A site to discover Europe’s best foods and get them directly from their producers.
Target Audience: Foodies
Website URL: https://gourmetorigins.com
Feedback sought:
- Visit https://gourmetorigins.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
- Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
- What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
- Do you find something missing when it comes to product or producer info?
- Would you purchase something on the site? If not, why?
- How do you think the site compares to other gourmet food sites and marketplaces?
- Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
About GourmetOrigins.com:
GourmetOrigins.com is an online marketplace that helps foodies discover artisan and high quality foods and order them directly from their producers.
On our site you can get unique products that are very difficult to find in conventional distribution channels, while small independent producers have a platform to reach potential customers and develop their online presence in an efficient and convenient way, with no fixed costs.
Whenever there is an order we take care of processing the payment and organize the products’ pick up and delivery, as they are shipped directly from the producer’s facilities. At the end of each month we transfer the money accrued from the transactions to the producer’s account while keeping a commission. We aim to make the whole process hassle-free for the producers, so that they can focus on their core activities and continue delighting us with great foods.
We are also adding new features that would help people learn and understand the uniqueness of each product, its story and its origins, contributing this way to the consumer experience and the preservation of Europe’s food heritage. We have launched in the UK and Spain but plan to roll out the service in other European countries soon.
Visit https://gourmetorigins.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
When I first opened the webpage, I saw a bunch of foods and spices on brands that I didn’t even know existed. From my first view, I thought that it would be a place to sell rare and unique foods and spices that you can’t normally get at grocery stores.
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Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
The first element that popped out at me is the flash video. I find it a nice way to get someone’s interest into your webpage. It simply gives a short and sweet summary of what the site is about, which is what you want customers to know when they first open your webpage. The next thing that caught my eye is the menu on the top of the page. The orange background is very eye-catching when it is close to the flash video. I noticed the latest item list next, which displayed quality pictures and large-text prices neatly presented in the middle of the page. The last thing I noticed is the stuff at the bottom of the page, which has nicely done graphics, and could be eye-catching on the top of the page as well.
What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
Like: I really like the color scheme that the site has. The white background with the orange menu and the light gray menu adds a unique touch to the site. It is very pleasing to the eye and makes the text on the website easily readable. I liked the flash video on the webpage. It got me more interested into what your website is about. The “Find us at:” picture fits very well into the white background. The orange text on the webpage helps bold the text that you want the users to see first. I also like the site’s simplicity compared to other marketplace sites.
Dislike: I did not like that the products has no search menu. If anything, it should be more important than having a producer search menu. Having a sub-menu of products isn’t enough; the customers want to find their products quickly and easily, without browsing through other products that they are not interested in. The menu on the bottom should be moved to the top and blended in with the top menu because there are some important menu links that you might want customers to see in the top menu. e.x: “About Us” and “Contact”. The picture where you can subscribe for “our latest offers and news!” doesn’t blend into the background as well as the other pictures do. It seems a bit out of place and should be redone. The popular products on the bottom should have a tab in the item list besides the “Latest” tab. Where the popular products currently are, they feel unimportant on the bottom of the website. Also consider implementing more languages and countries, especially when your company seems to be mainly targeting the European countries (prices are in euros instead of American dollars).
Do you find something missing when it comes to product or producer info?
As said above, the product list needs a search bar. As for the product info, I find it well made except for the space left to the “Add to Cart” button, which feels like it is taking up space. I also want to be able to find more related products and products from the producer instead of only seeing three other choices. Sometimes, the Comments box doesn’t load, but it may be on my side. For producer info, if you want to show more producer info, use a scroll-bar instead of opening a huge, page-taking box in front of me. It would be easier for me to navigate. The Google maps is a nice touch, but it might be easier to type the address onto the webpage instead of using Google maps. Or use both Google maps and the producer contact information. I also want to view more producer products in a different way instead of continually scrolling down the page to view the products that the producer offers. Maybe adding “pages” of products instead of a long product list would help with organization and ease of use.
Would you purchase something on the site? If not, why?
Some of the products look interesting and unique, but I don’t know how I would use the products. I am not a gourmet chef, which may be part of the reason. I also don’t know if I can order these products in the United States, as the prices are in euros instead of dollars.
How do you think the site compares to other gourmet food sites and marketplaces?
This place seems simpler and easier to use compared to other common food marketplace sites. I never went to a gourmet food site, so I can’t compare against those sites. The food marketplace sites have information everywhere and it is hard to find what you need. With the improvements suggested above and by other users, the site will be really simple to order and checkout products from the producers. Especially if the website adds the product search bar.
Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
Overall, I think the site looks simple and easy to use. The quality logos, backgrounds, and simple, organized layouts help make the site look professional. After fixing a few minor issues, this website would be perfect for ordering rare foods and spices from producers around the world.