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[Perseus]

as an E-Commerce professional I must state the people that run this website don't know what they are doing in their marketing and design philosophy.

it is the name recognition that brings people to this site, and nothing more. I can easily find an alternative to take my business as I can't say that it would be all that smart to do business with a company that manages itself in this manner. it does not reflect well upon the company AT ALL.

I completely agree. I teach e-business, site design, and related things. Their site is one of the worst I have ever seen, and their newsletter is of the same quality. If they would clean up their act, they would get much more business instead of driving it away.

[HA Dave]

..............If they would clean up their act, they would get much more business ....

And.... how much business do they get? This information you offer... is based on a factual account of numbers .... or what? For all I know... X10 has the greatest rate of click-through-to-purchase on the Internet. And the highest dollar purchase, per visitor, ratio.

Do have numbers that show differently?

[Dan Lawrence]

Interestingly, Automated Outlet http://www.automatedoutlet.com/home.php  beats X10 USA for prices, sometimes as much as 50%.  I do all my shopping forX10 items there, the shipping is $7.50 no matter how big the order is.

[MichaelC]

..............If they would clean up their act, they would get much more business ....

And.... how much business do they get? This information you offer... is based on a factual account of numbers .... or what? For all I know... X10 has the greatest rate of click-through-to-purchase on the Internet. And the highest dollar purchase, per visitor, ratio.

Do have numbers that show differently?

I don't have the numbers now, but I used to see them every day. The rate of purchase and average sale at X10 were significantly down from their height (and still declining somewhat) when I left. Still enough to have a healthy business, but not as good I thought they could be.

The design of the site and the newsletters reflect a peculiar X10 philosophy -- that what the customers tell you they want (product-wise, site design-wise, etc.) isn't what they really want and their continuing to buy from the X10 carnival advertising proves that people really do want a jumbled, confusing, garish web site. I tend to think that X10 keeps those customers in spite of the style of advertising, and that X10 could sacrifice some short term sales in favor of building a larger long term customer base by doing away with the circus and constant "sales" and crazy price claims.

The pop-unders from years ago that everyone still remembers were incredibly effective, however. There was a constant feedback loop between advertising click-throughs and site purchases that was ruthlessly performance based -- if it didn't sell, it didn't stay up. That performance was built on a slow Internet advertising market, a new and easy to understand product ("tiny wireless camera"), and a new way of advertising (pop-under) that got people's attention while also being really annoying.

[steven r]

...The design of the site and the newsletters reflect a peculiar X10 philosophy -- that what the customers tell you they want (product-wise, site design-wise, etc.) isn't what they really want and their continuing to buy from the X10 carnival advertising proves that people really do want a jumbled, confusing, garish web site. I tend to think that X10 keeps those customers in spite of the style of advertising, and that X10 could sacrifice some short term sales in favor of building a larger long term customer base by doing away with the circus and constant "sales" and crazy price claims....

Thank you for what I expect will be closest thing we'll get to an inside view of why X10 choses to continue their irritating web site approach.

As a side note, I use a host file on my computer to weed out most advertising on my screen. X10 is so well known for its "advertising format" that it is one of the sites that are blocked by default with the host file. I had to modify the host file so I could access the forums here.

[HA Dave]

I don't have the numbers now, but I used to see them every day. The rate of purchase and average sale at X10 were significantly down from their height (and still declining somewhat) when I left. Still enough to have a healthy business, but not as good I thought they could be. ...........

.......The pop-unders from years ago that everyone still remembers were incredibly effective, .....

None of that surprises me!

If I remember correctly.... in the early days... X10 also had much less competition also. I don't know who-owns-what... at the various HA Sites/stores. I do know competition will eventually kill EVERY business. If X10 made a business mistake (and I am NOT saying they did), it was allowing someone else to start a "SmartHome" 1st. If your successful in a new business... competition will show-up. If you have to compete (and you DO)... you should compete with yourself.

Years ago.... I worked part-time at a mall. At that mall there was eight (separate and differently named) jewelry stores. All eight were owned by the same family. For the same reason... General Motors manufactures automobiles under several "names".

One store... or one Web Site.. can't satisfy everyone. I wish for X10... many more years of healthy profits.

[Perseus]

...The design of the site and the newsletters reflect a peculiar X10 philosophy -- that what the customers tell you they want (product-wise, site design-wise, etc.) isn't what they really want and their continuing to buy from the X10 carnival advertising proves that people really do want a jumbled, confusing, garish web site. I tend to think that X10 keeps those customers in spite of the style of advertising, and that X10 could sacrifice some short term sales in favor of building a larger long term customer base by doing away with the circus and constant "sales" and crazy price claims....

Thank you for what I expect will be closest thing we'll get to an inside view of why X10 choses to continue their irritating web site approach.

As a side note, I use a host file on my computer to weed out most advertising on my screen. X10 is so well known for its "advertising format" that it is one of the sites that are blocked by default with the host file. I had to modify the host file so I could access the forums here.

Michael, thanks for the G2. Their site is so badly designed that I avoid it. The first time I hit the URL, I thought it was a joke - could this really be a business site? I have seen better children's computer club sites. Here in SoFla, we have big company named Brandsmart. Their ads appear chaotic, but when you become accustomed to them, they are okay. The X10 site is so bad, nobody will accept it. I continue to take my business elsewhere.

[MassMadness]

Interestingly, Automated Outlet http://www.automatedoutlet.com/home.php  beats X10 USA for prices, sometimes as much as 50%.  I do all my shopping forX10 items there, the shipping is $7.50 no matter how big the order is.

THANK YOU!  Finally a site with decent prices and a non-invasive interface.  I visit to shop and don't appreciate all the flash.  I just want to click on the bookmark, do my research, buy, and log off.  Simple.  If I want stimulation, I can always watch TV.

I like what MichaelC called it.  "carnival advertising."  I don't get it, but I don't understand people who click on pop-ups or respond to SPAM, either.

[hkactive]

I don't really care if they think that they know what they're doing. They're making money at the expense of compromising that little inner voice that tells them they shouldn't be using bimbos to advertise their products. I cringe everytime I visit the site to check out their products. There's enough garbage on the Internet without X10 promoting more of the same.

But if you're main goal in life is making money, who cares about what values you compromise. Who was it that said that the "love of money is the root of all evil."

The only problem with such a philosophy is that you're sacrificing the permanent on the altar of the immediate. You may laugh all the way to bank, but when society falls apart and you or or your wife get mugged on the street from the children of broken up homes, realize that you've played a major role in your own demise.

[nena1bomb]

  I know! Maybe X10 is trying to get the reputation that their site totally sucks and in doing so they
get more customers talking and wanting to check it out themselves. Then they end up buying something. I have to say the
forum thing is pretty cool. I am cracking up  (like this) just reading what you guys say. I think of a restaurant I used to pass by,
it was called " World's Worst Food," or something like that. The hilarious thing, was that the restaurant was filled to capacity with people. I have to ask one question, the women who work at x10, do they have any issues with the site and sexual harrassment, etc?

[HA Dave]

....... Who was it that said that the "love of money is the root of all evil."

I think that was the Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy in I Tim 6:10, ("For the love of money is the root of all evil..").

But I don't think X10 is really a greedy evil corporation. The Home Automation market is a niche market. I think they feel that the models just help then get peoples attention. I hate the way it makes the Site look.... I wish they would try better ads.