Site Review: www.iShopHQ.com

Hello all-

I'm about 90% complete on www.iShopHQ.com and am looking for some feedback. I'm using affiliate product datafeeds to populate a database and then provide search functionality. I've got 20 stores now with plans to add more.

I'm looking feedback on for ease of use, interface, layout, functionality, etc. Also if there are any more mfeatures you think would be value-added.

I'm trying to keep it simple as possible - I think the tag line says it all:

"No frills, no spills, no chills.... Just Shopping!"

Thanks for your time.

If you have started this job before the year 2000 , i could say , you will be so succesfull but the Net fullfilled the sites like your site.
Also many of the Shopping Directory sites goes into the illegal actions with the scripts that automatically redirect your browser to its Shopping Directories and when i enter your site , i feel like one of those sites.
If you want to start an ecommerce , do it more specific and sell your own items. The worst of your commerce works better than the best of the Shopping Directories.

Hi dolay-

Thanks for the feedback. I'd thought about my own ecommerce, but then you get into a whole other aspect of the business. As an affilite, I direct traffic. I don't have any involvement with the customer, the inventory, processing the order, or the shipping. I built iShopHQ on my own dime - only cost was my time and some software.hardware. Still and investment, but much less than starting a 'real' business.

To do my own ecommerce, I'd need inventory, a place to keep it, shipping equipment, customer service, phone, CC processing, people working for me.... BIG minimum investment just to get it going.

I still see the Internet as growing and a whole generation of shoppers coming on line that use the Internet without a second thought. Ease of use and relevancy of results is the main driver beind their utilization. For the shopper that knows what he or she wants (i.e. 'White Down Comdfoter') , I'm hoping my site can provide a good solution.

Thanks for helping!

Hello ishopHQ

I tried to shop at ishopHQ.

You seem to have a very complicated search procedure. type in this, click that, submit, be told you haven't clicked this, go back click the other. Forget where you were. Eventually the results are with you and have 6 pages to flip through.

The golden rule of the internet is usability. I would suggest making things very simple to start with, and maybe including an option for people who want to narrow down their search.

Why not let them narrow things down as they go along as well rather than subjecting them to that search again?

Lets say I found your site number 1 in Google. Your site isn't instantly understandable (within 2 seconds max). I press that back button and go to number 2 site instead.

Sorry to sound critical. Go look at successful sites. I'm being helpful really.

I see your most popular searches in links at the bottom. I guess (when you get them working) these are there because Google can't type in searches into your search box and you want Google to list some of your pages. This is good, but a directory style category listing would be better.

Hi VORD

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment. I have gotten other feedback abotu the stie being to complicated at first blush. I'm rethinking now on how to retool it. As an experienced internet shopper, I liked the idea of being able to choose what stories I search, but for the average person I'm getting the idea this might not be the way to go....

Maybe automatically search ALL stores and then give an option to delselect stores you don't want to search on the results page.

Yes, the links at the bottom are for spider food. Based on your observation, I'm thinking of a directory page as well.

I didn't find your comments critical at all, but exactly what I asked for.

Thanks!

i agree with vord about the basic web usability issues of this site.
if you have to explain the steps to find something...then its too complicated.

Based on VORD's feedback, I did away with merchant selection, though I kept department segregation.

Now you enter a search term, click on the department, and the search executes. I also finished the 'Favorite Searches' section.

Seaching remains somewhat problematic. Enter 'comforters' and you get nothing. Enter 'comforter' and you get over 200. The search looks at the exact product name of each product in the db to return results and most mercahnt have their producst in as 'White Down Comforter', not 'White Down Comforters'. I don't think parse to strip out all trailing S's is the answer. Any suggestions?

As I build up a search history, I'll be able to rewrite the more common entries taht don't return results, but for now....

Thanks

is the 2 step thingie making something easier or faster for your site?
i mean...how difficult is it so type in a word and simply hit 'find'.
why do i got to tell you where i think it might be?
what if i am wrong?

if google can search 5 billion pages...i would think you can find something like a 'dvd player' on your site...wherever it is.

:-?

Good point Zoo, and one I'm going to have to think hard about.
Initially, I'm trying to keep irrelevant results from showing. For example, if you type in "Bowl" and click kitchen , I want to search Kitchen stores and not return dog bowls from Pet stores or bowling balls from sporting goods.

I'm going to have to tinker with the ssearch some more.

Yet Yahoo and Lycos and other shopping searches allow you to choose category.

What about having category selectionon teh secondary page? YOu type in Bowl and it comes back and says We found matches in Sporting Goods, Kitchen, and Pet stores. Which results do you want to see?

Think that would work?

Thanks!

now there's a good idea. (perhaps a selection for "All" as well)