Keri, I like the suggested categories and groupings. However, I don't see a category for cannon parts, just for cannons. Should there be a separate sub-category for cannon parts (pins, springs, O-rings, etc)? Thanks!
Yes Steve I DO understand. I have owned/run my own company since 1993. I have to DO EVERYTHING related to it. Pay bills, invoice, design, manage sub-contractors.. the works. I also owned / ran a r/c hobby shop and track back in the 80's so there is NOTHING I don't understand in either area. As far as responding to Keri's response about the original request... if you are getting a lot of suggestions... perhaps that may provide some insight into what potential buyers want to see. As far as categories... I suggest as few as possible.. the website is very hard to follow in my opinion and I would suggest a few major headings that are logical... ships, electronics, hardware, Cannons, and Supplies then group the rest of it into headings at the top of those sub pages which is also all on 1 page. All you have to do is scroll down to find it. This would reduce the number of pages you have to maintain and make it VERY easy for users to find what they need based on logical categories. Batteries could be its own category but could logically be grouped with electronics. Firing boards could be listed on the cannon's page AND electronics. Folks that have no understanding of the hobby will not know what pneumatics is... and for that matter may not understand what hardware is... BUT with only a few pages the try.. and then listings at the top of each page that link to a page section lower in the page.. it wont be hard to figure out what each major heading means. So I hope I have more concisely answered your question and wish you the best. J
What the Strike site really needs is a section for affordable turnkey boats. If not that, complete sub-systems (especially cannon systems). The technical hurdles to get into this hobby are enormous and detailed pics of Clippard part XYZ won't help all that much. What I've learned in trying to commercialize the tank hobby is that there are people out there willing to spend money but they have no clue to the engineering aspects and it scares the crap out of them. They want to battle but when they look at a McSpuds build thread, they'll go out and buy a drone from HK instead (no disrespect to McSpuds of course ). To expand the hobby (and Strike's business) simplification is the answer. One of the reasons I thought up the three standard hulls for Steampunk was to address the hobby's complexity factor. Stock hulls would allow vendors like Strike and BC to provide turnkey boats (and possibility even make a profit at it). I applaud vendors like Strike and BC for even trying to make a go at this hobby which lets face it, isn't even a blip on the overall r/c hobby radar (if it was, HK would be selling combat boats).
Thanks, I do appreciate the feedback. I know I have trouble sometimes finding where things are on the site, and I'm the one that built it. Hoping to get this implemented this weekend. I'm also working on making the site be a responsive design, so it'll be better formatted on a phone or tablet.
On the original topic - I would suggest going with the least number of categories that makes sense, let people scroll through a page. Maybe put a section listing at the top of each page with links to anchors within. I like more pictures, but I like them more closely linked to the product info area. Right now there is commonly a large info dump and then pictures which forces a lot of back and forth. Maybe something to work on, but I wouldn't put it top of the list. You might consider setting up a little photo booth area near where you package orders, and snap photos of things you need pictures of as you assemble orders. I really don't see this happening. Conservatively, how many hours would it take Stephen to build a ship? He is basically a one-man show and hours spent building a single ship means hours not spent working on other things - and I don't think he spends a lot of time with his feet kicked up right now. And what happens when some rookie buys a $1200 cruiser that is turnkey, goes down to an event and has a hiccup and an established guy looks inside and doesn't like it (not Kips, not mtroniks, fused or not fused, not the type of connectors he likes, not how he likes waterchanneling, etc) and based on that goes to all his friends and says 'don't buy this, its not built right' ? There are so many different preferences for 'right' just within the small group of our hobby, and those of us who have been in this for a while are the ones who will be trying to figure out these turnkey boats when they aren't working, not the guy who bought it. really? on a brand new from the mold hull? I can understand on a used ship, god knows people do some scary stuff, but a fresh hull from a mold that isn't unknown, wanting to see all the angles of the specific hull you will get seems extreme. Edit: removed reference to a member here that made it look like i was singling them out.
Oh, seriously, you should probably take this off your About Page. It is incredibly off-putting. Just delete the spam like everyone else who has a website. As a potential customer when I read something like this on a website I don't think 'Oh good, they know a lot about stuff!' - I think 'Oh, I hope I don't have to actually deal with these people'
We did raise some prices a few months back, I believe the first time we've adjusted many prices since we started Strike six years ago. We haven't done recent price adjustments, to the best of my knowledge.
YES!!! If someone just wants a 'Bismarck' hull and that is the only requirement then sure, no pictures are needed. However all hulls are NOT created equal in fact I hear there are a lot of differences between the Strike and BC Bismarck, Nagato, and Yamato hulls. Seeing the differences would help folks better decide which to buy. A lack of pictures may rule that particular hull out of the buying decision as an unknown factor (in favor of a hull that can be evaluated in pictures). The 'sight unseen' crowd is only a part of the whole hobby and I hope they are able to cater to all of these specific buyers. J
Ahh, in that case this makes sense. I was reading you as meaning you wanted to look at the exact hull you would be purchasing, not a matter of 'does it have a bulge/step/belt present/not present/correct/etc'
