Improving an ecommerce site: student suggestions

Written by: Jonathan Briggs

October 30, 2004 [3240 views]

This is the third part of my feedback on the survey completed by my students. I asked them to look at a variety of UK retailer’s online stores. Here are the priorities they came up with for improvements to the sites. This would be a useful checklist for any e-commerce site.

1. Start selling online (Some of their chosen companies do not have an online store)
2. Improve the layout to provide more space for special offers
3. Simplify the shopping process.
4. Show the shopping basket and its contents on the front
5. Provide a continue shopping button to make it easier to buy multiple items
6. Make the registration process simpler for new customers
7. Buying sequence is wrong, I can’t find a buy button.
8. Arrange the items in a more logical manner
9. Simplify the menuing system
10. Better overall design
11. Make the site feel more like a shop
12. Improve the graphical design to reflect better the feel of the brand
13. Improve the navigation
14. Avoid pop-ups
15. Make the site design less busy
16. Increase the font size
17. Update the site every week
18. Prioritise sale items and special offers
19. Offer the site in a variety of languages
20. Allow customers to review products
21. Improve the speed of the site
22. Move top sellers to the top of the page
23. Allow customers to check availability and reserve items in the company’s highstreet stores
24. Show a wider range of products on the home page
25. Provide better imagery for the enlarged versions of product images. Show different angles, features and measurements.
26. Correct common spelling mistakes typed into the search box
27. Improve the site for partially sighted and blind users
28. Provide a quick buy facility for those who shop regularly on the site
29. Provide more background on the company to help me see who is behind the store and help me trust them
30. Provide a customer feedback page to allow customers to ask questions and make suggestions
31. Provide a personal shopper facility to advise customers individually on what they should buy
32. A site map is required
33. Make the site stand out from its competitors
34. Improve the product comparison facility to allow customers to buy directly
35. Make explicit links to other companies within the same group
36. Allow customers to rate every product
37. Make current availability explicit. It is irritating to be told that a product is out of stock when it is added to the basket.
38. Improve the search by including close matches
39. Reduce the complexity of browsing products. If I click on a category I expect to see all the items in that category rather than sub categories
40. Improve the offers
41. Increase the information about each product
42. Help customers purchase accessories when they add the main product to their basket
43. Make the site compliant with the Disabilities Discrimination Act

 

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