Launched in 2016, Nelson's Tea is an online retailer and wholesale supplier of loose-leaf teas and brewing accessories. They strive to "modernize the tea industry," and their website is a clear reflection of this mission. Polished images, hover-activated features, and engaging category selections all create a modern feel and a smooth browsing experience.
What truly caught my eye, though, was the blog section. The headlines were instantly captivating, as they offered insights into tea health benefits and informative how-to guides. I also enjoyed having swift access to the brand's contact information, social media channels, gift certificate program, and shipping information.
Exploring the desktop site felt immersive and engaging, thanks to the array of interactive features. These included hover-activated functions, a drop-down menu, and zoom-in capabilities — all making me feel as though I was stepping into a virtual tea shop.
One feature I particularly enjoyed was the interactive images of tea leaves, which transformed into an image of packaged tea upon hover. This dynamic view enhanced my online shopping journey and gave me a more thorough look at the finished product. Despite my pleasant experience, the site scored 25/100 for performance on Google's PageSpeed Insights. However, it retained a moderate accessibility score of 85/100.
Contrasting my desktop site experience, browsing on the mobile site felt tedious and lengthy, with very few engaging elements to enhance the experience. The lack of a floating menu and a back-to-top button is quite noticeable, especially since mobile users often need quick navigation aids.
While the menu's hamburger icon was neater, its options didn't feel essential for mobile users. Instead, I found myself scrolling excessively to access info that was more conveniently placed in the footer menu. On PageSpeed Insights, the site scored poorly in the performance category, only receiving 7/100. However, it scored 90/100 for accessibility and 75/100 for best practices.