We've got a new web site almost ready to go live. We're headsets.com
and the site sells, you've guessed it, headsets.  I want someone to
review the site from a "user perspective" and give me feedback.  Our
typical user is a person in a business buying headset/s for themselves
or for others.  Sometimes they know what they want, sometimes they
don't. I'd like to get three different reviewers to go through common
tasks and explain whether it was easy or hard.  I'll happily pay for
THREE reviews, so i've posted this three times (if it will allow me).
CLARIFICATION; we're want to get feedback from a USERS viewpoint
rather than a Web designers or techincal viewpoint. One thing, the
search will not work until we actually go live, so it will be of no
help to you. Fortuantely we have alternate ways to find what you are
looking for. Please report any bad links, broken images, missing
prices, etc.
 
So without further ado, please follow this link:
"http://www.headsets.com/newsite.html". This will set a cookie that
keeps you in the "new site". Then click on the link
"www.headsets.com". This will take you to the "new" homepage. Please
tell us your first impressions; things that stick out or draw your
eye, things that you think are missing or things you didn't think
belonged on a site that sold headsets. Then I would like you to go
perform 5 common tasks that our users face:
 
1. All you know is that headsets let you talk on the phone hands-free.
Where would you go to find a headset right for you?
 
2. Return to the homepage. OK, now find a headset for your Nokia 8000
Series phone.
 
3. Return to the homepage. OK, your company has an AT&T Definity
multi-line phone system. How much is the corded headset and wireless
headset that will work with it?
 
4. Return to the homepage. OK, you saw the Plantronics Encore Binaural
Headset (H101) in our catalog and want to buy it, but you want to know
what "Binaural" means. Where would you look? (remember you do not have
the luxury of the search)
 
5. And finally, how would you find out how much we charge for shipping
and what our return policy is.
 
Thanks for your time.

Hi headsetsdotcom,
 
Please tell us your first impressions; things that stick out or draw your 
eye, things that you think are missing or things you didn't think
belonged on a site that sold headsets. Then I would like you to go
perform 5 common tasks that our users face:

My very first impression was that I liked it for these reasons:

1) professional looking
2) not too "busy"
3) no flashy graphics
4) loaded fast
5) nice colours
6) customer service seems to be important to you

After staying awhile, I still liked it:

1) nice logo
2) Live Help available
3) guarantee up front
4) your address and phone number upfront
5) international orders possible
6) take credit cards
7) quite a bit of info but not a huge page - easy to scan around
8) yes, customer service is definitely important to you
9) toll-free number available 
10) I like the addition of the Buyer's Guide alot - you don't just
have stuff for sale
11) Weekly Special - good idea
12) The little blurbs for the "Are you looking for..." items are good.

Suggestions:
1) "last updated" date
2) 60-day Money Back Guarantee & 100% Satisfaction Guarantee (check
spelling - guaruntee)
3) I like the fact you have the guarantee up front, but perhaps it is
a bit too much - there are six buttons and six links advertising
'free' and 'money back' and 'guarantee' and 'satisfaction'.
Personally, I would get rid of half of them, either the buttons or the
links. I'm left with a nagging feeling that your business gets alot of
items returned. It would be better to emphasize the positive, rather
than the negative. In fact, couldn't the "100% Satisfaction", "60-Day
Money Back Guarantee", and "Free Return Shipping" be combined into
one, simply called "Our Guarantee"?
5) "Why buy from Headsets.com?" Your response is the guarantee, etc.
Wouldn't your first response be for the quality of your products?
4) How about moving the "Satisfied Customers" down and moving the
"Weekly Specials" up (switching them)? That way, the Weekly Specials
would be up on that top row of "Are you looking for...". A definite
eye catcher.

1. All you know is that headsets let you talk on the phone hands-free. 
Where would you go to find a headset right for you? 

New to Headsets? 

Headset Wizard, what a fabulous idea. 
  
2. Return to the homepage. OK, now find a headset for your Nokia 8000
Series phone.

Sorry, I looked for ten minutes and couldn't find Nokia mentioned anywhere.

I tried again later and still couldn't find it.

3. Return to the homepage. OK, your company has an AT&T Definity 
multi-line phone system. How much is the corded headset and wireless 
headset that will work with it? 

Plantronics Corded Headsets sorted by Manufacturer (24 models shown)
$44.95 - $29.95
Plantronics Avaya LKA10 Wireless Headset System $349.95
(took about one to two minutes to find both)
  
4. Return to the homepage. OK, you saw the Plantronics Encore Binaural 
Headset (H101) in our catalog and want to buy it, but you want to know 
what "Binaural" means. Where would you look? (remember you do not have 
the luxury of the search) 

Buyer's Guide: Glossary 
A style of headset with speakers for both ears. Typically these offer
the user a greater degree of caller focus.
  
5. And finally, how would you find out how much we charge for shipping 
and what our return policy is.

Shipping: "Free 3-day Shipping" button.

Return Policy: I clicked on the "100% Guarantee" button at the bottom
of the page at first. It didn't really explain the nuts & bolts of
your return policy, so I tried the "Free Return Shipping" button,
which was the better button to push.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to test your website, I
enjoyed it. Except for not being able to find a headset for the Nokia,
everything went well. It's obvious you have put alot of thought and
work into your site and it is a job well done. Most importantly, I now
know more about headsets than I did before I started work on your
question! Hurry up and get it "Live" in time for all of those
Christmas shoppers!

If you have some supplemental questions for me, I will be happy to
have another look.

Sincerely,
hummer

Great answer, you kept me informed on your thought process as you went
through the tasks, which is more important to me that if you answered
correctly.

Generally speaking.. why not show BBB and BIZrate more prominently.. I
somehow always like to do business with BBB certified companies :)

Why not accept PayPal.. my impulsive trait always gets better of me..
if the site accepts PAYPAL :)

I did not read the answers above.. so if the above points are
mentioned somewhere, please ignore my comments. :)

Hi rkm100,

Good thought about showing BBB and BIZrate more prominently, I agree.

In regards to accepting PayPal, my personal feeling is a negative one.
If I have two similar websites in front of me, one accepts PayPal and
the other has their own merchant accounts with credit card companies,
I will use the merchant with their own accounts every time - to me, it
is a sign that they are serious about their business and do what needs
to be done to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Anybody and
everbody can have a PayPal account - merchants accounts are not as
easy to come.
Also, I find it annoying when a seller lists Visa, M/C and PayPal on
their site, but what they really mean is PayPal accepts Visa and M/C.
In this case, the buyer gives their credit card info to PayPal (a
third party) and they make the transaction, not the merchant. In
regards to www.headsets.com, given their extraordinary efforts to
offer personal service, I wouldn't expect them to use a third party
for payments.

Thanks for your comments,
hummer

Handsome :)

Accept PayPal.. in addition to your existing.. and believe me !!! you
would be surprised with the results :)

Moreover, I would like you to use Amazon honor system as well 
http://www.amazon.com/honor

What matter is Sales.. (our feelings apart).. give them flexibility.. :)

Sign up here for PayPal Merchant account, in case you don't already have one..
https://www.paypal.com/mrb/pal=3PJPSBFXYC2XN

Do a test run for a Month and then take a call :)

Thank you, rkm100, I appreciate all. Good luck with your website. 

Sincerely, hummer