Crit Time: Our First Major E-commerce Site

**Dave A** · 29-Jun-12, 01:22 PM

Looks good!

I did notice one small thing though:

Click image for larger version.

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That highlighted bit is part of your header image - which links to the homepage.

Having the header image link to the home page is perfectly normal. However, I had thought the Cellphone contracts | Laptops | et al would be clickable links to categories and found clicking on them and keeping on getting the home page a little... disturbing. (Please pardon me, but old school web page design means this particular style of presenting text links is deeply ingrained in my psyche).

Once I'd figured out what was going on, I did regain my equilibrium

but I think it would be a good idea to turn those "not links" into category buttons. I doubt I'll be the only one that'll be foxed - and it introduces some useful functionality in a prime location.

**Mark Atkinson** · 29-Jun-12, 01:27 PM

Thanks Dave.

I think that's a good enough suggestion. Going to work on getting that done.

Initially those words weren't there at all - we added them simply to let visitors know at a glance what it is that BFore sells. I don't think we anticipated people actually trying to click on them. I can see how easily it could happen though.

**Arramack** · 29-Jun-12, 02:27 PM

Hi Mark,

The site looks good. My only beef is with the logo.

1) The exact same thing that Dave did, I did as well. I also tried to click on those "links".

2) I don't like that your logo is mirrored to the left. The first time I opened your website (even after reading your name as bfore.com), I struggled to read that logo. It really hurt my brain, so I just ignored it and continued on with the rest of the site.

I'm not sure if I am alone on this, but if more people feel this way it will probably lead to less people remembering the name, Bfore. Maybe make the left side of the logo (the inverted part), a little bit more transparent. I don't know if that will look bad.

**IMHO** · 29-Jun-12, 03:09 PM

For what it is worth, I liked the logo again. Different and make you pause to see what is going on, but only for a second, then you can carry on. So, a good thing in my book, as you are forced to look at the logo.

One crit. My first impression is that they sell cellphone contracts. If I was not compelled to look at the site via this thread, I would just have left, as I am locked in with Vodacom. (Where is the vomit icon).

**Mark Atkinson** · 03-Jul-12, 03:24 PM

Thanks, IMHO.

The logo is a combination of our initial concepts and the owner's own direction given. So there's not too much that can be done in this instance. The mirrored "B" is used as the symbol for Bfore throughout all its marketing efforts. I think it's easy enough to recognise.

Also, if that was your first impression them I am more than happy - because that's exactly what the focal point is supposed to be. They sell cellphone contracts. They sell them mainly to people who can't get contracts through the cellular providers due to their stringent requirements. They make it affordable by facilitating the financing of the phones, so your monthly payments end up at a similar point (sometimes slightly inflated) to those when going directly through MTN.