Nigel’s Eco Store is an online resource for renewable, energy saving, organic and eco friendly products, tips, and services. The Nigel’s Eco Store website has a friendly atmosphere and a warm welcoming message. A short introduction is provided by Nigel making orientation easy. The website analysis reveals a delightful and personal shopping experience at the website.

The overall colour usage of browns emphasizes the eco theme. Shopping can start almost immediately as product categories are available on the home page with text introductions and anchored text links. Links are clearly identifiable and by limiting the levels required for navigation the website design promotes simplicity and saving of time. The use of images has been limited to that show casing products. A few decorative graphics are included that serve specific purposes.

The Nigel’s Eco Store website makes use of blogging to bring tit-bits of eco related information to its users. In addition it is also an excellent search engine optimisation and Internet marketing tool.

Unlike many of the online shopping sites, which are often so complicated and full of banner as well as flashing images, the Nigel’s Eco Store website design has kept it simple and thus ensures easy navigation through a CSS menu system. The personal attention is visible throughout.

Many online shopping sites lack the site map which is essential for orientation especially when the site becomes complicated. The Nigel’s Eco Store website is however, different. It has a comprehensive site map which has been broken up in different pages which is evident of sound SEO policy.

Contact options are a must when offering online transacting and the website analysis reveals that the Nigel’s Eco Store website offers several contact options. In line with e-commerce sites it also includes the copyright notice and terms & conditions page. Several means for payment are provided. A customer feedback option is available and the power of positive testimony is tapped into by listing the positive comments on the website.

As any good Internet marketing orientated site should include an option to receive email newsletters, the Nigel’s Eco Store website also includes a newsletter subscription option to ensure that its users are notified about new products, eco, organic, and energy saving tips. Users can also subscribe to receive notifications of specials.

A links page exists with exciting and highly relevant links as recommended by the website owners. Users will also delight in the opportunity to send gift vouchers to their friends.

When it comes to images though, some of the decorative images as for example, at the “My offers” page, do not contribute to a professional image and should rather not have been included at all. Images of the products can be enlarged and users have the opportunity to share pages with their friends. Viral Internet marketing has thus not been left behind.

The advanced search option is useful for finding that elusive eco or organic product. The search can be refined according to price ensuring that the user buys within budget range. Background information is available about Eco, the home link is present, and the website loads fast.

The use of a virtual assistant or an audio welcoming message would enhance the personal ambience. The website has limited the usage of animation. As such the Nigel’s Eco Store website design has kept to sound SEO policies. Text size is readable and there is enough contrast between the background and text to ensure readability.

It lacks an accessibility statement and should rather place all the awards on a separate page. The focus however, stays on eco-related products and the website design has succeeded to keep the pages uncluttered although some of the pages have large chunks of white space at the bottom.

Considering that the Nigel’s Eco Store website has only been online from November 2005 and is thus still seen as in its infancy shoes, the site does well at search engines. It boasted a Google Page Rank of 5 in February 2008. With hundreds of incoming links from Google and almost 6000 incoming links from Yahoo! it is now wonder that it is climbing the ranks fast. Other factors from a website analysis perspective that count in its favour are:

This is a website that should be added to your favourites list since few other online shopping facilities can keep up with the range of eco-friendly products that are available from the Nigel’s Eco Store website. Visit them today and make sure you sign up for the informative newsletter.