We all know that technology is constantly changing and improving. What was relevant a month ago may be completely different today. This is why we continue buying new smartphones, computers, and other devices.
The same theory applies to websites. New programs and software make it possible to continue improving the functionality of a website, including navigation, user experience, and the checkout process. We thought it would be a fun experiment to see how far the Provident website has come since it was first launched in December of 2009.
We used a tool called Wayback Machine to capture an interactive screenshot of our earliest website and compared it to how our current site looks and functions. The difference is astounding! Just seven years ago, the Provident site had a jarring black background, topped with white text and yellow accents. This made it much harder to read than the current colors, which include a white background, grey text, and green and blue accents.
One other big design change is the navigation. The first version of the site had a navigation bar on the left side. As you scrolled down the page, the navigation bar scrolled with it. That means you would have to scroll all the way back to the top to visit another page. Our current navigation has been moved to the top of the page, allowing for easy drop down menus to appear when you hover over a category. This navigation bar is frozen to the top so even as you scroll down, you’ll still have access to the main navigation features.
On top of vastly improving the site’s design, we’ve also added a handful of new features that make it easier for you to learn about metals, view our products, and make purchases when the time is right for you! Here are just a few of those features:
- Market alerts: When you opt to receive market alerts, you will be notified when the spot price of metals of your choosing rises or falls to your preferred price range.
Inventory alerts: If an item you want is currently out of stock, you can navigate to the product page and choose to receive an alert when it becomes available once again.
- Popular tab: This tab on the navigation menu lists some of top selling products, along with new arrivals and products that are currently trending.
- Weekly deals: A group of select products will be offered at promotional pricing beginning each Monday. These prices will last through the end of the week or until supplies run out. All email subscribers will be informed of current offerings.
- Spot price pages: Our spot price pages for each of the top metals reports spot price information in real time. You can also enter a custom date range to view historic data and trends.
- Free shipping: If your order is $99 or more, we’ll ship it for free! No codes required. No strings attached.
- Bullion buying guide: Scroll to the footer of the website and you’ll find our knowledge center. This holds a plethora of resources to learn more about metals, why to invest in them, and how to buy them. We continue to add new articles and information regularly to help you achieve your investing goals.
- Blog: Our blog, also linked in the footer, provides another resource for learning, as well as for fun stories and giveaways. We encourage you to visit and engage with our blog to get the most out of your bullion buying experience.
It’s neat to look back and see how far we’ve come. We continue to make updates in an effort to improve the user experience. Do you have any suggestions for future improvements to our website?
