The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly.....

Isn't it amazing how some websites are absolutely fascinating and captivating - they are well-designed, appealing to the eye, inviting and welcoming.... They draw you in and you never want to leave...
While others - oh dear, you just want to leave IMMEDIATELY and never go back! The problem arises when a consumer has to remain on a bad website because it is the only show in town for that particular product.

So let's discuss the Bad and the Ugly first ......

1) http://www.tectorch.com, the website for TEC Welding Products, Inc.
This is one website that has BIG problems, really too many to count. This website has the feeling of having been around for a long time, a very lo-o-o-ng time.......!
Four of the most obvious problems for visitors are-
1) the Home page - really, did this business have to put literally everything AND then the figurative kitchen sink as well on the home page??? and, actually, the whole website in general. Very confusing.
2) very small font - a person needs a magnifying lens to read the content  - if you really wanted to!
3) contact details at the bottom of the page - nowhere else. Why not at the top? Do they not want people to call or email them- maybe THAT is why they have everything on their website!
4) home page button only at bottom at the different pages - this website gives a person a workout! You can't even go back to the home page without having to go to the bottom....
What needs to be improved? -  Everything - probably the best thing would be to start over again. However, this is a website selling welding products. Maybe it does not need to be aesthetically pleasing for welding guys (and girls) but I am sure that they would want a more user-friendly website! I think that at least the users would like the contact details up at the top of the page so they don't have to scroll all the way down to the bottom for them. Just my opinion...

2) http://www.apple.com, the website for Apple.
OMG, you gasp, not Apple, not our god...! Oh yes, I was quite frankly disappointed when I went to the website. Yes, it is clean and glitzy but, to me, it is boring. And, by the way, I own an IPhone so I am not anti-Apple. I may be a bit controversial with this, and yes, I definitely can hear the hyperventilating of some of the readers as they are perusing this section of my screed for this week! I found that the different pages sometimes took time to load due to the graphics. (Hey, don't tell me my server is slow and it is the reason for this - please tell it directly to AT&T). Maybe the site was a little too sterile for my tastes. Or maybe I have become jaded and everything Apple looks the same now - the brand has lost its unique edgy look because it is ubiquitous. What could help this website? Apple, please release something that does not look rehashed - a different color and plastic (really?) doth not make an exciting new product!

Now for the Good.....
1) http://www.swagelok.com, the website for Swagelok.
Even though it is an industry website that I would not normally visit, this website was attractive to me. Very well laid out with good use and mixture of text and photos. The graphics aid the text, they don't interfere. The website is easy to navigate, with clear headings. On every page a visitor knows how to contact the company. The pages load quickly. It is easy to bookmark and share about this company on many social media sites. The logo is simple but aesthetically pleasing. This was a website that I wanted to remain on and investigate. The good design and pleasing aesthetics definitely helped. Swagelok, please, please, please give the name of your web designer to TEC Welding....

2) http://www.apple.com
What - this website in both categories??? How can that be?? Because.... (normally I do not begin with a subordinating conjunction but Apple is a special case!) I must admit  that for most people this website would be really appealing - very clean, visually stimulating, and very easy to be directed to the right place. The site map is very user-friendly for all things Apple! The site gives the visitor lots of information about the different products. Most visitors to this website are expecting to see exactly what it gives them - the Brand that is Apple!

So design and aesthetics play a very important role in attracting visitors and making them want to stay on a website, especially if they do not know the brand.

Oh, by the way, when I looked at the Apple site a second time a day later, the pages loaded faster - interesting, huh? Must have been the Harvest Moon having some fun with technology on Wednesday night...