Quaker has announced publication of its new website.  See the Official Press Release , or just go look at it HERE.

But First - Read our review below – and nowhere else.

Quaker is perhaps THE major player in the MWF market, so anticipation was high when I visited the site.  It looks a little like the Jeopardy board on three graphic columns.  I selected PRODUCTS for $20 (middle column – top) after having to sweep around to see what I was looking for.   I then selected the Metal Removal Fluids button which is way towards the bottom on the left column.   It was there that I endured the obligatory buzz phrases “innovative solutions,” “superior service,” “increase profitability” but the color schemes and overlaid graphics are stunning.   Eager to learn more, I located and clicked the “Learn More” button.  I am now three clicks deep into the website, which is reaching my IFE limit (index finger endurance limit) for finding real information.  At level 3, I found the MWF product lines were separately identified (Quakeral, Quakercool, and Quakercut.)  Unfortunately, what I really, really, needed – information regarding which product is best suited my application - was only vaguely mentioned by product family.  Quakeral (Al) is stated as “machining & grinding operations with emphasis on aluminum.  Quakercool, for “drilling, milling, tapping and reaming” apparently everything on earth.  Finally Quakercut is stated as a neat oil for anything - neat?  That just doesn’t get it in the modern age.

One last chance – there is a button for Metalworking - Segment Overview.  DON’T CLICK IT!  It’s just a very large picture that takes too long to load and locked up on me the first time.  Quaker has volumes of detailed and valuable resources on the web (e.g., qadvantage.com, skillbuilders, etc. ) but they are not linked to the new site that I could tell.  So – Google is still your best friend.

Unfortunately, many companies are looking at their websites that way law firms do – in that you aren’t selling the product there, just to build goodwill, sell stock, and get the reader to the Distributor.  I’m old school.  I want info.  Sophisticated readers are doing their own initial research and don’t want to have to go through a salesman for the basics.  In comparison, several other metalworking fluid compounders have websites (e.g, Chem Arrow) that are not as pretty, but have more immediate connectivity to the information you need.

I assume that our previous suggestion that Quaker adopt a Mascot to battle other MWF Mascots at conventions is still being given high-level consideration.  With that in hand, we have two suggestions for improving the brand new Quaker website, that I’m sure they will handle right after they finalize selection of the new Mascot.

1) Fire whoever sold Quaker on the idea of posting long videos that make you read while annoying busy music plays in the background.  I don’t want to read through a video.  That’s why I don’t know anything about classic foreign films.  Even during the silent movie era, studios understood they needed to keep the reading to a minimum.  If you don’t have any cool action for me to see, I at least want to watch a pretty girl read it to me.  Watch the Death Match 3  [Subscribe to View] and tell me which is more fun to watch, and which gives you more information.

2) Get me quickly to a large chart that provides me with an array of applications for which each product is recommended, useful, and not recommended.  I have a material and a known operation.  That should be enough.  I’m the end user- and that’s what I need.

MWF Magazine