Watchband.biz website critique
I haven’t worn a watch since my last one was ripped from my arm by a drunken hooligan, but I’ve been asked to critique Watchband.biz, an e-commerce site offering replacement watch straps.
I was previously unfamiliar with Watchband, and my first impression was one of disappointment. The colours are bland and give the site a heavy feel. This isn’t helped by small text that strains the eye. I suggest increasing the type-size and bumping up the leading. The left navigation column is black with white text. I’ve never been a fan of this combination, especially when the text is as small as it is here. I’d prefer to see white, or a light pastel for the background, with dark text. Much easier to read.
I must say, after taking a look at the site content I was surprised to see the wealth of different straps available — so it’s a shame how the first impression lets the content down.
There’s some good info tucked away in the footer navigation. Why not show it up top? Information such as tutorials to help you choose the right type of watch strap and sizing guides so your watch will actually fit shouldn’t be an after-thought, as it seems on the site.
There’s some nice photography on there too, which is hidden from the homepage. I’m sure the site would be more appealing with striking imagery on the first page. Brighten it up with more white rather than dark blue and black. This will give the customer a more pleasant visit.
There are a lot of excellent customer testimonials on the site which is vital when selling a product or service, but the testimonial page is very dull in appearance. How about some photos of people?
The Watchband.biz logo isn’t the worst I’ve seen, but I’m curious about the idea behind it.
If I wore a watch and needed a new strap, I’d visit Watchband.biz and browse their collection of products.
Related posts on David Airey dot com
7 appreciated comments on “Watchband.biz website critique”
What are your thoughts?
All comments are moderated so you may experience a short delay before yours appears. Comments should be respectful of other voices in the discussion, and I reserve the right to edit or delete comments at my discretion.
Please use your real name. Keywords will be removed.
Yeah, the overall look and feel of the site is heavy indeed. The logo in Impact(?) is not doing anything to help this, either.
The target audience has not been addressed at all, and my guess is that the designer couldn’t care less. People buying a 202 dollar watch band of alligator skin are people who are more conscious about aesthetics than others, and this could – should – be taken advantage of when designing a site like this. Elegance, exclusivity and simplicity.
To build trust, the Visa, Mastercard and FedEx logos could be more visible. Considering the footer navigation, you’re right. The sizing page, for instance, should be shown earlier.
David,
I enjoyed your logo posts. Stuff like that seems to be pretty rare, so keep up.
- A
The first paragraph of text the hyperlinks are invisible until you roll over them. Now I presume they have done this because they aren’t really meant to be clicked on, more a SEO aspect than functional and design one. On the subject of SEO the URL’s are not search engine friendly. The site would almost benefit from friendly URL’s.
Eg http://www.watchband.biz/watchbands-rubber-synthetic
rather than…
http://www.watchband.biz/pi-509976714.htm?categoryId=26
Asgeir, I agree. More emphasis could be placed on trust-building.
Jamie, thanks for your feedback. Valid points. I didn’t have time to go into more detail so your input is welcome.
The design and SEO has been made the site owner, not a professional, and on top of a JS heavy content management system. I am well aware of the lack of “elegance, exclusivity and simplicity” (agreed, Asgeir). So you all, why not send me a quote for a new design. After all, I would be happy to freshen up the site.
The left navigation actually makes me dizzy looking at it. White text on black background is a big no-no in any sort of design. IF you MUST use white on black, make the white text bold since the black actually “sucks” away the white text.
Michael, many thanks for requesting the review in the first place. I hope it’s of use.
Sean, I agree about the white on black.
I SUGGEST – DO NOT USE MICHAEL KARES FOR E-COMMERCE.
my expericnce – i have no axe to grind:
I had a watch band that was faulty from his website. – value to me$350
He wouldnt answer my emails.
result – banned me from the server.
he wouldn’t answer my web enquiries.
result -banned me from server
no contact was received. i had to fax several times and search him down to get any closure. IMHO you are throwing your money away.
enjoy x