EnergyZone.co.za, a site carrying weight management, sport and fitness, vitamins and supplements and natural and herbal products and content, has been live for about three weeks. Driven by the 12-year-old company Estrin Software, the site is in content partnership with the publication Mens` Health.
Appearance
EnergyZone is well laid out, with good use of both fixed and dynamic elements, white space and bright, funky signature colours.
Navigation
Finding your way through this site is an absolute breeze. Threaded overhead navigation bars help you know exactly where you are in the site, while your shopping cart and main categories remain firmly fixed to the side and top of the page respectively.
Functionality
The site is very easy to use. One of the very interesting aspects is the always-visible shopping cart bar, which tells you how many items you`ve placed in it, the price per item and the total.
My one gripe is that this abbreviated rundown includes only the manufacturer`s info of each product, and not a description of the product itself, which makes it hard to keep track of what it is you`re buying. Of course, all these details are available once you`ve expanded the view of your shopping cart.
Content
Since the site is so new, it`s offerings are limited both in terms of product and content. And although there are quite a few products available tailored specifically for women, there is a definite bias to male interests and gender-specific information.
In addition, there is very little in the way of product description, although there is constant reassurance that the site developers are addressing this shortcoming in a statement tacked onto each section:
Litmus test
I tried the site`s aromatherapy offering; which, although not comprehensive, is broad enough to satisfy most mainstream needs. The essential and carrier oils I purchased were very reasonably priced as well - always a plus.
The purchase process is standard, but where this site differs from most is in its accepted forms of payment. In addition to the usual credit card option, one can choose to pay by offline credit card transaction, or deposit cash into the company`s bank account.
Another very nifty feature is the "special instructions" block on the delivery information form, which allows you to provide detailed information to assist the couriers in finding your home or office. This site`s fulfilment is impressive; I placed my order on a Thursday afternoon, and the package was delivered to my door the next morning.
Spelling and grammatical errors notwithstanding, this site is impressive in its product range, pricing and fulfilment.
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