KarmaLoop

KarmaLoop's homepage is interesting for several reasons. The way the eye scans the page makes the sunglassed figure the first recognizable aspect of the page. Unfortunately, someone staring at you wearing sunglasses doesn't generate warm fuzzies. The page content, however, is strongly male-oriented. It is the type of male who would be drawn to this page that intrigues me. The separation of the characters in the image, the male behind the female, the expression on their faces-- do lots of males you know like being challenged with a lack of intimacy? The color choice is a power motif, but with the female in control (she's relaxed in the car).

Suggestions:

1. Unclutter the page.
2. Remove the recruitment boxes (bottom left) until after the visitor's been qualified as a likely candidate.

PacSun

PacSun's homepage gets two things correct right out of the gate: a group of equals having fun together (this demographic is strongly into social networks) and the use of brand names in that image, hinting that the brands are the cause of the fun. The site is also visually clean (a big negative for KarmaLoop's site) and demonstrates that PacSun understands how to 360 their audience-- there's a link to "Pac Radio" so you can listen while you shop. The more sensory activity you can engage your audience in, the greater chance you have of capturing them for present and future business.

Both PacSun and KarmaLoop are "Hacker Safe." KarmaLoop puts it up top and at the end of the visual scan, which voices that it's a big concern to either KarmaLoop's customers or management. PacSun has it on the bottom right, an excellent spot because it's out of the visual scan and, when it is seen, is placed to instill comfort and security rather than alarm. PacSun is also male-oriented, but they demonstrate a very different male (check out the image).

Suggestions:

1. Add an RSS feed (something KarmaLoop does) in addition to email.
2. Both sites could benefit by text-messaging when friends are shopping the site, making it a gathering place.

XThreadz

Yes, well...not really sure where to go with this one. Unless someone was getting a link directly into their store, this page would be a game ender. First, visitors have to know what they want (not good for a demographic that takes its cues from a highly mobile peer group) and believe that they'll find it by following the link (not likely as the page is almost antiseptic in appearance). All computers and browsers indicated there was a popup being blocked and that cookies were being dropped. The page also asked visitors to download Flash 5.0. Anytime you take visitors away from the shopping experience, you lose them.

Suggestions:

1. Assuming the goal is to get people shopping, put some products right up front so that visitors can a) shop and b) get an idea they've come to the correct place. There is a link to the store on this page (several, if you look at the source code) and an image of products would be a more obvious link to get people shopping.

GenY Etailers Summary Table