15 replies to this topic

[gsimerlink]

I've been on this board for a few years now and feel that I've learned a lot. Now comes the time to have my latest site looked at and see if I really do practice what I've learned.

The site is Habitatter.com

General
Is this site completed or under construction?
It is completed, but we are making some needed additions in the next few weeks.

If completed:
How long has the site been up?
It's been fully active for two weeks.

SEO
Do you have incoming links?
We have some, but only about 15-20

What keywords are you targeting?
Switchplates, lightswitch plates, light switch extensions, brass switchplates, switch plates, decorating and a whole host of more specific switchplate terms.

Do you want your code reviewed for errors or improvements?
Sure, why not. I'm always looking for improvements
Marketing
Who is your target audience? Think about:
Gender
Nationality
Age Range
Income/Education level
Likes/Dislikes

The primary audience are female home owners between the ages of 25-65 with above average incomes and a taste for decorating. They have a good sense of their personal style and they want a site that is easy to use with a lot of variety. They like to know the truth about a product and are willing to pay for something that is unique or what they really want.

The more you tell us about your target audience, the better. We don't know them- you do!

Why is your site different from sites selling/offering similar info/goods/services? Why will someone want to do business with you?
We have a non cluttered, easy to use site with plenty of product information and many ways to search for an item. We try to let the customer know that we care about them and the product we're selling.

How important is usability?
Usability is very important. We found that many sites selling similar products are hard to navigate or very cluttered.

What is the purpose of the site? (inform, sell, online community, support B&M business, contact info only, etc)
The primary reason for the site's existence is to sell, but there is a secondary purpose which is to inform. We will be adding articles relating to decorating and care of products in the future. We will also be adding more types of decorative home hardware in the future beyond the current range of wall switchplates.

Design
Do you want design suggestions?
Yes, that would be welcome as well.

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.

gsimerlink

[Scirish Guy]

Warning: Anything I say about your website can be totally disregarded. I am just being kind and reviewing it for you.

I like the home page a lot. Looks Clean.

However I hate how there is just a "Home" and nothing else (Above the Picture). I thought it was incomplete until I looked to the left of the page and saw the navigation.

If you go to your page "Switchplates"...The .JPG file of "Switchplates" looks cheesy. Reminds me too much of the old school power point fonts.

The navigation was pretty easy as far as looking through all the different switch plates.

You could maybe add a sentence or two, under the "Contact Us". You know, just too look professional and act like you actually care about them contacting you with any questions or problems.

Like I said before, you can always disregard any of the comments I have made. I do not review websites professionally, so I could be wrong about my opinions.

Best of Luck!

[1dmf]

my first test for any site is to validate it, yours unfortunately fails...

This page is not Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional!
Result: Failed validation, 29 Errors

[don h]

Lookwise it isn't bad.

There's very little text content on the home page, you may want to hire a copywriter for help.

Titles don't appear to be targeting keyword phrases.
Example:
For the child safety category title you have:
'Habitatter.com - Child Safety - Switchplates For Every Decorating Style and Location'

A better title would be something like:
'child safe light switch extensions'

I'd look into improving your SE optimization and adding more text content for your visitors and search engines. I like the design though.

[gsimerlink]

Thanks for the replies so far. Sounds like content and validation are the big issues right now.

Scirish Guy - Yeah the "Home" at the top bugs me too. That's one of the first things being changed along with moving the image up and adding some text about the site beneath it. I didn't even think of adding anything to the Contact Us page. I'll have to do that.

1dmf - slam. I totally forgot about running it through W3C. I just did and see what you mean. I now have a long list of fixes to occupy my busy weekend.

don h - Thanks for the input. Adding text to the homepage is on the list. The current dynamic structure of the tags in the cart I'm using kind of limits me, but I'll have my new developer look into what can be done.

[don h]

don h - Thanks for the input. Adding text to the homepage is on the list. The current dynamic structure of the tags in the cart I'm using kind of limits me, but I'll have my new developer look into what can be done.

I'm not sure if there is an OSC contribution for changing the title tags. I rolled my own code for this and it was pretty simple to do. I only did it for the category pages as the product names can be changed to be more descriptive for search engines and visitors (although I wouldn't suggest you change your product names for this when using SEO URLs since the URL is based on the product name, see my thread on SEO No Nos titled 'Yikes SEO URLs' for more info on what not to do.

If he says its a big job to add that capability in and charges you an arm for it then I'd find a new developer (I think it took me 30 mins or less).

[ScottSalwolke]

Your home page lacks content, which means it will be hard for it to rank and even harder to connect with your market. The copy should explain to prospects why they should buy from your site something they can get at their local Lowes. Highlight the variety of styles you offer, etc. And play up the child safety angle, especially if your looking to appeal to mothers.

[ozaark]

From a usability perspective your homepage, category and product pages function pretty well. I found it simple to navigate but noted the site lost some professional points on style after the jump from homepage.

On design I would recommend maybe doing away with the italicized image text like Scirishguy recommended - it doesn't do the site justice.. Perhaps try adding in a block of color instead to add depth to really help define the sections. The site loses a lot of it's character after that first jump to categories which hurts design-determined consumers. Also, perhaps enlarge the size of your text within the top Switchplate category content, (listing Theme, Color, Finish, etc) for a quicker/easier flow.

Overall the usability bit was simple to navigate and use, I would expect it to convert ok even as-is.

Like everyone else mentioned it's a good idea to add more content to the homepage as it'll help for SEO and choosy consumers.

[Scottie]

Your 1-cent shipping graphic is huge and you only have one featured product? Out of all your stuff... only one featured product?

The graphics are nice but there's definitely a sort of amateurish air to the home page still... big stores know how to use their home page to feature specials, hot sellers and unique items that entice the visitor to click through and learn more about them. You aren't selling, you're just kind of... there. I am not at all tempted to dig deeper into your site based on what you've presented on the home page.

Trying to get into the head of a potential customer, they want something unique. Something they can't just grab at Lowe's this weekend. They want decorating ideas, lots of cool pictures of things they might want to do to their own house, things that will make visitors to their house go, "That is SO cool, where did you get it?"

From a marketing perspective, how are you going to sell these items? Just plopping them into a nice-looking website isn't really going to set anyone on fire. What's the rest of your marketing plan? How are you drumming up demand and sales?

[ScottSalwolke]

Perhaps its fate, but the day after I first reviewed your site I toured a house for a home magazine that the homeowners had obviously spent time in decorating. One of the things they pointed out was that each room's personality was brought out through every element of the room including the light fixtures. I didn't realize how much they could add to a room's look. This is what you really want to bring out in your site.

[Chester]

To many graphics I think.

[Diablos]

To many graphics I think.

I agree a bit graphic heavy but the design itself is ok. TBH I think the logo is the thing that needs the most work.

[nethy]

Very niche. So many switchplates! incredible.
Hi gsimerlink,
Here's my 2 cents.

Content
I'm with Scottie.
I think the site looks good. It acts as a great product catalogue. That's what the majority of 'big' ecommerce sites are. It's also at the core of an ecommerce. But there is certainly room for other types of content .
- This's a 'browse heavy' sort of a site. IE you want users to look at a lot of products because that is really a benefit here. Lots of variety. lots of options. You'll find something for you. But it looks like there are a few sites out there with the same sort of 'many options' approach. You have an advantage if someone picky comes across something they like. They'll be hard put to
- I also think there's room for FAQish sort of content. Maybe in the form of articles. (Do you need an electrician? What to look for? Will these fit?)
- always room for some static content. Articles for the whole "Google loves content" thing that also provide an alternative way to find products with a generous sprinkling of links to specific products would be a possibility. "Decorating with brass fittings" "Themed decorating" etc.

Usability
- I like your 'configuration options' solution. Perfect fit for this sort of site. I have a bit of an issue with switching between images function. I didn't notice it till my 3rd product. Generally I think if you have to explain, its a problem. Maybe you could have thumbnails instead (if the underlying system has this option).
- following from the 'browse heavy' assumption:
--The site could benefit from cross selling (related products)
--Speed/performance is a big issue. The faster, the more fun to browse. (your product images are 30-50kb and you have a lot of them on pages with many configuration options)

Titles n stuff
- Maybe pull the 'habitattter.com' from the titles
- Have you done keyword research with WT/KD? Just that I think that your common 'switchplates made from 'ceramic moulds'' seems like it is less likely to be searched then 'ceramic' switchplates'' These words may be too long tailed to get picked up by kd/wt.
-

[gsimerlink]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I haven't had a chance to implement them all yet, but have tried to get many of the ones I think will have the greatest effect overall. I think like a lot of site owners my biggest problem is a lack of time to tackle all the opportunities out there. I have a few articles in the works which I think will help out our customers and will take another look at my keywords and image sizes.

Thanks Don, Nethy, Scottie, Scirish Guy and Copywriter39 for shedding light on a several things we totally missed. This forum really is amazing, I can’t believe how much I’ve learned by just reading the posts here.

[RayWrites]

Hi,

I agree with some of the comments already posted and will add that the site is visually appealing and professional in appearance.

That said, there is very little content above the scroll which tells me what the site is about. Furthermore, the Tagline (making your habitat better) tells me little about what you do. If all that existed was your tagline, would a visitor be able to figure out what your site is about? You may want to consider including your product - switchplates - in the tagline copy.

Funny enough, and based on what little I know of your site, you use some text further down the page that may be more relevant and appropriate as a tagline; 'unique custom made ceramic switchplates'.

Hope this helps.

Ray