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Let's help our dealer friends create the optimal websites for coin inventory
RYK
Posts: 35,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have had numerous discussions with coin dealers regarding dealer websites and the characteristics that I feel are important for an excellent coin shopping experience for buyers. It goes without saying that we collectors value great coins with high quality photography, as a starting point.
From a design standpoint, my preferences have changes over the years. More and more, I am using an iphone or ipad to shop for coins, and these devices have less screen "real estate" (or area) and can be clunky to load and flip through pages, particularly when working in an off WiFi environment.
To that end, I would like to see all of the inventory in one page, in as compact a format as possible. I think that the Pinnacle and Mark Feld websites provide this the best, with one link from the home page to the entire inventory. If I want more information and a photo of the coin, I can click on the coin and get it. Of course, this format works better if for inventories of a few dozen to a couple hundred coins and not so well for a thousand coins.
I also like the display at CRO, where all of the coins are on one page with an image of each coin, to create a "virtual showcase" effect. I see that others are using this now as well. The CRO page loads quickly for me, more so than I would have expected, even off WiFi.
I also like to be able to tell, quickly, what is the new inventory. While I do not mind browsing the "old friends", and I often buy them, on a daily basis, I want to be able to efficiently tell what's new. It is also good to know when (specifically) the site was updated. Some dealers update the site continuously throughout the day and others once every few days, and both are fine, but please let us know what is your practice and give us a time stamp if you are a continuously updating site.
I would add that the more cumbersome the website, no matter how compelling the inventory, the less frequent I visit.
Perhaps some of our fellow collectors would like to comment on the attributes of dealer websites they like and those they dislike.
From a design standpoint, my preferences have changes over the years. More and more, I am using an iphone or ipad to shop for coins, and these devices have less screen "real estate" (or area) and can be clunky to load and flip through pages, particularly when working in an off WiFi environment.
To that end, I would like to see all of the inventory in one page, in as compact a format as possible. I think that the Pinnacle and Mark Feld websites provide this the best, with one link from the home page to the entire inventory. If I want more information and a photo of the coin, I can click on the coin and get it. Of course, this format works better if for inventories of a few dozen to a couple hundred coins and not so well for a thousand coins.
I also like the display at CRO, where all of the coins are on one page with an image of each coin, to create a "virtual showcase" effect. I see that others are using this now as well. The CRO page loads quickly for me, more so than I would have expected, even off WiFi.
I also like to be able to tell, quickly, what is the new inventory. While I do not mind browsing the "old friends", and I often buy them, on a daily basis, I want to be able to efficiently tell what's new. It is also good to know when (specifically) the site was updated. Some dealers update the site continuously throughout the day and others once every few days, and both are fine, but please let us know what is your practice and give us a time stamp if you are a continuously updating site.
I would add that the more cumbersome the website, no matter how compelling the inventory, the less frequent I visit.
Perhaps some of our fellow collectors would like to comment on the attributes of dealer websites they like and those they dislike.
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Good points.
I would add that no matter how often new coins are added to a site, it is critical that sold coins are removed (or at least marked as sold) in a timely fashion.
that summarizes it for me
i would like to mention a site that recently did a great job with efficiency. that is getting a large amount of coins on a single page. the images are scanned unfortunately but viewing more coins per page is at the TOP of my want list from a coin dealer site and HLRC has done that. i'm not into plugging too much but is very relevant to the topic at-hand.
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Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
I wish I had time to develop all the ideas I have.
2. NEWPs
3. As close to real-time inventory updates as possible.
<< <i>I also like to be able to tell, quickly, what is the new inventory. While I do not mind browsing the "old friends", and I often buy them, on a daily basis, I want to be able to efficiently tell what's new. It is also good to know when (specifically) the site was updated. Some dealers update the site continuously throughout the day and others once every few days, and both are fine, but please let us know what is your practice and give us a time stamp if you are a continuously updating site. >>
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
If those coin dealers with a whole page of LINKS to images KNEW how much business they were losing because of that format they would cry in their beer.
I wont even LOOK at those websites (it's just too time consuming)
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My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
The search box should work globally across the entire inventory.
<< <i>Well said RYK. I wish all dealers would follow the CRO format. All the coins are on one page. Just one click. Aspen Park Rare Coins is another great site that's easy to browse through. >>
I would love to do that, but with over 900 coins in inventory, wouldn't the one page be rather long and cumbersome to look through?
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
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<< <i>Well said RYK. I wish all dealers would follow the CRO format. All the coins are on one page. Just one click. Aspen Park Rare Coins is another great site that's easy to browse through. >>
I would love to do that, but with over 900 coins in inventory, wouldn't the one page be rather long and cumbersome to look through? >>
a middle compromise would work well here. instead of having 100 pages with 9 coins, maybe 18 pages with 50 coins ?
and/or a great search feature.
there are sites that allow by category and/or bulk listing with many items per page or few. there is basic code out there to allow the customer to choose so everyone is happy
the solutions are out there for the people willing to spend a little cash to make their sites more user-friendly.
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World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
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<< <i>
<< <i>Well said RYK. I wish all dealers would follow the CRO format. All the coins are on one page. Just one click. Aspen Park Rare Coins is another great site that's easy to browse through. >>
I would love to do that, but with over 900 coins in inventory, wouldn't the one page be rather long and cumbersome to look through? >>
a middle compromise would work well here. instead of having 100 pages with 9 coins, maybe 18 pages with 50 coins ? >>
Already doing that. From my home page there are 18 pages by category that each contain all of the coins in that category.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
<< <i>
<< <i>Well said RYK. I wish all dealers would follow the CRO format. All the coins are on one page. Just one click. Aspen Park Rare Coins is another great site that's easy to browse through. >>
I would love to do that, but with over 900 coins in inventory, wouldn't the one page be rather long and cumbersome to look through? >>
One page would not work for 900 coins. I think that you do well for what you have. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Re: Aspen Park, I find that site to be very cumbersome and, as a result, rarely go there.
I also don't like those dealer websites where you have to click on each denomination...
If there are 1000 coins, you need to separate them into categories and/or denominations. However, you do not need 12 categories and subcategories for 60 coins, IMO.
This carries over from my work environment--the fewer the clicks, the better.
<< <i>Call me a simpleton but all I ask is that they have a half decent image with real time, available inventory. If it's sold please get it off your website! >>
Okay, you are a "simpleton".
What I hate most is clicking the link to $3 gold or patterns or whatever and getting a new page with no inventory and a message like "Sorry, there are no products under this category".
<< <i> Would also be nice if the slab type was specified, IE PCGS OGH, PCGS Rattler, PCGS Doily, NGC Fatty, etc. >>
I don't think you need to worry about it at all. You will see it stated multiple times more often then not stated at all.
For dealers that have relatively small inventories, listing them all in one long list is okay. For a big inventory, a single long list is unworkable. As for numbers, I'd say a list of 200 coins is near the edge of unworkable, and over 500 on a single list is over the edge. Listing the number of coins in a category in the link is a reasonable way, though requires some more website work. For those with large inventories, a search function is a big help. For those with small inventories, searching a single list is easy enough with Ctrl-F or similar.
Timely and simple beat cumbersome and fancy. Up to date inventory and prices, of course. Image on request or price on request discourages buyers.