Taylor's New Website Q&A

[BigSkyTaylorPlayer]

Hi Shannon, I just want to second the suggestion of a site map.

I know lots of people like the graphics and elaborate designs but I just want to find what I'm looking for and not have to wait for a lot of pictures and content to load.

Thanks for joining us here!

[DennisG]

One of the things I always thought would be helpful is a feature that allows us to compare various models.  On every model description, I'd have a check box on the page, next to the words Compare a Model.  The user simply ticks the box of each model he or she is interested in, then clicks on the Compare a Model link, which will bring up a matrix of all the models checked and a short description of each.  I've seen this work very effectively on other sites, like printers and cameras.  It's an extremely useful feature.

[shaberd]

I will 2nd (3rd), the comments on navigation being more difficult on the new site.

Also the previous limited model information is not accessible at this point (only fall 11).

It could be nice to have dynamic results showing recently viewed guitars (similar to popular, but based on what you have looked at) as I often am looking at the same 3-5 models, but each time I go to the site, I have to walk through many levels to get to the ones I want to see.

[Cindy]

I've found it difficult to navigate when I'm trying to find a particular model acoustic guitar (formerly GA3 and the other acoustic only models). I clicked on Acoustic Guitars, but that brought up Acoustic-Electrics. There was a 316ce which said 300 series underneath it, but that just brought up all the cutaway electrics. I preferred the old web site's way of narrowing down the search results. This was my 3rd time trying to navigate the site, and I still didn't locate the Acoustic only models. And I've received the message that IE cannot display the web page numerous times while trying to get there which is frustrating. Honestly, I've now given up. If anyone wishes to help me, please list the directions on how to get there from Taylor's home page rather than to post the link. That's the only way I'll learn. Thank you.

[zipzapp29]

Hello Shannon

Id like to echo what everyone has said RE: A BTO "Guitar Building" page. How nice it would be to see how a certain binding/rosette/etc combination would look.

Most importantly thanks for asking. Seems inline with Taylors cust service mantra.

[Gary0319]

I've found it difficult to navigate when I'm trying to find a particular model acoustic guitar (formerly GA3 and the other acoustic only models). I clicked on Acoustic Guitars, but that brought up Acoustic-Electrics. There was a 316ce which said 300 series underneath it, but that just brought up all the cutaway electrics. I preferred the old web site's way of narrowing down the search results. This was my 3rd time trying to navigate the site, and I still didn't locate the Acoustic only models. And I've received the message that IE cannot display the web page numerous times while trying to get there which is frustrating. Honestly, I've now given up. If anyone wishes to help me, please list the directions on how to get there from Taylor's home page rather than to post the link. That's the only way I'll learn. Thank you.

Cindy, I've had exactly the same experience, including the broken "acoustic" links. Last night the acoustic link loaded "nothing".

[jjrpilot-admin]

This topic will be made into a "sticky" topic. 

[Edward]

A simple Welcome to Shannon, and huge Thanks to the factory for asking!  Like so many things "Taylor," they not only "do" but do so with an eye toward excellence.
Now on to the web suggestions, of which I have none 'cause you are all better at it!  Proceed!

Edward

[mea1970]

Hey Shannon, welcome and thank you! It looks like you've condensed your artist roster page. As someone who used to see his name on the "artists who play" section, I selfishly would love to see it added back on

[mea1970]

and one more thought. i've done the BTO route twice now, and i think it'd would be great to really be able to see all the options in visual form, especially things you don't always think about like purfling, rosettes, etc ... hard to know what everything will look like. maybe something similar to the electric gtr configure page. thx.

[zipzapp29]

and one more thought. i've done the BTO route twice now, and i think it'd would be great to really be able to see all the options in visual form, especially things you don't always think about like purfling, rosettes, etc ... hard to know what everything will look like. maybe something similar to the electric gtr configure page. thx.

What a way for Taylor to fuel G.A.S.

[Shannon McGlathery]

Great stuff everyone! 

We love to hear how people are using and thinking about the site.

I'll try to answer a few questions now.

Keep the feedback coming.

Cheers,

Shannon

[Shannon McGlathery]

Hi, Shannon.

There already is a quite long and interesting thread here about the Taylor website with loads of constructive suggestions, including my own. It's here, although I would be surprised if you had not seen it:

http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=866.msg6645#msg6645

Thanks, I'll take a look.

[Shannon McGlathery]

1) It seems to be better suited to a larger screen.  I had to zoom it out a bit when viewing.  The main page doesn't even fit on my laptop screen (1366x768 pixels). The menu is cut off at the bottom of the screen.

We did design the site for larger screens (1280 x XXX) but it should look okay on (1024 x 960) as well. We are working to make sure it looks okay on an iPads and tablets.

1) It would be cool if you could select more than one spec to be used to build the list of results (for instance if I wanted to see all rosewood bodied, GS guits, etc).

The reason you can only choose 1 filter (Shape, Wood, Series or Category) at a time is that it ensures there will always be at least one guitar in the results. If we allowed 2 filters (for example, a shape AND a wood) it would often return no results which is very frustrating to users. So we did the next best thing which is a sort of the results.

1)  I wish string spacing info was included in the guitar specs (spacing @ nut, spacing @ saddle).  I had a 314ce for a short while and now have a 714ce.  The nut width is the same, but the string spacing is different.  I think this is good info to have readily available, and it seems to be a frequently asked general question.

We will be adding more specs.

2)  On a related note... I wish there was more information on the various neck profiles.  There's plenty of info on the NT neck, but no info on the various neck styles.  Standard vs Slim vs T5 vs other neck profiles.  What are the differences, on what guits are they offered?, etc.

Interesting suggestion. I'll talk to our editor.

3)  Some sort of compare feature would be nice.... like a little check boxes that can be selected and a main "compare" button someplace.  This would allow direct comparison of a couple models.

This is on our wishlist as well.

2)  I wish, when displaying the lists of results, they could have a selectable format (like small icons).  This could allow many more guitars to be displayed on a single screen.  There would be less pages to of results to click through.

Would allowing you to select the number of guitars to show per page work? For example a dropdown with 9,12,15,18,21 options?

[Shannon McGlathery]

Hi Shannon, I just want to second the suggestion of a site map.

I know lots of people like the graphics and elaborate designs but I just want to find what I'm looking for and not have to wait for a lot of pictures and content to load.

Thanks for joining us here!

The problem with site maps on a site like Taylor's where we are constantly adding content is that they easily get out of sync with the site. They are very hard to maintain manually and the site is too complex to automate a sitemap.

A better solution is to make sure every major destination is available in the dropdowns from the main nav. Have you taken a close look at the dropdowns yet?

For our powerusers looking for specific models we also added an "All Guitars" page. It's in the GUITARS dropdown on the main nav. But here's the link for easy reference: http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/all

Thanks!