Titanium ring site

geti · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:51 PM

Hi folks, I would be greatful for a review of my site. It has been in it's current state for about 6 months now after many changes - I just can't stop fiddling with it! - traffic is about 100 visitors/day but there seems to be something missing somehow (design wise), or is it because I stare at it every day?

Anyway, all thoughts welcome.

geti · #2 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:52 PM

The site link is in the signature but just in case Titanium Rings Home*-*GETi black zirconium rings and titanium rings, High quality UK manufactured mens rings.

**crankydave** · #3 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 06:52 PM

All I can say is very confused.

I haven't a clue what the site is supposed to do or really what it is for.

From your home page, all I see and get, product wise, is "call for pricing". When I click on an image I get a whole bunch of drop down boxes... then what? Select things just for fun?

Dave

geti · #4 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 07:03 PM

Hi Cranky, thanks for looking anyway - the site is a trade only site and prices will only be displaid to my known customers after logging in

**crankydave** · #5 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 09:25 AM

Very difficult and confusing that's it's a trade only shop.

The "call for pricing", option selection boxes, and "register" option suggest otherwise. My impression is that you may be trying to sell to both retail and trade customers. Having been in the trade for more than 25 years, it's a really bad recipe to compete with your customers or even give that impression.

My personal opinion is that you'd be better off trying to split things up and organize it a bit better.

The main site, where anyone and everyone has access to...

Remove all the call for pricing and all the dropdown boxes. Provide a nice text description with "ranges of product options ie. "Available in sizes from..." etc.
If the list of "Random Links" are stores where your product can be purchased identify them as such. This way "retail" visitors to your site will know where they can get the product. "Random" on a trade site is tacky IMO. Organize them better so it's easy for someone to find them.
If the "random" links are not places that sell your product, get rid of them. No reason for them to be on a B2B only site.
"Have a drink on us?" Again, tacky for a trade site IMO.

Once your known customers log in then display all the pertinent information they need.

Dave

kgun · #6 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 09:34 AM

Why is it a .cc site and you located in in Birmingham UK? Where are your main market?

davebarnes · #7 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 10:07 AM

A horrible unorganized mess.

What's the with banner ad for the law firm? Are you selling rings or advertising?
The free drink thing is tacky.
The monkey on the homepage is ugly.
The stock photos are cheap looking.

geti · #8 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 05:32 PM

Hmm...seems to be getting the thumbs down

Quote:

Remove all the call for pricing and all the dropdown boxes. Provide a nice text description with "ranges of product options ie. "Available in sizes from..." etc.

If the list of "Random Links" are stores where your product can be purchased identify them as such. This way "retail" visitors to your site will know where they can get the product. "Random" on a trade site is tacky IMO. Organize them better so it's easy for someone to find them.

If the "random" links are not places that sell your product, get rid of them. No reason for them to be on a B2B only site.

"Have a drink on us?" Again, tacky for a trade site IMO.

The dropdown boxes and options are needed for the trade customers with accounts who want to order online through the site.

The random links show stockists and links to different article content. The links cycle randomly so that when the google bot comes to visit, she sees new content every time.

I didn't really think that rewarding our customers with a box of wine for referring us to a friend was a bad idea - still, a couple have picked up on it so I will think about changing the wording.

Thanks Cranky

geti · #9 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Why is it a .cc site and you located in in Birmingham UK? Where are your main market?

Hi Kgun,

Our main market is UK and USA - does a .cc extension cause me a problem somehow? - it makes the name nice and easy to remember and geti.co.uk was taken

geti · #10 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

A horrible unorganized mess.

What's the with banner ad for the law firm? Are you selling rings or advertising?
The free drink thing is tacky.
The monkey on the homepage is ugly.
The stock photos are cheap looking.

Dave - as a SEO and SEM consultant I would have expected more constructive criticism from you. You won't come across as an expert in your field with comments like the above, even if they are true or not, and where did you see a law firm advertised for crying out loud?

I liked the 'ugly' monkey but I didn't take him off because of your comment - I needed the space to show a new design that we did today.

**crankydave** · #11 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 07:14 PM

You didn't answer the question so I'm left to assume you are selling to retail and B2B.

Dave

geti · #12 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 02:43 AM

No just B2B

**crankydave** · #13 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geti

No just B2B

Good. However, as you can see by my replies, as a member of the trade, I did not at all get that impression. I suspect that others will be left with the same impression.

Put your best foot forward.

The site as it right now is a combination of front end and back end. Mostly backend. The things only folks who log in should see.

Your front end, what the world sees, should be a tasteful site that showcases you and your products. No banner ads, no "drinks", no random links. You, your products, and where to find them.

Your back end, (which should not be getting indexed) should contain the information your actual customers need and should be tasteful and professional as well. This where things like your privacy policy, drop downs, etc. belong.

For example, take a look at johnhardy.com Tell me if you think the site instills emotion, trust and confidence in both consumers and potential retailers alike.

Dave

davebarnes · #14 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geti

Dave - and where did you see a law firm advertised for crying out loud?

I think is was one of the adverts in http://www.geti.cc/banners/

You need to fix your favicon as this http://www.geti.cc/images/favicon.ico does not look like a titanium ring to me.

geti · #15 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 04:22 PM

Hi Cranky,

If I remove alot of the content as you suggest, do I not lose the SEO benefits from those items. Websites are a compromise between design and optimisation - the slickest websites are not necessarily the best performers.

Quote:

For example, take a look at johnhardy.com Tell me if you think the site instills emotion, trust and confidence in both consumers and potential retailers alike.

If I am honest - no. More or less the first thing I saw by clicking on 'The Founder' was the image of a man wearing a dress and that blew it out the water for me and, I might have had a different opinion of him and his products if I had been expecting those images. There is very little description of the jewellery - how do I know what I am looking at?

Design imagery wise - very slick - SEO wise, lacking on all fronts. It would never get high natural listings without a shedfull of high pagerank backlinks.

I'm a big disappointment to you aren't I

geti · #16 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

I think is was one of the adverts in http://www.geti.cc/banners/

You need to fix your favicon as this http://www.geti.cc/images/favicon.ico does not look like a titanium ring to me.

Hi Dave,

I think you may have misread one of the banners - I only promote my customers in the banner slots.

Good idea with the favicon though - thank you very much. I always wondered how you change it so I did a quick search and found this favicon generator:

Dynamic Drive- FavIcon Generator

Apparently it takes time to filter through on IE when you change it but it is working in Firefox now

**crankydave** · #17 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 05:07 PM

Not at all geti.

I used the John Hardy site as an example of presenting product, company, and where to find it on the front end. Not as a "how to" example.

Worry more about the "presentation" you are making and less about the SEO.

What do you think that image of the "monkey" does? Or the guy sitting on the toilet? Talk about blowing things out of the water.

Dave

**crankydave** · #18 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 05:18 PM

Oh, and I saw the banner ad Dave Barnes was talking about. It's the Lorraine Law one. Without actually going to the site, noone would know from looking it that it has anything to do with jewelry.

I see that horrid monkey is gone. Good. Now lose the dude on the toilet and that cartoon image. Feature your product.

Dave

geti · #19 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 05:36 PM

Hi Cranky,

Quote:

Or the guy sitting on the toilet? Talk about blowing things out of the water.

Was that an intentional pun?

A little bit of controversy does help people to remember you though - "monkey" appealed to my warped sense of humour and the comments received about "toilet man" from customers have never been negative, most have been amused by the fact that I get a lot of my ideas when sitting on the toilet (also sitting on planes as well for some reason, but never sitting on the toilet in a plane - they must cancel each other out maybe?) I try to inject a lot of my character into my websites and humour is a big part of me so it is reflected in the content. (I may have left myself wide open with the last comment!)

I am probably wrong, but I don't believe websites concentrated on presentation fare well and neither do websites concentrated on SEO - it is an extremely fine balancing act to combine the two - I'm not saying that I have achieved that with my site yet but, one day it will get there (and then next day I will probably change it again!)

geti · #20 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

It's the Lorraine Law one.

Oh I see - she is one of my jewellery designer customers in Scotland, nothing to do with a law firm. We don't have law firms over here they are Solicitor firms.