it. Can I ask what shopping cart software is used?

1. As previous poster stated, I would be mad about the light blue background colour. It does make the site look somewhat dull. I'm sure it's easy change that if you want.
2. I like the tabbed screen on product pages.
3. After placing a product in the cart, I very nearly and registering with your shop, I very nearly couldn't proceed as the shop was looking for a tel no for the driver. However it wasn't obvious where to enter this info. It was beside a small "hi" which could be missed.
4. On my quick review everything else seems to work just fine - well done.

Best of luck with the site.

Declan

Just one small followup. I note that your welcome email went straight to my "Junk Folder" in Windows Mail. There must be something in the Welcome email, that Windows Mail doesn't like. :numbness:

 

[FergusM]

Hi Acheive,

I thought I had fixed that "hi". That might explain a few dropped carts.
As the cart has been heavily modified changing the colours is a bit of the job, however I have heard the message enough times now to know that it needs doing.

Thanks for reviewing and good luck with your site. Where should I send the charger?

Regards
Fergus

 

[FergusM]

Just one small followup. I note that your welcome email went straight to my "Junk Folder" in Windows Mail. There must be something in the Welcome email, that Windows Mail doesn't like. :numbness:

Hi Acheive,

I will take a look at that and see what is going on. Fixed the "Number for driver" and few others there as well. Thanks for the feedback. I finding that the site does not work in all browsers. Will have to go to work on that.

Thanks
Fergus