The Web Site

mreese · Post by **mreese** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:42 pm

OK, so I've read a few comments about the web site and how difficult it is to navigate but I really think Shopsmith is hindering itself. There are amazing resources available, the Sawdust Sessions, this forum, the catalog, tips etc.... but it is very difficult to navigate. In this age of internet using buyers it is crucial that Shopsmith have a clear web presence to show people the support offered the users of this machine.

A good example is this... how do you click to get in to the catalog with all its wonderful information? That is, get to any pages "http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/AnythingHere" such as one of my favorites
"http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... ackage.htm"
which, by the way, started all of this since it lists high speed steel bits and in other places the package contains carbide tipped blades. When I ordered on the phone the other day I was asking about this but couldn't explain to the very knowledgeable person how to get to that page. It's taken me a day to figure it out again. Searching the part number brings up a different page with a different description.

Clicking the "catalog" on the title bar on the owners site gives you a list of catalogs. Choosing the Accessory Catalog brings you back where you started. The drop down menu item does the same thing, simply reloading the page you are on. I believe that you are trying to get people to
"http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... tindex.htm"
So ever since I've been a Shopsmith user, nobody on the web can click to look at the web based catalog.

The only way to find a product is to get back to http://www.shopsmith.com and do a word search for the item. Note also that after using the "Accessory Catalog" link (which just reloads the page), the upper left hand Shopsmith logo doesn't take you back to the main page when you click it, so now you are stuck. In addition, there really should be the same word search on the owners site for the catalog instead of limiting it to an item number search. You are looking for something, so you don't know the item number.

I found this very confusing as a new user. I didn't order anything for several months. It sounds silly but each time I would return to the site to look at my options and learn, I couldn't seem to find the same info I had been looking at previously. I rarely could even find the catalog index, the likely web starting point for learning and buying. It added a whole level of confusion to the process and would discourage many.

When I did get to order I had as many questions on my order list as I did items. Despite that, the staff was great and the ordering process simple. I would have done it all online but there were several different prices givien on different pages as well as in the pdf catalog.

Maybe it's just me and my computer, I don't know. I'm not complaining, just trying to help a company and product that I like. I guess if I knew someone there I would send this privately but this might be a chance for other users to express their opinions and comments or teach me (and I assume others) how to get to the index of the web based catalog.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:27 pm

Mreese
I totally agree with you, Shopsmith is it's own worst enemy when it comes to it's web site. It is like Shopsmith wants to keep the ownersite secret and make finding an accessory a battle of wits. I'm also really tired of all the different prices. If the item is on sale, post the sales price and only the sale price. Each accessory part number should be clearly indexed and have one price but the regular or sale price.

The forum, sawdust sessions, parts catalogs, accessory catalogs would all be very very important factors in my decision to buy a Mark V. Their existence would help convince me that the Mark V was different that the normal run of the mill wood working equipment.

I don't know who had Shopsmith Managment's ears but I wish Management would start listening to us owners and what convinced us to buy Shopsmith.
I have heard all kinds of reasons for why people buy Shopsmiths and frankly those factors played a very little role in why I and many of my friends bought Shopsmiths.

I would say the biggest reason I bought the Shopsmith was because of the Shopsmith comunity. At the time the community was centered around customer service, the HandsOn magazines and traveling academies. Today the community is the website, the forums, the saw dust sessions and Nick and Drew and their willingness to insure Shopsmith owners have the
knowledge and resources they need to enjoy woodworking.

Therefore I think a potential customer should be exposed to the resources made available to him when he buys a Shopsmith. This includes world class customer service, a community of users that will offer encouragement, information, help, and suggestions to help him enjoy his hobby. Throw in Shopsmith's accesories catalog showing all that is available to him to support his new hobby. Plus the sales catalogs, complete part and service manuals and even in many cases the offer for onsite help from other local owners should he need it and it is physically possible. Include in this Shopsmith's libraries of plans, ideas, pictures of completed projects, along with excellent training from the academies, Sawdust sessions and informative post on the forum. If the potential customer isn't convinced the Shopsmith is the best machine for him he has to be convinced that if he buys it he become part of the a family of Shopsmith owners who will give him the help, guidances and friendship to make his hobby enjoyable and fulfilling.

Shopsmith keeps this all hidden behind the mysterious Owners pages for reasons unknown to me and I think everyone else.
If it were my website I would put a link to the owners site with a huge title on the shopsmith home page, so that someone thinking about buying a Shopsmith could see all the resources available to him and how tight of community Shopsmith owners are.

If Shopsmith is serious about turning the company around and becoming more visible on the internet they need to redo Shopsmith.com and let all the things us owners value become decision factors to help a potential customer to decide to buy a Shopsmith. Plus make it easier for us that own Shopsmiths to find what is we need, what is on sale that we may want and what is new in the Shopsmith arena today.
Ed

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:47 am

Ed in Tampa wrote:"...If Shopsmith is serious about turning the company around and becoming more visible on the internet they need to redo Shopsmith.com and let all the things us owners value become decision factors to help a potential customer to decide to buy a Shopsmith. Plus make it easier for us that own Shopsmiths to find what is we need, what is on sale that we may want and what is new in the Shopsmith arena today.
Ed

Well said Ed!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:23 pm

Actually, Shopsmith is listening. Many of us here in Dayton agree that the web site, which is becoming an increasingly important part of both our marketing and educational efforts, is not up to specs. Within the next week or two, we will have a meeting specifically to discuss what improvements we should make to the site and how to proritize those improvements since we don't have the manpower to get them done all at once. We appreciate your comments and would like more. What improvements would you like to see? Of those, what do you think is most important?

With all good wishes,

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:27 pm

Nick:

Speaking as a businessman (retired), the most important improvement Shopsmith needs to attend to is to make it easier to find what you are looking for, and to quickly get to the point of purchase. I've been registered with Shopsmith for a God awful time, yet, when I click on "enter order" and type in my user name and password, for some reason my name, address, ect doesn't come up automatically. I have to type in all this information every time I order.

Also, when I add items to the "cart" they don't stay there very long. If you want to think about your purchase for awhile, or check something else out, the "cart" is sure to be empty when you come back. On some other sites where I make purchases, additions to the "cart" stay there for months.

I'll also re-raise the point that I have made several times in the past, namely that someone who visits the site and is really interested in purchasing a Mk5 will have a tough time navagating to the point of purchase. I first brought this subject up to Moyra Hennesey back in '03 when I needed to purchase a second Shopsmith. New machines were not anywhere in any of the catalogs that I had received, or on Shopsmith's web site. At that time I related to Moyra, on the telephone, a word-by-word and blow-by-blow account of my attempts to purchase a Shopsmith from Lowes - but that is a different story that borders on Saturday Night Live type comedy.

But getting back to my attempt to purchase a new machine......
with my travels up and down I 75, I finally went into the retail store in Dayton and bought a re-furbed 505 demo and the upgrade to 520. I was beginning to wonder if Shopsmith wanted to sell new machines. It was at that visit that I met Moyra and pleaded with her to put the purchase of new machines on the web site. I also mentioned that it would be nice to have a forum. I didn't get a whole lot of positive response on either of these subjects.

Moving forward to '08, we are now getting to the point where our forum is attracting people who are interested in obtaining a Shopsmith. They are asking a lot of good questions, and many members are responding nicely. We don't mind doing our part to help sales - why don't you folks at Shopsmith get with it and make it easy for these prospects to find their way to point of purchase without having to wade through a quagmire. In business, nothing happens until a sale is made!

Really!!!

easterngray · Post by **easterngray** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:39 pm

I think the current web site is WAY too complicated and confusing.

Make it clean and simple, with up to date photographs and videos of the Shopsmith and SPT's.

Let users sign in and have not only a shopping cart, but a "wish list" that they can put stuff on and that will remain for future visits when they can purchase.

Let us know when an item is on back order!!

Link to the Forum from the home page.

and keep up the good work!!!

Thanks for the opportunity to give input!

Alec

mreese · Post by **mreese** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:57 pm

Aloha

If you are looking for suggestions for improvement then there is something that should be done immediately, not after the meeting in a few weeks.

1. You should immediately fix the Accessory Catalog link on the Owners Site. It doesn't work. There is something wrong with the link to http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/index.htm
That page apparently doesn't exist. Clicking that Accessory Catalog link takes you back to
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/index.htm

Nobody can click their way in to the web based Accessory Catalog! If they can not get to the Accessory Catalog then they they won't be ordering anything from it. I would think that SS would be extremely concerned about this.

2. You should immediately fix the upper left hand corner Shopsmith logo link on the Owners Site. The link does not work. You can't get back to http://www.shopsmith.com, the only place to try a word search to see if you can find some random backdoor entry in to the web based Accessory Catalog.

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:36 pm

How about one price for one item. I would be fired on the spot if I suggested offering multiple prices for the same item to different people, it may even violate the Robinson-Patman Act. I never know if I am getting the best deal, so many times I do nothing. Sometime people on the forum tell about deals and when people go to the Shopsmith site they can't find the deal.

I get many emails from Shopsmith, some days I get two or three.
I seem to be on a mailing list for people that don't own a shopsmith and two for people that do own Shopsmith. The Smithy emails looks old and still show a 500 with small tables and round rails. If you are going to try to improve sales you need people who are not customers to take another look and people who are to by more accessories. Nicks online classes have convinced me to do the later now Shopsmith needs to apply some energy to the former by updating the information you provide and how you provide it.

solicitr · Post by **solicitr** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:55 pm

A very minor quibble, but one which indicates the disorganization of the site as it stands- if you follow the links to "Mark V Serial Numbers", you'll go to the bottom of the History page where the serial #'s by year are given. But there is also a serial number table by production by month on the site- hidden in the FAQ of all places! The Shopsmith's leading virtues are that it's clever and efficient: the website does not reflect those virtues.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:16 am

This really is minor, but other web sites have them: Wish lists, that stay loaded with your items, that you can come back to, and they are still there an hour, a day, a week, even a month later.