Not that I am overly qualified to judge one business site to another, but I am using the always accurate to me eye-test and for some of these sites, I just thought "Wow."
TEC Torch - This was my first view of the given list and my initial "Wow" moment. To me, this site is so cluttered and bland that I had a hard time believing this was an actual company. Here's my list of three potential problems:
-Difficulty finding information
-Unprofessional look may cause potential customers to look else-where
-Limited contact ability
Rich Soil - Insert sentiments from TEC Torch here.
-Grammar stuck out to me. I understand I'm currently blogging and not following any set format or really even checking up on my own grammar... but I'm not running a business. The complete lower-case style came across as lazy to me.
-Endless front page. I'm almost positive my mouse scroll wheel broke from furiously scrolling for half an hour. I feel this desperately needs to be broken up into several pages. Condensing news, offers, information, etc into a topic bar near the top of the page. This would allow the visitor to view what he/she wants to see.
-Email sign-up was at the bottom of the page. I don't know... after that marathon of a mouse scroll I just did, I don't think I'm ready to sign up for the company newsletter. With a front page in such scale, what is the likelihood a viewer even see's that sign-up?
Swagelok - Happiest I've been while viewing a fluid systems product website.
-Professionally done. Looks sharp and has an atmosphere, if you will, of success.
-Search Bar. This is probably an aspect of Information Systems that is so often overlooked. Not sure where to find what you're looking for but the product name is staring you in the face? Punch that bad boy in to that site and you'll efficiently find what you're looking for. Saves time, viewer is happy and much more likely to return.
-Pictures scaled properly. No mouse scroll marathons on this site. The pictures are displayed at a scale that you can clearly see what products/services they offer, but not causing the page to continuously extend.
Apple - Although I'm not the biggest Apple guy out there, this site is perfect in my eyes. It's so well done. From color scheme to organization. Whoops, better bullet these reasons...
-Organization. The products are seperated in their own respective categories. No wasting time clicking on a whim. This layout has it plain to see.
-Advertisement. No, not spam ad's but actual images and links to detailed information on the latest Apple products.
-Contact Information. Clearly seen at the bottom of the screen and also in the support tab. So all needs are filled in a single page. Store/Support/Account. Simple, simple, simple.
Disclaimer: Sarcastic tones due to late-night studying & project working as well as some blogging, at it's finest, in-between.
I agree with you on Tech Torch and Rich Soil. Tech Torch needs a shopping cart, Home, Help, and About button in the header.
ReplyDeleteRich Soil was confusing and lacked organization.
Tec Torch was definitely a clustered website. To fix one of the problems you listed, a search engine on the site would help the visitor to find the information they need.
ReplyDeleteRichsoil was another site that needed organization and like you stated, the email was at the bottom, which lets say not the best idea if someone wants their email.
Apple does have it together. That must be why they make so much money!
ReplyDeleteI am doing the homework at the last minute. Reading your hilarious blog post about the mouse breaking scrolling down marathon just lit up my spirit. Tec Torch's sloppy website does translate into an image of a company that is low tech and slow to adapt to today's ecommerce, while Rich Soil's slackness in grammar casts doubt at their credibity as a reliable merchant.However, I do find Swagelok's sliding banners, even though very impressively designed, a bit annoying and dizzying.
ReplyDelete