Powersport Junkie is looking for feedback

[PSJBrock]

We have made it through the first year of business and with a struggling economy it was not easy. To try and make it a better year we are taking steps to improve our website. That is where you guys come in. We spend so much time on the day to day business stuff that we sometimes over look the front end and how easy it is for the end user to operate. If you would take the time to navigate the site and post up here what your suggestions are on how to change up the website.

We look forward to helping grow the Dirt Bike Addicts community and meeting new riding buddies.

Any and all criticism is welcome and we appreciate your support.

Check the site out here. www.powersportjunkie.com

 

[bobkyle2]

I was looking at your site last night, And its crazy to look search for parts, lol. When i search for parts by my bike it brought up like 350ish parts. And i could only get the first 100 to load on the page. (I might have been doing something wrong somewhere.)

Either way i will be hitting you up shortly for some parts and some engine tools.

 

[johnrunner]

I'll be honest as criticism is helpful to those WHO CAN take it and learn from it. And you seem like a good guy Brock so I'm sure you could. I have been on your site multiple times to just find myself getting kind of frustrated and going to another major off road site (E.g. Motorcycle-superstore, RMATV, etc.). And this doesn't mean I do not like you and your site because I would LOVE to support a DBA member's business (Plus I LOVE your sweet build reports...especially that 300 smoker ) . Luckily the times I've gotten frustrated on your site I was only window shopping so to say. I like to see what cool add on's are available for my scooter and what gear is on sale, so I often just browse. And sometimes I find myself buying stuff.

Your product listing style is less visually interactive compared to other sites. For example, on your site you list the different types of vehicles you have parts for on the left. You then click on the vehicle your interested in (e.g. dirt bike) and it takes you to a listing of items sold in regards to that vehicle. You click on that section (e.g. oil filters) and it takes you to ANOTHER listing of oil filter brands. At no point during this process have I seen product PHOTOS along side prices and other competing aftermarket products like you would see in another major site. IMHO, customers like to be able to click on a category (eg. protective gear) and then see a layout of products (which I mean with pictures of products with prices etc.) offered. Then from there, you can have different links along the side of the page to narrow your results (eg. knee guards, neck braces etc.) I understand once you click on the brand you like you MIGHT see a picture of the product at that point.

IMHO, people go shopping online to browse at things they are interested in and want to SEE products, not READ a listing of things offered.​

This leads me to another critique...

A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF YOUR LINKS READ...."

We found 0 results matching your criteria".​

You have tons of different product categories listed on your site. But several of them do not have any "criteria" offered and listed. For example, I click on locks, click on any of the listed brands and find "We found 0 results matching your criteria." This happens on SEVERAL of your products. I would assume this is due to your inventory system not stocking or listing all of the items you listed. If that's the case, simply do not have that section available, as having several links to dead ends is IMHO not good for business.​

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And maybe try carrying OEM replacement parts?​

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I'm not trying to bash on your site. I really want to see it do well and have your business do better. But in today's society, people like the easy way out. Tons of consumers in the last couple of years have switched over to online shopping due to convenience of never leaving home. And the number of online shoppers is only going to continue to grow as time goes on. And as business goes, so will the number of vendors. Those who offer the best experience (which include everything from a user friendly website to customer service) will continue to grow in all terms of business (customers, products, PROFITS) etc.​

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But don't get me wrong, your site is not horrible, but IMHO it could use a lot of "modernizing" to compete with the main guys. I love your "Deal of the Day" category as it sometimes gives consumers that extra push needed to pull the trigger on a purchase. Also like your free shipping and return policy as good customer service brings customers back.​

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Above all, my opinions are just that, opinions. So feel free to take everything with a grain a salt. I'm only a consumer that enjoys shopping online. However, I am a public relations major and like to speak my mind sometimes when people ask my opinion on a product or company But at the end of the day, your in control as it's your business and your in the drivers seat.​

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[PSJBrock]

Thanks you JR for your critique. We know that our site is not good for people that are "browsing" when we first started we posted every part number we list as a single page. This is good for search engine and things like that but I wont bore you with the technical stuff.

So our site focuses on the customer that knows what he wants. I.E. manufacture part number or supplier part number. We did this because it was the fastest way to get product on the site and easily found by number. BUT it isn't the ideal way for someone that is browsing.

Also we are "actively pursuing" an OEM parts avenue. There are some road blocks that we are trying to get around, like Microfiche, supply and other things.

So is it better to browse by bike model. As in put your year make and model in a search and the system produces a list of everything that fits your model. OR do we group the products together so you search "brake pads" and the brake pads you want comes up and then you select what model you want to fit?

 

[James]

Thanks you JR for your critique. We know that our site is not good for people that are "browsing" when we first started we posted every part number we list as a single page. This is good for search engine and things like that but I wont bore you with the technical stuff.

With how saturated the market is and with how the latest search algorithms work, I'd suggest putting emphasis on the user experience over SEO. My philosophy with SEO has always been to only do it if it doesn't effect user experience.

 

[PSJBrock]

With how saturated the market is and with how the latest search algorithms work, I'd suggest putting emphasis on the user experience over SEO. My philosophy with SEO has always been to only do it if it doesn't effect user experience.

This is also something we are discussing do we focus on making the site "very" user friendly and use that to bring google fidelity because the site is awesome or do we focus on SEO and worry about the site later? I do agree with you tho James we want to stand out in the market and not be among the masses.

 

[James]

This is also something we are discussing do we focus on making the site "very" user friendly and use that to bring google fidelity because the site is awesome or do we focus on SEO and worry about the site later? I do agree with you tho James we want to stand out in the market and not be among the masses.

In my opinion I'd for the most part focus solely on improving the user experience and then see if there's anything you can improve SEO wise that doesn't effect user experience. As you can tell from the comments above the "bad" user experience is one of the primary reasons that sales aren't happening. (BTW I agree with them)

Here's another way to look at it. SEO brings users to the site, however if the site is so hard to use that they end up leaving without making a purchase, what did you gain?

If you want a good example of a site with a great interface, look no further than motosport. However keep in mind that they've probably paid 6-7 figures for that.

 

[530ktm]

I just gave it a try and attempted to find some mirrors and bingo, no luck.

 

[Mihylo33]

Here is my opinion...
search has to be simple... Rmatv and Motosport are great because I can click and buy. Their search is simple... click on Engine parts, click on desired part type and Viola! 18 different choices for clutch plates or clutch parts.....
Brock you have given me some great prices on a few things and I am gonna buy them from ya to help support your business and DBA.......

 

[johnrunner]

Thanks for accepting the feedback Brock. As a quick followup, I know you want to focus on the SEO. And I'm sure you site does a good job of it by going of a part #. But the majority of customers do not know their part number prior to the purchase. For example, I, John Smith, want knee pads. I know Thor has those cool Force Guards that offer alot of protection. So I go online to search for them by name and picture. Not so much part number.

Part numbers are HUGE when someone is looking for OEM parts, as almost everyone classifies them by the OEM issued number. And I know you guys want stand out from the "masses", as stated but that isn't always the key to business. Kind of like the saying, "odd man left out".

I think a great way your company, as other great companies do, could stand out in a good way is via your customer service. You seem like a good guy and you can go along way with that. Make your customers feel appreciated for their business. How often do you hear of companies calling their previous customers back and confirming everything is okay? Not often, but when it does, how do you think the customer feels? I remember the first time that happened to me, and I tell you it made me feel good about the business and I continue to drive the extra distance to go there.

Online business is kind of like in store business in a way. Making sure your website clearly appeals to the customer is number one IMHO. Just like having an appealing business on Main street brings customers in. The second thing is once the customer is in the store/in the site, is making sure you do what is needed to keep them inside the business. And that is where customer service does it's part.

Then happy customers spread the word. Word of mouth is one of the best forms of business related public relations there is. Sometimes people get public relations and advertising confused. DOn't just find ways to promote your business, find ways to have other people to promote your business. That's good public/business relations.

 

[josmoloco]

Make it user friendly. I need a good search engine to be happy. If you were not on this site, I would never order from you.
You have great customer service, and good shipping times.