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The site is pleasant enough. I do have a couple of things I would want to change in an ideal world, but I'm not sure there is much you can do about them.
First, its funny that I am a fervent e-book fan, but that I've never found an online store that works for me as well as a bricks and mortar store -- at least when I'm browsing. After the initial screen you are presented with a long boring list. I don't necessarily have a better recommendation, but I can report what I like better in the physical world.
First its easier to see patterns. I can see the new releases because they either have the books turned out, or they have more copies of each book. However, these books are also embedded in all other books by that author. If its a new author, and its a series/trilogy I wait until multiple books are available before I dive in. If I see some author with multiple books that I haven't tried yet, I might be tempted to look closer. Only after I've exhausted the 'new stuff' and the patterns/series stuff do I start a title-by-title search for a gem.
When I do need to look at the books one title at a time, web pages don't work well for me. For example your page only fits five books at a time on a screen before I need to scroll. After 25 books I have to reload. And, I'm not sure that the information on the screen is what I really want to see. If I'm quickly skimming what I want is a bigger cover -- hopefully it gives me some idea of sub-genre. I know that I'm in SciFi/Fantasy, but is that urban fantasy or space opera? Also, the writer, the publisher and maybe a quick blurb ... a space opera in the tradition of ... .
Then if I'm interested in more, I want to click on it and bring up the full blurb.
Amazon has recognized some of these problems with their bookstore design, and they've added some features that help -- although they don't directly address my comments above. Your store does not have any of these, which include:
1) Ratings from other readers
2) Similar items to this item
3) Other books you might be interested in, given your buying history
Anyway, I'm not sure how much control you really have over this since it is a fictionwise store. As I said, I do believe the store looks professional and it appears functional. I don't believe it will embarrass you.
p.s. I haven't purchased from fictionwise before. Is there some way to tell when books have DRM?
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