We just launched our new E-Commerce Site Today

[Luremaker]

Ken, not sure if this would work for you but here is a link to a clickable map creator. It is real easy to use and it creates all the scripts to upload to your site. You can create a separate link for each state or zone. ie someone clicks on MI and you can have a page with all the depots etc. You would only create the links once then all you would have to do is update the individual state or zone page when necessary. You can make the map any size you wish. Very professional looking.

Create a Clickable Map - A Quick and Free Way to Generate a Clickable Map Online

I accidentally posted this reply on the wrong thread and I am posting it here. Sorry for the double post.

 

[Wesdor]

Regarding the map:
I'm using an iPad at the moment and it loads almost instantly. Nice job on the site

 

[sweettractors]

Regarding the map:
I'm using an iPad at the moment and it loads almost instantly. Nice job on the site

Thank you. I may downsize it about by 1/2 later on for customers that still have dial up or older IE browsers. Ken Sweet

 

[sweettractors]

Ken, not sure if this would work for you but here is a link to a clickable map creator. It is real easy to use and it creates all the scripts to upload to your site. You can create a separate link for each state or zone. ie someone clicks on MI and you can have a page with all the depots etc. You would only create the links once then all you would have to do is update the individual state or zone page when necessary. You can make the map any size you wish. Very professional looking.



Create a Clickable Map - A Quick and Free Way to Generate a Clickable Map Online

I accidentally posted this reply on the wrong thread and I am posting it here. Sorry for the double post.

Thanks, Great Source! I have it bookmarked for evaluation in a few weeks when I get caught up a little. Ken Sweet

 

[Don87]

Ken, look at the round baler/rake prices and you'll see a mistake on the figures. Most of those are :Our Price: $1,234,567.00. Other than that you have really made the web site much better.

Ken, I know you responded to this.............but I think you missed something.

Charolais said that the price for a baler from you is 1.2 million dollars..........according to your site.

Can you send me 3. Along with wrapping paper? I want to gift them out at Christmas.



EDIT: And I agree with mebudick. Anytime I see "call for pricing", I go to the next site on the list that has the price and shipping listed.

 

[MasseyWV]

This thread reeks of taking advice you like and ignoring advice you don't like, so why bother asking for input as it seems that you've already made up your mind?

 

[meburdick]

Actually, it appears that Ken has taken some of the comments to heart because the site has changed since the thread was started.

Ken - the site gives a much better "first impression" with the map moved to the bottom.

You're still "requiring the user" to select their shipping zone in order to get accurate pricing, shipping, and product availability. Have you considered using cookies to do this and popping up a zone map if the cookie isn't set? It's still kind of "clunky" to me.

Here's what I'm thinking...

User opens your site. Search for a cookie.. .If not set, pop up the zone map with a message similar to "choose your region in order to get the most up-to-date product and shipping costs". Give them a checkbox to remember the setting (cookie) as opposed to just a session-state variable that disappears when the close their browser.

Once the zone is chosen, display it in the upper-right ("Zone 2"), and make that a clickable link back to the map to set a different zone.

If the users chooses to remember the setting, then they don't get prompted the next time they visit (but they can still change the value).

 

[sweettractors]

Actually, it appears that Ken has taken some of the comments to heart because the site has changed since the thread was started.

Ken - the site gives a much better "first impression" with the map moved to the bottom.

You're still "requiring the user" to select their shipping zone in order to get accurate pricing, shipping, and product availability. Have you considered using cookies to do this and popping up a zone map if the cookie isn't set? It's still kind of "clunky" to me.

Here's what I'm thinking...

User opens your site. Search for a cookie.. .If not set, pop up the zone map with a message similar to "choose your region in order to get the most up-to-date product and shipping costs". Give them a checkbox to remember the setting (cookie) as opposed to just a session-state variable that disappears when the close their browser.

Once the zone is chosen, display it in the upper-right ("Zone 2"), and make that a clickable link back to the map to set a different zone.

If the users chooses to remember the setting, then they don't get prompted the next time they visit (but they can still change the value).

Of course, I take all feedback into consideration. I have added another hyperlink at the top of all the pages (in the blue area) that takes you to the Zone map. I Changed the wording somewhat around the map on the homepage and now compiling a list of all of our terminals in the lower 48 broken down state by state. This will eliminate the need for the customer to contact us to check where all terminals are that are close to him (if he chooses terminal delivery). I have thought about a flash page, however, that would only work as visitors come via the home page of the site. Most of what I am working on now will stay with the site pages, no matter which page you go to. I am going to keep fine tuning and eventually will do some design work when I am finished to polish it up a little. Keep those suggestions coming. I appreciate them. Ken Sweet

 

[MasseyWV]

Of course, I take all feedback into consideration.

Then you might consider making your website cross-browser compatible. It's a mess in Firefox, and the map image is still HUGE. It's also worth considering image sizes and how they affect people who have dialup connections. Personally, I have a big internet "pipe" so it matters not to me, but to someone with 56k connection speeds, your website will be a nightmare to download and view.

 

[sweettractors]

Then you might consider making your website cross-browser compatible. It's a mess in Firefox, and the map image is still HUGE. It's also worth considering image sizes and how they affect people who have dialup connections. Personally, I have a big internet "pipe" so it matters not to me, but to someone with 56k connection speeds, your website will be a nightmare to download and view.

I took 100 X 100 off the map this afternoon. I can go some smaller, however, a lot of my customers are older and do not see as well as they once did. Sometime, I just have to split the difference. I have talked to several firefox users that said it looked fine. I will keep my ears open on that one. Ken Sweet