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VisorCentral gets a facelift, new features
It is been a little more then two years since VisorCentral first launched, and today we are proud to introduce the biggest site overhaul to date.
What you are seeing today is the first phase of a project we internally dubbed v3 (VisorCentral version 3). Let us explain what has changed, and what changes are to come in the future.
In phase one, we have completely redesigned the site to give it a more unique and streamlined look. We have tried to reduce clutter as much as possible, and hope you like the new design. It is also more uniform throughout the site.
There is no longer any difference between news items and articles; they are now both labeled as Stories. Stories are filed under seven defined and self-explanatory categories – Hardware, Software, Business, Rumors, Commentary, Special Reports, and VisorCentral.
There are a bunch of new features related to the way Stories are presented. Each new story now contains a References section where you can find external links, links to related stories etc in one convenient location. Each new story posted will also create a thread in the discussion forum so you can voice your opinion. The link to the thread can be found in the references section as well.
The Stories index page is now more dynamic. It shows the latest stories at top, as well as the latest stories for each category. You can also now browse by either category or date.
However, the biggest upgrade in phase one is the combination of the Reviews, Modules and Accessories sections into Product & Reviews.
Rather than just having endless listings with little information on each product, we now provide a fact sheet with much more information. The product database has also been substantially updated with the latest information. In addition, readers can now leave comments on every product, not just the ones that have been reviewed by VisorCentral.
When you check out the Products & Reviews section, be sure to notice how you can easily sort the listings by Product Name, Price, Rating, and Availability. Also, you can now view the product listings in either full Detail mode (with images) or a simpler List mode.
Each company in the product database also has its own fact sheet, with contact information, links to all of its products, and latest news clippings.
You will also notice more integration of e-commerce links on the site, since the ad market is currently quite soft. If you are contemplating purchasing Visor related products online, please click through our affiliate links to help us stay afloat.
Also upgraded is the search engine, which should be more precise. If you search on a company or product name, the search will automatically show you any available fact sheets at the top of the page.
In phase two, which should be completed by late November, we are going to launch an interactive guide section. This section will tie reviews, stories (think VS articles), fact sheets, and reader opinions together. We are also adding the ability to post reader opinions on company pages, so you can comment regarding customer service etc. Maybe most exciting will be the new customization feature, where registered users can choose to customize the right hand side bar.
Phase three will see that addition of a co-branded software archive from a major software site.
Phase four involves the revival of our Support section. There is enough content on our discussion board to write thousands of FAQ’s and that is what we plan to do. We are going to need help on this – more information at a later date.
Obviously, a site upgrade on such a large site such as VisorCentral with several thousand pages will run into some issues. If you come across a page that looks strange, or notice any feature that doesn’t appear to work, please e-mail us at [email protected]
We hope you enjoy and embrace the changes,
The VisorCentral Staff
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