Product Page Layout - am I missing something?

[Wendy]

Hi all...........

This has been a problem for me in the past, so I re-designed the layout of my product detail pages.

I put the stock message up top, near the add to cart button. Yet, I get 10 calls a day asking if something is in stock.

Could someone please look at this page:

http://www.telescope-superstore.com/prod/celestron-91518.html

And give me some advice as to how I can better show this information in my current layout to avoid so many calls for "is this item in stock"?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Wendy :)

[Wendy]

hmm maybe it's my category layout that is causing the calls:

http://www.telescope-superstore.com/prod/telescope-mounts-celestron-all.html

Perhaps I should include the stock message on my cat pages too??

Wendy :)

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

You should have a stock message wherever you have a Add to Basket button...so, yea...out of stock on category pages too.

[Wendy]

Thanks Bruce!

So, in your opinion, the layout of the message on the Product Detial page is clear? I just need to add the same message to my cat pages?

Do you think I should add it in the same place -- right under the add to cart button??

Wendy :)

[Wendy]

PS -- some of the messages are long and will wrap on the cat pages if I put them under the add to cart button, which is why I didn't include them to being with......any other suggestion on where it would be best placed w/o wrapping -- or do you think the wrapping doesn't matter?

Wendy :)

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Well, you could use the "short" out of stock message on the cat page...use apprev. if you have too...wrapping should be that much of an issue...and yes, I would keep it in the same place (you could probably drop the word "Availablity...if you see something that says "Ships in 7 - 10 days"...that should be clear enough.

[Wendy]

Great! Thanks Bruce, I should have thought of that myself!

PS I'm not using Miva's stock inventory messages, it's a custom message. I hijacked an OUI field to put that message in because it changes 2-3 times a week and I have more stock messages than MM4 allows for. (I actually have MM's Inventory turned off)

So I use an OUI field and tokens to display the messages, and I import the messages based on inventory 2-3 times a week.

Wendy :)

[DesignExtend-MSI]

PS -- some of the messages are long and will wrap on the cat pages if I put them under the add to cart button, which is why I didn't include them to being with......any other suggestion on where it would be best placed w/o wrapping -- or do you think the wrapping doesn't matter?


Well, I wouldn't eve put the add to cart on the category page. With those items, I'd suspect you'd want people to read the product description before ordering. How many actual order right from the category screen first time around?

[Wendy]

Hi Pam!

I suspect most don't, but believe it or not, I had several customers give me "feedback" saying I should have the button there. One guy was really actually very nasty about - he basically told me that my site was the worst he had seen since he couldn't make a purchase from the cat page and a purchase required him to make another click. I know I'm too sensitive, but it did hurt my feelings and got me thinking about improving the shopability of the site.

I think part of the problem is that perhaps people browsing the site don't realize that they can click the product name in the middle to drill down to the product detail pages.

When I had a static site, I had a link that said "product details", but now using Miva and MO, I can only use the link with the product name on it.

Wendy :)

[Wendy]

Doesn't "stock" merchant have an add to cart and buy now button on the cat display pages?

[DesignExtend-MSI]

When I had a static site, I had a link that said "product details", but now using Miva and MO, I can only use the link with the product name on it.

If you're using the template modules, you simply put a details graphic there, with a link to the product - which you should have whether or not you have the Add button.

[DesignExtend-MSI]

Doesn't "stock" merchant have an add to cart and buy now button on the cat display pages?

Yes, it does. Doesn't mean all sites should use them. And very FEW sites should use the Buy One Now.

[Wendy]

an excellent idea! Thanks for the input Pamela!

If you're using the template modules, you simply put a details graphic there, with a link to the product - which you should have whether or not you have the Add button.

[Wendy]

So how about this? I put a graphic with a link to the product and the graphic says "product details & availability"? then I won't hafta put the stock message on the cat pages?

Would it hafta say "click here for product details & availability" or do you think the graphic alone would be clear enough? (I hate having to put "click here" on any link -- it's just a personal pet peeve)

Wendy :)

[DesignExtend-MSI]

I would still put the stock level on the cat page. Then just a DETAILS link.

[Wendy]

okay, i'll give it a try and see what happens. Thank you both for your time & input :)