New (not live) website.

[JEWbacca]

Greetings!

 

I have been working on a new site for car alarm products, but it is not live. The domain is www.blackwidowsecurity.com; but as of now you can get to it by going to:

 

As for the osC store, it is located at:

 

http://www.blackwidowsecurity.com/store/

 

Please let me know anything and everything you think about this, as i'm very curious for some outside feeback.

 

Thanks,

 

Nate

[Marg]

Very nice use of colors.. I think it looks great!

I do believe you need to have something other than writing in the center of your shop. If I didn't speak english I would have no idea what your site was about. I'd stick an image of your best selling item aligned right toward the top of the center area. Then your site would be perfect!

Good luck and nice job!

Marg

[JEWbacca]

Marg.

 

Thanks for the feedback. The thing is this is only the 'store' end of the site, when customers come to the site direclty via the full URL (blackwidowsecurity.com) they will see this when it is live http://blackwidowsecurity.com/index_live.html

 

Only will they ever come to the shop once they have browsed, and by then they should know what it is that we do? No?

 

Thanks for your feedback. :D

 

Nate

Anyone else? I'm looking for some more ideas, I have been looking at a ton of osC sites and would like to avoide my site looking like every other. Any suggestions?

[Marg]

Ok... I see... But it does depend on how you incorporate your site with the front end. If a search engine picks up something only within the shop, I still think you need to make them feel like they have arrived where they hoped that had arrived; At a security product site.... ALSO... They already know what they are getting into if they came from your main site so no need to sell them further. Be confident and just sell them the product. Less is more at times, and I think this is one of those times. You've made the impression from the main end to get them to go to the retail site, don't make read the same stuff again.

Just moho,

Marg

[JEWbacca]

Ok... I see... But it does depend on how you incorporate your site with the front end. If a search engine picks up something only within the shop, I still think you need to make them feel like they have arrived where they hoped that had arrived; At a security product site.... ALSO... They already know what they are getting into if they came from your main site so no need to sell them further. Be confident and just sell them the product. Less is more at times, and I think this is one of those times. You've made the impression from the main end to get them to go to the retail site, don't make read the same stuff again.

Just moho,

Marg

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The more I think about it the more I want to change it.

 

I'm in the process of making the welcome text dynamic so it would say 'Welcome ____________*user name* to the Black Widow Online Store, your online home for vehicle security products!.....' and also remove text that would not apply to someone that is loged in.

 

We will not be running specials all that often, so I don't want a specials box and we also will not be offering a lot of new products and that is why there is no 'new products box' ---- once the new text is done I will see about adding an image that is symbolic to vechile security. Thanks for the idea?

 

Any other comments/ feedback? Everything and anything is welcome!

 

Nate

[JEWbacca]

Just an update.... I'm working on getting the dynamic code done, but it is turning out to be much harder that I had thought. Thanks to the great people at osC (in particular someone named Jan Z) and a few php books that I just ordered i'm sure I will get it to work in no time. Once that is in place, I will seee about adding a picture or two to the fornt page?

 

But what else... feedback please. I want to hear everything and anything please.

 

Once again, here are the links:

 

 

http://www.blackwidowsecurity.com/index_live.html <--- temp index untill site is finished....

 

http://www.blackwidowsecurity.com/store/<---my osC store.

 

Thanks,

 

Nate

[JEWbacca]

I have finished the welcome text that is now dynamic for guests, retail customers and wholesale customers. :D

 

Do you think the larger font looks OK in the text box? Where would you suggest a picture?

 

What else?

[JEWbacca]

Allright... I have added the picture and made the welcome text a bit smaller.

 

Anything else... looking for some feedback, i'm sure there is alot that needs to be changed.

 

www.blackwidowsecurity.com/store/

[Storm Force]

Looks good.

[Baby Boy]

Hate to bust the story, but I thought you had to have the "Power by osCommerce" on the page, it seems he doesn't.

[JEWbacca]

Hate to bust the story, but I thought you had to have the "Power by osCommerce" on the page, it seems he doesn't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I had uploaded an old english.php backup that didn't have it. Fixed.

 

Its kind of sad that the only feedback I get is to report me of doing somthing 'wrong'.....

 

What do you guys thinks of the cat. rollovers...

 

http://blackwidowsecurity.com/store/alarm-systems-c-36.html

and

http://blackwidowsecurity.com/store/bw-accessories-c-25.html

 

They are made to match:

 

http://blackwidowsecurity.com/products.htm

and

http://blackwidowsecurity.com/accessories.htm

[FalseDawn]

I like your FAQ page with the little achored links to "top" - nice touch.

However, your anchored links at the top should be changed to non-underline as default, and underline when the mouse hovers over them - this is the internet standard - don't go against it! This goes for links in the page as well.

Or if you really are set on keeping the underline - make the text change color on hover.

 

 

contact us typo:

Black Widow Security sales and techincal support

 

technical

 

 

typo:

>>> CLICK HER FOR MORE INFO <<<

 

 

Your site is also very inconsistent - sometimes the categories are showing, and sometimes you have the "Thieves hate us" thing on the left.

Eg - from the homepage, I click faq/contact us etc and suddenly all the categories have gone.

Also, no "back" button on these pages??

 

 

 

Personally, I'd ditch the "Thieves hate us" bumf and not mess around with the left column at all.

Or move it to the header or footer.

 

What payment types do you accept? It's normal to include this somewhere on the home page - footer maybe? Credit cards/paypal?

 

Home page:

We understand that oftentimes

 

oftentimes? It might well be a word, but please change it!

 

"That's why we've created the Black Widow Online Store- a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week resource that enables you to view products, download manuals, and place orders all at a time that is most convenient for you!"

 

 

This is a waste of text - every online store offers 24/7 shopping.

Tell me more about WHY I should buy from you.

Maybe some more images on your home page - featured items, bestsellers?

 

Your home page is a bit drab at the moment.

I would not have chosen the red, either - I would play around with some color combinations, maybe liven things up a bit - all the gray and black seems depressing! The red is really too overpowering to be honest!

 

 

Ahhh - I see you have the payment types in the text - you need images as well - casual surfers are not gonna stop and read text!

 

 

You product pictures are poor - too small and grainy. Thumbnail contribution?

 

I strongly suggest that you change your admin setting to "show cart after adding items" - Otherwise I fear people are going to click your "buy now" buttons, and not notice the items added to the cart, and just think your store is not working and leave.

 

 

Product pages: What's the thin box at the bottom for? Shouldn't there be a button in there? I see, it's on the "authorized dealers only" products. Perhaps remove the entire box then, rather than just the button?

 

 

Replacement transmitters page:

I like the way you've tried to be a bit original in the layout, however, it doesn't work too well:

It seems a bit cramped and not clear what text goes with what image. If you removed the left column (which is just wasted space really) you sould re-arrange to a much more pleasing layout, I'm sure.

 

 

That'll do for now I think.

[FalseDawn]

Oh, and lol, I think the previous poster meant "powered by oscommerce"

[UnrivaledPC]

I'll be copying that color scheme some day...

[JEWbacca]

I'll be copying that color scheme some day...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That makes me, and others, really want to post here....

[ksaun]

On the Home Page the black text over the dark gray background is hard on the eyes and makes it difficult to read.

 

Either change the text to another color that contrasts better with the background or change the background color.

 

I do like your header, the contrast of colors looks good and so is the design, carry that throughout your site and it will look great. :thumbsup:

[Wendy James]

However, your anchored links at the top should be changed to non-underline as default, and underline when the mouse hovers over them - this is the internet standard - don't go against it!

 

 

Umm... lol

Actually, it is suggested by most developers to have links with the lines under them and not only when hovering. Although times are changing there are actually some people still out there who have browers old enough to not see the hover.

 

 

Go to any large business or company website and their links are always underlined to start with and sometimes have no hover action at all.

It's really just personal preference.

 

 

 

 

I really liked the way you did the mouse over images for the subcatagory links. I don't think I have seen anyone do that before.

Love the theives hate us thing.

Not fond of black but what colors to use really is just personal preference

 

I did get very confused once I started looking around the site though. Clicking on products takes you to htm pages, not the store and there is no way to get back there. That is going to cause you a loss in sales, I think.

 

The links in the catalog area... are way too light to be easily read when they are moused over.

 

All in all though I think it is nice though, minus the navigation issue that made me nuts.

 

Just read up higher... going to guess that the link will change once you go live? If so... good job =)

[ksaun]

Take 2 steps out of your checkout process and streamline your site, and its easy!

 

Get rid of the "Welcome Please Sign In" Page, this page stops people in their tracks and will hurt your sales.

 

Use this to take the "Welcome Please Sign In" Page and the "Account Created Success" Page out of your checkout process but still collect all their info and create an account or to "Sign In" if they already have an account.

 

http://www.oscommerce.com/forums/index.php?sho...60entry598660

 

Check it out :thumbsup: