We've got a new look!
The eagle has landed.
After a few weeks of development and fourscore rounds of testing, we’re very excited to present our community with one Bonanza refreshed. In fact, this update goes beyond cosmetic changes, as we have also added true international support while streamlining all paths to slope toward our sellers’ exquisite wares.
Given the magnitude of these changes, I’ll break this post up into bite-sized morsels to briefly cover the assorted changes and the rationale behind them.
New Homepage
As promised in my previous blog, we have updated our home page in order to give every single user an experience that is relevant to them. This was a change that we put quite a bit of thought into, because from an aesthetic standpoint, we liked the old home page. But the feedback we heard repeatedly from new users (and even some old ones) was that, while the page may have looked pretty, it was hard to find stuff to buy on it. Our data backed this notion up, as we found that almost all of our home page sales were driven through search, rather than navigation. Simply put, what our home page had in aesthetic, it lacked in focus & relevance.
Enter our new design: where every unique user can have an experience that is catered to them. Whether “your thing” is Collectibles, Art, Fashion, Books, or some combination of other categories, you can now customize the home page to your tastes using the “Update home page” link (below the main home page image). While before you could see only hand picked lists, you can now see new items, featured sellers, or published coupons in the categories you’re interested in. We believe that this will finally give our home page a lovable personality, in addition to just a pretty face.
New Header
Similar to the above, our analytic (and anecdotal) evidence told us that our previous link structure was not conducive to shopping. As such, we have revised our navigation to be more category-based, making it consistent with most buyers' expectations.
In revising the navigation, we also found that the link soup previously known as “the buy page” was suddenly superfluous. When designed correctly, we believe that all paths should lead toward discovering the exact item you want to buy; in this light, it doesn’t make sense to have a single page labeled “Buy,” when that is really the soul of the whole site.
Bags Site Link Removed
The observant amongst you may also notice that, along with the new header, our link to the Bags Bonanza site has been removed. Our belief on this front is that, with a sufficiently personalized main-site experience, there will no longer be a good reason for us to build separate sites that cater to a particular category. This also means that we can dedicate more time to polishing the site experience on the mothership. While we will allow the Bags site to continue operating independently for the time being, we currently don’t have plans to update it, and will continue to evaluate its future over the holiday season.
Internationalization
This has been on our wish list for what feels like years. Internationalizing the site gives our sellers something for nothing: more sales, with no more effort on your part. We currently have translated versions of the site available in Spanish, German, French, and Italian, with Portuguese on its way shortly (must have got held up on its way through customs). We also have the corresponding currencies and domains to go with these new languages (e.g., http://www.bonanza.mx), which means we will be able to submit our international listings to an audience of hundreds of millions of new Google shoppers.
What does it mean to you? If you haven’t already set up your international shipping, dooo eet! Given that the batch editor will let you set shipping prices worldwide (or to specific regions) for many items in one fell swoop, it’s hard to imagine a good reason why we shouldn’t have 90% of our inventory shipping internationally (currently about 50% does…which ain’t too shabby itself).
This Here Blog
This isn’t our first rodeo when it comes to large-scale site modifications. We know that with tens of thousands of sellers and 10x as many buyers, we won’t be able to please everybody. But we do want to hear from everybody, and to answer every question we possibly can. To that end, we have taught our blog a couple new tricks: (1) for blogs where we expect a large response volume, we will now moderate comments to make sure that we keep the response volume manageable for the reader (2) we’ve now setup the ability to give specific responses to specific questions, and have those responses appear inline directly after the question. This contrasts to our old method of having to awkwardly respond to individuals whose remarks may have been buried 10 comments back before we were able to respond.
Long story short: we will answer and approve blog comments as rapidly as we can, but you can also feel free to contact us at [email protected], where we will be on the lookout for your constructive feedback on how we can continue to build on this new site experience to work best for you.
Past/Future
Finally, we want to thank both our buyers and sellers once again for a superb August, with month-over-month sales up 10%. Usually growth like that doesn’t arrive until the holiday season, which makes us incredibly optimistic about what is to come between now and December (especially given a buyer base that has essentially doubled in size via internationalization). Yes, you rock.
Our next few months will focus primarily on improving the polish and speed of Bonanza, as well as spreading word about the site to press. With this batch of changes we feel that Bonanza has arrived at a point where most of the key pieces we need are in place, and now it is a matter of making our experience run like a pony, purr like a kitten, and leap skyscrapers within a single bound.
And that’s that! Thanks again for everyone’s support, and we’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.
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247 responses to We've got a new look!
Only suggestion…change the font please. It hurts my old eyes :( I have to squint to read it. Needs to be darker or bolder. Also noticed 2 glitches already……the tokens I should have gotten for faving items are not there and also there are now items that are duplicated in my fav items. Tried to delete the duplicates and it will not let me delete them.
Wow… I LOVE it.
Can I borrow your glasses Tom? lol
Looking great!!! going to “test drive” it now while adding some new items to my booth. Bonanza is the best! Thanks for all the hard work you have done.
W O W .. perfect just in time for my international customers that I am driving from other site. THANK YOU so much, they will love it too.
There’s no stopping us now! Great work guys!
2) we’ve now setup the ability to give specific responses to specific questions, and have those responses appear inline directly after the question.
This will not be what we refer to as “canned”?
@CollectMisc, no way. It will be a personal reply responding directly to your question. That way when someone is reading the blog comments they will not have to skip 10 posts to get a reply from Bonanza. Kinda like this one
Love it!
I like it nice & clean
I agree with the user who states that it is hard to read. 26, with perfect eyes.
um – no region for us Aussies ??? Please
@JB7339, there is a currency for Australia but I do not think that we need a region because we both use the same language.
I am thrilled beyond belief! Way to go! The best improvements in one shot that I have ever seen. May need tweeking, but it’s a fabulous start. Thanks so much.
Rachel
fiftiesdrivein
I also agree that it is difficult to read, would prefer more bold headings. The headers are rather lack luster, like reading a newspaper. Nothing striking or bold…but then maybe that is what you had intended. Like the framework on the HPL items, sets off the items nicely. Like being able to customize the opening page. So far, I can live with it.
Mark..looks great except I am wearing my reading glasses, and it could use a bolder or a little larger font, I suppose. Refreshing change, though! PJ
the currency change only switched it to US Mark – even when hitting the Aus Dollars
Thanks JB7339, I was able to repro and will get this reported and addressed.
I really like it! Just one question lol how do I get back to the home page!
Thanks from everyone Sofy. To get back to the home page, just click on the Bonanza logo.
Wow is right! It looks so, so, so… light! I’d prefer a little more green but it’s still nice & fresh.
For support: No one, including the people who live there, spells Mexico with a J – Mejico – like you’ve got it on the International list. Please correct that. Thank you.
@booboocat, Thanks for your suggestion, I will be sure to share with the programming team.
But I hope the search engine works better!
I know of a few other Aussies on Bonz though – and they will be in the same boat as me. As for visitors from Aussieland to Bonanza – they may not visit if they cannot find an Aussie region
The home page may be just a little to fast. Now don’t slow it to a crawl, but give new users a chance to see and click.
@fiftiesdrivein (and others): As soon as you interact with the home page tabs, they stop moving automatically — still, we’ll slow down the animations and give folks a chance to read. Thanks for the suggestion!
I am impressed with the classy, refreshing new look of Bonanza. Thank you!!!
Congrats on the new look! I like the simpler aesthetic a great deal. And international expansion seems like a no-brainer.
(tips hat)
Still digesting it all …but i do think you should give Australia a banner up there – You have Canada and the UK… They are going to feel slighted.
Netherlands, Denmark etc??
Are there plans for other “regions”. A number of our sellers are in Asia …?
Mark, I hope you know that Booboo always has her little pink tongue sticking out. That thffft was not just for you, it’s for everybody!
Looks good so far. I’ll have to navigate it a few days to know for sure how I feel. Do like the home page, I think!
So, do we have new logos again? I just printed 100 business cards!
The overall look is very nice; and the layout. I have to be honest with you, though; I agree with Sensual; I’m having a difficult time reading the Font (it’s small, light in color and thin). Please do not take offense, but it’s straining my eyes. There are so many people who have difficulty reading light, small print. Please take that into consideration.
*The Font I’m referring to are the Captions at the very top (Sell on Bonanza, Community, Help, My Bonanza, etc.), and the drop-down menus under them. With the bright background it intensifies the eye strain.
Question re: Bmails. In the past, no matter where we were on the site, we would see a number/s pop up when we received NEW messages. That number always caught my attention; it prompted me to immediately check My Messages.
In the Drop-down Menu (under My Bonanza), will there be a number shown next to “View My Messages”, which will prompt us that we have NEW Messages waiting?
Or do we need to SELECT “View My Messages” each time, in order to go into our Messages Folder (so that we may see if we have incoming ones)?
Hi, Alex!
Hi there! We’re currently looking into the issue with the fonts. We’re pretty sure it is only affecting those using Windows, and not all Windows users. On Mac and Linux (and some Windows machines), the fonts are nice and beefy.
In regards to the message notification, you WILL get a nice big notification letting you know that you have an unread message. If you look at the screenshot in Bill’s post, you can see the bright blue message indicator in the top right. So have no fear!
I think this is cooler than cool. Couldn’t find the forums, lol… which is where I spend most of my time in Bonz…. but heck, once I found it…. I was a happy camper again.
Thanks for working so hard on this guys/gals.
Take Care,
Lisa
Very nice except the white that is too bright!
Hello Alex, are you missing us?
Thank you. I think I am going to like it…still need to navigate a little more but I think it is cool.
Agree about the font, specifically “For Her, For Him, For Everyone” and you cannot really tell that there is a drop down arrow next to these link headings…..and agree about the graphics moving just a little too fast.
I am impressed though and like it that when you all comment it will be under our original question!!
I would still like to be able to see when I have a message right off the bat…afterall, promptness in answering questions a buyer has will make a happier customer
I agree in regards to the Homepage. The color makes me go mehhh! too blah and gives a difficult feel to read. And slowwwwwwwww down the different features, they move way too fast almost making me feel seasick! If those two things changed, the rest looks good.
Yes, agree that the font is too light and too small. Us old folk need help here and I get tired of haveing to make my page large cuz then I have to scroll all the time.
Anxious to hear the answer to chill02wolfart’s question about the message notice.
Also, images in posts seem to be broken again.
Aside from that, love the new menues and home page!
Like the functionality but the color
-bad.Not sure about the arrangement of it.
topherbook, Thank You SO much re: your Response about the Fonts (I wasn’t above begging if it came down to it
) And (as you said), I am in Windows XP.
It’s wonderful to know we’ll still have a pop-up number to alert us of Incoming Messages, which is definitely a necessity.
I scrolled back up to look at Bills Screenshot again. Now, I see the pop-up (I can’t make out a number, but I do see the blue box. I’m sure the number appears small due to the fact it’s in the Screenshot).
Also, I really like the answer adjoining the questions within the Blog. It is much easier to follow.
Thanks ever so much!
Initial reaction: Looks pretty darn great! One thing though: As others have mentioned, the features on the home page move way too fast. No time to read them or click on an item of interest.
It sounds like most people like the majority of the functional changes, and after playing with the new site for a few minutes I quickly found my way back to the features I am used to using. However, it seems the bulk of user complaints are with the color and font changes. I liked the previous color scheme better too, particularly the tinted background.. perhaps the newly white background could change to an off-white (maybe even the tan color of the upper and lower graphic bars), and those graphic elements could change to a darker (perhaps greener?) color to aid link/text readability? The overall design and graphic updates are very impressive, but with a few tweaks I think it could be made even stronger visually.
I for one am VERY HAPPY with the Internationalizion of the site!!! Theninestarshop…..in the United Kingdom !!
WOW I’m totally impressed!!
Ok
Love it! i love love it!!! Thank you bonanza
The decor is nice and the place is clean.
I’m hoping to stay here for a long time!!!
Your source for emergency preparedness needs! http://www.bonanza.com/booths/survivalaid
Hi
Wow I really like it. you guys did good
Judy/blue
It seems the HPL lists don’t rotate anymore? You just get to look at the one? And The Deals and What’s New Sections don’t have anything to do with my updated Home Page options. They seem to be a really random assortment, none of which are connected to my Home Page choices. It’s kind of weird. Am I missing something?
Overall I like the New look but I do agree that it’s a bit too bright and light and the Home Page sections zip by too fast for me. Still, overall it does look fresher.
Hey Audrey,
You’re right that the home page doesn’t rotate — we figured since the tabs were already rotating, having the HPL also rotate would probably be a little “much.”
The other tabs should be relevant to what categories you have selected, but we’ll be keeping an eye on it to ensure that is always the case. Thanks for your feedback.
Please please please change the font color to black. Gray is very eye-straining. Extremely difficult for old tired browsers like me to read.
Hey cshort, sorry to hear the font color is straining for you…which area in particular are you finding hard to read?
I have just done a seach of dolls….It would appear that you have to have a membership in order for your items to appear on the list. There are only 4 cabbage patch kids showing up on the drop down search by brand and one of them is NOT mine….also the same for my pocelain dolls. Does one have to be a subscribing member of Bonanza to show up in that search…if so I am not impressed. Sales here do not warrant being a paying susbciber to Bonanza…at least not for me.
Hey jinx,
Nope, we haven’t changed anything about how search works, that is to say, subscribing members don’t have any particular advantage over non-subscribing members (except that they show up on the top row where subscribing members always have). Feel free to email us at support if you have observed something that seems amiss.
Awesome, The man who achieves makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all – doing nothingâ€
Benjamin Franklin quotes (American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Writer and Inventor. 1706-1790)
Personally – looking at it through the eyes of a BUYER – if I was to open homepage up for the first time ever and was looking for something other than clothing and jewelry I could find at any store – I would leave site.
Does not have the “Everything but the Ordinary” appeal.
Hey renagade,
I think you’re right that the home page, at first glance, doesn’t convey the entire depth of Bonanza. But I’m not sure it ever really has. The challenge with a home page is that we can’t show everything, we have to show a couple things and make sure we give the buyer good navigation to get to whatever they’re actually after. Hopefully the new header structure (as well as the links to the categories at the bottom of the page) let buyers know that even if they don’t see the exact item they want to buy when they open the page, there is still a lot more inventory in store…
still wandering around trying to find things..but nice to see black font again…I like the fact that we can choose categories to focus on on the home page…and changing locations…
The 4 large arrows on home page…are they suppose to be active links?
Hey CindyBear, glad you like it! Nope, the arrows are just a means to access the four tabbed areas on the home page.
I agree about slowing down the Home Page…I couldn’t move my cursor fast enough to click something I wanted to view and had to wait for it to come around again…annoying for a shopper. I miss the aesthetics but understand the need to direct attention to the items. I can see the font in Firefox but it is a bit slim and light for the easiest reading. Overall I think the changes are great and always love how you guys actually interact with us!
Wow!!! What A surprise!!! it’s a little bright though, any way to tone it down a little or change to a darker color. Other than that it looks good.
I HATE IT. It doesn’t work with Firefox on my iMac (and I DETEST Opera), it’s harder to navigate, and it’s uglier, harder to read, and confusing.
Internationalization (is that even a word?) is not such a big deal and many of us do not ship overseas because of the added hassle (who wants to stand in a post office, taking time off from work), buyers don’t want to pay for the added cost of international shipping (pretty pricey if you need to ship insured), and certain things cannot be shipped outside the US (jewelry items with coral, certain electronics, and so forth).
SUPER NICE fresh look…Love It !!!
Yes.. the FONT listing the items on the page should be BLACKER so it will stand out better. Its not too hard to rectify that…
Site looks great and refreshing! Awesome job everyone!!
I’m loving the changes!
My only issue is with the super bright white background. Last night after the changes took effect, I was only able to stay on the site about 20-30 minutes before I had to leave because it was giving me a headache. I have astigmatism really bad, so the brightness really strains my eyes. My sunglasses are made for distance and not reading, so I can’t use those. LOL
I also agree about the fonts. I think the seller links at the top and the prices on our booth pages should stand out more. Those are the only ones I’ve noticed so far that I personally feel need some beefing up. Somebody mentioned the screenshots showing beefier fonts, but I’m not seeing anything different on my end than what is shown.
I do have one question, though. I see that our comments on the blog now await approval. Personally, I don’t think it’s right because I’m sure there are many opinions that won’t get expressed that we’d like to see. Not being able to share ALL constructive thoughts and ideas can and does hinder progress that might otherwise be made.
So, the question is what happens to our post if it doesn’t get approved? Do we lose it to cyberspace or will we be given the option of copying it so we can bmail it to support for discussion? I, for one, don’t want to have to waste time copying every single response to blog posts “just in case” it doesn’t get approved. LOL
Overall, a very nice job! I just hope you can tone down the excessive brightness soon so I can work for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. LOL
Hey purpleiris,
Very glad to hear that you like it! With regards to the approval process, (1) we won’t be using it for all blogs, just the ones where we expect a huge response (2) the purpose behind it was being able to allow us to more effectively respond to each comment and remove extraneous comments (i.e., “I can’t find the forums. OK, I just found the forums”) (3) We are approving basically every comment, but when we don’t approve them, we’ll endeavor to send a note to the seller to address their comment individually. That said, if you post a comment and it’s not in error or complete devoid of sense or reason, there is a very good chance it’ll be approved
Looks GREAT! The home page definitely had a powerful IMPACT when I logged in this morning.
I have ALWAYS been impressed with the overall design of keeping the homepage “screen sized”. It makes life so much easier.
Could you guys add the blog as one of the choices under the Community drop down?
Is there anyway to access generalised seller info? I can’t find any sort of area that coincides with the old “people page”?
Adding the blog under “Community” is a fine idea. I’m thinking we’ll probably do that.
Overall, I like it. However, I use Windows and I agree that the font is too light. Also, on the computer I am using (runs Windows Vista)I cannot see any of the photos on the homepage. I haven’t yet checked my laptop which has Windows 7. Anyone else having this issue?
When I logged into the B-site this morning, I thought I landed somewhere by mistake! It’s going to take some getting used to, but then, I’m so new here, it’s all a learning experience for me……
Looks great on my Windows 7 laptop! What a nice job you did.
Sorry, I don’t like it! woke up and couldn’t find anything! I’m sure i’ll get used to it, but my gosh, hurts the eyes…and need a map! Needs some color at least.
I have to say I really like the new homepage! It’s easy to navigate & I love the fresh look! Fabulous job y’all!
The featured items on the main page go way too fast, i saw someone from my town and couldn’t figure out how to get the last group of items back to see who they were.
Hey misskeech,
If you just mouse over the tab you want to see, it will show up (again).
If you could change the fronts and make the wording darker, it would be helpful. I find it difficult to read , and really bothers my eyes. I think overall the new lay out will be nice as long as we can read it. I think just darken up the words for now please.
Paula
Wow what a change! When I first fired up the site this morning I thought I had mistyped the URL and gotten one of those knock-off sites…YIKES! Kind of new here so wasn’t aware that there was a big change in the works.
I like the presentation but from a buying standpoint I’m not sure I like the links at the top (For Him/For Her/For Everyone). I don’t categorize my thoughts about shopping that way so it’s kind of irritating. And because I am new, I do use the category searches a lot just to see what’s available here on Bonanza.
really having a hard time reading, needs to be toned down abit
very nice
Overall looks great. Took me a while to find “my bonanza” but I got there. I agree those fonts need to be a bit larger or bolder. Love the response positioning. Makes much more sense. Regarding the internationalization, I think it’s a great start but it needs to go further. Would someone from an area not listed come here and think we don’t cater to them because neither their location or country are listed. And I agree with the poster who said if you include the UK and Canada as separate regions, saying there’s no separate region for Australia because we speak the same language doesn’t fly. While some may suggest that the English we speak in the US is not the King’s English, we do share a language with the UK and Canada as well.
Hey abbysattic,
We’re definitely not done internationalizing yet. But we’ve got to start somewhere
Now that we have the framework in place, it will be quite easy for us to add additional languages and currencies in the weeks to come. The Australian region is next on our list.
I like some of the features but have to agree that the small font and lighter color is a problem. I am using Chrome as my browser.
Our Bonanza green also jumps off the page and doesn’t seem to quite “fit” in with the new. Maybe bring back a bit of the orange to balance it out.
I know you can’t please everyone but at the same time you will work out the glitches and tweak the site to make it the best it can be.
Thanks PassionForTrashin!
We’ll definitely be looking at a way to darken the font in the header, seems to be a pretty constant refrain here.
For the most part, I like it. I actually like this color scheme better than the old one. The whole look is very fresh and contemporary. And it looks very professional.
One thing I noticed is that the tool bar hides most of the bottom links. You can only see the very top of them. No big deal (I just hid the toolbar) but thought I would mention it.
I do have one question. What is supposed to change if we update our home page options? I updated mine but didn’t really see any difference in what I’m seeing. Maybe I missed it?
When you change the home page options, it should make the items that are seen be relevant to that category. We’ll spend some time today verifying that that is actually the case though.
Will take some time to put a hand over it, but my quality silk yarns will be selling this time with a boom i hope…nice look
To solve the “no Australia region” problem, perhaps it should read “pick your language.” And instead of countries, list languages. That’s what you mean, isn’t it?
WOW, what a nice fresh look!!! Going from a sort of upscale fleamarket look to MAIN STREAM!! Great Change!!
UPDATE: I have been off and on all day, the more I look the better I like….easy to navigate and no trouble finding everything I am looking for.
So the green and orange is gone? I’ll have to change out some of the logos on several sites now.
I’ll have to get used to it. It is easier on the eyes, fresh, and unique.
Like this a lot better. Hand picked lists seemed to be mostly picked by color…all green,all blue etc. not really how people shop. It was boring to look at. I know i dont shop for just blue stuff. Thanks for the change.
Nice job and I agree with all the comments. I haven’t found where to change/edit my booth yet, but I’m sure I’ll find it. Keep up the great works and thanks for all your efforts. Have a splendid day
Awesome ! Innovative, yet greatly functional to attract sales. Love it !…
I think the name change to Bonanza makes more sence. I have been relearning the site & I like it. I think Bonanza’s star is rising fast! Congratulations all!
Love it
LOVE the new look, love everything you’ve done… beautiful!
Woohoo! Found it! On the top left of the page ‘Sell on Bonanza’ then “drop down”.
I like it much better. I like the font and color. It would be great to be able to customize our own home page, rearrange the order if we want
Very tasty! Looks clean and contemporary AND at the same time sophisticated and young-at-heart. How’d you do that?! I like it muchly
My only suggestion is the same as others have mentioned above. The font size is a wee bit small for aging eyes, but I think the font type is superb. Please keep the font but consider increasing the point size or bolding the size you already have.
If you mouse over ‘For Her’ and see the menu, the font used for ‘Fashion’,‘Crafts’, ‘Collectibles’ etc., would be ideal for the picks on the top of the home page.
Thanks everybody!
Feel take this new Bonanza for a drive, See how it feels. But just looking from the outside, please fix the top menu bar. It is hard to read. It should be an easy fix, If all fixes were as easy, Right.
WOW!!! Hopefully there arn’t too many bugs for you guys to deal with so you have a chance to sit back and enjoy all your hard dedicated work!!! I have to find my way around a bit but that seems to always be the fun part as you never know what you’ll find here!!!
Please make the print Black and the Green a darker Green of the Original Bonanza … this new one does not attract the Attention the original color did.
The dark Green color… wasn’t it the Bonanza trade mark?
HOKEY PETES GUYS!
I was stunned when I came onsite this A M
Shiny & new indeed!
For the most part, so far, I’m thinkin I’m gonna like this, BUT…I have Windows XP…text is sorta puny & pale & the super white background is just a tad much…& the homepage?…well jeez dudes, I can’t look & see & read that fast
Fix those coupla few things & methinks y’all might be on the right track here.
The “softer” look of the Bonanza logo & other graphics are much less attention grabbing…which is a good thing, as we want people to see what we have for sale,grab their attention with that not graphics that jump out & smack ya in the face
JMHO & tuppence worth.
Good Morning,
Idea is good but:
It’s too white, fonts too thin and the drop downs just drop by moving the mouse and it covers where you might want to click so you end up clicking where you didn’t want to. Too much overlay if you get my drift.
And finally i think there’s too much movement. It seems confusing.
Sorry but that’s what I think,
Looks great…clean, un-cluttered, simple neutral colors (what I’ve always loved about google search)…..and easier to navigate! Well done bonanza! Happy “sales” to everyone!
Jo Collins collagebycollins
Kudo’s gentlemen! Love most everything about it! Love the new color scheme and glad to see the green still around in places. Had no problem navigating the site at all.
I have not tried the images in a post or listing yet.
except: The handpicked lists on the home page move so fast it gives me a bit of a jolt so I don’t stay there to look.
I also am in the dark ages using windows xp and firefox.
When I zoom the view, zoom text only, it works fine unless you want to see everything which is a bit of a pain.
Thanks for working with us old peeps and our eyes and addressing the fonts.
I Like it!!!! However, I think it needs Brighter Colors and Pazzaz!!! But thats just me— I am all about Bright, Bold etc.
Great Job though Guys!!! I Love it Here!!!!
Amazing improvement! Wonderful job, and Kudos on all the hard work that went in to it
Phaedra
It’s like eating food without salt! Bland. Where’s the bling? I wanna see some color – Make the page pop!
You know, although the response to the colors has been largely positive, there were a few people on the team that felt like you when we first started looking at this design a couple weeks ago. But after looking at it a couple days, we all agreed that the toned down look was indeed a huge improvement. Give it some time, I think it might grow on ya
pleasantly surprised.hopefully i may sell something now. seems easier to navigate to what ou are looking for. still playing, but thank you for the consideration to your clientle. lovin it so far
I am a new member on Bonanza. When I first saw the new format this morning I thought I put in the wrong web address. I love the new format! It looks very professional and easy to navigate. Very user friendly for buyers and sellers. I look forward to a very successful booth! Many thanks!
I too like the Internationalization of the site which will improve sales. But I have to agree with others about the colors used. Overall nice improvement!
Quote from blog “If you haven’t already set up your international shipping, dooo eet! Given that the batch editor will let you set shipping prices worldwide (or to specific regions) for many items in one fell swoop, it’s hard to imagine a good reason why we shouldn’t have 90% of our inventory shipping internationally (currently about 50% does…which ain’t too shabby itself).”
Bill, is it possible for the weight of our listings that we manually put in when doing the initial listing to show up in batch edit when we are working on shipping…that way if we’d like to go in and add shipping to a country, it would be much easier for us to configure the price of the international shipping cost. I’m sure it would come in handy for other reasons also? Thank you
(I’d really love to see international calculated shipping at some point for those that would choose to use it. I hope one day it is possible.)
I think that showing the weight should be possible. I’ll add it to our master list.
Sorry to sound negative, (don’t really mean to be mean!) but that banner strip of what looks like dirty gray material across the top is depressing. Could you put something clean looking there? And I agree with those who are saying the screen appears too light. My first, quite immediate reaction this morning, was that the new page looked somehow amateurish, like something was still missing.
Forgive my negativity, please! I love this site. But not this new page.
After I signed up to sell on Bonanza my daughter came to check out your site and see mom’s booth. One of the things she loved was shopping the collections. She said it was like having a personal shopper. I see that’s now listed under community and I wonder how many buyers will find it there. Maybe you need a place for shopping the collections.
KUDOS ON THE NEW LOOK! I LOVE IT!!!
Wow, did you fix the font or color already or should I get new glasses, or take them off?
I love the new look. I was really happy with the old one but I am sure this will be a lot better. I am self taught and most of the time don’t know what I am doing so this should really help people like me.
Hey My other comment (from CoinYouWant) isn’t here????
Well the changes are different and it will take some getting use to, but so far so good …..
Bring on the sales!!!!
Very impressive! Wonderful Job you all have done.
I’ve found a glitch in search already. When you go to a category there is a box on the left to check under advanced show items. When you check combine shipping in price it searches and searches but never ends with the page for those items. I’ve tried it in 2 different categories.
I even opened a new tab and waited for it to find the items with combined shipping, but when I went back to the page it was still searching.
And I agree with the pages being to bright and the font too light and small.
Thanks for the report, we’ll investigate.
Looks great guys. Love the international selling upgrades.
Change is hard but this looks promising
I’m most excited about the Internationalization.
If we have our International set up already is there anything new we need to change/add/adjust?
Just a suggestion… How about an exemption button ie: I will ship worldwide except for Italy?
thanks
You’re right that we definitely should do the exemption, but it is one of those features that falls under the umbrella of “a good idea that is really hard (= time consuming) to implement.” That said, we’ll get it done in time. We always do…
I LOVE it. I find it fashion forward, fun, and I love the interactive part of being able to customize by interest. It also reflects the great variety of items sold on Bonanza. Very professional. Great job!
BUT,I do have several questions.
1. How is the featured seller selected in various categories? I thought one of the benefits of a paid membership is eligibility to be selected as a featured seller. Yet, when I change categories for interest, I notice some of the sellers featured do not have paid memberships.
2. How are items selected for ’what’s new’ and for coupons?
3. How do we as sellers create the opportunity to have our booths and items featured, and how often will the items change?
Good questions:
1. We give preference to subscribing members in the featured section, but if we can’t find a subscribing member, we default to a non-subscribing one.
2. It’s the newest items/coupons we can find in the category
3. The items are changing constantly. As long as you are posting items (and especially if you’re a subscribing member, for the featured seller section), you will show.
Where is the internationalization at? I’ve been trying to find it but I cannot find it.
Update-I found it. It is at the bottom of my screen. My QT bar is hiding it a little.
@HeavenlyMakeover, we are aware of the Switchboard bar slightly covering up the International link on the bottom of the page. Should be corrected soon.
I like the new look! I do have two comments, though – why isn’t there a link from all other pages to go back to the Home page? (Or am I just not seeing it?) And, in my browser (Firefox) the bottom line, which seems to include something about US dollars and the copyright date, is cut off so only the top half is visible.
To return to the home page, just click on the home page “Bonanza” logo.
We are aware of the switchboard blocking the International link and should have that corrected soon.
I think the changes are great, though I’ve not yet spent much time going through the site. Repeating what others have said, these 54 year old (seller) eyes are finding the white background and light/small font to really bother me. I think I would unfortunately not spend much time – in one sitting – as a buyer, because of that. Still, Thanks for your hard work!!! peace, Brian
Hi Bonanza Team, I agree with the font a little light, my eyes are not what they used to be. I love the new look, very nice indeed. I will miss all the color on the old front page, it was pretty.
WOW, really great! I agree with a couple of the comments that the motion on the front page is a little fast. My biggest complaint has always been how hard it is for some one to find handmade soap on here by going through the categories, that is still hard and that would be the one thing I would want to change as that is what I sell :-) Other than that, I think this is a great improvement and a step in the right direction.
I believe the ease and quick access to all seller items with help their business grow on Bonanza. Communication is the key. The new look and ease in navigation looks Great. The site translation has us at Island Heat excited to see if there will be a big change this holiday season. Keep the up dates coming. :-)
I actually love everything about your new look and features. Good job guys!
WOW I have to say this is awesome…love the clean bright look of it.
My only problem is the font size in the forum and messages. Is there any chance that it can be made a little larger? I am wearing my strong glasses just so that I can read and type this, not my computer glasses. Thanks Boyz…you guys rock!!!
Debbie
Thanks Debbie. Bill did mention above that we’ll definitely be looking at a way to darken the font in the header. I am sure that we will also make sure that the font is consistent with most major browsers.
I think I love it! I need to go play around a bit.
I like the way the front page changes when you hover over those headings. Cool!
I do agree about the pale font on the header, although I know you are looking at it. Please do keep in mind, that many people, young and old, are colour-blind. My hubby would not even know that there was printing in that top header – he’d never see the green on brown. As an aside, that’s also a common problem with sellers who get cutesy with listings, having coloured fonts on coloured backgrounds.
I think Australia deserves a region as well. After all, we in Canada, and those in the UK, all speak the same language as USA, but have a region of our own.
Great job, Boyz and Girlz!
Thanks BookbinEtc. Good news for Australia, Jordo had already added an Australia region that will go live on our next push.
the white back ground is a bit BRIGHT, it hurts my eyeballs.
maybe soften it or use a light pastel color? IDK!
Love it! It’s refreshing,it’s innovative,it’s freaking COOL!
thank you for updating everything. Just please don’t be like ebay and keep changing everything so that it becomes so confusing for everyone(buyer and seller). Thank you for trying to get us international users and for the getting the word out in the media. I look forward to seeing you on CNBC doing an interview.
Now I feel bad about the Hitch-Hacker comment Mr. Harding and your 2nd item! LOL You have obviously been working hard- site looks great-BUT- I’m with Fay SensualPleasures- The font hurts my old eyes.
I truly love the change – quite a feeling of air and sunshine. I checked my own page – really feels like I’ve done spring cleaning and washed the windows. Thank you so much!
I’ve got to chime in on the hard to read font. Needs to be darker or bold. Other than that it looks great. Takes a little while to get used to things being in a different place, but I think new users will find it less confusing.
I like the new look, overall. It’s a little monochromatic, but that seems to be the style everywhere these days.
From a buyers perspective, when I see those 4 big arrows my first instinct is to click on them, assuming they’ll take me to MORE of what’s new, or MORE coupon deals, etc. Finding out they don’t function that way, i then might assume that there aren’t that many new items or deals. I’m not going to sit there and patiently wait for them to scroll. I probably wouldn’t spend the time it takes to figure out how to get to a more complete listing of what’s new etc. And I really don’t see a way to get to everything that’s newly listed. There are drop down options when I hover over community, and i can get to the HPL’s and deals, but not new listings.
Personally glad to see Bags Bonanza gone. Now, if you’d just put something other than a fashion HPL on the front, I’d be a totally happy camper!
I love the new look and you’re right it’s much easier for a first time buyer to navigate! But one suggestion…the gray banner has got to go and bolder lettering would be appreciated by those of us with less than perfect eyesight.
I would love to see some bold color on that Bonanza banner
Thanks TwoFriendsTrading. Bill did mention above that we’ll definitely be looking at a way to darken the font in the header. I am sure that we will also make sure that the font is consistent with most major browsers.
I love it Bill and will check it out more thoroghly next week, but for now, it is really giving me a headache as well. The contrast is not comfortable to look at. I hope you can come up with a way to tone it down a bit.
Thanks Bill – you’re the bestest! … but you knew we feel that way about you already… right?
I think the changes are GREAT!!
Just one suggestion; shouldn’t there be a Home button, I know if you click on Bonanza it takes you to the home page, but it doesn’t say “Home”, like most folks are used to seeing…
Seems everyone is having this new interface, amazon, target, gap. My eyes are hurting but its something we’ll need to get used to.
WHOA!…hey guys & dolls…didja see,didja?
on the bottom right of the home page, you can select your preferences for your interests,
AND
on the left of the images screen, when you mouse over the various options,
the screen shows new treasures…I’m likin that.
I’m not ‘splainin this well, y’all just have to go see for yourselves
Oh well Phooeeey!
I was so excited by all the new gizs’ & gadgets…I didn’t take time to read…
I see y’all have already found the new toys
Call me old fashion but I’m not crazy about it. Its busy and reminds me of pop-up ads a little.
Thanks for your feedback gbagit23. Give it some time, it just might grow on you
How does one make the home page populate the gray box? I see the four arrows to the left, but clicking on them does not make the box do anything. I’m just getting an empty gray box. Other than that, nice work on the make over. Always good to freshen things up every once and a while. Has a nice, clean, stylish feel and I like the olive green.
Also, would love a searchable box at or near the bottom that says something like “Find a Booth Fast” so people can search for a specific vendor.
Could be a connectivity issue. If you email us all of the details to support then we will have a look.
Loving it!! Clean, Crisp, Professional
Thanks for all the hard work!!
Looks like a lot of good changes. Thanks for all your great work!
I am not getting any photos on the home page and the tabs for viewing HP, etc. don’t work. Also button for updating HP doesn’t work. The bottom tool bar isn’t showing.
Also please add ANTIQUES to your list of categories for everyone.
(Am on an IMac, latest Firefox. Tried clearing my history and signing in again.)
Just popped over to Ryan’s desk where he also has FireFox and iMac and all appeared fine on our side. If you can contact us at support then we will do our best to get you back on track.
I love the new LOOK it shows off so much of what bonanza is. GREAT WORK
I think I like it… at least, I do like the way it looks- going to have to relearn how to navigate but it definately looks fresh and current. Good job.
Refreshingly new look!!
@Bill…regarding the approval of blog posts, that makes total sense considering some get more responses than others. I have to agree that it’s nice to be able to read relevant responses without weeding through extras. I was able to read through all of the responses no problemo! So, good idea there.
Also, I know it’s been mentioned that you’re looking into changing the fonts, but I really have to stress the importance of fixing the excessive brightness. It really is hard on the eyes. Since I can’t seem to handle it for more than 20-30 minutes, I fear shoppers won’t stick around long enough to shop much because of it.
I haven’t seen anything mentioned about fixing that, so am curious to know if you intend to tone it down a bit. I’ve only been here long enough to read the responses after my last one and am already getting a headache. Oh, and if it makes any difference, I’m now using FireFox on a Windows 7 PC.
Thanks!
It looks fresh, it looks current, it caters to a wider variety of buyers. Well done
In regards to the International section, Big Yay going out on that! I LOVE the fact that my neighbours here can see what I got listed in our currency! I think that is the best!!
It just took a moment to figure out how to navigate but overall I do like it. I like the fresh, clean & professional look. I’m proud to send my customers here
Everything New takes getting used to, I know…but the fonts are too small to read for me, personally…it begins to hurt my eyes very quickly…On a Positive Note, I like it that other countries have been embraced with browsers that pertain to them…I like some of the ’’crisp’’ looks here and there, like when in a Forum one uses h3 and a period for larger print, the print is nice and crisp and easier to read than previously…on Both Firefox and Safari it all looks the same to me, could be my specific browser settings for both, but I repeat, perhaps a darker font, or larger font might be considered…and regarding font settings, in the Blog, the size of the font is so small, it’s blurry to me…but no matter what I wish Success for Bonanza, I always have and will!
Bill, Re: FOR EVERYONE on HOME PAGE…
it would be Great if the BOOK category can be listed as a distinct category…instead, of only seen after clicking on All Other Categories.
Books are a major category…
and Bonanza offers buyers opportunities to find books at lower prices than other venues.
Would be a boon if buyers can see prominently that books are important on the Bonanza HOME page.
Thankyou very much for considering it…
I am navigating a whole lot better now. Thanks guys. I do have a Question about the internationalization. Do we now have a Canadian Calculator? I have noticed that my items are now showing with “item cost + calc. shipping”. Before buyers had to contact me for shipping since the calculator did not work for international sellers. This would be a bonus if international sellers have their own calculator.
We have the same calculator, the only difference at the time is that a buyer will be able to view what the charges will be in their currency. You can find International Calculated shipping on your batch editor. We do not have immediate plans to add another carrier to our existing shipping calculator but we will not rule out doing so in the future.
Hold down the “Control” key and scroll your mouse wheel upwards — et voila! Your font size grows right before your eyes with minimal effort!
Hi, This is an update to my previous post. My Home Page Categories are: Collectibles, Books, Antiques and Entertainment Memorabilia. The Choices I’m getting are: Soup Cups, a CPR course, Crocheted Roses, Perfume, Cloud Strife Game Decal, Abercrombie Girls Shorts and a Scooter Chair?!! Also the Featured Seller Booths that I’ve seen so far have nothing to do with my choices and frankly look like collections of yard sale junk. It’s really not what I would call personalized at all. Am I doing something wrong? Or else the personalization feature really needs fine tuning. If it stays this way and I was new to the site I would just leave right away.
Personalization will improve daily. So while your choices at the time may not be as relevant as you expect them to be, the system will grow smarter as time goes on. You should have seen it the first day we tested it
I am wondering with the blue box that comes up for the Bmails could you add something for a notification when you have a sale. In the beginning when I joined it would tell me that I have a notification telling me. Now I have to go to my bonanza to get the notification. Just a suggestion to make it a little easier. Other then that I am liking the new set up and getting used to it. Just a little to white. Thanks
Love the new look! Thanks Guys
But when in my Booth,Sell on Bonanza and
Community drop downs are not working.
Just tested and it appears fine on our side. If you can contact us at support with all the details we will be sure to assist.
Wait! did I just read something about future improvements and SPREADING THE WORD TO THE PRESS!!?? PLEASSSEEE tell me I read that correctly!?? For that, You can change things around here as much as you want, won’t hear a complaint from me again…That is all i have been wishing for, was some spreading of the word by the guys at Bonz! Thank you!! that would be SO great! I’m happy now
Wow! I nearly fell over when I saw the home page! I really thought you guys would go with something more exciting. And I can hardly read the fonts, they are so light. On the plus side, the international exposure and translator was a good idea. You should add Japan when it becomes available. And if all the software works correctly, there maybe be some real promise to it….
Thanks for your feedback. I just checked with the programming team and learned that Asian languages in general are too difficult to render with our current set up. We will surely keep it on the road map as a possible enhancement in the future.
I updated my home page preferences again and now Featured Seller has no images. I did try refreshing the page but still no images. Also tried opening a new tab but no pics show up.
I just followed your steps using Google Chrome and it worked as it should. Please contact us at support with all of the details so we can follow up on this.
Had to use Firefox to get to this page. This page is causing freezing using IE8.
Agree with Collectable Corner regarding the big arrows. I also thought that by clicking on the “handpicked list” arrow, it would take me to that particular handpicked list. At this time there seems to be no way to get to the actual list and one can only click on a particular single item on that list. It would be great if we could click on the big arrow and get to the entire list.
Also regarding loristhisandthat’s comment, she is correct regarding that the “Community” drop down menu does not work from your BOOTH PAGE, using IE8. I have found it to work on all other pages using IE8. It works fine on all pages using Firefox.
Do not care for the uneven, torn looking, faded “Bonanza word” banner.
With exception to the above mentioned issues, all and all we are liking the new clean look.
Thanks for the additional information. I was able to reproduce the “Community” menu quickly disappearing when in IE. I will send over a report to the programming team, thank you
I really like the new look, took me a few tries to find everything but once I found it, no problems. I think the font thing must be on what browser you are using or the setting on your monitor because mine looks fine to me. Thanks guy’s.
I like the new graphics with the exceptions below – It is a nice look, fresh and not competing with the items on the page, altho a little too shy and retiring. Am I correct that the background of the main Bonanza banner is supposed to be denim fabric?? I don’t think it would hurt to make that a tad more obvious – not necessarily country or western [this is Bonanza after all] but maybe designer denim – a faded denim in that taupe-y olive – which would be more of a varied wash than the dots [altho the dots are clever, they won’t be if darkened], and would give the color more depth
I Agree with “avinageattitude” 100%
-——————————————————avintageattitude says:
09/09/11 at 06:44:09
Good Morning,
Idea is good but:
It’s too white, fonts too thin and the drop downs just drop by moving the mouse and it covers where you might want to click so you end up clicking where you didn’t want to. Too much overlay if you get my drift.
And finally i think there’s too much movement. It seems confusing.
Sorry but that’s what I think,
-——————————————————-I customized my “style” or whtever and I am a little incensed that 14 hours later i still get a MOBILITY CHAIR and a CPR course among other assorted items not even close to the ART, ANTIQUES and Collectibles that I chose. The collectibles page is a full page of stamps. The search for collectibles featured up top are not much better. I hope there will be as much tweaking of the items featured on the Home Page as there has been and will be on the graphics.
Basically, I like the changes to the design but agree it needs some depth of color and bolder font
Take a look at misskeech’s avatar above – her background color is great …a light version of that color would be better than white provided the boxes are correspondingly deepened.
Also suggest when I am mousing over one of the big fat arrows on the Home Page, that it stay open to that one.
Way too fast …then the coupons and whatever else one is looking at is way to slow to move …except the HPL which does not give one a prayer of a chance to look at it – much less click on an item, while the “deals” are static …and not very new after 14 hours. Still the same and of no interest to me vis a vis my personalization of “my” homepage.
One comment on the “Style” when the Bohemian page opens, under it is a “find your style” and it shows a “Goth” and then a “Classic elegance”. I think you should take a second look at what is called classic elegance. It looks like Punk to me. Totally not classic elegance.
Someone above said the items look like a yardsale. I agree.
Which brings me to my conclusion that there should be some mainstream conservative items on the home page mixed with the “everything but the ordinary”.
Thanks for your comments. What is really surprising is that we did not change the “white” on the site at all. It is the exact same back ground that has always been on Bonanza. I think the new header color accentuates the back ground, that is why more are noticing it now.
Regarding personalization, the results will improve each day so hang in there. The system has to learn what you like
As soon as you point your mouse over an arrow tab on the home page, it will stay on that arrow tab until you move your mouse. I just tested this with Chrome and it worked as designed. If that is not the case for you then please contact us at support with all the details so we can address.
I for one dislike it – can’t figure out on how to get to the page with the stats or the edit page :(
Thanks for your feedback. I assume you are speaking of your “My Bonanza” page and your “Sell” page. To get to your My Bonanza page, you need to click on the link in the upper right side of each page titled “My Bonanza.” There is also a drop down menu that will appear that has the most popular selections for that page.
Clicking on the “Sell on Bonanza” link (located in the upper left side of the page, just above our logo) will take you to your “Sell” window (aka your edit page). You will also see a drop down menu on that link that will take you to the most popular selections for that page.
Can we say LOVE…It can only get better…Change is a good thing…Thanks top doggies…Ovyee Jewels
Love the new look!
WOW … I love it !!
FYI to support re: Personalization.
1. When I added Antiques to my preferences, items shown are not in Antique CATEGORY.
I know this will take awhile, but thought you would want to know that right now the correct CATEGORY isn’t being chosen by the Personalized option.
2. Re: HANDPICKED LISTS, I wish there was a way that ALL the lists could be seen by name from the HOME page…perhaps with clickable links. The fabulous items shown in them could stimulate impulse sales if buyers could
get to all the lists from the Home Page.
Thankyou for considering it…
Again, I LOVE the new Homepage and all it offers…
Navigation is good, but a kind of no color appearance. The page is very muted and I know many people like that. I’m a blod color person – so that’s what catches my eye.
I like the page set up, but only problem is the fact that it is wayyyy too bright. You need some color or darken it somehow.
Will send support re mousing over – it does not always stay on the choice.
But this is a biggee …there is no way to click on a Hand Picked List to see the whole list!! Need a live title so that one can click on it and go to the list that, for example, says “over 50 item starting at $8.00”. Can’t get to it and of course cannot comment on the list. Trying to find it on the HPL indexing pages is not cool – no one is gonna do that
There are 19 items on the Home Page HPL. Will the number needed for Home Page eligibility change? Now 24 needed [with a few extras desirable] Same?
Nice suggestion for the HPL link. I am not too sure what it would take but I will be sure to pass that along to the programming team along with a bag of Skittles to entice them.
No plan at this point to lower the amount of items for a Hand picked list. The more you have the better they are to shop.
I like it, The look anyway haven’t played around much yet but it looks alot more professional. Great job Bonanza!
For what ever it’s worth, I like the new design. Is it perfect? Heck no. It’s a clean crisp look. Uncluttered and simple. The colors are a bit bland, I’d suggest adding in a dark green to offset the tan. I’d also like to recommend going back to the “carousel” of featuring various items of the site instead of the HPL’s. I’m still not a fan of them. Most all of them are clothing,jewelry, Dishes. I hardly ever see collectables, books, media, tools.
The HPL’s featured are STILL for the most part ones that have been created by the same members for a very long time. I think going back to the program that just randomly picked out items from the site is a MUCH better idea.
Past that and adding a few “tweaks” like a few other colors, like maybe a dark burgundy and dark green, I think you’ve done a great job here
Over all, I think the new look is good. I’m not wild about the dirty looking banner though. Don’t you think it could be cleaned up a bit, this example is to show a cleaner looking banner.
It has already been addressed on the font size and color so I won’t add to that, except to say I do agree with the rest.
I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of promotions you are planning in the near future that you mentioned.
Hello I’m New to this site. I like how tabs are set up, but that Border color is drab and lifeless, keep the colors darken it up:)
just love bonanza very friendly auction site i wish you all the luck in the world and that you become the giant of auctions
I guess I’m the only one who liked the old look better. But…I’ll just have to get used to it.
NICE BANNER Alilbirdy2!!!! That would look AWESOME!
I think it is off to a wonderful new start. My only suggestion is the color background. It really, really hurts my eyes, even with my glare resistant glasses on. Please darken it up.
It looks like from 90% of the responses above if you just bolden or darken the fonts, You got happy campers.Can’t please everyone, I for one see it as a great improvement,Good job
Can you please slow down the front page! Just when my eyes get focused on something, it changes. Very annoying.
Just found a small glitch.. click on any of the multiple “Collections” links and you immediately see a header that reads “Shop the styles you love, chosen by people in the”.. perhaps the font is a bit too large to complete that sentence? Or should we guess what these people are in?
Thanks for the report. We logged this one earlier today and should have it corrected soon.
I really like the updated look and feel, mush more contemporary and stylish, but do miss the green and orange that kind of set us apart from the mainstream. The blue is just blah. Good work team!
Good morning! Spent some time studying the home page, to seriously try and understand what was troubling me about it. But first, let me say I like the simplification aspect. And the internationalization. On those changes, I say, Well done!
But the issue of “too white” that a number of people have brought up: At 100% on my screen, there is a 2" white margin on each side of the home screen; 4" total of empty space, up and down the home page. I’m guessing that this is the source of the “whiteness” that’s troubling people. And there’s no border of any kind, to give the page a “finished” look. To me, in this visual medium, empty space feels very uncomfortable; not to mention that it becomes a source of bright light that’s harder on the eyes.
I noticed in the comments that at least a few people seem to think, as I do, that the banner color needs to be different. I truly hope you will reconsider this banner. It looks like a piece of rag that has been dropped on the floor, stepped on, and is dirty. While some may consider that artistic and current, it sends a subtly negative, sub-verbal message, of “old, used, and dirty”. And in a business where many of us are trying to sell pre-owned items, this is definitely not the subconscious message we want potential buyers carrying into the site! Please, at least lose the “dirt” from the banner. Thank you, guys for all the work you’ve put into this. I appreciate the ongoing improvements very much!
Good feedback to have, thank you. What is surprising about the background is that we did not change the “white†on the site at all. It is the exact same back ground that has always been on Bonanza. I think the new header color accentuates the back ground, that is why more are noticing it now. Thanks again, I will be sure to share your feedback too
In art you learn not to be afraid of white space. I am recovering from two cataract surgeries, for awhile I was legally blind. Now, you all look absolutely brilliant to me, as colorful as a rainbow. Looking at the front page with new eyes, all I can say is, it looks great.
Should mention that bright white on the computer bothered me before this change and I reset my monitor to “65” brightness and “85” contrast some time back before this change and really like the lower brightness. (Ended the migraine “light flashes” or “stained glass” flashes that were occurring.)
Lowering the brightness on one’s computer can greatly ease the eye strain from any site.
[Doesn’t seem to help pages with black or very dark background and white script, however, which really attacks the eyes…]
Much easier on the eyes.
The white does not bother me on these new pages – but the banner and fonts were a tad weak.
Are my eyes deceiving me or have you darkened them since yesterday?
I am pretty sure that C! (aka CBang aka Christopher) has been making adjustments based on feedback on the blog, at support, and in the forums. So thank you for your suggestions
Hi Guys, before i used to be able to seach for a member by name, now i don’t see how to do that. Am i missing it someplace?
You can search for a user by clicking on the link titled “Community” (located on the upper left side of the page, just above our Bonanza logo) which will take you to our “People/Forum” home page. Mid page on the left hand side of the screen you will see a green button titled “See All Users.” Clicking on that will take you to a page where you can browse and search for all of our users.
Our system will return all user names that match your search criteria. A partial match many return many names, while a closer match on text entry will produce fewer names, and a likely exact match.
Here’s a link you can bookmark (or favorite) in your browser that will take you directly to that page: http://www.bonanza.com/users
I don’t see anything wrong with the banner, but you might want to put a greenish or blue border around it or darken it up a bit…but I like the artsy look of it, I think it would look nice with even more texture to it..
It’s not that I’m afraid of white space. It’s just that it’s really, really hard on my eyes and actually causes me pain. I find it odd that the background color was not changed, yet it’s so much brighter all the way down the page — not just at the top where the banner is.
When I first refreshed the forum thread I was on that took me from the old look to the new look, my irises instantly contracted to adjust for the brightness and it HURT! It was like a ray of sunlight just blasted my eyeballs. So, if the background color hasn’t been changed and Bonz doesn’t intend to change it, then maybe you should add some color to help tone it down.
Many people have complained about it being too bright and that it makes it difficult to stay on the site for too long. This will hinder progress when trying to get things listed or taking care of other business on Bonz. Plus, if the sellers are having such a difficult time sticking around, how do you think it’s going to affect the shopping experience for buyers?
I’m honestly not trying to complain because I really do like the fresh new look — although, I do have to concur with what others said about the banner color. It’s just the background is much too hard on the eyeballs and needs to be changed or somehow toned down. The fresh new look won’t mean much if peeps can’t view it for too long.
Where are the “Random booth” and “Most popular booth of the day” links? I can’t seem to find them now. Thanks.
I believe that we have similar links on each category page but as for the home page, the random and most popular booths link has been removed. My bet is that the links were replaced in favor of links that are going to get more sellers more sales. If that is not the case then I am sure we would consider adding them back.
You’re gettin there guyz & dollz
The tad bit darker fonts are much appreciated.
If you could maybe make the font size a bit bigger too, that would help tons AND, maybe help cut some of the excessive “white glare” on the pages.
I have to agree on that banner…it does look sorta like an old dirty burlap bag…sorry, artsy is fine, but, well…maybe it’s just me.
Good going Bonanza team!
We are really appreciating that y’all are taking time and action and paying attention to your faithful ranch hands.
Sending out crews to fix those busted fences and get the ranch all spiffed up to show stopping pretty before you spring it on the world…
It’s a good thing
Mark said, “Regarding personalization, the results will improve each day so hang in there. The system has to learn what you like”
They ARE improving. However they still leave a lot to be desired. The categories I have chosen are Books, Antiques, and Collectibles. Now I’m trying to figure out if the large box of Trojans that I see are Antiques or Collectibles. If Antique, that could be a problem for someone.
Why can’t I click on the big “arrow” and go to where it says? Big letters “Hand Picked Lists” but I can’t get to them from there? As a buyer that would frustrate me no end. Those giant arrows should be clickable to somewhere! I like the look of the page but finding it not intuitive.
Thanks vicky-bell. I am pretty sure that we are looking into enhancing that tab so that it will click through. Thanks for your feedback.
It looks like the only link to “hand picked lists” from the front page is under the “For everybody” category drop-down list. That doesn’t seem like the best way to navigate.
Hand-picked list on my Home Page:
TEALICIOUS!!
Under this title is this notation:
Over 90 items from $5.00
There is still no way to click on anything to see these 90 items. Nor is there any click-able link on any similar script or notation on any HPL that shows up on the Home Page except the creator’s ID.
How about making the Over 90 items from $5.00 the hot link? Seriously. If you invite folks/potential buyers to look at them they have to have a way to do it.
I think this is really, really important. Maybe the crew would prefer Reese’s Pieces??
On another note – the “fresh deals” are 48+ hours old now and pretty stale. If there are no new ones, can you go back historically for at least some different ones?
Of course this is coming from one who has hit the Home Page maybe 20 times now in the last 2 days. I understand that new and old buyers may not do so, but they may look once each day and if they see the same old same old that is not very enticing.
Same can be said for the “Find Your Style” …48+ hours of “Goth”? [paired with the same model in an ostensibly “Classic Elegance” attire] Needs rotation.
Also, in the “find your style” there is no way to look for other styles besides the 2 that are shown [see prior comment on the classic elegance] and when the search page opens on those 2 there is no title at the top telling one that they are browsing the “Goth” or the “Classic Elegance” and as a result, one can be led to believe that the 999 items that show in “Fashion” are all that Bonanza has to offer across the board. Need titles on that “style” search/browse page and a list of other “styles” collected or “chosen” should be available up top that page right then and there. My first instinct was to look for some other style and I would hate to think that I would be limited to the 2 [or 3 with Bohemian] that are shown…
Also, if you could tie the “style” with an available “Collection” or two up top that search/browse page or along the side …that would be cool, too
I am not sure if I like the home page or not, i dont go there much anyway, only before to look at the hpl that appear, it is now a bit busy or continues to show things I did not want to click on bit confusing but if it helps the site overall I am for it. I do like this statement by Bill thanks! “Our next few months will focus primarily on improving the polish and speed of Bonanza, as well as spreading word about the site to press.”
Nice changes for buyer/shopper usability, it makes it easier.
I would bring back more green color to the site. The Bonanza icon is a white letter B in a green square. Green is Bonanza’s color.
On the Bohemian Home Page, alongside Fill Out Your Collections fat arrow there is a link that says “Shop Collectibles”
tried it many times and get nothing but this:
*No items match search in category ""
You may have better luck if you remove your category filter.*
I have no filters.
Thanks, we are aware of this and will be getting that corrected soon.
As a member of the terminally tech-challenged, I don’t suppose, that you guys would consider adding “People” as yet another of the drop down choices under community.
I can’t be the only one who can envision blowing up my computer, any time something gts shifted. Thre are those of us who NEED everything spelled out.
THANKS!
Thank you for the suggestion, it is noted and will be shared
Completely bummed out about the changes. 3 computers, and not one single computer on any of the browsers get the home page photos now. just a blank grey box with moving tabs on the sides. :(
Sorry for that. We are aware that a few users are having this trouble (seems to be isolated to a few users with Internet Explorer). We should get that corrected soon.
I like the new design. The small fonts and light colored fonts may look nice and all, but they are super hard to read after awhile.
The FOR HER and FOR HIM drop down menus on front page do not have the COUPONS link. Only the FOR EVERYONE (collectibles) has it. It is a necessary feature, I think, since the MOST Buyers are looking in the Fashion category for deals and MOST of the sales are there anyway. Could this be implemented? As it is now, a shopper will not even know about Coupons and Discounts unless he/she stumbles upon one by accident.
The new look is interesting but not very shopper-intuitive so to speak and honestly, not really very pretty either…TO ME:)
Thanks danielle2453. Adding coupon options to the His/Hers section sounds like a nice option. I will see if I can get that added.
Love the new look.
Tryin to get used to it…yep u can teach an old dog new tricks, just takes some of us a lil longer..ya’s have always done an awesome job!!! Kudos to all of the bonz boyz and girlz
Very nice to see that the Hand Picked Lists on the Home Page are now CLICK-ABLE
Thanks!
How do I find the forum tab that was on the top of the page? Otherwise I seem to be finding most everything.
You can find the forums by clicking on the “community” link on the upper left side of each page (just above the Bonanza logo).
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