[TopShopper]

A few weeks ago I asked you to review my site. It was slated. I have took the comments on board and am now ready for a second opinion.

What do you think? http://www.topshopper.net

Thank you for any comments.

[lee grant]

Much more inviting!

I really like your logo, very clever

[S3 Web Design]

Hi Mike, I like it, very much!

Gill

[HogIT]

Really good work, especially the logo.

Maybe centre the orange navigation and space it out a bit more.

[TopShopper]

Thanks for the replies. very positive so far but don't be afraid to criticize.

[cibgraphics]

The text is a little overwhelming for me at least. Ever thought about having a main product area to highlight the products key features? You kinda already have it now but the way it is designed, it doesnt make me want to read it. You can use a product area like http://aptana.org/ does (though you should put more into in yours.

Also the coding off on your main navigation. I need to put my mouse on the actual text in order for the hover to activate, yes the area to deactivate it is much larger. (if that makes sense).

The design isn't that trust worthy either. It makes me think this company is going to steal my credit card and give me a crap product. Im sure your product is fine... but that is what the layout of the site is telling me.

The price is very small and unnoticeable, which makes me think you are trying to hid something (again, I know your not... Im just thinking as a customer. People want to know What is it, what can it do for me, and how much does it cost. If you don't make those easily accessible... people are going to leave.

Sorry if that is a little harsh. Just trying to help out.

[TopShopper]

Well cibgraphics, that is surely a big list to work through.
Some clarification please.
1. Thanks for the aptana link. I suppose you are suggesting that the home page should be more of a 'splash' page and more of an introduction only - the main information going on a separate 'product page'.

2. Navigation, text, hover IE8 and Firefox, Safari, and Chrome activate anywhere on the box and not just the text - which browser are you using?

3. So how do you make a website look trustworthy. Is there a particular secret?

4. the cost is on the third line and circled in red. Is that not enough?

Thanks again for your comments.

[cibgraphics]

1. Not really a splash page but kind of a product introduction at the top of the page which focuses of the product's key points.

2. I am using Safari OSX. The hover problem is also on Firefox OSX.

3. To me, sites that focus on what the user's needs are instead of trying to fill the page with as much content as much as possible to try and sell their product. Your site kinda reminds me of those really bad sites that are a mile long that has waaaay too much info (usually more for SEO reasons that customer reasons). Your content is much too full for an index page that that tell me (the customer) that you are more worried about SEO and trying to make a sell than me the customer. Also the design is a bit dated and also tells me that the "company" doesn't have a lot of resources... again leading me to think that you are more worried about making the sell instead of the customer.

Now clearly I don't think this about you... im just trying to view your site from a first time (non-designer) customer. First impressions to me is that its a cheap product that is trying to rip me off.

4. No, no really. You should have a prices page that goes over the key features again as well as a prominent (yet not obtrusive) price. The customer is not going to be looking there for the price. They will either look for it in that section that I was talking about in #1, or a dedicated prices page (store front). Take this page for example: http://www.realmacso...om/rapidweaver/ and http://www.shinywhit.../home/home.html . See how the page focuses on the key features that the customer really cares about? On your page they need to wade through TONS of text to just find out your key features.

[TopShopper]

Hi cibgraphics,

The trouble with my site is that is has grown organically over many years and what it really needs is a completely new design. However, I am not a designer which is evident I know.

You have given me plenty to think about and I will now try and digest it. Thanks for the very useful information.

It is true that I have not many resources at my disposal.

I now understand that you have a Mac which is why I can't see the 'hover problem' - not sure how to fix that.

Thank you again.

[HogIT]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with "cibgraphics", The product that you are selling has a limited client base (web designers) and anybody interested in your product would want to know a lot about what you offer, so there will be a lot of words.

I can't see why your site appears untrustworthy and I fail to see how it appears you are hiding something.

Having re-read your site it tells me everything I would want to know about your product and makes purchase straightforward. Your 30 day free tial would assure me that your not about to try and dupe me.

[keith115]

The site in general looks good, maybe just simplify the nav bars is all i could fault it on if i had to be picky.

HogIT, on 07 March 2010 - 01:01 PM, said:

I'm afraid I have to disagree with "cibgraphics", The product that you are selling has a limited client base (web designers) and anybody interested in your product would want to know a lot about what you offer, so there will be a lot of words.

I can't see why your site appears untrustworthy and I fail to see how it appears you are hiding something.

Having re-read your site it tells me everything I would want to know about your product and makes purchase straightforward. Your 30 day free tial would assure me that your not about to try and dupe me.

i would agree with you about who is likely to want to see the site and the information they will want to see without been to much, but cibgraphics would have a point if it was a site for most people.

but the one person who will know what works and dont work is topshopper, im sure you will see if there has been any difference in views/ time on site and bounce rates as well as what there clicking and want to know, if they cant find out what they need to know and what you want to tell them within 3 pages they say your more likely to loose them, older more experienced prefer to read the information (text) and younger like to look (images and key points) because we are lazy. luckily im in the middle

[TopShopper]

keith115, on 07 March 2010 - 01:24 PM, said:

im sure you will see if there has been any difference in views/ time on site and bounce rates as well as what there clicking and want to know, if they cant find out what they need to know and what you want to tell them within 3 pages they say your more likely to loose them, older more experienced prefer to read the informat(text) and younger like to look (images and key points) because we are lazy. luckily im in the middle

Would you use Google Analytics or is there a better one.

I must admit pictures leave me cold. I prefer a lot of words.

[TopShopper]

cibgraphics, on 06 March 2010 - 04:58 PM, said:

Now clearly I don't think this about you... im just trying to view your site from a first time (non-designer) customer. First impressions to me is that its a cheap product that is trying to rip me off.

It is a cheap (value) product but 'does what it says on the tin'. Not sure how people get the impression that I am trying to rip them off. There is free installation, 30 day free trial and 30 day money back guarantee. If a web designer needs more time to integrate then I usually extend the free trial (until I think they are taking advantage). They don't part with any money until they are satisfied with the product. This ensures that clients never needs to ask for their money back.

[cibgraphics]

HogIT, on 07 March 2010 - 01:01 PM, said:

I'm afraid I have to disagree with "cibgraphics", The product that you are selling has a limited client base (web designers) and anybody interested in your product would want to know a lot about what you offer, so there will be a lot of words.

I can't see why your site appears untrustworthy and I fail to see how it appears you are hiding something.

Having re-read your site it tells me everything I would want to know about your product and makes purchase straightforward. Your 30 day free tial would assure me that your not about to try and dupe me.

You are kind of missing the point. Despite having all the info there and a trial of the software, it is all about how you present yourself. A designer/developer or a non-designer/developer wants to buy software from a company they think will continue to be there years from now and is well supported by the community. Thats why http://www.magentocommerce.com/ , http://www.prestashop.com/, http://www.x-cart.com/ , and http://www.opencart.com/ do so well at. They present their product in a way that makes the consumer trust the company. Having a bad and messy design makes the consumer think you are trying to do something odd (like possibly steal their card).

People want value for their money, they also want assurance, especially when everyone is freaked about having their info stolen (they are freaking for good reason). They want something that seems legit and not some scam artist. THAT is why it is important to have a good trust worthy design (and as a tangent.... a good support community).

Yes he does present all the info, but if my first impression is that it could possibly be a scam... I am not going to take the time to read it, let alone try out any software.

[keith115]

Alot of people will say there is better, and im sure they will be but i personally use google's because its free and easy to use with the features i like and use, as long as i get an idea of whats happening.

TopShopper, on 07 March 2010 - 08:08 PM, said:

Would you use Google Analytics or is there a better one.

I must admit pictures leave me cold. I prefer a lot of words.

[cibgraphics]

I personally use Google Analytics. If you want to see where people are click, you could always use a heatmap. Not sure of any good ones at the moment.

[Ocular Harmony]

As I read through this thread cibgraphics said basically what I would. I was going to recommend Topshopper has a look at Shopp - an excellent wordpress shopping cart plugin that's certainly worth the $55.00. http://shopplugin.net/. Notice the way they place their elements. The Buy now in the top right (you have the right idea with the download button at the top right too, just needs some alignment).

For some UI suggestions, I'm not too fond of the color scheme between the orange and beige, try changing the hue of the orange. If you give the background a little bit of a subtle gradient (see Shopp or some of the links cibgraphics mentioned) it can make a big difference to how the page presents. Also, look online for some navigation bar tutorials, there's plenty of them out there that can give you great ideas on how to make it present.

In terms of information, one thing you can do to make it more "trustworthy" is by changing the content on the homepage. Take a look at those other ecommerce shop sites and see what they show. It's good to showcase brief text explaining the features (gets the readers engaged) along with deep links (read more!) if they want to read more about that feature. Purchasing is the last stage people come to, and I feel that there's too much content on the homepage regarding buying the product and the 30-day guarantee / money back. This should be on a 'buy now' or 'download' page.

You can slim down the content on the homepage. What I would do is use jQuery to have "read more" buttons, that unfold hidden content. This way the SERPS can drink the homepage content and feel nice and full.

As for Analytics,I use Woopra as it's real-time and nearly as comprehensive as Google. I keep Google installed in case I switch back.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have questions

[TopShopper]

Thanks Ocular Harmony for the feedback.

The shopplugin reference will certainly be helpful.

Yes, will have to get some gradients in and work on the navigation.

Need to read carefully all the information presented so far and make some decisions.

Thanks again folks.

[King Sidharth]

Ok, Awesome Logo and really good layout.

But you really need to rework your menu. Orange with gray - doesn't work. Gray overall is not good for links. It's passive color and links need activation of mind not passiveness, right?

I see you are trying to make the blue menu look 3d, right? Try this: Instead of 'Bevel and Emboss' in photoshop , just draw a 1 px white line at top of the menu box. Turn the layer to 'Overlay'. Or just reduce the whole thing to 1 px. It will look much more better.

Hope that helps.

[sunwukung]

(rolls up sleeves...)
well, first off, you have a great logo/brand. It's a great element to hang your design off. Other than that...

1: design is dated - this in itself imparts a negative association in that the consumer may think the technology is also dated (i.e. as a developer, I don't feel much confidence when first arriving at the site).
Contemporary design trends favour a less is more approach. Break your content into more manageable chunks and spoon feed the user on demand rather than fois-grax-ing them with copy. Here are several examples - see the common design elements? Full width headers/footers, introduction panel with simple invitations to main areas of content

http://www.squarespace.com/
http://www.tradingeye.com/
http://invoicemachine.com/home

2: Color scheme is not very coherent/appealing IMO. Lift a pallette from here for something more appropriate (again, notice that design trend):
http://www.colourlovers.com/

3: try to avoid supermarket sweep style bargain stickers, it might be meant to demonstrate good value for money, but sometimes the word 'bargain' is synonymous with 'cheap and nasty'. Emphasise quality, not economy. The badges themselves (specifically the 30 day trial and money back guarantee) are very dated.

4: your primary navigation is hard to read - the unselected text is very close in hue, value and saturation to the bar itself. Try to improve the contrast.

5: Not a designer? Check out these sites for some inspiration and indication of current trends:
http://siteinspire.net/
http://patterntap.com/

Summary: Focus your punches, let your customer get their foot in the door before hammering them with bargains and offers - it comes across like a DFS Ultra Mega Sale.

[TopShopper]

Hi sunwukung,

Thanks for all the info.

Obviously not just a few tweeks here and there then

I was hoping to have a few weeks relaxing at my retreat in Marbella in April, but it looks as if I am going to be very busy.

I know you are right but actually putting it into practice is going to be harder.

Get back to you all when I have redone the site.

[Tamizhan]

TopShopper, on 05 March 2010 - 09:11 PM, said:

A few weeks ago I asked you to review my site. It was slated. I have took the comments on board and am now ready for a second opinion.

What do you think? http://www.topshopper.net

Thank you for any comments.

nice site, much better than the old one .... and I love your logo =)

[kdev]

I agree that the site is too wordy. Maybe it is just a lack of white space in the design or the organisation, but I found myself being instantly put off by the information over-load.

The beauty of web sites is that you can organise information into a hierarchy and make it very easy to navigate to that information. People need all of the info you are supplying but it would be better(in my opinion) to drip feed it to them.

Think of the user journey. First, stick your main selling points front and centre! Then have click for more information buttons on pricing, features, etc.

If you are serious about this project then I would ultimately advise hiring a web designer. Your web site is your main selling point, so it better be good! Web designers don't have to cost a fortune either, there are loads of people looking to bolster their portfolios.

Good luck!

[TopShopper]

kdev, on 09 March 2010 - 02:36 PM, said:

I agree that the site is too wordy. Maybe it is just a lack of white space in the design or the organisation, but I found myself being instantly put off by the information over-load.

The beauty of web sites is that you can organise information into a hierarchy and make it very easy to navigate to that information. People need all of the info you are supplying but it would be better(in my opinion) to drip feed it to them.

Think of the user journey. First, stick your main selling points front and centre! Then have click for more information buttons on pricing, features, etc.

If you are serious about this project then I would ultimately advise hiring a web designer. Your web site is your main selling point, so it better be good! Web designers don't have to cost a fortune either, there are loads of people looking to bolster their portfolios.

Good luck!

Thanks kdev,

Plenty to think about there. I will not do much now until the site is completely redesigned using the tips and hints from this thread.

Quote

But you really need to rework your menu. Orange with gray - doesn't work. Gray overall is not good for links. It's passive color and links need activation of mind not passiveness, right?

Thanks King Sidhearth,

I lightened non-activated links a bit and added gradient to the background but, as above, will not do much more until the complete redesign.

[snowyswebsolutions]

I also feel the look is dated and colours are not to taste but you have a cracking logo there! try http://colorschemedesigner.com/ for some colour inspiration.

[TopShopper]

OK, so the only bit that people definitely like, I did not do - that's great [not].

The Logo was designed by:
Helen Guttridge
Web design - Graphic design - Logo design -Illustration - Print
www.helenguttridge.com

Thanks Helen for a great job.

[sunwukung]

TopShopper, on 10 March 2010 - 09:45 AM, said:

Thanks Helen for a great job.[/b]

LOL - go figure. Now, if just spend a bit less time counting and a bit more designing...

[TopShopper]

sunwukung, on 10 March 2010 - 10:30 AM, said:

Now, if just spend a bit less time counting and a bit more designing...

[TopShopper]

OK, so I have got rid of the grey sidebar and slimmed down the content on the home page.
However, I think I will leave it now until I do a complete re-design in April sometime.

Thank everyone for the helpful comments.

[davep]

great logo!

you could swap out all the beiges with silver/grey which would possibly look more appealing to designers/developers but i think the beige separates you from all those other sites in a good way

i would make you price a bit bigger - or bold with larger circle

mark the download button with the word 'trial' and possibly size (bit like the download firefox button with extra info)

some pipes | between the nav items on the blue bar would help visually separate the blue bar from the orange, and items within the blue bar. agree about the grey and organge combo. use white or almost white/silver

i like it!

[TopShopper]

davep, on 12 March 2010 - 05:26 PM, said:

some pipes | between the nav items on the blue bar would help visually separate the blue bar from the orange, and items within the blue bar.

Thanks for alerting me. There were some pipes there, but somehow the text colour became the same as the background colour while editing - Doh.

Thanks for the other info.

[TopShopper]

Hi,

Just updated the TopShopper Demonstation pages on my site. Would be good to get some feed back.
It is called 'Demonstration Review - Demonstrating the TopShopper Shopping Cart System' and will be found in the Website Reviews and Feedback section of this site. Sorry not sure how to link to it.

http://www.topshoppe...opper2/demo.asp