web Page Opinions

[vitalchip]

I'm not getting much traffic to my site at the moment and what I am getting isn't converting, so among other things I'm considering freshening the site up a bit and trying to 'market' a bit better.

Would anyone care to give an opinion on a test page?

The current home page is www.scrapyardsculptures.co.uk (http://www.scrapyardsculptures.co.uk)

The test page is www.scrapyardsculptures.co.uk/test.html (http://www.scrapyardsculptures.co.uk/test.html)

It's a work in progress but opinions are welcome.

[INDIZINE]

I prefer the current one for some reason. You might fare better to become a member and put it in private forum under 'review my website'.

[dave_n]

i can't make my mind up between old and new!

[vitalchip]

I prefer the current one for some reason. You might fare better to become a member and put it in private forum under 'review my website'.

That's a good point, it's something I'd been meaning to do anyway.

[sirearl]

I think maybe your problem is that you are in a very specialised area.

I don't think the design of the site is going to make any difference.

what keywords would you use to describe your products.?

Earl

[anthonylane13]

One of the reasons your conversion rate isn't very high may be that it's not obvious how to browse your products by section. The page is dominated by the featured products, and the text about your business, but I was on the page for about a minute before I noticed the small text link to your shop at the top...
Have you considered putting the product categories menu on the front page, or a prominent link to your shop, or even having one of the shop pages as the entry page?
Another thing which may work is to simply put the word 'Enter' under the large image you want customers to click to enter the shop. Not everyone will get as far as the last paragraph on your introduction before they want to see what's for sale.
As for the two designs, I too prefer the current one. I can see where you're going with the test one, but it reminds me too much of the Apple OS X interface - the current one has more individuality (IMHO)
Best of luck with the site.

[vitalchip]

I think maybe your problem is that you are in a very specialised area.

I don't think the design of the site is going to make any difference.

what keywords would you use to describe your products.?

Earl

I'm thinking about the design changes in terms of the traffic that is arriving, I don't feel the current setup guides and encourages people to buy.

Product keywords are quite tricky, it's difficult to know how people would describe the items, junk art sculpture, scrap metal models, metal sculpture, hand made sculpture etc.

[INDIZINE]

You need a total change to have desired effects, not a manipulationnof the current one.

[vitalchip]

One of the reasons your conversion rate isn't very high may be that it's not obvious how to browse your products by section. The page is dominated by the featured products, and the text about your business, but I was on the page for about a minute before I noticed the small text link to your shop at the top...
Have you considered putting the product categories menu on the front page, or a prominent link to your shop, or even having one of the shop pages as the entry page?
Another thing which may work is to simply put the word 'Enter' under the large image you want customers to click to enter the shop. Not everyone will get as far as the last paragraph on your introduction before they want to see what's for sale.
As for the two designs, I too prefer the current one. I can see where you're going with the test one, but it reminds me too much of the Apple OS X interface - the current one has more individuality (IMHO)
Best of luck with the site.

Yep, agree about entering the site, I wanted a static page up front though, I don't feel the shopping cart is flexible enough to be the landing page, I'm trying to address the entry issue with the likes of the large red text under the bike, easily changed depending on the promotion or a general click here to enter.

[vitalchip]

You need a total change to have desired effects, not a manipulationnof the current one.

Well, how total? Is nothing right?

[INDIZINE]

No I dont mean that, but sometimes its just better to start from scratch with a fresh mind than try to fix something within your current style. Just my opinion thats all but I understand thats more costly of course and isnt always possible. But along with others here, its one option.

[vitalchip]

No I dont mean that, but sometimes its just better to start from scratch with a fresh mind than try to fix something within your current style. Just my opinion thats all but I understand thats more costly of course and isnt always possible. But along with others here, its one option.

I wasn't trying to knock your opinion, Just wondering if you had anything specific in mind I guess, I've changed a fair bit ( i thought ) but had kept the boxed products along the bottom for example since about 15% of the traffic clicks there to enter the store, I had planned to add some text under those images, to make it even more obvious what they are for.

[INDIZINE]

I think becasue this is very unique then the designs have to be the capture point.

[Phil_@_MPP]

As a straight choice between the current and test site, I prefer the current site.

P.

[boho]

I like the original site best, great unique pieces. For me I'm familiar with images as a point of navigational entry, but for the uninitiated then this could be a stumbling block. Product category link text would help as not only would it present obvious shopping categories on the home page, but would also add relevant keywords to your homepage as well.

On entering your store, products and categories are the wrong way round for me left to right, I find that actually quite hard to look at ...not sure why, perhaps just that its not the convention?

[vitalchip]

I think becasue this is very unique then the designs have to be the capture point.

I'm trying to figure out what this means in practice :)

Do you mean that neither design seems 'right' for the products? should the site be fancier? simpler?

Or are you referring to the design of the products?

[boho]

Your site is a fabulous example of an easy clean checkout process, you use the same formula as me, no preregistration of customers, and just a couple of click process.

I will be using your site as an example on the other couple of threads on this as to what they really should be doing :)

[vitalchip]

I like the original site best, great unique pieces. For me I'm familiar with images as a point of navigational entry, but for the uninitiated then this could be a stumbling block. Product category link text would help as not only would it present obvious shopping categories on the home page, but would also add relevant keywords to your homepage as well.

I'm getting really confused! When you say 'unique pieces' are you referring to the products? because they aren't going to change at all.. or are you referring to the design elements?

I'm planning to add relevant text to the row of images at the bottom, whichever design i go for, along with something that tells people they represent categories in the store.

Seems that so far I'm the only one that thinks the new look is better.. i honestly thought it was ten times better, reckon the current design is very fisher price :p think maybe back to the drawing board :(

[vitalchip]

Your site is a fabulous example of an easy clean checkout process, you use the same formula as me, no preregistration of customers, and just a couple of click process.

I will be using your site as an example on the other couple of threads on this as to what they really should be doing :)

Thank you, I spent ages hauling everything I could out of the process, I hate long checkouts! :)

[vitalchip]

On entering your store, products and categories are the wrong way round for me left to right, I find that actually quite hard to look at ...not sure why, perhaps just that its not the convention?

I'm not sure why I picked the right hand side for the navigation, probably just because I saw so many with it on the left and though I'd make mine different :rolleyes:

It's pretty easy to change round if it would be better on the left,

[boho]

I'm getting really confused! When you say 'unique pieces' are you referring to the products? because they aren't going to change at all.. or are you referring to the design elements?

I'm planning to add relevant text to the row of images at the bottom, whichever design i go for, along with something that tells people they represent categories in the store.

Seems that so far I'm the only one that thinks the new look is better.. i honestly thought it was ten times better, reckon the current design is very fisher price :p think maybe back to the drawing board :(

I meant unique in that I haven't seen anything as nice as that previously, I've seen some scrap sculptures but they tend to be very generic, just thought the ones on your homepage were quite impressive :)

For me the second design doesn't stand out from the crowd, it's just a box, it loses all of the more unique look of the original site. Curvy sites tend to look more aesthetically pleasing. The huge grey banner part in the test one makes it look really dull.

[INDIZINE]

I think people have answered your question - which iss the best of the two.

However, what I also said was it could do with being completely different, if that was an option for you.

I am meaning your items are unqiue and should be displayed more explicitly than they are now.

The all grey website in the test, is a no-no, it conveys no emotion. Used with other colours and shades would improve it.

[boho]

Your original site needs the main box part to be centred though as it's askew currently - or thats the way it looks on my end anyway.

[vitalchip]

Your original site needs the main box part to be centred though as it's askew currently - or thats the way it looks on my end anyway.

I just noticed that! I think I broke the centering when I was mucking about with it last night, It got very late and I must not have noticed :rolleyes: I'll sort it out shortly.

[vitalchip]

I think people have answered your question - which iss the best of the two.

Yeh, I think it's fairly conclusive! saves me continuing with a bad decision though.

However, what I also said was it could do with being completely different, if that was an option for you.

Anything is an option, do you have any particular direction in mind? even a generality?

[INDIZINE]

I think you need to display these images better but this will mean some good photography though, with the right background. They are exclusive and that needs to be conveyed.

Depends what you want to make of this business and where you want to take it as to how much you want to invest in it.

[vitalchip]

I think you need to display these images better but this will mean some good photography though, with the right background. They are exclusive and that needs to be conveyed.

Depends what you want to make of this business and where you want to take it as to how much you want to invest in it.

Oh, oh dear, now that's a real blow because i've spent a LOT of time on the images and i was 100% happy with them. :(

[INDIZINE]

yes, and for what you have in mind with the business, then that might be fine, as I say it depends where you want to go with it. I cant help but see things from a bottom line money making perspective not just a design point. I just think you are underselling them as they are, though that is a compliment in fact, of your products.

[vitalchip]

yes, and for what you have in mind with the business, then that might be fine, as I say it depends where you want to go with it. I cant help but see things from a bottom line money making perspective not just a design point. I just think you are underselling them as they are, though that is a compliment in fact, of your products.

Well, don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for opinions so I can ignore them :), comments are very much appreciated and give me lots to think about.

As far as the photos go, I did them with white backgrounds because the site looks so much cleaner with a uniform background, I have tried various colours and have also tried placing the sculptures against natural backgrounds etc, I just felt that it made the pages look a bit untidy, with nasty squares all over the place!

I'll have to sit down and have a good think about a lot of the points that have been raised.

[boho]

Having just gone through all top 20 pages for scrap metal art, scrap metal scupltures, and even just looking at other sculpture sites, I have to say...none of them look as good as your does, the closest I got was one with an interesting artwork depiction of scrapmetal robot, but the rest of the site was all black background and generally lousy navigation.

Definitely for me shop navigation the other way round so that categories on the left :)

I personally think the photos are fabulous.

Perhaps a slight variation in layout? http://www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk/ is a simple but quite nice website.

[vitalchip]

Having just gone through all top 20 pages for scrap metal art, scrap metal scupltures, and even just looking at other sculpture sites, I have to say...none of them look as good as your does, the closest I got was one with an interesting artwork depiction of scrapmetal robot, but the rest of the site was all black background and generally lousy navigation.

Definitely for me shop navigation the other way round so that categories on the left :)

I personally think the photos are fabulous.

Perhaps a slight variation in layout? http://www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk/ is a simple but quite nice website.

I'll shift the nav to the left tonight and you can let me know if it works for you!

[vitalchip]

I'd just like to say thanks for all the comments so far, if anyone has more they will be very welcome.

I think it's fair to say that the silver idea is dumped!

There are a few things that I'll probably try moving onto the current design, I had made the page a little wider and I think it might help keep things a bit less cluttered. I also think that i might look at the logo bar, the new one seemed cleaner to me, maybe I can make a couple of changes to the existing one that will do the same.

[INDIZINE]

I didnt mean white wasnt right, I was thinking of somehting else in the background, some backdrop or something to put them into perspective. Would need some thoughts and this is why a photographer who is familiar with doing product display photography would make a difference, though at a cost.

[vitalchip]

I didnt mean white wasnt right, I was thinking of somehting else in the background, some backdrop or something to put them into perspective. Would need some thoughts and this is why a photographer who is familiar with doing product display photography would make a difference, though at a cost.

It's a good point, taken on board. I'll see what I can come up with :)

[INDIZINE]

Try going onto a photographers forum and ask for advice there, like here, you may get a few good responses.

[Ethernetworks]

Prefer the first one defintitely - 2nd not so friendly