X10 Community Forum
💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: bdoubeck on March 14, 2006, 12:17:10 PM
-
As a web developer, I've visited thousands of web sites and few would get a "confusion" rating as high as X10. X10 has absolutely ZERO flow and logic. There is no solid navigation system to guide you through the labyrinth of URLS they have created. Clicking a link could lead you anywhere, with no hope of return - providing their myriad of javascript links even produce results.
So here I am with my credit card sitting in front of me ready to make a purchase, and I find my self in the forums instead. X10 marketing has brought me in, so that works fine. But now that I'm here what are you going to do with me X10... confuse me, or sell me something? I shouldn't be in the forums right now. I should have long since completed my purchase and be out in the world selling more.
As a registered contractor, I am looking for simplified, speedy transactions and product listings. Getting lost in your maze of product descriptions, colorful web pages and numerous URL's is frustrating to say the least. So why not add yet another URL to your fleet and call it http://www.give-us-your-money_we-will-send-product.com and pull in the reigns on all the marketing jazz.
Good marketing... incredibly poor web design.
-
Top of screen. Click the X10.com tab. Yes one wrong click seems to end up here. Old forums where full of popups and such. So I like it here better myself.
-
I as a user of the this web site must admit that some improvements are needed. I've even e-mailed them with some suggestions and suggest that you do the same.
As Brian suggested clicking on the site's logo will take you to their home page, you could use your browser's back button to do the trick. Or use your browser's history menu to take you back to the main page.
Please don't let this experience frustrate or sour you toward X10. I myself have recently gotten into X10 products and am in the process of automating and securing my home. After purchasing what I thought I needed, I turned to the forums where I've received tremendous help. I only wish that I had visited the forums first. As I would then have known just what I needed to set up my home the way I want. But instead I just jumped right in and bought some items that I'll never use. Oh well hindsight.....
Anyway, I am sure having a lot of fun setting up my home and I'm sure you will too.
Wishing you a good day.
Jim
-
The X10 web site has always pretty much had the "rat on crack" look, or as someone else put it "used car salesman on meth".
I think thay have developed a new form of marketing.
-
??? I have to concur that site navigation is definitely a challenge.
I had to redo searches numerous times while trying to figure
out what I wanted to put in my initial purchase. One BANDIT Item
got stuck in my cart & I couldn't remove it when I found a
better solution for my needs.
I would like to see a support site with sections for newbies, a short
article describing x10 systems and types of components & subsystems;
wireline, RF links, PSTN interfaces, Camera interfaces, compatible interfaces & systems, and types of remotes, and lists of products fitting into those categories, with links to the module descriptions. Ideally with thumbnails.
I imagine a lot of info could be gleamed from the knowledge bases & forums.
Old modules vs new modules, VCR Commander I vs II.
Camera vs camera. Indoor or outdoor?
Maybe register domain 'support.x10.com' & use it?
Or just as a redirect to existing support pages.
You may have people in this forum that would help?
Contractors could steer clients here? I see now you
do have www.x10.com/support. Didn't see that till
after placing order & getting invoice. I'll just have
to dig a bit more...And I see now that the support
links are all the way at the bottom Probably should
have support + knowledge base links @ the top also.
Might describe systems available on the home page:
Hope to see something like this for customers sakes'
ActiveHome home automation, ActiveHome security,
Activehome internet control, enhanced macros to
simplify multiple tasks with a single command.
(hyperlink 'macro') to page 'what is a macro' - def: control script -
preset command sequence) and the Protector Plus
conventional Home security with the alarm & dialer.
Hope this adds value from customer side.
I'm not talking the initial redirect page, I'm talking the HOME page.
I can see a point to the initial redirect page from a marketing standpoint.
Fortunately I have a background to make sense of it - many do not.
It would help me as a newbie to have *easily accessible* module descriptions
& grouping tables w/ features for my next expansion. Spent $300.
Will continue to learn as I look at the support folder.
Good luck with the ongoing project.
Gizmo
-
Its just plain "INSANE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!