Site Check Then, Hit Me With It

[toolman.co.uk]

Raw, unknowledged, learning each day, no html enterered yet, Alan Sugar's "Your Fired" welcome, just remarks are welcomed...

*Gulp*
www.toolman.co.uk

[Rich Brady]

Daniel, I was preparing myself for the worst based on your OP and what I got was...

A standard template, so not as bad as I was expecting (although I'm not a fan of the salmon banner colour and the "Fine Hand Tools" is difficut to read), but it's not going to stand out either.

IMO your left hand navigation is way too long, you need to try and group products.

Your product descriptions are pretty good, so you may want to think about Single Product Pages, there's plenty on the forum.

I'd take a look at your <title> too. Have a think about using your CompanyName variable after your page title. So "Bevels" would become "Bevels | Hand Tools by Toolman" for example.

[Mike Hughes]

Doing a proper review on this is going to take a lot of time.

At a quick glance, there are plenty of things that stand out:

- You don't tell vistors what the delivery charges are.

Why would they waste time putting together an order only to find that your charges are too high?

- You're prices display is just weird.

Take 'blades' for example. The first product there tells me I can order 1, but the option drop down gives me the minimum option of '5pcs (+50p)'. +50p on top of what? This has me confused and I think I know what you're trying to do.

- Spelling mistakes. For example:

"Privacy Policy TOOMAN do not disclose"

- The language is sometimes unclear. for example.

TOOLMAN is based in Sheffield, England. We are still a family business, bringing you good quality TOOLMAN products that are manufactured in and around Sheffield England. Our TOOLMAN name has been around since 1997. The TOOLMAN brand reflects our quality of tools. Many items we offer you on our website, are made in Sheffield England or somewhere in the British Isles.

So where are the tools made. Are they made 'in and around Sheffield' or 'somewhere in the Bristish Isles' or even made abroad as the last sentence implies some are made outside of the Bristish Isles.

Mike

PS. Your terms & conditions page is kind of hidden away and there are no contact details (company name, address, telephone numbers atec). Some of these are a legal requirement and none of it inspires customer confidence.

PPS. The quote above says you've been using the toolman name since 1997 but this seems to imply 2008. Maybe it's just the way it's stated?

We took the name TOOLMAN and registered it as a trademark in 2008

[Ho Ho Bird]

It is not a bad start and by following the advice given you should have a nice workable site.

I actually don't think the 'look' of the site will be your problem; I do worry about the business model of selling such a huge and varied range of products. You are trying to cover a huge range of tools...some of which you are in direct competition with some of the big guys such as Screwfix. I'm not sure who your target market is? At first I thought it was the hobby woodworker who wants to buy quality tools.....but then I find engine hoists, castor wheels, welding masks and log burning stoves!

Unless you are a huge company with massive ambitions, I don't think you'll ever get the volume to justify stocking such a massive range. In my view you would be better specialising and developing 'reasons to buy' from you by demonstrating enthusiasm and experience of the products you sell.

Something doesn't add up. How does what appears to be a start-up Co with no fixed premises have such a massive range of products...many of which are branded with the toolman name?

If you are already a large and experience Co; I apologise, but your website gives no hint.

A couple of specific points:

I hit the logo (for home) part way through checkout (the only way to find p&p cost) and I can't get back to the original home page. My browser is showing https://server28.dedicateduk.com/~to...log/index.html

You really do need to group products into say a max of 12 sections, with sub sections below them.

You can make the site look less 'standard' even without doing hardly any html. My own site (see my signature) may give some ideas, as I am "html challenged".

Hope that helps.

[Ho Ho Bird]

Sorry to post on top of myself but.....

I'm not sure if I like the smell of this. I just takes a few clicks from 'Toolmans' (rather excessive) 4 domain names (only 1 is Actinic) to start to answer some of the questions I raised above.

The site up for review is part of a much bigger group selling the same items wholesale from a shop and large warehouse in Sheffield. Clearly many of the tools are made in China. Toolman's T&C's start with the question "Does anyone remember the 'Sheffield Toolman'? mailto:sheffieldtoolman@toolman.co.uk" Well, it only takes a few clicks to get us to another site within the 'group' of companies to find a whole page on the subject http://www.berisfords.co.uk/history.html

Why the mystery? If you already have a bricks and mortar shop established 50+ years and a 5500 sq ft warehouse, why build a site that makes it look like you are trading from your bedroom? If you have got 50 years of trading behind you why doesn't that take centre stage on your homepage?

Trust is the major factor is getting folks to part with their money over the 'net'. You are not off to a good start.

[toolman.co.uk]

Thanks for your comments guys and I have implimented a few of the ideas mentioned (including the salmon pink - which on our old site, didnt look as pink).

We are primeraly a wholesale company so do not want people walking in off the street which is a bit of a headache having a retail site, which is why the mystery.

Having 3 sites, was originally having domain names redirecting customers to the master site which was an idea ages ago, but now we have used them as different sites.

[Mark H]

I like the look so far, but some basics (and some of these are down to the way that Actinic sites comes out of the box):

• Landline phone number should be very visible on every page,
  
• Address (not PO box) should be apparent on every page or at least within one click.
  
• Contact us page should give both of the above as a minimum (plus preferably company number and VAT reg). The standard form is IMO unacceptable and I would never buy from a site that offered this as the only means of contact. I don't think I've ever had a response from one of these and have given up.
  
• I've never seen the point of the "site map", "search" and "store top" tabs - these shoudln't exist.

PS just seen your comments about being a wholesale company. Major shift in attitude might be needed (encouraging publice to contact you, as above) might be needed if you are to adopt the role of retailers,which is why retailers (buying from wholesalers) exist in the first place......

[toolman.co.uk]

Cheers Mark,

Advice took on board.
What we offer on the site is 90% what our wholesale customers would find too expensive from us as the discounts we get from our suppliers is not big enough to sell on wholesale.