« - Quixtar Lies | Main | ? Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood »
October 26, 2004
Quixtar HPC
By QBlog in
What is Home Page Creep (HPC)? Well, HPC is a phrase I use to explain the gradual bloat that happens on many home pages as different features and links are added to increase visibility within a larger site (see Scope Creep). There are many reasons for HPC but ultimately HPC results from poor planning and the inability of Home Page managers to just say "No."
I've had first hand experience with HPC and learned to combat it for the good of the site. And as a result of that experience I've become quite skilled at spotting HPC wherever it rears its ugly head. So imagine my surprise (and dismay) when less than two months after the impressive redesign of Quixtar.com I noticed a severe case of HPC afflicting the famed MLM site. It's sad but true. HPC can strike anywhere and I guarantee that there's some designer in some Ikea furnished room banging his (or her) head against the wall after viewing the Quixtar HPC.
Some of you may have trouble spotting the dreaded HPC so I've set up a couple of graphics to demonstrate.
- Graphic A shows the Quixtar Canada site which looks pretty much like the Quixtar U.S. home page did before being afflicted with HPC. Apparently our friends to the North make HPC resistant home pages.
- Graphic B clearly shows active HPC disrupting the template design and creating a large, empty white space at the bottom of the page. Tsk, tsk. I've added a couple of notes to the graphic to point out the effects of HPC.
- Graphic C shows what the Quixtar.com home page might look like in a couple of months if HPC is allowed to fester. Be warned, Graphic C is fairly explicit and not intended to be viewed by children or those with heart conditions.
What's ironic is that a recent post on the "Real Quixtar Blog" (not to be confused with "Quixtar Blog," "Original Quixtar Blog" or "Quixtar Monkey Blog") touts the perseverance of the Quixtar design crew. Kia, the author of the "Real Quixtar Blog," says:
"I don't think there will ever be a time where we rest on our laurels when it comes to the Quixtar.com site. Our User Centered Design approach means that usability testing will probably continue long into the future, providing ongoing feedback that will help us make continual improvements to the Quixtar Web experience."Indeed. Well, it appears that someone was resting on their laurels at Quixtar.com and allowed the dreaded HPC to sneak in and bust up a previously respectable home page.
I hope Quixtar acts quickly to eradicate the HPC from its home page. If they need any help, I'm just an email away.
Comments
Yeeeah... see. Figure C was a joke. Jokes are supposed to be overboard most of the time. You didn't think I was serious... did you? ;)
Funny how a Billion Dollar company does the type of stuff on their website. Website is sensitive issue. It's I-Commerce, no?
Anyways, seeing a good template broken like this sucks. And whats up adding quixtar response link? They didnot responded to any thing. McDonald did respond to the public criticism. Q-Folks are just insisting on ripping ppl off giving vague responses.
No, I thought you were joking, but I thought it was even funnier that I just emailed Quixtar yesterday about the same thing. Maybe your rubbing off on me when it comes to details :)
realquixtarblog.com a real piece of work by Quixtar as they work to put more text on the internet as possible. Load it full of links back to the home page. The main reason for the blog in the first place. This is an additional way they can add to cutting out more IBO's and attract consumers to the website. No longer are the pages blocked from search engine index like the old site.
THIS NEW SITE HAS A GOAL
“ INCREASE SALES! ”
Either cut out the IBO before the reach the market or after they introduce the products to the consumer.
What does Quixtar care as long as the get the sell and even better without commission. They don't want to wait for the standard personal salesmanship as they claim.
I don't care what any of you candyazz thinks
I'm telling you they are using the Internet to directly retail.
They are breaking their own rule laid out in Bulletin 17
3) Product Promotion Site: IBOs may develop a site designed to promote the Corporation’s product.
However, as with its own sites, the Corporation seeks to ensure the accuracy of product claims and information, and to protect its trademarks and copyrights.
$$$$ Here is what they forgot! $$$$$
These sites must be pass code protected and follow the requirements as set forth in this Bulletin and the Rules of Conduct.
Did Legal Department actually think I was so stupid to believe that they registration page was equal to what they demand of the IBO's not hardly.
Consumers can still signup, and have signed up, are going to still signup until something is done.
The other big LIE is that the new un-sponsored consumer are handed over to a qualified Platinum?
*BS* I signed up family members unchecked the box (as most will do) "I would like to have a servicing IBO.”
No if that doesn't sound like intimidation that leaving the box checked your going to be called on by a "Salesperson" what is?
None of these people have been contacted since the middle of September.
I will see you all in Long Beach this weekend spread the word people your getting your future customers and market taken away.
Badboy,
You are simply misinformed. If a client shops from Quixtar without a referring IBO#, then the volume from the transaction goes to a Platinum based on zip code.
If you don't check the box for that Platinum to be in contact with you, then they won't contact you, but the volume from the transaction is still given to the Platinum.
This is a good move for IBO's and for Quixtar, and it is a win, win situation. There are many people who want to take advantage of Quixtar's products but don't want to have to have an IBO service them, and this solves that need, yet still benefits IBO's.
Nobody is being cut out of the loop. Quixtar is not trying to go around the IBO's. Before spreading these rumors you should call Quixtar and verify what I am saying for yourself.
If you would like to ask me some questions about this or have a debate on this, then feel free. I have responded to all of your posts in the past few days and haven't seen a response back yet.
QBlog wrote:
"Yeeeah... see. Figure C was a joke. Jokes are supposed to be overboard most of the time. You didn't think I was serious... did you? ;)"
Proving yet again how difficult it is to do satire on this blog. ;)
It's like announcing a crisis in a soap opera. How would you know? ::shrug::
Ambivalent
Don't be so hard on Chris, he'll get it eventually. I have faith. Don't you?
QBlog, statistically as an IBO I only have a 0.00034 chance of "getting it". You must have faith the size of a mustard seed.
O Chris, you got it :D :D
Btw, I like to answer many of your posts. I've said it before, i'll say it again, in a controlversial topic e.g. gay and Quixtar, there will be arguments. A lot of them. just like in that gay one. Blog comment section is not as convinient to have a discussion as a forum. If you come to a forum, we can have nice discussion.
I'm not asking you to stop commenting here, you got a great typing speed, you can handle both. u gonna get replies here anyways.
Anyways, your decesion. pl. consider.
QBlog,
Doggies. . . and you got away with it too!
You're good, but I'm getting better. :)
Ambivalent
Chris you must be a Quixtar salaried plant or Platinum.
I’m not misinformed and not as stupid as you and
Quixtar would like most of us to be.
This is not a good move for IBO’s Quixtar is mining
New business right off the search engines and press releases
The have constantly generated to online reviewers and critics.
They were using a similar back door to the cart before the
Website switch, obviously they were encouraged by the results.
I'll take this in small steps.
Let’s say a new consumer just got a presentation by a new IBO.
Consumer comes to Quixtar.com doing some investigative work.
The presentation by a new IBO just introduced to consumer the benefits of Nutrilite.
The website is so geared to take everybody right to the shopping cart.
With images and banners, etc.
Then finding they can sign up and order online with their air mileage credit card.
Why should Quixtar be allowed to recruit any consumer online?
What benefit does the IBO below Platinum have?
Why for any reason should Platinum have any new business handed to them? Never before has this happened.
Where is it when we signed the agreement did it say the Quixtar web site could operate in this manner?
The procedures clearly gets a point across you/me/we can't open up a website to register consumers and sell product.
CHRIS how can you defend this at all unless you are paid or benefit in some manner.
You must be a Platinum and feel you are going to benefit.
Badboy wrote: "CHRIS how can you defend this at all unless you are paid or benefit in some manner." among other things.
Badboy, I am glad that you are now willing to debate about this issue. I have been wanting to talk with you about this, and have answered all your other posts with no response.
As an IBO, I earn income from my Quixtar-Powered Business. If you are wondering if I get paid to post comments on this blog, no I don't. This is all voluntary.
I benefit probably as much as you do, which might be not at all, or we might learn from discussion that can help us in some way. I might discover a new angle of how to do a better job at educating IBO's on my team. Who knows. But for the record, I am not a plant.
As far as your recent posts, lets set the record straight. Quixtar does not cut out the IBO's because clients can order directly from the site. This option has been available since the launch of Quixtar, and I have noticed that since the Quixtar upgrades recently, that it is now available online and not just over the phone.
Quixtar will be in the press whether or not they publish press releases, so it is a good thing that they publish as many as they can, because then they have control over the content that gets out. This helps to create more positive exposure for the opportunity, which benefits IBO's.
Quixtar has recently started a web initiative to combat against the negative on the web using pro-quixtar blogs, google ads, and better optimization of their product pages to begin with. IBO's do not gain at all from the negative exposure in the search engines, but they do stand to gain from positive exposure. So this benefits IBO's as well.
Since you think that giving the Platinum based on zip code the business is a bad idea, I would love to hear your better alternative. It is obvious that they need to give the volume to an IBO, and not keep it themselves, so the question is what IBO to give it to.
At the Platinum level, an IBO has had some success with their business, so they have earned the responsibility of handling referrals of clients. It is much better than the company handing off the referral to an IBO who just signed up and doesn't know anything about the business yet.
Quixtar would want the referral to go to someone who would do a good job with them, and Platinum is a great decision for that position.
If the client chooses to not have the platinum facilitate the order, they can simply not check the box, and then the Platinum will just receive volume but not contact information.
They have done this since the launch of Quixtar, and the only thing has changed is that now the customer can place the order online instead of over the phone.
Look, even if Quixtar didn't do any aggresive exposure for their company, they would still be a topic in the press and on the web, and they would get thousands of people wanting to check out the business opportunity and buy products, so Quixtar needed to find a way to be proactive and handle this situation.
I think they have done a great job, and if you would like to debate this in a civilized manner, I would love to hear some insights from your point of view on why you disagree.
Chris,
Just wanted to take a moment to update.
The old site DID NOT allow those arrive at the site any chance of viewing product or roaming throught the site. Did you already forget that dark blue screen that had the
login/password on the righthand side?
(I send you a picture if you need)
How can you forget something that was only 30 some days ago?
Another quick point about this so called give the new businees being mined off the litereally thousands vd 30 days less than a dozen links. Fighting back negative feedback is one thing. Going after the retail business directly from search engines, adword placement ect. is IBO robbery.
You still haven't answered the best I can tell from my little screen-on-the-go I'm reading with. WHY is fair Quixtar can use the internet to sell from but IBO's have to password code their website?
Want a better website deferral page they have but don't poit to it since noone as presented any legal contestment to their
break in a mutual agreement with the IBO's.
See the company owned webiste address.
shipquixtar.com you will notice the IBO and Key is needed for a signin.
They are losing their ranking on the internet. They are spending the new IBO's coming into the company as Lab Rats to go out and introduce the product in hopes they can scrap some immediate financial reward for themselves.
Want to here a recommendation?
I'l give you a simple no reason it's not already in page one.
Build a directory of every IBO that is accessible with no difference in level.
All a surfing consumer needs to do is put in his or her zip code and up comes every IBO in the region DATABASE 101.
I swear I talked to many of you at Long Beach Ca this weekend and 2/3 of you people didn't even listen. I think you belong to the cult lost in the desert.
The other 1/3 you really thought it out
and I commend you for using most of your brain.
Chris come on, I'm into the company, product. But I have to many years in business and worked with big compaines to know when they are trying to pull a fast one. The longer this goes on the harder it will be to get back what we once had.
So Much for the USELESS IBOAI BOARD.
Again a smart move on Quixtar part to pull this off on the IBOAI Boards Election year.
Whiule the TOP DOGS are out playing noone is watching our business!
It's time for IBO's To stand up.
CALL THE IBOAI Board
616-776-7658 or
email tham at iboai@iboai.com
But it could be to late the Stepford Wives
may have already taked that organization over as well. It seems the higher they get in level the more brainwashed the IBO's become.
~check you later~
Badboy, I apologize in advance. Your writing style is hard for me to understand, and so I will answer the best I can. I realize that you are using a "screen-on-the-go" so maybe that makes it harder.
You wrote: "WHY is fair Quixtar can use the internet to sell from but IBO's have to password code their website?"
Here is how it works. Quixtar has been getting exposure ever since it launched in 1999. This exposure caused interest in Quixtar, so they needed to decide on what they would do with these people who were interested in products/opportunity.
So Quixtar realized that if they kept that business for themselves, that it would take away from the IBO opportunity, so they didn't want to do that. So they knew that they needed to refer those leads to the IBO's themselves. So the question is which IBO's?
Well logically it wouldn't make sense to refer a company lead to the newest IBO, because they have no experience in working with and training new IBO's, and they might be on the verge of quitting their business entirely.
On top of that, there is no solid way to tell if an IBO is "active" with their business, and the company wouldn't want to refer a customer or IBO to an inactive person.
So the only logical way to do this would be to refer them to someone at the Platinum level and above who is actively qualified as a Platinum. This would ensure that the referral has a better chance of getting started correctly. So this is what the company chose to do. I think it was the best choice.
Badboy wrote: "The old site DID NOT allow those arrive at the site any chance of viewing product or roaming throught the site."
I must have had "miracle internet access" then because I was able to click the USA link visitor view and view the products without needing to be registered. This option has been available for years on the site.
The only action in question is whether I was able to register as a client online without a referring IBO number before this recent site change. I know that we were able to call up on the phone and do this, but not entirely positive if we were able to do this online.
So this recent change only makes it easier to facilitate leads that come in to Quixtar via press publicity, search engines, etc.
My point is that whether or not the product pages were listed in search engines, if a visitor typed in the word "Quixtar" then the quixtar.com site would show up number 1. Then a viewer could see the products and call the company wanting to become a client/member or IBO.
So Quixtar has now streamlined this process so that if they just want to be a client that they can now register online, and their volume will go to a Platinum by zip code.
The best part is that the client can have the option of not releasing their contact information to the Platinum if they don't want to be contacted. This is a great benefit for the client program that Quxtar offers and only serves to help IBO's.
I hope that this helps you understand better. I hope that you are not out spreading false remarks about this new feature on the site. NO IBO's have been cut out of the process and the company is not going around IBO's backs. Period.
I emailed them about this yesterday QBlog!
How funny that you post about this today. I already received and email back from them thanking me for my ideas and comments. My email to them said that if they are going to add these links on the right side, that they should also add 3 more graphics on the bottom to even it out.
I don't mind the extra links (except I think the blog links are too much), but if they do, they should add more graphics to fill the empty space.
I think that these changes are being made as part of the Quixtar web initiative that you wrote. I think that whoever is in charge of the web initiative is compromising design for marketing, and we know that can potentially get ugly.
I think that your example "C" is overboard though. It is possible, but it is just as possible that if they added more links, that they would also fill that white space with more graphics. I would say that based on their redesign that the latter is more likely. I would have thought that you would have agreed with me on that.
Posted by: Chris | October 27, 2004 11:50 AM