+1, I would say the Old Guard have more disposable income, and we are more likely to get pissed off and go elsewhere. Browsing with nothing particular in mind was the bases for most of my purchases, if I get frustrated I'll quit looking.
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At first glance I don't like it. It seems to add complexity without adding capability. Not only does it require more clicks to get the same thing but, it also requires scrolling all over the place. It seems to be a fashion with web-design these days, to have these huge pages that require tons of scrolling or swiping but I just don't get it. It me it screams "Hey we don't have enough real content so we made everything huge to fill up space". Smoking pipes has tons of content and the website should make it easier to find things not harder.
With a business like Smoking Pipes, the website IS the face of the business. They should be really careful about changing the way the customer sees their business. Make the new store too different or too hard use and the customer might choose to go elsewhere. I don't suppose the new website will make me stop buying from them but it will make me think twice about it.
With a business like Smoking Pipes, the website IS the face of the business. They should be really careful about changing the way the customer sees their business. Make the new store too different or too hard use and the customer might choose to go elsewhere. I don't suppose the new website will make me stop buying from them but it will make me think twice about it.
I liked the old site better. One thing that would help me is in the tobacco tin pages. Why not give the blend's contents, i.e. Virginia-perique, Virginia-burley-Cavendish-latakia, etc. It would help in seeing quickly which tobacco you might like to purchase, if you were looking for a specific blend.
I also think the site is too busy, but I'm not savvy enough to tell you how to fix it. Too much going on for me, but them I'm a geezer and I don't move as fast as I once did.
My 2
I also think the site is too busy, but I'm not savvy enough to tell you how to fix it. Too much going on for me, but them I'm a geezer and I don't move as fast as I once did.
My 2
I should mention as well that they should test the website for use without Javascript. Any time I'm on mobile there's no way I'll let that stuff run or it chews through all my bandwidth.
Right now getting around without the drop downs is a little difficult, which is part of why I was saying that the words themselves in the main menu-bar should be links to something.
But I can still access the pipe locator just fine, and everything works there, so really if I just set my bookmark to the pipe locator page I can basically pretend the rest of the website doesn't exist!
Right now getting around without the drop downs is a little difficult, which is part of why I was saying that the words themselves in the main menu-bar should be links to something.
But I can still access the pipe locator just fine, and everything works there, so really if I just set my bookmark to the pipe locator page I can basically pretend the rest of the website doesn't exist!
Anyone having problems ordering ?
I tried to place an order, in the shipping section there is nowhere to check USPS shipping and the total bill does not include the shipping even though it is listed above the total I owe.
Mark
I tried to place an order, in the shipping section there is nowhere to check USPS shipping and the total bill does not include the shipping even though it is listed above the total I owe.
Mark
I liked the clean, uncluttered format of the old version better, but the new site is still better than the mess that is Pipes and Cigars' website.
P
pipebuddy
Guest
Lordofthepiperings: You should listen to and, mostly, learn from what people like Brad say. They know a lot more than young kids like yourself.
To come back to the subject. I liked the previous version better. The pipe updates were clearly divided by the day they were released. I was looking forward to each update. Now, the pipe updates look more like a huge gaggle and it's hard to figure out what came out when. I tried having a look on Thursday and after a few minutes, I just gave up. This means I won't be anticipating Mondays and Thursdays anymore.
As well, the tobaccos sections were better organized. When you clicked on "Tinned Tobaccos", you could get the list of manufacturers at the glimpse of an eye. When I access the new tobaccos page, its layout is agressing my visual senses.
For the rest, the site looks to me like a bombing of numerous items that is almost visually overwhelming.
It's too much. And it's too commercial. I definitively don't like it.
To come back to the subject. I liked the previous version better. The pipe updates were clearly divided by the day they were released. I was looking forward to each update. Now, the pipe updates look more like a huge gaggle and it's hard to figure out what came out when. I tried having a look on Thursday and after a few minutes, I just gave up. This means I won't be anticipating Mondays and Thursdays anymore.
As well, the tobaccos sections were better organized. When you clicked on "Tinned Tobaccos", you could get the list of manufacturers at the glimpse of an eye. When I access the new tobaccos page, its layout is agressing my visual senses.
For the rest, the site looks to me like a bombing of numerous items that is almost visually overwhelming.
It's too much. And it's too commercial. I definitively don't like it.
I agree with Bradley on this, and I'm only a junior Old Fart! :wink:
Also, and I'm sure it's a "glitch" that will be worked out, but check the reviews of Dunhill Flake...
http://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/by-maker/dunhill/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=262
Have I said NO yet...?
I'm in my mid 30's. I am fortunate enough to have a decent amount of disposable income, but I would venture to say that Brad is right and the majority of disposable income in this hobby exists in the 40-45 plus range. The focus has not changed to 20 & 30 something's, it's just expanded.
That being said, the issue with the website is simple. It's not clean and easy on the eyes anymore. They could have all the fancy drop down doo-dads and scrolly bars they want, as long as it was visually appealing.
The trend these days with websites has actually been toward the more minimalist. All one needs to do is look around at some of the big corporate websites to see they are moving toward more white space, clean lines and simple interface. Obviously, SP.com did not do their homework first.
That being said, the issue with the website is simple. It's not clean and easy on the eyes anymore. They could have all the fancy drop down doo-dads and scrolly bars they want, as long as it was visually appealing.
The trend these days with websites has actually been toward the more minimalist. All one needs to do is look around at some of the big corporate websites to see they are moving toward more white space, clean lines and simple interface. Obviously, SP.com did not do their homework first.
I'm a bit surprised they haven't just decided to go back to the old website and leave it at that. I've seen many people express their displeasure with the new website, and very few people talking about what a new improvement it was.
As a professional User Experience Professional and having dealt with horrible information flows ranging from a $300 wordpress website to a $11 Million healthcare portal. Smokingpipes.com really need to hire a UX professional to sort things out. The current website's condition is sub-par, for example the search filters do not need to be hidden and basically make the user think, which should not be the case.
Overall the website has become more of a blog as far as the looks go. If your product needs to have a manual, then its bad design. LOL.
If anyone from SmokingPipes is listening, please invest in hiring a good UX Guy or hire me for 50k USD a year. I'll work remotely
Chris :D
Overall the website has become more of a blog as far as the looks go. If your product needs to have a manual, then its bad design. LOL.
If anyone from SmokingPipes is listening, please invest in hiring a good UX Guy or hire me for 50k USD a year. I'll work remotely
Chris :D
The difference between the nerd and the professional perhaps.
In my experience, the real problem is this: many fingers in the pie, resulting in compromises, which then creates a product with paradoxical objectives.
Say what you want about Apple -- I am not a fan, having escaped that sick cult back in '87 -- but under Comrade Jobs, every product had clear goals and avoided paradoxical interfaces. If you wanted to do what the 90% wanted, of course... otherwise you were SOL. But that's another story.
Mr. Wilford:
I am impressed by your response to somewhat acrimonious criticism here and elsewhere.
To match your goodwill shown to this community, I am making a few quick notes based on some years of experience with such things:
1. Header
(a) "Community" is redundant since it is a link to a blog; the glasses seem unrelated to this. Perhaps just use a header "blog."
(b) Your "Live Chat" link is quite big; maybe a "Contact Us" with three options, phone, email and live chat?
(c) The User Account area is well done, as are the language links (flags) at the far-right. Might I suggest, for the UA area, that you have a heading "Account" and under it "Login / New"?
2. Menu bar
(a) I like the inclusion of the redundant home link here. Might it make more sense to move "Reviews" to the other side of the search blank, along with other features like Tobacco Locator and Pipe Locator? And standardize appearance, instead of the oddball star.
(b) You might consider losing the "Search products..." text and leaving only the magnifying glass, and perhaps having it be the same color as the rest of the menu, without the magnifying glasses under Pipe and Tobacco locators. They might benefit from their own icons.
(c) It might make sense to have a "New Reviews" link next to the "256 Fresh Pipes 89 Other Arrivals" text, since these are all news-style updates.
3. Featured image and page
(a) The slide show is nice and big, but it kills off screen real estate. You might consider making this smaller, with a selector on the right for other parts of the page like videos, sales, featured tobaccos, and so on; you could also do a selector on the right, as P&C does, that allows people to navigate all of your specials at a glance, with each click bringing up that special in the main image.
(b) You might consider having two vertical columns in parallels for pipes and tobaccos.
(c) You can make better use of the footer by having four columns instead of two. It makes some sense to cluster only learning-related topics in one, not mixing in the Pipe Locator and Tobacco Locator. I remember you having more content in this area, sort of a "Introduction to Pipe Smoking" territory.
4. The site in general
(a) I am fond of SPC despite misgivings about its connection to Reddit and other hipstery things. You might mention that you do a better job of packing orders than certain competitors, in addition to the speed of getting things out the door.
(b) Where you could really excel is in descriptions. Other sites give users the ability to visually comparison shop between tobaccos based on strength, aroma, etc. ratings. There could be more descriptive copy in many of these entries and less marketing. A 50-50 balance would be good. You serve two audiences, the established pipe smokers and the newer learners, and both need different information.
(c) On drop-down menus like the one for Tobacco, it is not visually clear that the headings are also links, such as "Tinned Tobacco" and "Bulk Tobacco." You might take a leaf from Pipe and Leaf's book and use visual images here, i.e. a tin and a heap of tobacco, to differentiate these and make it clear they are sections and not headers.
For example:
These individual tiles contain very little information. You might consider moving the price upward, eliminating the crossed out MSRP if necessary, and then offering a brief description: "Light English," "Virginia-based" or "Latakia-forward" and then removing the odd green arrow and making the entire tile clickable.
It might help to add additional visual information, like a strength indicator and perhaps an icon for type (aromatic, non-aromatic) or even an experience level, so that introductory pipe smokers do not get steered toward the Gawith Hoggarth products before they are ready.
The visuals are nice but work best when they convey information. The go-to guide on this remains:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Visual-Display-Quantitative-Information/dp/0961392142
It seems links to individual products are working now, so clearly your work is having an effect.
Do you use a deployment server/pre-publication server? It might help to catch some of these things before launch day. Also, while a formal QA process is not necessary, you could select some codgers to fire-test it for you.
These individual tiles contain very little information. You might consider moving the price upward, eliminating the crossed out MSRP if necessary, and then offering a brief description: "Light English," "Virginia-based" or "Latakia-forward" and then removing the odd green arrow and making the entire tile clickable.
It might help to add additional visual information, like a strength indicator and perhaps an icon for type (aromatic, non-aromatic) or even an experience level, so that introductory pipe smokers do not get steered toward the Gawith Hoggarth products before they are ready.
The visuals are nice but work best when they convey information. The go-to guide on this remains:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Visual-Display-Quantitative-Information/dp/0961392142
It seems links to individual products are working now, so clearly your work is having an effect.
Do you use a deployment server/pre-publication server? It might help to catch some of these things before launch day. Also, while a formal QA process is not necessary, you could select some codgers to fire-test it for you.
Don't like when I put things in the shopping cart and they don't stay in there . I can do this and P&C and the items will stay as long as I want . I even made an account with SP to see if that would make a difference but it didn't ..I don't like the way the home page image changes either who wents to see that stupid swirling circle
Finally got back to the laptop and checked out the new site. I actually like it. I find it easier to navigate. Guess I'm one of those crazy liberal youngin's that is ruining this country.
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