Big Rev to HeadRoom Home Page - Page 4

Don't forget to add the link to your crossfeed info page in the Founder's Story page at the end of paragraph two.

I agree that this is a great improvement, fantastic website, as always.

I would argue that it's a tad less informative. I think the old site hit you with lots of information right up front but didn't really give you a call to action. The page now really gets you into the buying, or at least comparing, the products right away.

While overall this is a good thing and conventional wisdom would say give people a chance to spend money as soon as possible, the thing that made HeadRoom "sticky" for me was the vast amount of information. Being more informational helped you engage the audience and keep them longer, as opposed to just selling them a quick pair of headphones or an amp. I first found your site 5 years ago and I'm still coming back.

The thing that drew me in at first on the old site was the "Selection Guide". I think you should link to that page (or a modified version of it) somewhere above the scroll.

Really mostly just playing Devil's advocate.

I think the new home page is a big improvement. Congratulations!

erikzen's comments got me to thinking a little more on the HR homepage, although I realize that I am by no means an expert on webpage design.

Well, the product descriptions are still as informative as always, and the backbone of the site is undamaged, which is fantastic. But I think what you are getting at (and correct me if I'm assuming wrongly) is that there now seems to be more of a focus on selling product. The old one felt more unique, for a lack of a better word. I am not against the new page--it is an efficient page for navigation--but I keep finding myself missing the old setup. The new homepage's format is too similar to other websites, and I believe that might cause some unwanted (and untrue) assumptions about the character of the company. For me, the old homepage felt refreshing compared to other sites. It helped give HeadRoom that personality normally absent in most company sites. I don't think that the power of this "personality effect" should be underestimated.

Perhaps these feelings will gradually fade as I grow accustomed to the change, but in the meantime I feel the need to post my impressions in case they find resonance with others.

One suggestion I have is to keep the new format, but include a "portal" page before it. Web savvy types will have a better word for it, but an example of what I'm thinking of is this:

Upon entering the entry page to HeadRoom you see the awesome Headroom logo with nothing in it's immediate space. Below the large, impressive logo is text very similar to the one found on the original homepage. And clicking on the logo brings you to the current new homepage.

Anything that helps headroom survive the down economy is a good thing. You guys fight the good fight, and even with the changes, I'm confident you'll keep doing the hobby right.

That said, I'll be the first at the door with the torch and pitchfork if you become J&R-Montana.

One suggestion I want to make is to make the links on your site stand out a bit more. The text and style on the links is exactly the same as the normal text, which is especially a problem on the content pages, where links on words inside a paragraph are impossible to see unless you accidentally mouse over them.

Hey Tyll, thanks for the reassurances! I'm really looking forward to all the new things to show up on the site in the near future.
By the way, I'm not questioning HR's integrity....yet.
Just kidding! Keep up the great service. HeadRoom rocks.

I would prefer cookies and cocoa.

Seriously though, I like the new site and navigation is very user friendly. It's also much easier now to navigate to what you want with the focus areas on the front page. I do wonder though in the man'f banner shouldn't be a slow-scrolling marquee so that everyone gets equal face time and you don't have to click to see the rest of the list. That's my only real quibble so far.

congrat' on the new look headroom!. you guys always surprise with new stuff.
but are the pictures in the new site a bit blurry?..or maybe it just my computer?

How about we compromise and do some s'mores?

Cookies, chocolate, marshmallows! What better way to celebrate the burning down of a souless retailer. I'm sure it will never come to that, though. Tyll would probably sell his ownership share first and just become TTHJ - Tyll the Headphone Junkie.

Fantastic new web design! The old one was looking, well, old...

Great update.

Just a quick observation. You guys have updated your listings and descriptions for the new "i" headphones from Grado, but still appear to be using the old photos.

Also it would be most helpful if you guys would re-score the new Grado units, and compare those scores to the old ones.... minute differences or not!

Personally I think it's a little busy, and I'm not a fan of the design school of thought that likes to tell me how wide the page should be (especially in this day and age of widescreen monitors). And I really dislike the combination of fixed width + busy.

That said, it's very to the point. I find it incredibly easy to find everything you have... and whoever set this up was kind enough to make it such that an individual with a screen reader could navigate it, kudos on that.