www.inuitartpod.com - Reviews Requested

Mysteir · #1 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 01:49 PM

Hello all,

We've just re-launched a site of ours: Inuit Art Pod | Soapstone Carvings Gallery.

It's an online gallery featuring Inuit carvings made (mostly) from soapstone.

I notice a whole lot of expertise on this site - and would very-much like to tap into that.

In particular - what turns you on/off about the products/website? Would you buy from us? If not, why?

All reviews would be very appreciated - if you need me to review your site, please let me know and I'll be happy to cross-review.

Cheers to all.

Dubbya · #2 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 03:30 PM

Just a couple of small things:

I'd recommend that you hide the mini cart when empty
Make the mini cart stand out more with a lighter background
Remove the "View Cart" link from the header. It's redundant with the mini cart displayed.
Your product search does not search categories. Searching for "Birds", "Bears" or "Humans" does not return any results.
You might want to move the currency selector higher up on the page. It's almost invisible where it is. Directly above or beneath the mini cart might work better.

I know you're looking for feedback on the shopping process, but here's my take on a few other minor issues.

Change the copyright notice to include the actual business name of the copyright holder:
Code:
```
Copyright © 2007 B&L Distribution E-Com. All rights Reserved.
```
Lighten up the top left corner. The logo is quite dark.
Remove the word "Pod" from home page title to increase relevancy
Code:
```
<title>Inuit Art | Soapstone Carvings Gallery</title>
```

Although gorgeous, the photos tend to hide an object's physical dimensions. I'd say this is a significant deterrent.

I'd recommend that you try to include a common object, a ruler for example, which users could easily relate to and which would give them a better indication of scale.

From a shopper's perspective, retailers need to work extremely hard to establish a solid reputation and credibility. If they intend to charge top dollar, they'd best be entirely honest.

I realise that where objet d'art are concerned, "no two are exactly alike" but I have a problem with the following statement because it does not appear to be entirely truthful:

Quote:

As with all carvings offered on our website, this piece is an original one-of-a-kind. Once it is sold, the purchaser will be the sole proprietor as there are no duplicates existing.

I searched for "Inuit Art" clicked two links on the first page of results and, quite by chance, found a fairly precise duplicate from the same artist on a site in Vancouver. You'll have to scroll down to see it.

Your Product:
Bears - Bear & Fish - Inuit Art Pod | Soapstone Carvings Gallery

Their Product:
inuit art stone sculpture arctic aboriginal Canada art | Inuit 2

This piqued my curiosity, so I searched Google using the following term minus the quotes (note that the artist's name is spelled slightly differently than on your site): "Eegeesiak Simeonie bear & fish"

I know this happens from time to time and It's not my intention to make accusations but you'd be wise to change your disclaimer.

.02

Clicken · #3 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 09:46 AM

When I tried to display other currencies nothing changed.

When I clicked “add to cart” there was an error page displayed.

Mysteir · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubbya

Just a couple of small things:

I'd recommend that you hide the mini cart when empty
Make the mini cart stand out more with a lighter background
Remove the "View Cart" link from the header. It's redundant with the mini cart displayed.
Your product search does not search categories. Searching for "Birds", "Bears" or "Humans" does not return any results.
You might want to move the currency selector higher up on the page. It's almost invisible where it is. Directly above or beneath the mini cart might work better.

I know you're looking for feedback on the shopping process, but here's my take on a few other minor issues.

Change the copyright notice to include the actual business name of the copyright holder:
Code:
```
Copyright © 2007 B&L Distribution E-Com. All rights Reserved.
```
Lighten up the top left corner. The logo is quite dark.
Remove the word "Pod" from home page title to increase relevancy
Code:
```
<title>Inuit Art | Soapstone Carvings Gallery</title>
```

Although gorgeous, the photos tend to hide an object's physical dimensions. I'd say this is a significant deterrent.

I'd recommend that you try to include a common object, a ruler for example, which users could easily relate to and which would give them a better indication of scale.

From a shopper's perspective, retailers need to work extremely hard to establish a solid reputation and credibility. If they intend to charge top dollar, they'd best be entirely honest.

I realise that where objet d'art are concerned, "no two are exactly alike" but I have a problem with the following statement because it does not appear to be entirely truthful:

I searched for "Inuit Art" clicked two links on the first page of results and, quite by chance, found a fairly precise duplicate from the same artist on a site in Vancouver. You'll have to scroll down to see it.

Your Product:
Bears - Bear & Fish - Inuit Art Pod | Soapstone Carvings Gallery

Their Product:
inuit art stone sculpture arctic aboriginal Canada art | Inuit 2

This piqued my curiosity, so I searched Google using the following term minus the quotes (note that the artist's name is spelled slightly differently than on your site): "Eegeesiak Simeonie bear & fish"

I know this happens from time to time and It's not my intention to make accusations but you'd be wise to change your disclaimer.

.02

------------

Thank you very-much for your thoughtful review. It is very-much appreciated. I'll be looking over your suggestions with my business partner over the next few days.

One comment I'd like to address is that "no 2 carvings are exactly alike". In the case of the Bear & Fish - this particular artist has produced several of the same type - however, each takes many days to sculpt and finish - and each is done individually. Therefore, each is slightly different in pattern/texture from the next. I guess it could be compared to a painter attempting the same painting twice. Perhaps they are similar, but #1 may have more flaws than #2... As far as I know, this is the only artist to carve out very similar pieces. Some other artists have distinct patterns that can easily be recognized (i.e. same facial features on bears) - however, each piece is very different from the next.

I really dislike fraudulent or exaggerated statements on websites - therefore wanted to clear this one up.

Cheers.