# The ideal vaping website - tips from the community



## Silver

There's been quite a lot of talk in another thread about what irritates us when using various vaping websites.

*So lets drop our comments here and give some tips to our vendors on how they can improve things*
What irritates you?
What do you like?
How can things be improved?

If we speak up here and vendors take note, it could be a win win for all

Putting this in "Who has stock" so vendors can discuss openly if they choose to

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 4


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## Silver

Here are my comments

I *don't* like

popups, especially those that say who bought what. (Vape cartel, vape king, eciggies come fo mind)
Too much activity or moving parts
Complicated checkout procedures
When you have to click on a juice to find out the bottle size. Man, just put that in the product index!!

I *do *like

Clear picture, product name and price
Good search function

Thats a start...

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 11 | Informative 3


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## craigb

I would really like the option to filter out stock that is currently out of stock. I appreciate why the vendors may want to leave those items in, sometimes I want to see what I can get _right now_.

Sites that list each colour variant as a different product. nuh-uh. My budget may be minor, but that just chases me away.
If something is out of stock (and I've opted to see out of stock items) an honest albeit rough idea of arrival would be good. Foreign suppliers, transport companies and customs will make any prediction unreliable, but to know that you've placed and order for more stock or that your order is in transit would be good.

Have whatever cool/funky design elements you want, I don't care, as a child of the internet era I'm pretty good at ignoring that noise, until it gets between me and the actual content I'm looking for. 'Piet Poffader in Welkom bought a SM25'? Great for Piet, but what is the minimum acceptable resistance for this R1500 mod I'm considering buying, the details of which are obscured by Pieties purchasing preferences.

Pictures. The gallery widgets these days allow many many pictures to be loaded. Don't just rely on Manufacturer images, take your own. In high resolution. I like to zoom in, lots. Take different angles.


-----
Excellent thread @Silver, looking forward to what suggestions and comments come out of this.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 8 | Informative 1


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## Silver

craigb said:


> I would really like the option to filter out stock that is currently out of stock. I appreciate why the vendors may want to leave those items in, sometimes I want to see what I can get _right now_.
> 
> Sites that list each colour variant as a different product. nuh-uh. My budget may be minor, but that just chases me away.
> If something is out of stock (and I've opted to see out of stock items) an honest albeit rough idea of arrival would be good. Foreign suppliers, transport companies and customs will make any prediction unreliable, but to know that you've placed and order for more stock or that your order is in transit would be good.
> 
> Have whatever cool/funky design elements you want, I don't care, as a child of the internet era I'm pretty good at ignoring that noise, until it gets between me and the actual content I'm looking for. 'Piet Poffader in Welkom bought a SM25'? Great for Piet, but what is the minimum acceptable resistance for this R1500 mod I'm considering buying, the details of which are obscured by Pieties purchasing preferences.
> 
> Pictures. The gallery widgets these days allow many many pictures to be loaded. Don't just rely on Manufacturer images, take your own. In high resolution. I like to zoom in, lots. Take different angles.
> 
> 
> -----
> Excellent thread @Silver, looking forward to what suggestions and comments come out of this.



Thanks @craigb 

Excellent post by you there. Loved that link for taking your own images. I agree, good photos are very important.

Lets see how this thread develops...

Reactions: Like 2


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## RainstormZA

@Silver and @craigb pretty much summed it all up...

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Raindance

Silver said:


> There's been quite a lot of talk in another thread about what irritates us when using various vaping websites.
> 
> *So lets drop our comments here and give some tips to our vendors on how they can improve things*
> What irritates you?
> What do you like?
> How can things be improved?
> 
> If we speak up here and vendors take note, it could be a win win for all
> 
> Putting this in "Who has stock" so vendors can discuss openly if they choose to


Great thread @Silver. I will however need a decent size screen and physical keyboard to respond adequately. 

Regards

Reactions: Like 2


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## Silver

PS - i know exactly what @Rob Fisher is going to say

Reactions: Funny 1 | Can relate 1


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## RainstormZA

Also make their websites mobile friendly and reduce the amount of popups.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Raindance

Silver said:


> PS - i know exactly what @Rob Fisher is going to say


Whats new?
Lol
Regards

Reactions: Funny 4


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## KieranD

Silver said:


> Here are my comments
> 
> I dont like
> 
> popups, especially those that say who bought what. (Vape cartel, vape king, eciggies come fo mind)
> Too much activity or moving parts
> Complicated checkout procedures
> When you have to click on a juice to find out the bottle size. Man, just put that in the product index!!
> 
> I do like
> 
> Clear picture, product name and price
> Good search function
> 
> Thats a start...



Noted  

We have updated a couple of the pop up settings to make this a lot less in your face  

One small thing though - the bottle sizes
Unfortunately for some juices that there are multiple sizes it becomes very messy and also to condense the descriptions to 1 single line with the bottle sizes is neigh impossible. The site looks incredibly messy with single and dual line descriptions and none of the products flow from one to the next

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2 | Winner 2 | Informative 1


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## Dietz

You guys pretty much summed it up for me.

Bad idea:
- Popups (They wont admit this, but its not always a 'Live' representation, its a psychological sales tactic thing to get consumer more eager to make a decision to buy something, much like a auction, so people buy because of FOMO if they see there are 2 left and Jan just took one)
- Different pages for the same thing
- Different page for different ML juices
- Weird hidden difficult to navigate menus
- Having too many Categories
- No Image for product available
- No stock that is still displayed
- Dead links
- One page for all products

Good Idea:
- Clear and Various Images of the actual product, Like Sir Vape (Not supplier images)
--- Especially on things like Stab Wood and resin Mods (I like how Sir Vape lists These)
- Simple Navigation (Clyrolinx and Vaporize.coza Site is a bit Hide and Seeky, difficult to find things)
- Loyalty points (That are actually worth something)
- Filters to better define results
- Clear contact details and location, Not a webform that I have to fill in and hopefully get a call
- Up to date (Remove old keep new updated)
- SUPPORT THE PRODUCTS YOU SELL. For instance if I buy a tank from you with prebuilt coils, then I would like to be able to get a replacement coil from you for at least 12 months after purchase. Dont sell things that are discontinued

So yeah, basically everything everyone said.

And thats my

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1


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## RainstormZA

KieranD said:


> Noted
> 
> We have updated a couple of the pop up settings to make this a lot less in your face
> 
> One small thing though - the bottle sizes
> Unfortunately for some juices that there are multiple sizes it becomes very messy and also to condense the descriptions to 1 single line with the bottle sizes is neigh impossible. The site looks incredibly messy with single and dual line descriptions and none of the products flow from one to the next



Not impossible. I am sure you can make a plan. I used to work as a products administrator - there's short descriptions and long descriptions as an option. 

With multiple sizes, you could opt for a drop menu for those to choose from. Blck Vapor does this. 

Just my opinion as a former administrator


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## Carnival

craigb said:


> Pictures. The gallery widgets these days allow many many pictures to be loaded. Don't just rely on Manufacturer images, take your own. In high resolution. I like to zoom in, lots. Take different angles.



Yes, yes and YES to this!


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## KieranD

RainstormZA said:


> Not impossible. I am sure you can make a plan. I used to work as a products administrator - there's short descriptions and long descriptions as an option.
> 
> With multiple sizes, you could opt for a drop menu for those to choose from. Blck Vapor does this.
> 
> Just my opinion as a former administrator



We have already consolidated all size and colours into single products - as an example Mr Hardwicks Grandslam. We offer these in 60ml and 120ml
Both sizes and nicotine strengths are found in the product itself and on the quick buy pop up on our site  
What I was saying that is not an option for us right now is to put the 60ml and 120ml into the Product Name on the site

Reactions: Like 2


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## RenaldoRheeder

Great thread @Silver 

I like:
- Detailed pictures - I want to see in detail what I want to buy
- Stock availability (QTY)
- a good search function - preferably with advanced options (where I could for instance select brand, product category, etc.)
- Easy navigation/filtering (possibly product category, price range, brand, etc.)
- Clear and easy to find shipping policy
- sites that can automatically determine if I am on my mobile or Desktop and display accordingly in a suitable manner
- Related items OR "You might also be interested in..." - so that I do not forget to get the extras that I would need when I buy a specific product.

It would be nice to have these additional features, but I'm not going to ignore your site if you don't have it:
- links for additional information like reviews, manufacturer site product details, etc.
- a loyalty program that have reasonable rewards
- a news letter subscription option - then I can get information without having to constantly come back to your site
- XXX R to go to qualify for free shipping - saves me from having to calculate in my head all the time




I do not like:
- Pop-ups - I am not interested in who bought what, when and from where - it only distract from my shopping experience. If you really want to share that with me, share the information you want to on the item detail rather where I can have the choice to look at it if I want to - but please give me the choice - don't throw it in my face - I'm sensitive 
- "What is new" or "New Arrivals" section with products that was obviously a new many moons ago. Maybe implement a filter so that I can specify how new or just include items from the last month



And let's hope that vaping web sites will still exist when the minister is done with us .

Reactions: Agree 1 | Winner 2


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## Steyn777

Agree with all the above just want to add 1 thing - although some sites have to many categories, some lists everything other than Mods and Atties under "Accessories". Going through pages of kangertech and smok etc. coils when looking for wire or cotton is annoying.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 3


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## RichJB

From a DIY point of view, I don't need to see a picture of the bottle of flavour I want. I don't need to read the manufacturer's description or reviews of the flavour. I'm buying it because experienced DIYers have recommended it or used it in recipes I want to try, or I'm restocking a flavour I already have and know. So I arrive on the site with a clear idea of what I want. If I want to start by getting TFA Bavarian Cream, I don't want to open the first TFA page, click on the Bavarian Cream graphic, go to the Bavarian Cream page, click on Add To Cart, have a pop-up showing me that 10ml Bav Cream is now in my cart, click on the screen to cause that pop-up to disappear, click on Back to get from the Bavarian Cream page back to the TFA page, and then have to repeat this whole process with every flavour I buy. I want a mechanism where I can immediately add it to my Cart.

In this regard, massive shout-out and thanks to @Richio. When I arrive at Blck to add TFA Bavarian Cream to my cart, I see this:




When I click on the blue and white cart icon, it expands to show me the volume options for that flavour, thus:




When I select an option, it gives me an unobtrusive but clear notification in the bottom right corner of the screen, thus:




That is all I need. It makes navigating a breeze because I'm not constantly having to load individual flavour pages, constantly having to hit the Back button when I'm done adding the flavour, constantly having to close Cart pop-ups. I go through quickly, adding the flavours as I check them off my list. When I'm done, I open the Cart page, a quick double-check confirms that I've got what I set out to buy, and I proceed to checkout. Done and dusted.

Of course, if I want to load the individual flavour pages and look at the pictures and read the descriptions, I can still do so. But Richio adds the short-cuts to make things a lot quicker and easier for those of us who know what we want and don't need to faff around. It is a fantastic interface that is really user-friendly.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 2 | Winner 2


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## RainstormZA

KieranD said:


> We have already consolidated all size and colours into single products - as an example Mr Hardwicks Grandslam. We offer these in 60ml and 120ml
> Both sizes and nicotine strengths are found in the product itself and on the quick buy pop up on our site
> What I was saying that is not an option for us right now is to put the 60ml and 120ml into the Product Name on the site



Ah yes the naming convention / product title. Yeah you will be restricted by that. Usually that happens.

Reactions: Like 1


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## KieranD

A look at our Quick Buy functionality  
No need to go into products and hit back the whole time

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 3


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## Carnival

KieranD said:


> A look at our Quick Buy functionality
> No need to go into products and hit back the whole time
> 
> View attachment 133895
> 
> 
> View attachment 133896



WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Hooked

1) No pop-ups!

2) Juice should be categorised according to flavour profile. (See Drip Society's well-organised website for a good example. @Cruzz_33. I don't want to waste time scrolling through everything, when I'm looking for something in the Bakery line.

3) List new arrivals separately. By "new" I mean the past few weeks or so. The Vape Industry's website gives a good example of new arrivals @Naeem_M. On the other hand, there's a vendor whose "Just Arrived" section consists of 80 pages. Clearly they are not all new!

4a) ALL info about the juice must be there *without having to click to go to another page.*
When I say ALL info I include:
Flavour description
Nic strengths available
*VG/PG!*  Many vendors do not state this on the website. Why not? As consumers we have the right to know what we are ordering.
Bottle size available
Price

4b) For International Juice, the country of origin should be stated. It makes it interesting.

5) The website must be kept up to date regarding what is in stock. It's frustrating and disappointing to receive a phone call the next morning informing you that an item which you ordered, and was not marked as being out of stock on the website, is out of stock.

6) All vendors should offer loyalty points and it must be easys to find out how the loyalty system works.
How many loyalty points do I receive for every Rand spent? What is the conversion of loyalty points to Rands? Do 10 points = R10?

7) Suggestion: Offer a birthday voucher to customers who have spent a minimum of X amount over the past year.

8) Suggestion: Offer *Snapscan or Zapper* as payment options. These are the "modern" way of paying and it's sooooooo much easier than PayGate etc.

*EDIT:* The minimum expenditure required for free shipping should be reasonable e.g. R500. Some vendors have a minimum expenditure of R1,000 or R1,500 which is unreasonable!

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## zadiac

"Add to cart" in searched items without having to go to the actual product.

Bad: When clicking on "Add to cart" and it takes you to the cart. Why? I'll go to my cart when I check out. Now I have to go back to my search page after every click on "Add to cart". It is obvious that vendors do not buy from themselves online, otherwise they would've known how irritating this is.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 8


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## Slick

Silver said:


> PS - i know exactly what @Rob Fisher is going to say


Does it have something to do with 'Whats new'? @Silver @Rob Fisher

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Silver

Hooked said:


> 1) No pop-ups!
> 
> 2) Juice should be categorised according to flavour profile. (See Drip Society's well-organised website for a good example. @Cruzz_33. I don't want to waste time scrolling through everything, when I'm looking for something in the Bakery line.
> 
> 3) List new arrivals separately. By "new" I mean the past few weeks or so. The Vape Industry's website gives a good example of new arrivals @Naeem_M. On the other hand, there's a vendor whose "Just Arrived" section consists of 80 pages. Clearly they are not all new!
> 
> 4a) ALL info about the juice must be there *without having to click to go to another page.*
> When I say ALL info I include:
> Flavour description
> Nic strengths available
> *VG/PG!*  Many vendors do not state this on the website. Why not? As consumers we have the right to know what we are ordering.
> Bottle size available
> Price
> 
> 4b) For International Juice, the country of origin should be stated. It makes it interesting.
> 
> 5) The website must be kept up to date regarding what is in stock. It's frustrating and disappointing to receive a phone call the next morning informing you that an item which you ordered, and was not marked as being out of stock on the website, is out of stock.
> 
> 6) All vendors should offer loyalty points and it must be easys to find out how the loyalty system works.
> How many loyalty points do I receive for every Rand spent? What is the conversion of loyalty points to Rands? Do 10 points = R10?
> 
> 7) Suggestion: Offer a birthday voucher to customers who have spent a minimum of X amount over the past year.
> 
> 8) Suggestion: Offer *Snapscan or Zapper* as payment options. These are the "modern" way of paying and it's sooooooo much easier than PayGate etc.
> 
> *EDIT:* The minimum expenditure required for free shipping should be reasonable e.g. R500. Some vendors have a minimum expenditure of R1,000 or R1,500 which is unreasonable!



Great comments @Hooked
On the point of all that info available on a juice, I agree 100%

Several years ago, we asked vendors to have one page on their website with all this info listed in a tabular format. No need for pics, just so you can at a glance see all the juices available with all the info. Im not sure if this is possible with the online shopping software that vendors use, but it would be a major win if you could see juices available on one page. With one liners describing their flavour of course (as well as bottle size & price).

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Winner 1


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## Hooked

Silver said:


> Great comments @Hooked
> On the point of all that info available on a juice, I agree 100%
> 
> Several years ago, we asked vendors to have one page on their website with all this info listed in a tabular format. No need for pics, just so you can at a glance see all the juices available with all the info. Im not sure if this is possible with the online shopping software that vendors use, but it would be a major win if you could see juices available on one page. With one liners describing their flavour of course (and price).



@Silver Excellent idea about the tabular format and one-liners. All that one really needs to know are the basic ingredients e.g. papaya, pineapple, coconut, cream. We don't need an entire paragraph describing how we'll watch the sunset on a tropical island. 

All this unnecessary "stuff" wastes time and data.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Hooked

Dietz said:


> You guys pretty much summed it up for me.
> 
> Bad idea:
> - Popups (They wont admit this, but its not always a 'Live' representation, its a psychological sales tactic thing to get consumer more eager to make a decision to buy something, much like a auction, so people buy because of FOMO if they see there are 2 left and Jan just took one)
> - Different pages for the same thing
> - Different page for different ML juices
> - Weird hidden difficult to navigate menus
> - Having too many Categories
> - No Image for product available
> - No stock that is still displayed
> - Dead links
> - One page for all products
> 
> Good Idea:
> - Clear and Various Images of the actual product, Like Sir Vape (Not supplier images)
> --- Especially on things like Stab Wood and resin Mods (I like how Sir Vape lists These)
> - Simple Navigation (Clyrolinx and Vaporize.coza Site is a bit Hide and Seeky, difficult to find things)
> - Loyalty points (That are actually worth something)
> - Filters to better define results
> - Clear contact details and location, Not a webform that I have to fill in and hopefully get a call
> - Up to date (Remove old keep new updated)
> - SUPPORT THE PRODUCTS YOU SELL. For instance if I buy a tank from you with prebuilt coils, then I would like to be able to get a replacement coil from you for at least 12 months after purchase. Dont sell things that are discontinued
> 
> So yeah, basically everything everyone said.
> 
> And thats my



@Dietz I agree with you about the coils. In fact, the coils should appear right next to the mod, as well as in the coils section.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raindance

Keyboard, Check
Screen, Check
Coffee, Check

Here goes:
For the purposes of this I think breaking it down in a couple of steps is called for. Also using a comparative approach between the virtual and B&M experience is thought to get the ideas across more prominently.

First up, *first contact*.
When entering a store,stepping over the threshold, there are a few things that set the tone of ones perception of the store as well as lay the foundations of the clients perception of the remainder of his experience there.

Imagine having to wait for electronically operated doors to open and these take their leisurely time to first show any sign of reaction and then open at a snails pace. Once open wide enough for you to enter, (The doors still continuing to open behind you) you step in to be met with a cacophony of promotional displays which may or may not be related to what you are there for. Worst of all, once you find your way through these displays and promotional materials, the store layout remains maze like in appearance and no logical organizational pattern is easily apparent. Cash Converters (some), Dion Wired, HiFi Corruption, Edgars... I'll rather shop at Game and Macro, thanks.

What I want is to walk in the door and be able to immediately understand the layout, the total scope of products available and plan my path to the points of interest that were my motivation for going there in the first place. No, your Samsung curved TV range display may be nice but I am here to buy earphones and I can not see where I might find them because the displays are blocking my view. Also, where the hell is the info desk? The tills? About turn!

The same applies to virtual store environment. Opening a web page that takes ages to load due to a scrolling picture bar displaying mostly products that I am not here to look at, just to be confronted with these being displayed while the important stuff is still being loaded... Nooit man, I'm outta here, your'e wasting my time and data. And as we know Time is Money and so is Data. Oh! I forgot to add, when these pictures are different sizes and the page below them "jumps" up and down as it adjusts to their layout, you will never see me again.

A stores home page should be clearly but tastefully branded so I know where I am and display provide me with a clear and uncluttered path to the virtual "isles" i wish to take a look at. So this means I want to be met with a list of menu items representing these isles which clearly describes what I can find there. This without having to scroll down and search for it. It should be the central focus of the page. Below that static displays of promotional goods or links to certain areas of the site are welcome but until I have a proper understanding of my surrounds I will in fact not be paying any attention to them. Basic human nature.

The following is the perfect example of what I mean:


It's all there is it not? I am not overpowered by anything and although there is a subscribe link and chat (Offline) link, they are out of the way and not obtrusive at all.

Next up:
The menu's aka Isle layout. But that will need to be another post, this one is getting to long.

Regards

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Winner 3 | Funny 1


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## Raindance

Isle Layout:

Pick n Pay went through a stage where their isle layouts went completely insane. Mayonnaise would be found with the sandwich spreads and Doom would be shelved with the spray on deodorants.

This is however where it can get tricky. The natural logic of things would determine that items of similar nature be grouped together in different sections of the same isle or menu item. But what is the grouping criteria to be? All shiny stuff one side, all HE stuff the next? Don't laugh, I have come across a site that had something similar going.

Walking into a B&M vape hypermarket, an imaginary store, selling every vape related product ever conceived, one would expect to find groupings of isles for key product themes such as atomizers, mods, dyi, accessories, juice and so on. Each grouping would then possibly have isle dedicated to more specific groupings such as the above atomizer section would have full isles dedicated to RTA' and Sub Ohm tanks, RDA's and RDTA's. Juices probably divided into isles according to profile, coffee, menthol, fruit, bakery and so on.
The individual isles then sub divided into sections such as single coil RTA's, dual coil RTA's, HE DL Drippers, MTL drippers, Local juice, international juice
and so on.
The above would work great for the super massive store but would sure as taxes not work for a B&M corner shop which would most possibly have a single isle for all their hardware and another for all their consumables. However identifying these as "hardware" and "Consumables" would be of little guidance to the consumer seeking the shortest route to a specific item. Equally though, having a whole isle dedicated to RBA's on the far side of the shop, dedicated to a single product, would be just as frustrating.

Fortunately, the virtual world allows us to have as many isles and groups as we wish, even being able to display the same item in more than one isle if we wish. Be aware however that the redundant use of sub menus can also result in a negative user experience. The following would be a frustrating scenario to get to a specific product: Hardware>Mods>Dual Battery>Regulated>IJoye>. Well, that is not exactly true, is it. If you had 15 Ijoye mods of that description available it would work to group at this level but having to go through four sub menus to get there would still be a pain in the butt.
For this level of specific selection rather provide a search function that allows selecting based on the specific criteria. Keep menu structures as simple as possible based on the range of options available in your store.
If you only sell 10 atomizers in total, do not create a grouping for each type. Have a main item "Atomizers" and that's it. If you have a selection of more than one display page, have options for sub categories as each category complies to the one page rule. As an example, you sell 30 atomizers, 17 rebuildables and 13 sub ohm, then have these as sub menus under the atomizer main menu item. BUT! allow me to select all or the sub menu item, do not force me to select only one and please do not force me to select a main item called something like "Hardware" first.

The above is expressed a bit clumsy, sorry for that. Hope it at least gets the ideas wishing to be communicated across in any case.

Next: Shelf layout.

Regards

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## rogue zombie

The only thing that annoys me is the 'Jack in Durban just bought this' pop ups.

"Thats fan-freekin-tastic" is always going through my head when I see them.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2


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## Hooked

Raindance said:


> Keyboard, Check
> Screen, Check
> Coffee, Check
> 
> Here goes:
> For the purposes of this I think breaking it down in a couple of steps is called for. Also using a comparative approach between the virtual and B&M experience is thought to get the ideas across more prominently.
> 
> First up, *first contact*.
> When entering a store,stepping over the threshold, there are a few things that set the tone of ones perception of the store as well as lay the foundations of the clients perception of the remainder of his experience there.
> 
> Imagine having to wait for electronically operated doors to open and these take their leisurely time to first show any sign of reaction and then open at a snails pace. Once open wide enough for you to enter, (The doors still continuing to open behind you) you step in to be met with a cacophony of promotional displays which may or may not be related to what you are there for. Worst of all, once you find your way through these displays and promotional materials, the store layout remains maze like in appearance and no logical organizational pattern is easily apparent. Cash Converters (some), Dion Wired, HiFi Corruption, Edgars... I'll rather shop at Game and Macro, thanks.
> 
> What I want is to walk in the door and be able to immediately understand the layout, the total scope of products available and plan my path to the points of interest that were my motivation for going there in the first place. No, your Samsung curved TV range display may be nice but I am here to buy earphones and I can not see where I might find them because the displays are blocking my view. Also, where the hell is the info desk? The tills? About turn!
> 
> The same applies to virtual store environment. Opening a web page that takes ages to load due to a scrolling picture bar displaying mostly products that I am not here to look at, just to be confronted with these being displayed while the important stuff is still being loaded... Nooit man, I'm outta here, your'e wasting my time and data. And as we know Time is Money and so is Data. Oh! I forgot to add, when these pictures are different sizes and the page below them "jumps" up and down as it adjusts to their layout, you will never see me again.
> 
> A stores home page should be clearly but tastefully branded so I know where I am and display provide me with a clear and uncluttered path to the virtual "isles" i wish to take a look at. So this means I want to be met with a list of menu items representing these isles which clearly describes what I can find there. This without having to scroll down and search for it. It should be the central focus of the page. Below that static displays of promotional goods or links to certain areas of the site are welcome but until I have a proper understanding of my surrounds I will in fact not be paying any attention to them. Basic human nature.
> 
> The following is the perfect example of what I mean:
> View attachment 133985
> 
> It's all there is it not? I am not overpowered by anything and although there is a subscribe link and chat (Offline) link, they are out of the way and not obtrusive at all.
> 
> Next up:
> The menu's aka Isle layout. But that will need to be another post, this one is getting to long.
> 
> Regards



@Raindance An amusing, but sadly apt, description of what we go through on most vendors' websites.


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## Hooked

Raindance said:


> Keyboard, Check
> Screen, Check
> Coffee, Check
> 
> Here goes:
> For the purposes of this I think breaking it down in a couple of steps is called for. Also using a comparative approach between the virtual and B&M experience is thought to get the ideas across more prominently.
> 
> First up, *first contact*.
> When entering a store,stepping over the threshold, there are a few things that set the tone of ones perception of the store as well as lay the foundations of the clients perception of the remainder of his experience there.
> 
> Imagine having to wait for electronically operated doors to open and these take their leisurely time to first show any sign of reaction and then open at a snails pace. Once open wide enough for you to enter, (The doors still continuing to open behind you) you step in to be met with a cacophony of promotional displays which may or may not be related to what you are there for. Worst of all, once you find your way through these displays and promotional materials, the store layout remains maze like in appearance and no logical organizational pattern is easily apparent. Cash Converters (some), Dion Wired, HiFi Corruption, Edgars... I'll rather shop at Game and Macro, thanks.
> 
> What I want is to walk in the door and be able to immediately understand the layout, the total scope of products available and plan my path to the points of interest that were my motivation for going there in the first place. No, your Samsung curved TV range display may be nice but I am here to buy earphones and I can not see where I might find them because the displays are blocking my view. Also, where the hell is the info desk? The tills? About turn!
> 
> The same applies to virtual store environment. Opening a web page that takes ages to load due to a scrolling picture bar displaying mostly products that I am not here to look at, just to be confronted with these being displayed while the important stuff is still being loaded... Nooit man, I'm outta here, your'e wasting my time and data. And as we know Time is Money and so is Data. Oh! I forgot to add, when these pictures are different sizes and the page below them "jumps" up and down as it adjusts to their layout, you will never see me again.
> 
> A stores home page should be clearly but tastefully branded so I know where I am and display provide me with a clear and uncluttered path to the virtual "isles" i wish to take a look at. So this means I want to be met with a list of menu items representing these isles which clearly describes what I can find there. This without having to scroll down and search for it. It should be the central focus of the page. Below that static displays of promotional goods or links to certain areas of the site are welcome but until I have a proper understanding of my surrounds I will in fact not be paying any attention to them. Basic human nature.
> 
> The following is the perfect example of what I mean:
> View attachment 133985
> 
> It's all there is it not? I am not overpowered by anything and although there is a subscribe link and chat (Offline) link, they are out of the way and not obtrusive at all.
> 
> Next up:
> The menu's aka Isle layout. But that will need to be another post, this one is getting to long.
> 
> Regards



@Raindance I agree that @Sir Vape's layout is good, but his new arrivals are the ones to which I was referring in an earlier post - 80 pages of new arrivals. Not likely! Yes, one can sort them from the newest (I think that is the default sorting) but when I go to New Arrivals I expect to see New Arrivals ONLY. Surely the IT guys managing the site can separate New Arrivals from the other juice?


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## Smoke_A_Llama

1) State your shipping fees without me having to register and checkout to find out ... actually a deal breaker 

2) If it is out of stock and you're not planning to bring more stock in... take it off the damn site

Reactions: Agree 5


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## Carnival

When it comes to a vape website - for the most part I do look for a professional layout. If the website appears to be “slapped together” and poorly thought out I’m going elsewhere because it gives me the impression the owner(s) of the website/company may be chancers. Another reason why I don’t like web forms to submit queries. I want to see a working email address that I can use along with a telephone number and location details. 

When I arrive at a website, I head straight for the search function (if I know what I want) and if a website doesn’t have one, I normally leave in a hurry. Also, when using the search function, I don’t want to sort through pages and pages of irrelevant items to finally arrive at the product I’m after. I like search bars that, when you type in the item you’re looking for, it pops up. Vape Cartel have this feature.
Makes life a lot easier. 

Finally, exactly what @Smoke_A_Llama said - state your shipping fees!

That’s about it. If I think of anything else I’ll come back to post it here.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 1


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## Raindance

Hooked said:


> @Raindance I agree that @Sir Vape's layout is good, but his new arrivals are the ones to which I was referring in an earlier post - 80 pages of new arrivals. Not likely! Yes, one can sort them from the newest (I think that is the default sorting) but when I go to New Arrivals I expect to see New Arrivals ONLY. Surely the IT guys managing the site can separate New Arrivals from the other juice?


Agree @Hooked. I am actually very hesitant using examples like this because I do not want to compare one vendor to the next nor propose that one particular site is better than the next. In this case this is but one example of a good home page layout among possibly many others out there that apply the same principles.

Regards

Reactions: Like 1


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## Silver

Great posts @Raindance , thanks for taking the time to make all those comments. You explained it very well!

The issue of a site loading fast is important

Also want to touch on something @Carnival said :
For me to order something online from a company for the first time I want to see a *telephone number, a full physical address and an email address*. And they shouldn't be hidden or cryptic, they should be prominent and easy to find. If a website doesn't have those, i am very reluctant to place an order.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 6


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## Hooked

Raindance said:


> Agree @Hooked. I am actually very hesitant using examples like this because I do not want to compare one vendor to the next nor propose that one particular site is better than the next. In this case this is but one example of a good home page layout among possibly many others out there that apply the same principles.
> 
> Regards



@Raindance Competition is good and comparisons might lead to improvements


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## Hooked

Smoke_A_Llama said:


> 1) State your shipping fees without me having to register and checkout to find out ... actually a deal breaker
> 
> 2) If it is out of stock and you're not planning to bring more stock in... take it off the damn site



@Smoke_A_Llama I buy from many different vendors and it's never been necessary to register in order to find out what the shipping policy is. If you can't find it on the site, just google the vendor's name and shipping policy and google will take you right to it, without passing GO.

I agree about your comment re stock - sometimes the out of stock item is left on the website for MONTHS!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Smoke_A_Llama

Hooked said:


> @Smoke_A_Llama I buy from many different vendors and it's never been necessary to register in order to find out what the shipping policy is. If you can't find it on the site, just google the vendor's name and shipping policy and google will take you right to it, without passing GO.
> 
> I agree about your comment re stock - sometimes the out of stock item is left on the website for MONTHS!



True, but even then most of the times the shipping policy just states the usual jargon 
about delivery times and outlying areas


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## Hooked

Smoke_A_Llama said:


> True, but even then most of the times the shipping policy just states the usual jargon
> about delivery times and outlying areas



@Smoke-A-Llama Can you cite an example?


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## Smoke_A_Llama

Vikings, clyrolinx, atomix, house of vape etc...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Hooked

Smoke_A_Llama said:


> Vikings, clyrolinx, atomix, house of vape etc...



Yep, you're quite right!


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## KieranD

Good points raised above  

Over the course of the next couple days I will be adding sub sections under the ALL LOCAL E-LIQUIDS and ALL INTERNATIONAL E-LIQUIDS to show flavour categories as well  Please bear with me, with over 450 individual flavours to get through it will take some time to get it done  

Also clearing up old/redundant stock in all the categories

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 9


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## Silver

KieranD said:


> Good points raised above
> 
> Over the course of the next couple days I will be adding sub sections under the ALL LOCAL E-LIQUIDS and ALL INTERNATIONAL E-LIQUIDS to show flavour categories as well  Please bear with me, with over 450 individual flavours to get through it will take some time to get it done
> 
> Also clearing up old/redundant stock in all the categories



Great to hear @KieranD !
Will be awesome if the community tips can help you improve your website

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Carnival

KieranD said:


> Good points raised above
> 
> Over the course of the next couple days I will be adding sub sections under the ALL LOCAL E-LIQUIDS and ALL INTERNATIONAL E-LIQUIDS to show flavour categories as well  Please bear with me, with over 450 individual flavours to get through it will take some time to get it done
> 
> Also clearing up old/redundant stock in all the categories



WINNER!!! Cartel ROCKS!

Reactions: Agree 2 | Thanks 1


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## Rafique

1. Stop asking me to enter my email to subscribe (pop up)
2. ensure the site is updated regularly
3. moving pictures

Its like most vendors looked at one website and went with the same concept.

I like a full site when many options to search.

I would also like if liquids are categorised eg desserts, menthol, fruity ice, fruity etc instead of by maker

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Hooked

KieranD said:


> Good points raised above
> 
> Over the course of the next couple days I will be adding sub sections under the ALL LOCAL E-LIQUIDS and ALL INTERNATIONAL E-LIQUIDS to show flavour categories as well  Please bear with me, with over 450 individual flavours to get through it will take some time to get it done
> 
> Also clearing up old/redundant stock in all the categories


 
It's wonderful when someone takes complaints and suggestions on board. I take the cap off my juice bottle to you @KieranD !

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


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## RichJB

Rafique said:


> 1. Stop asking me to enter my email to subscribe (pop up)



And please stop asking us to like your store on FaceBook.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Winner 1


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## Gizmo

We take tremendous pride in making sure our website is as cutting edge as possible. I personally work on it on a daily basis. Based on your feedback we have removed the following and added the following:

_Removed:
Pop-up of last purchases_

_Added:
Category based on flavour profile. Please advised we working on this continously. But have started the process.
_
As for quickview we have had this since 2014. Here is how to use it on our new website.

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 7


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## Rob Fisher

Brilliant @Gizmo! I noticed it this morning and also the "Latest Arrivals" has moved to a more prominent spot! Chicken Dinner!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Gizmo

As for other features suggested here we already have:

Suggestive search ( as you type it brings down live results )
Filtering for in stock only ( Has been active since 2015 )
Minimized Categories ( we fully belive in making it as less clicks as possible to get you where you want to be )
Automated Free Shipping based on value ( Since 2013 - no code required )

Need further discussion: 

We would like to enable QTY on hand for you but we fear it gives out too much information from a pure security point of view. From competitors to criminals.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Winner 4


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## Carnival

Nice improvements!! @Gizmo Thank you!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Gizmo

We have also enabled a handy alphabetical list of products that.

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1


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## Stroodlepuff

Gizmo said:


> We have also enabled a handy alphabetical list of products that.



that what huh?

Reactions: Funny 9


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## Stroodlepuff

just a quick note, the sorting of liquids by flavour profile, I am about 1/4 of the way done, we have a ton of flavours so bear with us while we get them all sorted

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 6


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## Stosta

Gizmo said:


> ...
> Need further discussion:
> 
> We would like to enable QTY on hand for you but we fear it gives out too much information from a pure security point of view. From competitors to criminals.



What if you just show QOH if there are say... Less than 10 units available, otherwise it can just show as "in stock"?

I think you only really want to know QOH as a customer if there is a fear it will be sold out within a certain period of time?

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3


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## RenaldoRheeder

Well done @Gizmo 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 1


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## daniel craig

Hooked said:


> 1) No pop-ups!
> 
> 2) Juice should be categorised according to flavour profile. (See Drip Society's well-organised website for a good example. @Cruzz_33. I don't want to waste time scrolling through everything, when I'm looking for something in the Bakery line.
> 
> 3) List new arrivals separately. By "new" I mean the past few weeks or so. The Vape Industry's website gives a good example of new arrivals @Naeem_M. On the other hand, there's a vendor whose "Just Arrived" section consists of 80 pages. Clearly they are not all new!
> 
> 4a) ALL info about the juice must be there *without having to click to go to another page.*
> When I say ALL info I include:
> Flavour description
> Nic strengths available
> *VG/PG!*  Many vendors do not state this on the website. Why not? As consumers we have the right to know what we are ordering.
> Bottle size available
> Price
> 
> 4b) For International Juice, the country of origin should be stated. It makes it interesting.
> 
> 5) The website must be kept up to date regarding what is in stock. It's frustrating and disappointing to receive a phone call the next morning informing you that an item which you ordered, and was not marked as being out of stock on the website, is out of stock.
> 
> 6) All vendors should offer loyalty points and it must be easys to find out how the loyalty system works.
> How many loyalty points do I receive for every Rand spent? What is the conversion of loyalty points to Rands? Do 10 points = R10?
> 
> 7) Suggestion: Offer a birthday voucher to customers who have spent a minimum of X amount over the past year.
> 
> 8) Suggestion: Offer *Snapscan or Zapper* as payment options. These are the "modern" way of paying and it's sooooooo much easier than PayGate etc.
> 
> *EDIT:* The minimum expenditure required for free shipping should be reasonable e.g. R500. Some vendors have a minimum expenditure of R1,000 or R1,500 which is unreasonable!


@Cruzz_33 Has the best website

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Silver

Congrats @Gizmo and @Stroodlepuff on the changes

Removing that little box that says who bought what is GREAT! Thank you!

As for showing stock quantity, I am in agreement with @Stosta - you only need to know if it will be out of stock soon

Good luck with the juice flavour classification. That must be a huge job!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Stroodlepuff

Silver said:


> Congrats @Gizmo and @Stroodlepuff on the changes
> 
> Removing that little box that says who bought what is GREAT! Thank you!
> 
> As for showing stock quantity, I am in agreement with @Stosta - you only need to know if it will be out of stock soon
> 
> Good luck with the juice flavor classification. That must be a huge job!



We do have this on the initial view of the products, see below example, we will look into adding it to the actual page for each product too.





With regards to the flavor classifications, got them all done this afternoon, most of them were already categorized by flavor as we use digital juice menus in store and we had to work out the classifications for the menus so I just copied the menus classifications, it just took a bit of time to move them into the correct categories.

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1


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## Hooked

Silver said:


> Congrats @Gizmo and @Stroodlepuff on the changes
> 
> Removing that little box that says who bought what is GREAT! Thank you!
> 
> As for showing stock quantity, I am in agreement with @Stosta - you only need to know if it will be out of stock soon
> 
> Good luck with the juice flavour classification. That must be a huge job!



@Silver @Gizmo @Stroodlepuff Oh but classifying the juice is a lovely job! I've got all mine classified on spreadsheets. Much easier than scrounging around in a cupboard trying to figure out how many custards I have!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Hooked

@Gizmo @Stroodlepuff Thanks for being willing to make changes. We spoke. You heard. *You listened. *

Reactions: Like 2


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## Hooked

Stosta said:


> What if you just show QOH if there are say... Less than 10 units available, otherwise it can just show as "in stock"?
> 
> I think you only really want to know QOH as a customer if there is a fear it will be sold out within a certain period of time?



@Stosta When I see that I don't necessarily believe it - it could be a marketing ploy. Oooh only 3 left - I'd better buy one NOWf!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Hooked

As far as payment options are concerned, @Vapers Corner is the *WINNER!* 

Thank you for SnapScan and Zapper!

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2 | Winner 1


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## KieranD

Vape Cartel Loyalty Program

Hi Guys and Girls 
We have run a successful Loyalty program in our stores unfortunately linking it to the web store has proven problematic - UNTIL NOW

We have integrated a new loyalty program that integrates both in store (Meyersdal and Greenside) as well as online. 
Customers will earn 5% back on their purchases done at these outlets. The Cape Town store will continue with the instore SureSwipe program as normal  

At the Meyersdal and Greenside stores, the SureSwipe cards will be falling away and these points will be transferred to customers accounts

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 2


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## Asif

Smoke_A_Llama said:


> 1) State your shipping fees without me having to register and checkout to find out ... actually a deal breaker
> 
> 2) If it is out of stock and you're not planning to bring more stock in... take it off the damn site



EXACTLY!! also if you are going to give free shipping it should automatically load on your checkout. It should not be hidden, you should not have to enter a code that you can only find if you read the small print.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Hooked

This must be the worst website that I've come across. There are no flavour descriptions whatsoever! Within each brand there is a drop-down menu of juice names, as well as a paragraph of juice names on the same page. What about the names that are not self-descriptive? One has to google the juice name in order to find out what flavour it is. I'm certainly not going to waste my time and data doing that! Hell, no!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Hooked

Vendors, please make sure that your search function takes one to the correct item or at least tells you that no items were found. On one of the websites I searched for "coffee" under e-liquids and yes, it displayed one coffee, along with two mods! Sales pitch? Sales loss!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Hooked



Reactions: Funny 4


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## Pho3niX90

This is a brilliant initiative and thread for all involved, it makes the end users happier and keeps the blood pressure low, and helps us vendors give you the best browsing and shopping experience available. 

I will be following this thread closely, and spend the next couple of hours awake with some coffee, and makes some drastic changes!

Thanks to everyone for their input.

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 2


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## Silver

Pho3niX90 said:


> This is a brilliant initiative and thread for all involved, it makes the end users happier and keeps the blood pressure low, and helps us vendors give you the best browsing and shopping experience available.
> 
> I will be following this thread closely, and spend the next couple of hours awake with some coffee, and makes some drastic changes!
> 
> Thanks to everyone for their input.



Great to hear @Pho3niX90 
If this feedback can help you make some improvements then everyone wins

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Silver

While we're on this topic i just want to highlight something

Pretty sure its been mentioned in commentary before on this thread, but to me its worth mentioning again.

What irritates me is seeing a product in the product listing, getting excited and clicking on it - only to find on the detailed product page that its actually sold out and not available. 
It should say on the listing page that its sold out.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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