Mamod's New Web Site

Minor1PJG · Mamod's New Web Site

I don't know if many of you have seen Mamods revised web-site http://www.mamod.co.uk/index.asp

To give an insight into future products from the company, their Terms & Conditions make interesting reading:

We guarantee your satisfaction. All items will be exchanged or refunded within 30 days if you are dissatisfied. Please note - we can only exchange or refund products in perfect condition with all original packaging intact. Please refer to the Returns Policy for more information. There is no refund or exchange on DVD's, books, sale items, underwear and jewellery unless proven faulty.

I'll definately go for the underpants

James

LMFAO!!!!!!!

Mamod long johns

Mister Occlusion

faulty Mamod long johns?

That would be the post-1984 stuff, right?

I expect their pre-war line of knickers can still be found in use today

bessytractor

I can't find the funny mamod pants bit!

flywheel61

As we've suspected for awhile, a strange mob, on the other hand there's nothing worng with diversification,

.

Cheers

Chris

Mister Occlusion

johnreid

The sad thing is, that site looks more like a shopping cart with little to no information about the product. IMHO it is no improvement.

Dave B

bessytractor

Mamodman123

Very very poor IMO

Minor1PJG

Well, exactly. They've clearly taken someone else's T&C's and as has been said before this web site does nothing to raise the profile/ image or really promote their products or brand.

A quick look at any other web site selling anything will have information for the casual shopper, the technical person or enthusiast or even a little bit of detail about each item if they actually want to sell anything!!

Very very poor indeed

toxx

... Mamod knickers are nothing compared with Wilesco knickers, also known as unspeakables in certain American states. Wilesco underpants are made of ...

Okay, okay, I'll go away for 5 Euros.

johnreid

I still wonder how Dealers feel about the Factory sight being directed towards selling direct. I think more detail -and better pictures would do more good.

toxx

... the new Mamod site is pathetic.

Minor1PJG

In a nutshell - it's PANTS

johnreid

Minor1PJG

In the UK we call Underpants just Pants and what you call Pants we call Trousers.

In addition, in modern vernacular people do say "Oh Pants!" to mean damn

So inadvertently Mamod have stayed true to form!!

Mister Occlusion

Maybe they should have looked at the competition and contracted with Cedge for web design rather than slapping up a beta site built from generic templates and going live.... even I know better than that and I'm a complete hack.

Minor1PJG

This is the thing - even people with no knowledge of web design know that you don't put a site up until it's ready and working!!

Similarly with no knowledge of marketing anybody knows that this is your shop window. You want it bursting with information and encouragement to 'come inside' not some flat list of some engines they once made and hope someone might buy again some day

Mamodevon

Either Mamod have been taken for a ride with the web design company they are using, or as has been suggested, they have "accuired" a template of a shopping site without checking the small print in the T&Cs. Or, perhaps they are just busy with Christmas orders?

Talking of crap websites, I have ditched my old site and updated it a bit - you critisisms are welcome before it is finalised. MD

http://www.mamodsteamrailway.co.uk

johnreid

Very good job MD

I agree that Mamod should get in contact with Cedge, I bet he could do them right.

Sandman

Sandman

johnreid

I seriously doubt that Mamod or Jensen lose any business to each other. Although both make Toy Steam Engines, they are so different too. If not for a Mamod, I probably never would have bought my first Jensen.

Reid

I just had my first look.

On the other hand, for example, Ministeam has a good site layout--
what I like about Ministeam is that many of the product images are available in BIG,
crystal clear versions.

Example:
http://www.ministeam.com/acatalog/Steam_Engines.html
*and then click on a picture*

Mamod would do well to accept/hire/solicit the volunteer (or paid) talent of this forum
to create a new and properly exciting sales site for themselves.

They need detailed product descriptions and large, gorgeous photos.

Even Wilesco's home pages disappoint in the photo department, but
Mamod is shooting their own feet with the present, pathetic site.

My opinion is not off-base:
Large, clear, detailed, in-focus pictures sell new engines and keep business afloat.

Manxman

Mister Occlusion

You're right, Reid. Ministeam also has videos of a good cross section of engines. I didn't buy my stirling from them, but their videos of them helped me pick the one that I wanted. Some of the videos aren't truly great, and you don't get a really good impression of an engine's character with it running on air, but that's a fair compromise considering they'd have to sell the test examples as used stock otherwise.

It's a well known truth that good pictures get more bids on ebay, and that videos get people just that much more interested.

New steam engines are costly items. You've got to convince someone that they absolutely NEED one.

Minor1PJG

That's a clear well laid out web site MD.

Now, who could take a leaf out of your book??

Reid

Doug's Ministeam site for his The Great Toy Steam Company is indeed very good.

It's big--he has a huge array of goods to organize, and his format serves his needs well.

If he reads this (I'll send a link to him), and I won't be saying anything he does not already know,

recommendations from one person, me:

- Ditch the wma videos; reformat them to YouTube embeds.
the wma videos are huge in file size and do not stream;
they are therefore hard to play.

-Many people like to see scale speeds. Ferris wheels and merry go rounds and toy shops running at blur-speeds are not whimsical.

-His is the only site that describes (sometimes) the actions of the shop models,
stating what they actually do.
For those of us who are new to the hobby and have never seen the Wilesco toys (as a for instance), this is a right way to do it:

screenshot examples:

http://ministeam.com/acatalog/wilesco.html

http://ministeam.com/acatalog/Wilesco_Steam_Shop_Accesories.html

Doug recently set up a YouTube account for his videos.
So I suppose he may eventually switch over to youtube for his on-site videos? I hope so.

Here's Doug's YT account:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ministeamcom

(Doug: please put "ministeam" into your YouTube tag word lists, and also "great steam toy company"; make tag words work for you)

---

Word: the future of newly made toy steam depends on our boosting all the good makers and sellers of new products.
Otherwise this will become a cobweb trade.

Compared to Doug's selling site, it appears that Mamod has an untalented leadership.
What a contrast in marketing skills. Shame.
And Wilesco's site? Would be near superb if they offered better images and more of 'em.

Reid

If and when I get steam toy accessories I'll be making YouTube demo videos, decent as I can with my poor camera skills

to show close up action of the toys from all angles.

Minor1PJG

That's exactly it. The Ministeam website is great.

Clear, descriptive, informative and a joy to look at/ navigate.

Mamod are so far from where they should be with a brand many of us hold dear

mc_mc

I tried to buy something...

Communication with the PROTX Server was successful but transaction was not registered. See details below:

Status=INVALID
StatusDetail=3078 : The CustomerEMail format is invalid. The value was jkljlkjk.
VPSTxId=
SecurityKey=
NextURL=
Entire response was:

VPSProtocol=2.22
Status=INVALID
StatusDetail=3078 : The CustomerEMail format is invalid. The value was jkljlkjk.

Not the most professional error message I've ever seen, yes I put a silly email address in, but I was just testing to see what happened.

There are also lots of typos etc. all over the website. Complete unprofessional crap, I think a clued up 12 year-old could do better.

I've emailed them my opinion (phrased politer than above!) and I'll let you know if I get any response. I think last time I tried the email bounced, but it hasn't done so this time.

Minor1PJG

I actually registered with the site and also sent them an e-mail a month ago (12th November).

I received an electronic thank you for registering and a separate one confirming receipt of my e-mail and an auto message telling me my query will be dealt with 'at the earliest opportunity during business hours.

I'm still waiting

Wallace

Reid

I will send them a link to this thread.

It's not a flame thread. It's a wake-up call.

Dear Mamod management: don't throw opportunity away.

Minor1PJG

Exactly - we all want Mamod to succeed

mc_mc

Their new slide valve models are the best thing to come out of Mamod for years, but they are definitely letting themselves down on the publicity front.

Reid

johnreid

Can you say Form letter? that is just a canned response. We will have to wait and see I guess.

Minor1PJG

That's the reply I received over one month ago!!

I'm still waiting for a reply during their business hours