best-in-class fashion: how do brand websites

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Fashion Retail Study

BEST-IN-CLASS FASHION: HOW DO BRAND WEBSITES MEASURE UP ON TABLET DEVICES?

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Contents

1. Introduction............................................................................................................................................3

2. Scoring model structure and methodology....................................................................5

3. Results......................................................................................................................................................10

3.1.Results.overview..............................................................................................................................10

3.2.Homepage...........................................................................................................................................11

3.3.Product.detail.page........................................................................................................................13

3.4.Shopping.basket..............................................................................................................................15

3.5.Checkout..............................................................................................................................................18

3.6.Overall.results...................................................................................................................................21

4. Recommended action...................................................................................................................22

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................................................................23

References...................................................................................................................................................24

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From e-commerce to m-commerce

No.other. technology.has.had. as.much. influence.on. e-commerce. in. recent.times. as. tablet. devices.. When. Apple. launched. the. iPad,. it. introduced. the.idea.of.shopping-on-the-go.to.the.masses..Trends.increasingly.show.that.as.well.as.con.ventional.desktop.PCs.consumers.are.now.taking.advantage.of.the.increasingly.flexible.buying.options.that.tablets.offer.

Research.from.the.IMRG1.found.that.tablet.devices.now.account.for.85%.of.mobile.sales.year-to-date..Tablet.visitors.to.e-commerce.sites.also.spend.20%.more.than.desktop.shoppers,.and.twice.as.much.as.those.using.smartphones2..Tablets.have.also.been.found.to.generate.higher.conversion.rates.and.larger.shopping.baskets.

With.so.much.focus.now.on.tablet.commerce,.QUISMA.decided.to.investi-gate.the.customer.experience.on.tablet.devices..We.took.a.sample.of.the.lead-ing.fashion.retailers.in.the.UK.and.looked.at.how.tablet-friendly.their.sites.are,.and.rated.them.according.to.our.effectiveness.scoring.model.

The.online.retailers.selected.were:

1. IntroduCtIon

Company urL tablet-optimised site?

Nike http://www.nike.com/gb/en_gb/ Yes

H&M http://www.hm.com/gb/ Yes

Zara http://www.zara.com/uk/ No

Ralph.Lauren http://www.ralphlauren.co.uk No

adidas http://www.adidas.co.uk/shop No

Hugo.Boss http://store-uk.hugoboss.com/ No

ASOS http://www.asos.com/ No

Topshop http://www.topshop.com/ No

Lacoste http://shop-uk.lacoste.com/ No

New.Look http://www.newlook.com/ No1.URL:.see.references.page.24

2.URL:.see.references.page.24

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Websites.that.can.be.displayed.on.a.tablet.can.be.divided.into.three.categories:.standard,.tablet.and.responsive..Standard.websites.are.not.tablet-optimised.in.appearance.and.appear.the.same.as.on.a.desktop.PC..A.tablet.site.is.created.especially. for. tablets,. and. only. appears. when. a. user. accesses. the. site. from.this.type.of.device..Responsive.websites.on.the.other.hand.adjust.themselves.automatically.to.suit.the.device.involved,.whether.it’s.a.desktop,.smartphone.or.tablet..The.study.found.that.while.Nike.and.H&M.use.tablet-optimised.websites,.all.other.brands.in.the.study.use.the.same.front.end.for.both.desktop.and.tablet,.which.could.mean.either.standard.or.responsive.

The. retailers. were. chosen. after. analysing. brand. research. studies,. including.the.Brandz.Top.100.Most.Valuable.Global.Brands.2012.by.WPP3,.and.the.IMRG’s.“Hitwise.Hot.Shops.List“4.

IMRG.produced. its. ranking.“Hitwise.Hot.Shops.List“4.of. the.best.online.traders.in.Great.Britain.in.February.2013..The.indicators.used.here.included.visitor.numbers.and.conversions..The.shops.named.were.in.second.to.fourth.place.in.apparel.and.accessories.

Digital. IQ. 2012. also. published. its. assessment. of. how. digitally. competent.fashion.retailers.are.

BrandZ top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2012

NikeRanking:.1

H&MRanking:2

ZaraRanking:.3

Ralph LaurenRanking:.4

adidasRanking:.5

Hugo BossRanking:.7

IMrG Hitwise Hot shops List February 2013

ASOS Ranking.10New Look....Ranking.18Topshop.......Ranking.21

Fashion Brands ranked by digital IQ 2012

Lacoste Ranking.8

3.WPP.Brandz.Top.100.Most.Valuable.Global.Brands.2012

4.URL:.see.References.Page.24

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Despite.growing.competition.between.tablet.providers,.Apple.still.holds.the.majority.share2..In.the.first.quarter.of.2013.Apple.reported.having.a.39.6%.share.of.the.tablet.market...In.the.interest.of.standardisation,.this.study.there-fore.specifically.focused.on.the.iPad.for.testing.the.retailers’.tablet.websites.

To.determine.the.success.of.each.retailer’s.tablet.site.as.a.whole,.four.perform-ance.aspects.were.examined.and.each.weighted.differently:..

• Homepage.(40%)• Product.detail.page.(30%).• Shopping.basket.(15%)• Checkout.(15%)

These.four.areas.are.the.foundations.of.any.retail.website.and.form.the.basis.of.QUISMA’s.testing.model.which.we.use.to.test.and.audit.website.perform-ance.

The homepage.is.weighted.the.highest.in.the.scoring.model.as.it.is.where.the.majority.of.visi.tors.arrive.at.the.website,.so.first. impressions.are.important..Ideally,.the.homepage.should.inspire.visitors.and.motivate.them.to.buy..What.is.essential.here.is.that.it.should.make.getting.around.the.rest.of.the.site.easy,.while.at.the.same.time.creating.confidence.in.the.brand.and.what.it.can.de-liver..This.can.be.done.by.making.navigation.simple.and.by.including.quality.seals,.for.example,.which.can.also.help.reduce.the.drop-out.rate.at.this.point..Quality. seals. are. ele.ments.which.are. included.on. sites. to. show.a.purchase.has.been.verified.by.providers.such.as.Trusted.Shops.or.COMODO.secured.against.a.number.of.different.criteria,. like.solvency,.price.transparency,.cus-tomer.service.and.data.protection,.then.certified.accordingly.

Most.visitors. reach. the.product detail page.via. search.engines,.by.clicking.on.either.a.paid.or.natural.search.listing..Large.enticing.product.images.and.a.detailed.description.is.absolutely.vital.here...The.cost.and.any.other.relevant.details.(such.as.delivery.options).should.also.be.clearly.shown..The.call-to-action.button.should.be.in.an.eye-catching.and.visible.area.to.encourage.visi-tors.to.buy.

Once.a.visitor.makes.it.to.the.basket.and.checkout.areas.of.a.website.the.in-tention.to.purchase.is.strong...Despite.this,.the.drop-off.rate.is.surprisingly.high.for.these.pages..It.is.important.therefore.to.test.and.optimise.these.pages.to.make.sure.that.these.final.elements.of.the.site.are.adapted.to.the.customers’.needs.and.requirements.

2. sCorInG ModeL struCture and MetHod

*5International.Data.Corpora-tion.IDC.Worldwide.Tablet.Tracker

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.It.has.been.found.that.visitors.want.to.see.precisely.what.they’ve.got.in.their.baskets:.so.it’s.of.paramount.importance.to.display.all.the.information.about.the.product,.the.total.costs.and.payment.options..The.checkout.process.should.be.fast.and.customer.friendly.

This. is.where.process.bars. in.particular.prove. to.be.extremely.helpful,.as. it.guides.customers.and.shows.them.what.stage.of.the.purchasing.process.they.are.in..In.both.the.basket.and.checkout.areas,.what.really.matters.is.conveying.security.and.confidence.to.the.customer..This.can.be.done.using.such.things.as.contact.details,.usability.help.and.quality.seals..

The.performance.of.each.website.was.rated.based.on.four.elements:

• Structure: how.a.site.is.fundamentally.structured.and.whether.custo-mers.can.find.their.way.around.easily..The.criteria.includes.whether.ge-neral.information.is.on.hand,.like.corporate.info,.terms.and.conditions,.data.protection.notification.and.search.functionality..

• Display: how.a.site.is.presented.visually,.particularly.images.and.text.quality.

• Usability: how.user-friendly.a.site.is..Can.customers.find.their.way.around.the.site.easily,.or.are.there.certain.restrictions.which.make.it.har-der.to.use,.such.as.long.load.times.and.poorly.sized.buttons.that.make.it.difficult.for.customers.to.use.them..

• Specific Content:.is.content.which.is.characteristic.of.a.given.page..We.will.delve.into.this.in.more.detail.below.

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Performance area Input factors Key

Start.homepage(40%)

•.Structure.(30%)•.Display.(30%)•.Usability.(30%)•.Specific.Content.(10%)

•.Structure,.display.and.usability.are...equally.important•.What.is.the.aim?

•.Arouse.awareness.and.needs•.Create.competence.and.trust•.Inspire.users•.Encourage.them.to.buy

Product.detail.page(30%)

•.Structure.(30%)•.Display.(30%)•.Usability.(20%)•.Specific.content.(20%)

•.Structure.and.display.are.the.main....criteria.here•.What.is.the.aim?

•.Present.products.well•.Present.information.clearly•.Encourage.customers.to.buy

Shopping.basket(15%)


•.All.criteria.equally.important•.What.is.the.aim?

•.Give.the.customer.a.complete....overview•.Create.security.and.trust•.Provide.help.(e.g..hotline.or....e-mail.support)•.Stimulate,.encourage.people...to.buy

Checkout(15%)


•.Usability.is.the.main.criterion.at....this.stage.of.the.process•.What.is.the.aim?

•.User.should.complete.purchase•.Fast,.user-friendly.process•.Provide.help.(e.g..hotline.or...e-mail.support)•.Create.security.and.trust

Fig, 1: scoring model: category weightings and key

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Homepage

On.the.homepage,.what.matters.above.all.else. is. structure,.display.and.us-ability..

Important.to.a.homepage’s.structure.are.“trust.elements”.such.as.the.search.function.at.the.top.of.the.website,.which.ordinarily.comes.as.standard.nowa-days.

In.terms.of.display,.good.text.and.image.resolution.are.what.really.matter.on.a.homepage..And.don’t.forget.usability.either:.sites.should.make.the.best.use.of.the.tactile.functionality.of.the.iPad,.taking.advantage.of.actions.like.scrolling.and.pinching.

Specific.content.refers.to.any.content.which.is.site-specific..This.can.in.clude.ad.campaigns.to.boost.sales.of.seasonal.products,.for.example.

Product detail page:

Structure.and.display.are.the.main.criteria.for.assessment.on.the.prod.uct.de-tail.page..With.both. these. factors,. the. same.elements. and. functions. are. as.important.as.for.the.homepage..A.good.zoom.function.is.also.vital.to.allow.customers.to.view.a.product.up.close.and.in.more.detail.

Usability.and.specific.content.also.have.a.major.influence.on.customer.experi-ence. for. the. iPad..The. usability. of. a. site. is. determined. by. how. customer-friendly.it.is:.there.must.not.be.any.hurdles,.such.as.restrictions.on.putting.products. in. the. shopping.basket..Page-specific. content. should.also. include.product.ratings.to.encourage.the.customer.to.buy..

shopping basket:

With.the.shopping.basket,.all.criteria.are.equally.important..In.terms.of.struc-ture,.the.same.applies.as.is.mentioned.above..For.display,.what.is.particularly.important.is.that.the.call.to.action.button.always.remains.in.sight.within.the.shopping.basket,.no.matter.how.many.items.there.are.in.the.basket.

To.ensure.good.usability,. customers. should.be. able. to. remove. any.product.from.the.shopping.basket.with.just.one.click.and.change.the.number.of.items.without.needing.to. leave. the.page.. It. is.essential. that.all. total.costs. should.be.clearly.shown.e.g..‘including.delivery.costs’,.together.with.secure.payment.instructions.

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Checkout:

The.main.criteria.in.the.checkout process.is.usability...For.example,.the.key.settings. for. the. iPad. should. be. adjusted. automatically. when. entering. data.in.form.fields.so.that.visitors.get.where.they.want.to.be.and.buy.products.as.quickly.and.easily.as.possible..Customers.should.also.be.able.to.navigate.back.and.forth.during.the.proc-ess.without.the.risk.of.losing.data.that.they’ve.already.typed.in..Every.minor.hurdle.throughout.the.checkout.process.that.makes.it.harder.for.the.customer.to.buy.risks.pushing.them.to.abort.the.process.entirely.

Display. and. specific content. are. equally. important. to. the. checkout.proc-ess.. For. display,. the. same. points. generally. apply. as. before,. with. ad.ditional.emphasis.on.text.and.image.resolution..There.are.two.particularly.important.factors.to.specific.content:.the.reference.to.SSL,.encryption.and.the.ability.to.pay.with.tried.and.tested.payment.service.providers.like.PayPal.or.by.invoice.

Within.all.areas.of.the.site.–.and.for.each.sub-category.-.there.are.criteria.for.meas.uring.the.quality.of.each.website.to.which.QUISMA’s.survey.respond-ents.could.answer.either.yes.or.no..This.generated.a.weighted.average.for.each.retailer’s.website,.made.up.from.the.individual.performance.aspects.and.input.factors..In.total,.120 crite ria.were.reviewed.across.10.retail.websites.to.give.a.percentage.effectiveness.score.out.of.100%.

The.study.eliminates.external.influences.and.reports.on.a.consistent,.compa-rable.evaluation.

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3.1 results in outline

The.QUISMA.study.found.that.overall,.the.retail.sites.we.studied.have.good.quality.tablet.solutions..Topshop.comes.out.on.top.overall.in.the.final.results,.scoring.86.89%,.followed.by.adidas.(86.84%).and.Nike.(86.36%)..Back.in.midfield.are.New.Look.(84.99%),.Lacoste.(84.55%),.Hugo.Boss(82.79%).and.ASOS.(82.33%),.with.Ralph.Lauren.(72.58%),.Zara.(69.00%).and.H&M.(66.60%).bringing.up.the.rear.

3. sCorInG ModeL resuLts

Fig, 2: study findings

Source:.QUISMA.study.findings.(as.at.September.2013)

online-shop start page

Prod. de-tail page

shopping basket Checkout end result

Topshop 90.63% 84.62% 80.95% 87.40% 86.89%

adidas 90.00% 86.84% 90.48% 74.80% 86.84%

Nike 84.38% 88.61% 86.36% 87.12% 86.36%

New.Look 89.06% 80.82% 86.36% 81.06% 84.99%

Lacoste 85.07% 83.56% 86.36% 83.33% 84.55%

Hugo.Boss 77.41% 84.81% 85.71% 90.91% 82.79%

ASOS 82.09% 79.75% 90.91%% 79.55% 82.33%

Ralph.Lauren 71.88% 61.64% 86.36% 82.58% 72.58%

Zara 68.57% 70.00% 66.67% 70.45% 69.00%

H&M 68.66% 65.79% 61.90% 67.42% 66.60%

0%

40%

60%

20%

100%

80%

topshopadidas

nike Lacoste asos ZaraHugo Boss ralph Lauren H&M

86.84%

86.89%

86.36%

84.99%

84.55%

82.79%

82.33%

72.58%

69.00%

66.60%

new Look

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3.2 Homepage results

First.impressions.count.as.visitors.tend.to.only.spend.a.matter.of.seconds.on.a.retailer’s.homepage,.so.optimising.this.part.of.the.site.is.particularly.impor-tant..The.study.shows.that.the.retailers.tested.already.have.a.good.homepage;.but.all.still.have.room.for.improvement..Two online shops scored 90% or more for their homepage...These.were.Top-shop.(90.63%).and.adidas.(90.00%)..

Eight out of ten retailers scored less than 90%: Zara.(68.57%).and.H&M.(68.66%). scored. lowest;. but. Lacoste. (85.07%),. Nike. (84.38%),. ASOS.(82.09%),.Hugo.Boss.(77.14%).and.Ralph.Lauren.(71.88%).also.only.scored.average..New.Look,.on.the.other.hand,.was.just.below.the.90%.mark,.with.89.06%.

Topshop.came.out.top:.their.homepage.ticks.all.the.boxes.as.far.as.structure is.con.cerned:.

Looking good: topshop

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1. Search bar

2. Login function

3. Shopping basket

4. Benefit to the customer

5. Promotional content

6. Specific content

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• Search.function• Shopping.basket.top.right• Social.signals• Login.functionality• Contact.options• Corporate.info,.data.protection,.terms.and.conditions• Navigation.options.can.be.viewed.easily

Topshop.also.scores.equally.well.when.it.comes.to.display:.it.tailors.its.cam-paigns.and.teasers.to.its.visitors.and.encourages.potential.customers.to.buy..The.site.recommends.products.and.features,. such.as. themed.shopping..The.images.the.site.uses.are.sharp.and.clearly.recognisable,.even.without.zooming.in;.and.text.sections.are.generally.kept.short,.making.them.easy.to.read..All.the.benefits.to.the.customer.are.clearly.visible,.including.free.UK.&.Interna-tional.delivery,.fast.delivery.options.or.a.10%.student.discount..With.tablets,.it.is.also.essential.that.all.the.main.elements.appear.optimally.in.both.landscape.and.portrait.format,.which.Topshop.does.very.well..

Usability is.also.important.when.it.comes.to.customer.experience,.and,.here.again,.Topshop.comes.out.on.top..The.website.is.tablet-friendly.and.users.can.navigate.easily.using.the.links.and.buttons.available..The.text.is.also.comfort-ably.sized,.with.no.need.for.customers.to.zoom.in.on.it.The.website.can.also.be.used.on.mobile:.teasers/campaign.images.can.be.eas-ily.scrolled..The.only.point.of.criticism.with.Topshop’s.homepage.is.that.there.are.no.trust.elements,.however.when.it.comes.to.specific.content,.Topshop.ticks.all.the.boxes,.and.its.advertising.campaigns.offer.customers.a.good.portal.into.the.site.

Could do better: Zara

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2 1. Search function

2. Teaser

3. Login function

4. Shopping basket

5. Contact

4 5

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Zara.has.some.issues.in.terms.of.structure.and.display.in.that.various.bits.of.information.are.missing,.such.as.the.print.function,.terms.and.conditions,.data.protection.no.tice.and.trust.elements..These.are.important.to.potential.buyers,.as.they.cre.ate.confidence.and.trust..Nor.are.there.any.teasers.showing.spe-cific.campaigns.(such.as.the.current.Sale).which.might.encourage.customers.to.buy..The.main.problems,.however,.are.in.usability:.in.both.landscape.and.portrait.format,.the.homepage.buttons.shown.are.very.small.and.therefore.not.tablet-friendly.and.make.the.site.harder.to.use.

The.site.does.not.seem.to.have.any.mobile.options,.something.which.most.tab-let.users.have.come.to.expect..That’s.not.all.either:.when.it.comes.to.specificcontent,.Zara.does.not.present.any.advertising.campaigns.on.its.site.which.could.motivate.many.customers.to.buy.and.are.an.important.feature..

3.3 Product detail page results

Product.detail.pages.are.where.many.customers.decide.to.buy,.as.many.retail-ers.understand..Nike.(88.61%).and.adidas.(86.84%).achieved.the.best.results.and.except. for.minor. issues,. these.online. retailers.have.worked.out.how.to.display.their.products.to.the.best.effect.

Most shops are average:.the.overall.approach.is.good,.but.there.is.still.room.for. improvement..Hugo.Boss. (84.81%).did.well,. as.did.Topshop.(84.62%),.Lacoste.(83.56%),.New.Look.(80,82%).and.ASOS.(79.75%)..

Three online shops could only manage average:. Zara. (70.00%),. H&M.(65.79%).and.Ralph.Lauren.(61.64%)..Their.product.detail.pages.fell.short.in.all.four.categories.

Looking good: nike

1. Product images

2. Names and prices

3. Call to action button

4. Benefits for the customer

5. Product details

6. Customer ratings

7. Contact details, order

formalities and registration

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1

3

4

5

6

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Nike. and. adidas. have. covered. all. the. bases. on. their. websites. in. terms. of..struc.ture..Nike.also.scored.well.on.display:.the.call.to.action.button.is.clearly.visible,.and.is.in.colour.to.make.it.stand.out..The.product.images.and.text.are.also.easy.to.see,.even.without.zooming.in;.and.the.trust.elements.are.visible. in.both.landscape.and.portrait..Nike.also.does.very.well.when.it.comes.to.usability..The.text.is.easy.to.read.and.the.site.is.designed.to.be.tablet-friendly..Even.in.portrait.format,.the.but-tons.are.big.enough.to.be.easy.to.use..In.terms.of.specific content,.Nike.scores.very.well.across.the.board,.and.in-cludes.all.the.important.elements.on.the.detail.page:.

• Product.availability• Product.ratings• Direct.reference.to.delivery.costs

It.also.offers.visitors.the.options.to.‘continue.shopping’.or.‘go.to.checkout’.if.they.put.a.product.in.their.basket,.so.there.is.no.automatic.link.to.the.shop-ping.basket,.and.users.can.decide.what.they.want.to.do.next.themselves.

From.a.structural.standpoint,.Ralph.Lauren.could.improve.its.prod.uct.detail.page.by. integrating. trust.elements;.but. important. features.such.as.a. search.function,.the.shopping.basket.visible.in.the.top.right,.login.function.to.cus-tomers’.own.accounts.and.information.such.as.contact.details,.terms.and.con-ditions,.print.function.and.data.protection.notice.are.visible.

Could do better: ralph Lauren


2. Select size

3. No material, delivery or

return details visible

immediately3

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In.terms.of.display on.the.other.hand.the.site.could.be.optimised.by.adding.a.zoom.function.to.better.highlight.products.-.which.it.does.not.have.currently.-.along.with.lots.of.sections.of.text,.which.are.difficult.to.read..Tablet.users.will.also.find.the.text.too.small.to.read.in.portrait.format.easily..

This.problem.also.applies.to.usability..The.buttons.are.too.small.to.use.easily.with.fingers.or.thumbs,.in.either.landscape.or.portrait.format..What.is.also.apparent. is. that.no.mobile-optimised.options.are.available.(e.g.. swipe.with.slider)..

The.study.also.revealed.issues.when.it.comes.to.specific content,.as.there.were.no.product.ratings.from.other.customers.or.options.to.‘continue.shopping’.or.‘go.to.checkout’.once.customers.had.placed.products.in.their.basket..Nor.was.there.anything.in.the.product.text.about.delivery.charges..3.4 shopping basket

The.shopping basket.is.vital.as.far.as.retail.websites.are.concerned;.but.many.customers.abandon.it.without.actually.buying.anything,.so.it. is.essential.to.opti.mise.this.area.also..Most.of.the.shops.use.this.space.very.well,.especially.ASOS.and.adidas:.both.these.online.retailers.scored.full.marks.in.just.about.all. categories,. and.came.out.very.well.with.overall. averages.of.90.91%.and.90.48%.respectively.

Nike,. New. Look,. Lacoste. and. Ralph. Lauren. scored. a. good. average,. with.86.36%.each,.but.could.tailor.their.shops.even.better.to.suit.users’.needs.by.making.some.adjustments..Hugo.Boss.and.Topshop.came.in.very.closely.to-gether,.at.85.71%.and.80.95%..All.six.sites.need.to.work.on.making.their.call-to-action.buttons.easier.to.see,.above.all.else..

Things turned out quite differently with the other two online retailers, though: Zara. (66.67%). and.H&M.(61.90%).have.got. things.wrong..Both.lack.trust.elements.and.secure.payment.instructions.at.the.basket.stage,.even.though.shopping.online.depends.very.much.on.security.and.trust,.So.these.elements.should.be.a.high.priority.when.optimising.the.shopping.basket.

16

ASOS,.like.adidas,.scored.full.marks.almost.across.the.board..Apart.from.clear.contact.details,.the.site.has.everything.it.really.needs.and.meets.structural re-quirements..Customers.can.find.everything.they.need.to.know.in.their.shop-ping.basket;.so.the.site.meets.the.standards.a.basket.needs.to..The.call.to.action.button.is.always.in.sight;.the.text.is.not.too.small.and.is.very.easy.to.read..Everything.which.really.matters.for.a.good.customer.experience.can.be.seen.easily.-.even.in.portrait.format.-.and.ASOS.has.got.many.things.right.in.terms.of.display..

The.online.experience.at.ASOS.also.does.very.well.in.terms.of.usability..It.is.designed.to.be.tablet-friendly,.and.customers.can.remove.any.products.they.don’t.want.with.a.single.click..One.very.good.feature.is.that.you.can.change.how.many.products.you.have.without.having.to.leave.the.page..Considered.as.a.whole,.it.is.completely.user-friendly.

When.it.comes.to.specific content,.it.ticks.all.the.boxes:.

• It.shows.total.cost.and.delivery.charges.clearly• It.says.when.the.product.is.expected.to.be.delivered• It.keeps.product.details.to.the.essential.minimum.• It.talks.about.secure.payment.options

All.in.all.therefore,.ASOS’s.shopping.basket.is.exemplary.

Looking good:

1. Login function & shopping

basket

2. Benefits to the customer


4. Meaningful product info

and delivery details

5. Trust elements and proven

payment methods

2

3

4

1

5

17

Looking.at.Zara’s.basket.though,.the.situation.is.quite.different..They.have.failed.to.cover.many.important.points.and.by.making.some.minor.amends,.Zara.could.dramatically.improve.its.user.experience.for.visitors..In.terms.of.structure,.Zara.meets.many.requirements:.the.only.thing.which.stopped.them.from.scoring.full.marks.was.the.significant.absence.of.trust.ele-ments..

There.is.far.more.potential.when.it.comes.to.display,.on.the.other.hand..They.need.to.optimise.to.make.the.in.terms.of.catching.the.eye.and.positioning.the.call.to.ac.tion.button..This.is.not.always.in.sight,.so.is.not.easily.seen..

As.well.as.that,.the.buttons.and.links.are.small.in.landscape.and.portrait.for-mat,.making.them.hard.to.use.with.fingers,.and.compromising.on.us ability.by.a.fair.extent..

Major.issues.were.also.found.in.terms.of.specific.content,.in.that.Zara.gave.the.total.cost.of.an.order,.but.said.nothing.as.to.when.the.goods.could.be.ex-pected.to.be.delivered.or.about.secure.payment.


1. Login, shopping

basket & contact details

2. Remove & change button

3. Costs


1

2

3

4

18

1. Check out in just three steps

2. Option to order as guest

3. Trusted payment provider

4. Contact information

12

3.5 Checkout

The.checkout.process.is.the.final.step.before.buying.products..Here.customers.have.to.enter.sensitive.data.to.complete.their.transaction..This.is.where.many.visitors.drop.out,.because.they.start.having.doubts.when.they’re.on.the.verge.of. buy.ing,. by. asking. themselves. questions:. is. this. really. the. right. product?.Should.I.actually.buy.it?.

Online,.customers.are.anonymous,.you.can’t.converse.with.them,.and.they.can.abort.the.buying.process.with.a.single.click:.so.what.is.particularly.important.here.is.to.reach.out.to.customers.and.help.by.accompanying.them.through.this.process.

The study revealed that around one-third of the retailers involved failed quite badly in this regard..Zara.(70.45%).and.H&M.(67.42%).scored.par-ticularly.badly.in.the.model..

There are better ways, as Hugo.Boss.(90.91%),.Topshop.(87.40%).and.Nike.(87.12%).reveal..Their.checkout.procedures.are.simple,.easy.to.follow.and.as-sist.the.customer.through.this.stage.of.buying..

At.Lacoste.(83.33%),.Ralph.Lauren.(82.58%).and.New.Look.(81.06%),.even.minor.changes.could.improve.customer.experience.on.iPads.

This.is.where.trust.elements,.like.having.a.call-to-action.button.close.at.hand,.could.encourage.customers.to.buy.and.help.to.stop.them.getting.cold.feet.

Looking good: Hugo Boss

3 4

19

1. Progress Bar (You can

navigate backwards without

losing your form data)

2. Order data can be

processed before buying,

mandatory fields are

highlighted

3. Delivery costs and times

are stated clearly

In. the. categories. of. structure, display and specific content,. Hugo. Boss.meets.all.requirements..All.the.appropriate.elements,.such.as.trust.elements.and.contact.details,.are.present.and.the.call.to.action.button.is.always.visible.and.prominent..

It. is.only. in.the.usability.category.that.Hugo.Boss. is.weak.on.two.points;.but.usability.is.the.main.input.factor,.as.we.saw.in.the.checkout.process..Un-fortunately,.visitors.cannot.change.the.number.of.products.they.have.in.the.basket.before.buying.without.leaving.the.site,.and.the.buttons.in.the.vertical.area.are.hard.to.use,.due.to.their.small.size..These.are.seemingly.minor.hur-dles,.but.they.affect.usability.a.great.deal..One.very.good.thing,.on.the.other.hand,.is.that.you.can.still.edit.all.your.order.data.before.you.buy.without.hav-ing.to.navigate.your.way.back.laboriously..If.a.user.decides.to.do.this,.however,.it.isn’t.a.problem.because.no.data.is.lost.

Hugo.Boss.also.came.out.very.well.in.terms.of.specific content..They.only.ask.for.the.most.important.fields.when.you.register:.they.leave.it.up.to.you.to.decide.whether.you.want.to.give.a.telephone.number.or.not,.as.it’s.not.a.mandatory.field..Once.a.customer.is.at.the.checkout,.users.don’t.want.to.fill.out.any.more.forms.than.they.have.to,.and.want.to.complete.their.purchases.quickly.and.comfortably.in.five.steps,.at.most..Hugo.Boss.makes.the.process.quite.seamless.by.reducing.the.checkout.process.to.just.three.steps.

Proven. payment. service. providers. like. PayPal. and. a. reference. to. SSL. en-coding.imply.trust.and.security.on.the.site;.and.trust.elements.before.finally.ordering,.together.with.the.call.to.action.button,.also.enhance.this.“trustwor-thiness”..Another.plus.point.is.gained.by.stating.the.expected.delivery.time:.so.customers.can.plan.their.week.around.their.expected.delivery.

1

2

3

20

1. Entry Mask for registering

with Zara


1

1. Select delivery mode

2. State and can change

invoicing and delivery

addresses


1

1. Select payment method

2. Indicate delivery and total

costs

3. Navigation button

4. Button to close purchase

5. Invoice and delivery address

3

1 2

4

2

As.with. the.start page. and.shopping basket,.Zara.gets. some.things.badly.wrong.at.the.checkout.stage..When.it.comes.to.structure,.there.are.no.trust.elements..In.terms.of.display,.on.the.other.hand,.Zara.meets.all.the.cri.teria:.the.call.to.action.button.is.visible.and.stands.out,.both.in.landscape.and.por-trait.formats,.and.the.text.is.very.sharp..

5

3

21

It.is.when.we.look.at.usability,.on.the.other.hand,.that.Zara’s.checkout.proc-ess.really.falls.short..You.can.navigate.back.and.forth.without.any.problems,.but. this.has.an.adverse.effect.on.usability..Unfortunately,.customers.cannot.order.as.guests.(ie..without.being.logged.in).or.change.the.number.of.products.they.have.without.aborting.the.buying.process;.and.the.buttons.are.too.small,.making.them.hard.to.use:.all.reasons.which.could.lead.users.to.abort.the.buy-ing.process.prematurely..

In.the.specific.category content,.the.results.are.middling:.they.show.the.de-livery.costs.and.expected.delivery.time.clearly,.but.there.are.no.trust.elements.to.be.seen,.neither.is.the.call.to.action.button.visible.

3.6 overall results

The.study.findings.show.that.many.online.retailers.have.the.right.idea.when.it. comes. to. selling. products. on. tablet. devices.. Some. online. shops. do. par-ticularly.well. in.terms.of. their.baskets:. this. is.where.four.out.of. ten.online.traders.achieved.their.best.results,.with.ASOS.and.adidas.were.out.in.front.with.90.91%.and.90.48%.respectively..Overall.though,.this.category.produced.variable.results.and.is.also.where.three.of.the.ten.shops.did.worst.Checkout.results.were.also. relatively.mixed:. this. is.where.Hugo.Boss. (90.91%),.Nike.(87.12%).and.Zara.(70.45%).did.their.personal.best.in.terms.of.ranking,.while.adidas.(74.80%),.Lacoste.(83.33%).and.ASOS.(79.55%).did.the.worst.On.the.various.homepages,.six.of.the.ten.shops.scored.their.best.or.second.best.rating.here,.with.Topshop.(90.63%).and.adidas.(90.00%).way.out.in.front.

Shopping.basket

Startpage

Checkout

Product.detail.page

Fig, 5: QuIsMa scoring model overall results

Source:.QUISMA.study.find-ings.(as.at.September.2013)

22

A.website. that. is. optimised. for. tablets. can.boost. the.user. experience. con-siderably,.as.Nike’s.online.shop.shows..There.are.two.potential.options.here:.designing.either.a.responsive.website.or.an.optimised.tablet.version..

responsive web design (rWd)

RWD.uses.a.single.template.to.show.the.same.web.content,.regardless.of.the.display.reso.lution..The.initial.development.cost.may.be.higher,.but.the.invest-ment.is.worth.it,.as.you.only.need.to.implement.aspects. like.quality.assur-ance,.content.adaptation.and.maintenance.costs.once,.although.adaptations.in.conversion.optimisa.tion.may.be.affected.individually,.depending.on.what.the.display.resolution.involved.is..

This.is.the.reason.RWD.turns.out.to.be.the.most.effective.solution.for.multi-channel.marketing.right.now.

Mobile web design

A.site.tailored.individually.to.each.device.(desktop,.tablet,.mobile),.costs.more.and.may.require.more.updates.to.be.produced.for.each.device...This.is.often.problematic,. because. the. range. of. smartphones,. tablets. and. monitors. (dis-plays).available.and.their.characteristics.is.becoming.increasingly.diverse.

An.individual.mobile.site.may.be.a.good.idea,.as.the.costs.are.manageable;.but.with.complex,.more.expensive.web.presences,.producing.two.independent.sites.can.become.time-consuming.and.expensive.to.be.justified.when.imple-mentation.and.maintenance.are.into.account.

4. reCoMMended aCtIon

Whichever option you choose, a website optimised specifically for mobile devices gives a better user experience than a desktop-only version, so can generate more sales and success.

23

The.QUISMA.scoring.model. results. show.most.online. retailers. could.aim.higher.when.it.comes.to.designing.their.websites.for.tablet.devices..Tar.geted.optimisation.could.add.value.significantly.here..

For.retailers.to.succeed.online,.they.need.to.create.and.maintain.websites.that.are.optimised.for.different.devices..Investing.in.technology.to.do.so,.is.vital.to.ensure.that.site.visitors.feel.“at.home”.on.a.website,.irrespective.of.the.device.they.are.using,.to.purchase.from.it..

Only.once. this.has.been.addressed,. can. retailers. start. to.explore.additional.optimisation.techniques.such.as.visitor.surveys.to.identify.how.better.to.serve.them.and.ultimately.convert.them.to.customers.

5. ConCLusIon

Once you‘ve found how to structure your website to give the best conversion solution, you should work constantly to improve it. That means testing the website continuously and maintaining it at a constantly high level. Manage that, and you will always get the best possible results out of the traffic available.

24

reFerenCes1).http://www.imrg.org/index.php?catalog=186.

2).http://www.adobe.com/solutions/digital-marketing/digital-index.html.

3).http://www.wpp.com/wpp/marketing/brandz/brandz-2013/

4).IMRG.Hitwise.Hot.Shops.List.(no.link.available).

5).International.Data.Corporation.2013:.Worldwide.Tablet.Tracker,.....URL:.http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24093213

http://www.imrg.org/index.php?catalog=186

http://www.adobe.com/solutions/digital-marketing/digital-index.html

http://www.wpp.com/wpp/marketing/brandz/brandz-2013/

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24093213

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