New Website, looking for feedback

Greenberg Woods

Greenberg Woods

Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
2,696
Hey Guys, i just changed up my website a little bit. I was hoping you guys could take a look and let me know what you think. Im pretty good with wood, a lot less so with marketing and web site design...

Looking forward to your advise, and ill try to integrate it all as fast as possible!

www.greenbergwoods.com
 
You need a home page telling everyone how you only sell the finest wood harvested personally from the rain forest, and that you can supply orders large or small, etc. etc. Put some fancy wood in the background.
Otherwise, it looks pretty good to me
 
I think it's an improvement. Maybe consider having a tab on the left that goes to all stabilized blocks.
That thornwood burl is cool! I wonder what tree that is? I confess I googled the heck out of it and no luck.
 
Every block you sell is unique but your site asks how many of that one block I want.
IMHO that looks unprofessional
Also when I move the cursor over a photo it wants to add that block to the shopping basket immediately. That feels pushy.
 
Looks good Ben. Clean and organized. Like it was said above having a "add to cart" button right on the picture is kind of a pain. I just wanna look at the wood first
 
I wish I was as far along in business at 19 years old as you are. Nice description of how to finish the stabilized wood too. Agree with all above too.
 
These are intended as helpful, but with a mind that I do this sort of review often ...so, take it as you will:
  • Off-white website with a logo that's a different off-white draws the eye...either make the logo match the background color exactly or border the image so that it stands out
  • I'd recommend a landing page that's not just 'instant storefront'...either in the banner, or on the landing site that defines what your company does...then let folks click into your inventory. Until you're Amazon of rare woods, you probably want to let folks who come to your site know what you're about without click-throughs. Additionally, this will let your site be easier to search for if there are more keywords to parse in the initial page.
  • In the Shop All page, your filters are a little weird...you can't do sorted by price then adjust the price window on the left. I'd recommend perhaps another pane with filter options (aka: Amazon style) that eliminates off the primary pivot vectors you'd imagine folks would be interested in (price, customer reviews, in stock, featured, etc).
  • I know the 'Add to Cart' button is part of the template you're using, but as previously mentioned, it's hard to avoid...unless you put another button on the same pop-up that said "more info" or something that took you to the details page instead of just 'insta-carting' the item...that'd be better.
  • Wood details page, I'd give at least a Wikipedia listing of what the wood is, where it's from, it's properties, etc...fascinate your buyers with this rare Bloodwood block, from tropical South Africa, known for it's luxurious scarlet finish and can be hard to work.
  • Navigation pane, I'd consider reworking into either a collapsible tree or groupings...don't make folks scroll through a navigation pane if at all possible.
  • On the pages where you have share links (Facebook, Google, Print, etc), the print icon does nothing on Chrome.
  • On the newsletter adding success page, you misspell receive (http://greenbergwoods.com/subscribe.php?result=success)
  • Your 'contact us' page is a little weak for a business. Recommend at least a P.O. box and phone number in addition to the default form contact.
  • Your Wood Identification page is extremely helpful...but you could really do to format it better so it's not a wall of text without distinction from one wood to another. Perhaps another tree with general, wood types, recommendations? Also, a weird item is that your *, **, *** system doesn't mention what it means when the wood doesn't have an * next to it.
  • Not sure if this is something you can adjust, but it feels weird to me that your left panel scrollbar covers just that panel, while the right panel scrollbar covers the panel AND the banner.
  • Stabilizing wood section either is cut off or you're missing a period at the end (hard to tell)
  • Most of your open text fields are formatted oddly with weird line breaks. Be consistent across the paragraphs/etc with either a double carriage return or a single
If this is your first website...kudos. It's not easy to make a commercial website with payment instruments.

Hope this feedback helps! Good luck!
B
 
Brad K said:
These are intended as helpful, but with a mind that I do this sort of review often ...so, take it as you will:

1 Off-white website with a logo that's a different off-white draws the eye...either make the logo match the background color exactly or border the image so that it stands out

2 I'd recommend a landing page that's not just 'instant storefront'...either in the banner, or on the landing site that defines what your company does...then let folks click into your inventory. Until you're Amazon of rare woods, you probably want to let folks who come to your site know what you're about without click-throughs. Additionally, this will let your site be easier to search for if there are more keywords to parse in the initial page.

3 In the Shop All page, your filters are a little weird...you can't do sorted by price then adjust the price window on the left. I'd recommend perhaps another pane with filter options (aka: Amazon style) that eliminates off the primary pivot vectors you'd imagine folks would be interested in (price, customer reviews, in stock, featured, etc).

4 I know the 'Add to Cart' button is part of the template you're using, but as previously mentioned, it's hard to avoid...unless you put another button on the same pop-up that said "more info" or something that took you to the details page instead of just 'insta-carting' the item...that'd be better.

5 Wood details page, I'd give at least a Wikipedia listing of what the wood is, where it's from, it's properties, etc...fascinate your buyers with this rare Bloodwood block, from tropical South Africa, known for it's luxurious scarlet finish and can be hard to work.

6 Navigation pane, I'd consider reworking into either a collapsible tree or groupings...don't make folks scroll through a navigation pane if at all possible.

7 On the pages where you have share links (Facebook, Google, Print, etc), the print icon does nothing on Chrome.

8 On the newsletter adding success page, you misspell receive (http://greenbergwoods.com/subscribe.php?result=success

9 Your 'contact us' page is a little weak for a business. Recommend at least a P.O. box and phone number in addition to the default form contact.

10 Your Wood Identification page is extremely helpful...but you could really do to format it better so it's not a wall of text without distinction from one wood to another. Perhaps another tree with general, wood types, recommendations? Also, a weird item is that your *, **, *** system doesn't mention what it means when the wood doesn't have an * next to it.
Not sure if this is something you can adjust, but it feels weird to me that your left panel scrollbar covers just that panel, while the right panel scrollbar covers the panel AND the banner.

11 Stabilizing wood section either is cut off or you're missing a period at the end (hard to tell)

12 Most of your open text fields are formatted oddly with weird line breaks. Be consistent across the paragraphs/etc with either a double carriage return or a single
If this is your first website...kudos. It's not easy to make a commercial website with payment instruments.

Hope this feedback helps! Good luck!
B
Click to expand...

1. Fixed that color inconsistancy
2.What would you recommend? I used to have a carousel thing and everyone told me "NO!"
3. I fixed that filter "I think" Im gonna hunt around my website options more to try to fix that
4. I cant remove the add to cart button, but I did add a quick few option so you can go to the block by hovering over it
5. I added a longer description of each wood along with a link to its wood database article
6. I am not sure what this means. Could please elaborate?
7. I will try to fix this in a minute
8. Lemme try to find that page
9. I added some more info to that, that you can contact me about anything as well as a phone number. I dont have a PO box as it literally is just me doing this out of my parents house/ dorm
10. What do you mean a tree? Again, wood guy, not website guy
11. Taken care of
12. This has been pissing me off to. I contacted the layout guys and am waiting for a response

I also added a page about sustainability and how i try to operate.
Yeah, its my first website. Im learning slowly, but I hope if i keep getting feedback like this i can really improve the site.
 
Greenberg Woods said:
2.What would you recommend? I used to have a carousel thing and everyone told me "NO!"
Click to expand...

If you have a few examples of your work, a little of the information from your 'About Me' section, just anything that gives a basic attractive view of your business and what you specialize in. Maybe a nice image of your stockpile, some sample knives, etc with your business philosophy. Just a suggestion. :)

Greenberg Woods said:
6. I am not sure what this means. Could please elaborate?
Click to expand...

Sure. I'm referring to menu tree navigation. Basically, it's like when you're in File Explorer in Windows...you have your C: drive and your D: drive...but you have to click on C: drive to see the subfolders and deeper. Here's an example:

css-tree-menu.jpg


Hope this helps!
B
 
Just a little typo, on the shipping and return page. the is missing the 'e'

"Returns will have return shipping covered if th mistake is on my end."

Also, the 'more info' button along with the 'add to cart' button totally covers the item. I preferred it with just the add to cart button.

Looks very clean and you have really beautiful wood. :thumbsup: I may get some cocobolo and kingwood soon.
 
This is the best version yet. I like the click to bring up big pic versus the zoom where your pointer is from the last version. It works better this way on my phone and tablet. Also, I prefer it on the computer screen too.

I actually like having an instant "here's the new stuff to buy" show of inventory on the front page. I don't need to know how old you are, where you get your wood, etcetera... but if I see you got some really good stuff, I'm gonna poke around your site. Sweet selection right now too...
 
The barefoot boy said:
Just a little typo, on the shipping and return page. the is missing the 'e'

"Returns will have return shipping covered if th mistake is on my end."

Also, the 'more info' button along with the 'add to cart' button totally covers the item. I preferred it with just the add to cart button.

Looks very clean and you have really beautiful wood. :thumbsup: I may get some cocobolo and kingwood soon.
Click to expand...
Fixed. Please do! Though i would wait a few days on the coco. Im out of the nice stuff bit will be cutting more soon
 
No opinion on the website, but I just wanted to say, that you're getting some mega nice wood lately. I'll admit to being underwhelmed when I first started seeing your offerings, but even as a guy that has tons of premo wood stockpiled, but uses very little, you've really gotten some cool stuff lately, and I guess I'll have to crack open my wallet soon.. =\

Really like that "thorn wood" myself, the ipe burl, and the really spalted stuff. Keep it up.
 
javand said:
No opinion on the website, but I just wanted to say, that you're getting some mega nice wood lately. I'll admit to being underwhelmed when I first started seeing your offerings, but even as a guy that has tons of premo wood stockpiled, but uses very little, you've really gotten some cool stuff lately, and I guess I'll have to crack open my wallet soon.. =\

Really like that "thorn wood" myself, the ipe burl, and the really spalted stuff. Keep it up.
Click to expand...

Thank you. It does mean a lot to me. It was a pretty big mental hurdle to justify buying higher quality woods
(The entire start up capital for this business was 2 summers of working at a wood shop) but recently i am looking at it all more and more like an investment. I made some partnerships with some saw mills in Brazil and Australia to get a steady supply of Ipe, awesome ringed gidgee and figured tasmanian blackwood at amazing prices, and watching this all grow has been pretty crazy for me.
 
Greenberg Woods said:
Thank you. It does mean a lot to me. It was a pretty big mental hurdle to justify buying higher quality woods
(The entire start up capital for this business was 2 summers of working at a wood shop) but recently i am looking at it all more and more like an investment. I made some partnerships with some saw mills in Brazil and Australia to get a steady supply of Ipe, awesome ringed gidgee and figured tasmanian blackwood at amazing prices, and watching this all grow has been pretty crazy for me.
Click to expand...


That's the hard part for most people, and it's the difference in long-term success typically. I treated my knife/steel business as a "retirement" investment, from day one, and ended up full time a couple of decades before I expected to be. Only because I never *needed* to make a weekly income out of it. I'll also not hesitate to get a "regular job" if I have to, to keep my doing my passion, my way. I already lost a couple of fun hobbies, turned businesses, to the feeling of it becoming a job, when I had no choice but to ruin it for the sake of paying the bills.

Keep up the good work man, can't wait to see what else you find.
 
milkbaby said:
This is the best version yet. I like the click to bring up big pic versus the zoom where your pointer is from the last version. It works better this way on my phone and tablet. Also, I prefer it on the computer screen too.

I actually like having an instant "here's the new stuff to buy" show of inventory on the front page. I don't need to know how old you are, where you get your wood, etcetera... but if I see you got some really good stuff, I'm gonna poke around your site. Sweet selection right now too...
Click to expand...
Thanks. I add issues with the mobile version as well
 
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