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Good morning!

Iit has been a while and the website has been up for a while, I'm sorry if theres already a topic about this, but my research skills on a sunday morning is not up to top.
So what do you think about the new website?

For me, I think it is messy and it's confusing to get around. It's hard to explain, but maybe I just don't like new things.
It looks pretty and if I get used to it I'm sure I would love it, the thing I miss the most is the "simple" design of the old page and "Whats new today".
I liked that they had one box for the miniatures and not deviding them up into two or three, like they do on the multipart boxes.
Orgryns and Bullgryns are an example of that, and if I'm not misstaken you do get both when you buy the other?

I don't have much of a problem with the new layout but they removed a LOT of stuff in the change and I am not happy about that at all, even if there was only a tiny fraction left of the articles and stuff that I remember being there once a long time ago.

By removing the last of the painting guides, articles and specialist games stuff they have symbolically removed the last of the actual hobby from their website, which sends a strong message that I do not agree with one bit.

There was another thread on this a few pages ago

Here we go: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/591322.page#6756641

I find the new site inconvenient compared to the last one, with the whats new today being halfway down the page. That said the site still functions fine and with all the subsidiary's like warhammer world etc having there own website is cool, as they have more content.

Pros: Mobile friendly now.

Cons:

 jonolikespie wrote:
By removing the last of the painting guides, articles and specialist games stuff they have symbolically removed the last of the actual hobby from their website, which sends a strong message that I do not agree with one bit.

This.

Not a fan. It has no soul.

It's merely an online shop now, nothing more and nothing less. It's functional and a little boring and seems to show the direction that GW are heading in now. They are not interested in selling the lore and the history. They just want you to spend, spend, spend.

 sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
It's merely an online shop now, nothing more and nothing less. It's functional and a little boring and seems to show the direction that GW are heading in now. They are not interested in selling the lore and the history. They just want you to spend, spend, spend.

This, pretty much.

And since I don't buy direct from GW (not really a lot of point when there are so many cheaper options) that puts their new site into the 'completely irrelevant to my interests' basket.

And that's what makes it stupid from GWs point of view isn't it?
GW want you on their website buying things from them directly at a higher mark up than if they sold it to you via a FLGS. Now once upon a time I might have gone to their store to look at an article or two and, being there anyway, a barrier between me and the product is removed, I am more likely to buy something.

Instead I now have no reason to hang out on the site and there are now 1000 items that can only be bought direct. This is putting more barriers between me and a purchase since I can't get it from my usual FLGS.

I understand why they would think its a good idea, but I don't understand how anyone who does was given the power to make these decisions...

 jonolikespie wrote:
And that's what makes it stupid from GWs point of view isn't it?
GW want you on their website buying things from them directly at a higher mark up than if they sold it to you via a FLGS. Now once upon a time I might have gone to their store to look at an article or two and, being there anyway, a barrier between me and the product is removed, I am more likely to buy something.

Pretty much this, yes. When you're charging more than everyone else for the same product, you need to entice people to spend more time on your site and hope that they'll just buy something while they're there.

Direct exclusive stuff doesn't do that, unless it's something that the customer really wants. When the direct exclusives were unusual models that were essentially 'limited editions' they had a certain draw. But turning such a large chunk of their range into direct exclusives just because their own stores are no longer big enough to hold their complete product range (and why that should effect what independant stores can stock is anyone's guess) just means that I for one lose any interesting in buying those parts of their range.

I'm not going to buy Space Marine characters from the GW webstore. I'm going to juse convert them from the models I can buy from where I choose to shop.




Of course, the fact that a lot of the direct only range is 'Fine'cast means that I wouldn't have been buying it anyway, but that's a different issue entirely


Automatically Appended Next Post:
What I would be doing if I ran the GW website is adding a monthly army spotlight, conversion column and/or tactics/scenario article, and then linking from that article to a discounted bundle deal that includes the necessary models to duplicate what was shown at a competitive price.

You push a few extra sales of specific kits, and while people are buying anyway they just might add something extra to their cart.

That'd be cool.

Another concequence of the direct only stuff is that people like me who are susceptible to impulse buy tactics and don't frequent a GW store are going to ask a FLGS for something, get told I can't have it, then go buy an x wing blister or something instead.
GW seem religiously opposed to the idea of admitting they have competition but the fact is they do and people buy what's on the shelf. If GW want to give up shelf space to mantic and privateer press that's their decision, but I think anyone with and retail sense would tell you that's a dumb idea.

Does it count as a website? I dunno. Maybe call it a webstore.

Losing the customer accounts was stupid; now if I want to buy anything on there I need to re-register. But if I'm registering somewhere it may as well be dark sphere for the discount.


The site honestly looks like someones first attempt at an online webstore using a plug-in template by a game store owner looking to branch out, and not the main center for information for a multinational company.

Browsing models by armies and FOC is clunky. slow, and aggravating. Having multi-unit kits split into separate categories with no cross-unit pictures adds insult to injury.

At least the old site was a handy catalog. The new one doesn't even have that going for it. You'll be ticking, unticking, doubling back like crazy to find specific kits.

It's just a shop, they're removed all the content and community support. It's the exact opposite of what companies like WotC are doing. I don't know why this is supposed to be a good idea. Did they think all those other things got in the way before? Is it just cheaper now?

James littler wrote:
...with the whats new today being halfway down the page.

"What's new today" is at the top right of the main page; click on the White Dwarf pic.

Herzlos wrote:
Losing the customer accounts was stupid; now if I want to buy anything on there I need to re-register.

You don't need to re-register to buy anything. You can make a purchase by entering details and then have the option of registering.



I don't mind the website generally- it does what it's meant to. And I have no issue with the lack of hobby stuff either. I do find having to check & uncheck boxes in the filtering system annoying though...

 Harriticus wrote:
Does it count as a website? I dunno. Maybe call it a webstore.

This. It's fine for what it is, a webstore with a sprinkle of hobby stuff.

 kronk wrote:

 Harriticus wrote:
Does it count as a website? I dunno. Maybe call it a webstore.

This. It's fine for what it is, a webstore with a sprinkle of hobby stuff.

You don't think, as the biggest company in the industry, they could have tried a little harder?

GW have the money and resources to blow us off our feet. Instead, it's quite possibly the most content-light official wargaming websites out there.

Yes. They should have done more.

But I get my hobby fix from you guys.

*SURPRISE BEAR HUG!*

 Harriticus wrote:
Does it count as a website? I dunno. Maybe call it a webstore.

That's a good point... really what it is now. Not necessarily a problem, but I'll have less reason to visit it as often.

 Lorizael wrote:

Herzlos wrote:
Losing the customer accounts was stupid; now if I want to buy anything on there I need to re-register.

You don't need to re-register to buy anything. You can make a purchase by entering details and then have the option of registering.

I didn't see that anywhere. Do you only know this because you've done it?

Herzlos wrote:
Losing the customer accounts was stupid

Yes, that was dead stupid. Lost $100 worth of store credit because of that. Have been trying to get in touch with customer service for about two weeks and they haven't gotten back to me

Edit: Actually, three weeks! Time for another email.

Herzlos wrote:

 Lorizael wrote:

Herzlos wrote:
Losing the customer accounts was stupid; now if I want to buy anything on there I need to re-register.

You don't need to re-register to buy anything. You can make a purchase by entering details and then have the option of registering.

I didn't see that anywhere. Do you only know this because you've done it?

Yup. You add stuff to your cart, go to checkout and there's an option for 'new customer'. You can then place your order and on the last page once it's confirmed you have the option to register.
Registering takes all of 30 seconds though so it's not really a big deal. the checkout process is a lot quicker than it used to be for registered users now.

I actually really like the new site except that they left out a lot of things I was thinking about getting.

But for someone who only paints, the new site is great for picking a new model based on whether you want something that looks fast, mean, or big.

Even for a web store, I don't think it's all that great. You really have to know what you're looking for. I'm not sure how anyone new to the GW Hobby could wrap their heads around it within the context of the game.

It's pretty much unusable and far worse than the old one. The navigation is confusing and whatever remained of useful content is gone.

The aesthetic is way too clean and boring. They're not selling kitchen goods, they're selling 40k and WHFB.

You'd think if they were doing a redesign they'd... I don't know use their hundreds if not thousands of pieces of full color book art to spruce the place up and make us feel at home. Maybe make the Warhammer interface resemble the design of the 8th edition templates and dreadfleet stuff. All the skulls and sons and comets and stuff in gold. Maybe make the 40k interface resemble the vast imperial edifices.

I know this would cost money, but they have the money to spend and I think people would use their site instead of cheaper retailers if it was a proper experience.

I didn't particularly like the last website, but why does progress always have to mean worse?

 Lorizael wrote:

Herzlos wrote:

 Lorizael wrote:

Herzlos wrote:
Losing the customer accounts was stupid; now if I want to buy anything on there I need to re-register.

You don't need to re-register to buy anything. You can make a purchase by entering details and then have the option of registering.

I didn't see that anywhere. Do you only know this because you've done it?

Yup. You add stuff to your cart, go to checkout and there's an option for 'new customer'. You can then place your order and on the last page once it's confirmed you have the option to register.
Registering takes all of 30 seconds though so it's not really a big deal. the checkout process is a lot quicker than it used to be for registered users now.

Right, but that assumes the user hasn't already given up by that point, after trying to log in and failing. maybe it's dead simple to re-register or to buy without registering, but a huge percentage of casualish browsers just won't bother.

Internet customers are fickle and impatient, so the more barriers you put in their way the less will bother going through with it. The site being different will cause some to leave it, not being able to find what they want will cause more to give up, those that find something they want and can't log in will give up. You want to make it as easy as possible if you want customers money, and GW haven't done that.

It is what it is, a venue to buy GW product, nothing more, nothing else. I am actually glad that GW have given up all pretence of actually being interested in promoting the hobby - we can skip wasting time worrying about that and focus on websites that do.

As for the site itself, well, drilling into army choices using tickboxes and then having to untick boxes to look at other things is just crap IMO but then again, I can't think of any reason I would actually be using GW's website for.

I find it realy awquard to find things, and gave up on a order trying to work out why something was out of stock when everything said it was in stock. Was the stupid marine added automatically >.<

Didn't have enough time to re ad evrything again, so eh. Missed out on my moneh !

It stinks.

But, in the mantra of everything being about us loving to spend our money at GW, I guess it works wonders for that. Given that the only part left of the GW hobby is spending money on GW.