This is an old email I sent Makro many ages ago but their website still stays the same so unfriendly to fast access to information.
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I thought Makro President said Makro mail was very important to customers. And I thought I had read recently that a new web firm had taken over management of the Makro website. So why is the Makro mail on the web now showing still the December Makro mail? Is someone being paid to do this work and just collecting the money and not doing the work? It would be nice to see Makro mail on the web several days before the sail.
To me this ovesight is very important to correct to allow customers and Makro the best cash flow. I find many of the Makro specials are not available in Cebu and the employess just shake their heads and said no stock arrived. This affects your business and makes customers not want to come back for advertised items after finding many items not in stock even on the first day of the sale!
Please pass to Makro Website Development Team
Dear Makro Makro Website Development Team: Thank you for your considerate response and I have noted some improvements at https://www.makro.com.ph/ but the https://www.makro.com.ph/
To me this ovesight is very important to correct to allow customers and Makro the best cash flow. I find many of the Makro specials are not available in Cebu and the employess just shake their heads and said no stock arrived. This affects your business and makes customers not want to come back for advertised items after finding many items not in stock even on the first day of the sale!
Please pass to Makro Website Development Team
Dear Makro Makro Website Development Team: Thank you for your considerate response and I have noted some improvements at https://www.makro.com.ph/ but the https://www.makro.com.ph/
leadin page still is useless except for show. Peope who don't know much about the internet will not know what to do with such a lead in page. And even myself, I have to click the two graphics to finally get into the site. The cover page is all graphics and as such is 100 percent too much for people seeking information and in my opinion should be eliminated to allow customers easy access to the site that they want at https://www.makro.com.ph/ but if the cover page has to remain, it should be clearly written how to get into the site for the information people come to the website to use anyway.
When I click on the makro mailer it tries to load in a new window as a popup which many people have software that blocks. Several times it would not even load at all when I tried tonight. I have a superfast connection, pity the people on dialin, wow. And then when it did load, it took about 2 minutes, a completely unacceptable pace for a very fast internet connection, which I have in Cebu. It might just be given as a download so customers can look at offline later in the adobe reader format so readers don't have to stay on the slow dialup and can look at the items at their leisure offline as an alternative in Adobe Reader. But regardless I am happy to have the Makro mailer back and accessible to customers thanks.
When you click the specials for the various cities (makro mailer), nothing happens almost, do not seem to respond and when they do finally open the windows are not adjustable, meaning the information flows beyond the frame and no adjustment bars are available. Very poor web checking I think. Even in front page webpage design it lets you go back to make the site accessible even to older browsers and in my case I have the latest and it still doesn't work right. And there is no button allowing you to go back to previous screens in some popups like the one on your site for makro mail popup and so I can not go back to the mailer after I have looked at a city specials.
The side bars are nice with information on where the stores are, the company history, links etc but they continue to act slow loading so maybe the hosting site is very slow I don't know. FYI I reviewed your site at Wednesday at 8 am today your time.
I still maintain a "keep it simple" philosophy meets customers needs but hope the above comments continue to help you improve a website thankfully in transition.
Listen Learn React, Keep things simple is Makro motto? Does that include WebDesign for customers use?
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Good Day: (earlier letter)
So I guess your company is no longer interested in serving the customer in the negative response of your reply. It seems you missed the point. The site is too graphic intensive. Should I send you some links of experts telling why a site should be small graphics so it can be fast loading? So basically the site is for show and tell to management since it seems to serve little else? What about the broken links? And the frames in the manner you use them are used in few other world wide sites and just because a few other sites use them does not justify them. Check out other Filipino Makro websites for the frames issue. I am using the latest microsott explorer with the latest upgrades. Yes Flash is being used by others but Flash by its very nature is intrusive on the users computer and opens itself to viruses onto the computer but others allow you to turn off the flash when you enter their website. Most other websites have a map link of their website in simple text even other Makro sites.
http://www.makro.co.za/live/content.php?Action=home nicely designed and shows off Makro products here and impressively even has a search engine. Their site is a good site and should be a model. Even has small maps of various store locations! And has a email newsletter for customers. How nice. And you can easily find it in the search engines whereas the Filipino site never pops up indicating the web designer never put them into the search engine database.
http://www.makro.co.uk/servlet/PB/menu/-1_l2/index.html no frames problem and lots of useful information here on the enter page
http://www.metro-mcc.nl/body.asp again has the nicely laid out side panel for customer information but the frames do not work right as you can not scroll to the bottom of the links in the left panel.
Other good Makro sites
http://www.makro.pl/en/
When I click on the makro mailer it tries to load in a new window as a popup which many people have software that blocks. Several times it would not even load at all when I tried tonight. I have a superfast connection, pity the people on dialin, wow. And then when it did load, it took about 2 minutes, a completely unacceptable pace for a very fast internet connection, which I have in Cebu. It might just be given as a download so customers can look at offline later in the adobe reader format so readers don't have to stay on the slow dialup and can look at the items at their leisure offline as an alternative in Adobe Reader. But regardless I am happy to have the Makro mailer back and accessible to customers thanks.
When you click the specials for the various cities (makro mailer), nothing happens almost, do not seem to respond and when they do finally open the windows are not adjustable, meaning the information flows beyond the frame and no adjustment bars are available. Very poor web checking I think. Even in front page webpage design it lets you go back to make the site accessible even to older browsers and in my case I have the latest and it still doesn't work right. And there is no button allowing you to go back to previous screens in some popups like the one on your site for makro mail popup and so I can not go back to the mailer after I have looked at a city specials.
The side bars are nice with information on where the stores are, the company history, links etc but they continue to act slow loading so maybe the hosting site is very slow I don't know. FYI I reviewed your site at Wednesday at 8 am today your time.
I still maintain a "keep it simple" philosophy meets customers needs but hope the above comments continue to help you improve a website thankfully in transition.
Listen Learn React, Keep things simple is Makro motto? Does that include WebDesign for customers use?
--------------------------------------
Good Day: (earlier letter)
So I guess your company is no longer interested in serving the customer in the negative response of your reply. It seems you missed the point. The site is too graphic intensive. Should I send you some links of experts telling why a site should be small graphics so it can be fast loading? So basically the site is for show and tell to management since it seems to serve little else? What about the broken links? And the frames in the manner you use them are used in few other world wide sites and just because a few other sites use them does not justify them. Check out other Filipino Makro websites for the frames issue. I am using the latest microsott explorer with the latest upgrades. Yes Flash is being used by others but Flash by its very nature is intrusive on the users computer and opens itself to viruses onto the computer but others allow you to turn off the flash when you enter their website. Most other websites have a map link of their website in simple text even other Makro sites.
http://www.makro.co.za/live/content.php?Action=home nicely designed and shows off Makro products here and impressively even has a search engine. Their site is a good site and should be a model. Even has small maps of various store locations! And has a email newsletter for customers. How nice. And you can easily find it in the search engines whereas the Filipino site never pops up indicating the web designer never put them into the search engine database.
http://www.makro.co.uk/servlet/PB/menu/-1_l2/index.html no frames problem and lots of useful information here on the enter page
http://www.metro-mcc.nl/body.asp again has the nicely laid out side panel for customer information but the frames do not work right as you can not scroll to the bottom of the links in the left panel.
Other good Makro sites
http://www.makro.pl/en/
Even the site can be used to not only generate customers trips to the store but also to make money from advertisers of various lines you carry like Makro Ireland does
http://www.4ni.co.uk/listing.asp?cat=284&style=0&company=70398&level1=3
Aldai's Special buys should be a good model for SM Supermarket or even Makro mailer
http://www.aldi.us/us/html/offers/offers_11_01_2009_ENU_HTML.htm?WT.z_src=main
The website is the logical place for the Makro mail specials so anyone can go into the internet cafe and look up items on special and the prices of regular merchandise too.
If this is the attitude of management in Makro Philippines to not listen to customers any more with a superior attitude, then I am sure no amount of advertisements and websites will keep customers sadly. I want and use the website for sales regardless of what you say " searching for an item does not server any purpose" Sounds like your not interested at all to this customer. Oh well, there are lots of other places to spend my money. (note this email was for management years ago but should be noted as customer service attitudes make sure it is a more customer friendly experience now)
cc: Please pass to
"Management said they also plan to make the Cebu store a supply point for Bohol and other nearby provinces."
Top 10 web design mistakes http://www.webcraftscreations.com/resources/Web-Design-Articles-Top-Ten-Mistakes-in-Web-Page-Design.html (using frames)
http://www.aldi.us/us/html/offers/offers_11_01_2009_ENU_HTML.htm?WT.z_src=main
The website is the logical place for the Makro mail specials so anyone can go into the internet cafe and look up items on special and the prices of regular merchandise too.
If this is the attitude of management in Makro Philippines to not listen to customers any more with a superior attitude, then I am sure no amount of advertisements and websites will keep customers sadly. I want and use the website for sales regardless of what you say " searching for an item does not server any purpose" Sounds like your not interested at all to this customer. Oh well, there are lots of other places to spend my money. (note this email was for management years ago but should be noted as customer service attitudes make sure it is a more customer friendly experience now)
cc: Please pass to
"Management said they also plan to make the Cebu store a supply point for Bohol and other nearby provinces."
Top 10 web design mistakes http://www.webcraftscreations.com/resources/Web-Design-Articles-Top-Ten-Mistakes-in-Web-Page-Design.html (using frames)
Web Commandments: Ten Deadly Sins and How to Overcome Them
http://www.smartisans.com/articles/web_commandments.aspx (overuseage of graphics)
Your business' brand awareness is greatly affected by the image you give off to everyone - even the visitors to your website. If your website looks bad, does not work right, or is unpredictable across a variety of potential platforms and potential visitors, your very credibility will be harmed. http://www.royalways.com/20web-mistakes.html
Metro Department stores Philippines http://www.metrogaisano.com/
Here is a sample of Walmart's website and how quick it loads with the essential information right on the first page. and its current promos and where to locate the items in the stores (imagine nationwide), store locator, track orders and sign in. http://www.walmart.com/
Sears http://www.sears.com/
Pennys are also major malls in usa http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/default.aspx
http://walgreens.shoplocal.com/walgreens/default.aspx?action=nuep is a good sample of easy viewing of sale items. After all you want to sell right not just look pretty?
Or here is a list of lots of usa merchants and how they advertise online
http://www.cybermonday.com/
http://www.bestbuy.com/ or a nice layout here
http://walgreens.shoplocal.com/walgreens/default.aspx?action=nuep is a good sample of easy viewing of sale items. After all you want to sell right not just look pretty?
Or here is a list of lots of usa merchants and how they advertise online
http://www.cybermonday.com/
http://www.bestbuy.com/ or a nice layout here
