[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[retail multichannel 2011

7/29/2019 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[Retail Multichannel 2011

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Cross-channel customer

experience is key to

success for retail

industry

Multichannel Retail Customer

Experience Report 2011

November 2011


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Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................4The market opportunity.....................................................................................................4About this report...............................................................................................................5Who is this report for?.......................................................................................................5

Methodology..............................................................................................................................6Analysis of Results.....................................................................................................................7Online Customer Experience Guidelines...................................................................................9

1. Site functionality positioned appropriately ...............................................................92. Site search results appropriate, easy to manage and follow conventions.............113. Site supports appropriate and effective browsing..................................................134. Users can choose products easily and effectively.................................................155. Checkout process appropriate, effective and easy to use.....................................196. Delivery costs noticeable and clearly explained....................................................24

Mobile User Experience Guidelines.........................................................................................277. Store locator easy to find and use.........................................................................278. Mobile app/site experience offers appropriate and useful functionality.................309. Design of product pages tailored appropriately for mobile ....................................3210. Checkout experience tailored appropriately for mobile......................................34

Cross-Channel Customer Experience Guidelines ...................................................................3611. Business proposition is clear across all channels..............................................3612. Contact communications appropriate and consistent across channels .............3813. Flexible interactions across channels to match user needs...............................4014. Appropriate and flexible customer service.........................................................42


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15. Appropriate customer care after purchase ........................................................45Breakdown of results ...............................................................................................................49

Online guidelines (1-6)....................................................................................................50Mobile guidelines (7-10) .................................................................................................51Multi-channel guidelines (11-15).....................................................................................52

Conclusion...............................................................................................................................55References...............................................................................................................................56 Appendix: Full results...............................................................................................................57About Webcredible...................................................................................................................59


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Introduction

The market opportunityThe size of the Internet retailing marketplace has continued to grow over the past 12 months

since we published our last ecommerce usability report in December 20101.

As of August 2011, the Office for National Statistics2 reported that 77% of households had

Internet access (4% increase since 2010). Crucially, the same Office for National Statistics

report published the following figures:

45 per cent of Internet users used a mobile phone to connect to the Internet (14%

increase since 2010)

6 million people accessed the Internet over their mobile phone for the first time in the

previous 12 months

The use of wireless hotspots almost doubled since 2010 to 4.9 million users

The dramatic increase in the use of smart phones to connect to the Internet demonstrates

the need for ecommerce experiences to take into account design for mobile.

This is illustrated by the amount of money being spent on Internet purchases. An estimated

32 million adults (66% of all adults) have bought or ordered goods or services over the

Internet since the past year, with 46% of the purchases being clothes and sporting goods3.

The August results from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index reveal that British

shoppers spent a total of 5.2 billion online during August, an impressive 14% increase

compared to August 20104.

The popularity of shopping and browsing on handheld devices is set to increase. According

to a recent IMRG and eDigitalResearch survey, 35% of UK consumers will do more shopping

on their smart phones this Christmas4.

The expectation of consumers to be able to shop wherever and whenever is most convenient

to them is driving the requirement for retailers to ensure that their interactions across all

platforms are up to scratch. To ensure the highest level of customer loyalty and businesssuccess this stretches as far as ensuring brand experience is consistent and well

communicated on each and every interface.


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About this report

This years report focuses on a wider set of guidelines aimed at evaluating user experience

across multiple channels: online websites, mobile solutions (apps and mobile-optimised

websites), and physical stores.

Previous reports dealt only with web usability guidelines. The new focus is in response to 2

factors:

The e-retail sector is changing with multi-channel solutions becoming more important

The performance of the websites previously researched has consistently improved and

converged so that its become harder to differentiate them

We have rationalised the 20 web usability guidelines used in previous reports into 6 new

guidelines, and added 9 new guidelines to deal with mobile and in-store channels.

The mobile guidelines were applied to mobile websites and apps. If a company has both a

website optimised for mobile use and an app, both were evaluated and the guideline score is

an average of the 2 marks. If a company has only a mobile website or an app but not both,

then each mobile guideline is applied to whatever the company has implemented i.e. its not

marked down for not having both. A company that has neither a site optimised for mobile nor

an app is given 0 marks for each mobile guideline.

Weve also reduced the total number of companies evaluated this year because of the

additional complexity of researching interconnected multi-channel guidelines. The 15

companies all offer online shopping and have bricks-and-mortar stores and represent a wide

range of sectors: fashion, technology, department stores, and health & beauty.

Who is this report for?

This report is aimed at anyone involved with a company trying to sell products or services

through a variety of different channels, including marketing managers, brand directors and

interaction designers. Although our analysis was focused on retail organisations, the

guidelines are highly transferable, and prove very useful to other industries. The report

assumes no prior user experience or technical knowledge.


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Methodology

Webcredible analysed the websites, mobile platforms and cross-channel experience of 15 of

the UKs leading retailers in October 2011.

Each platform was evaluated against the following 15 best practice guidelines and assigned

a score of 0 to 5 for each guideline, with 5 being the maximum. With 15 guidelines in total,

brands were assigned a total Multi-channel User Experience Index rating out of 75.

The guidelines against which we benchmarked the 15 ecommerce sites were:

Online

1. Site functionality: positioned appropriately

2. Site search results: appropriate, easy to manage and follow customer expectations

3. Site browsing: appropriate and effective

4. Product selection: easy and effective

5. Checkout process: appropriate, effective and easy to use

6. Delivery costs: noticeable and clearly explained

Mobile

7. Store locator: easy to find and use

8. App/site functionali ty: appropriate and useful

9. Product pages: designed and tailored appropriately for mobile

10.Checkout experience: tailored appropriately for mobile

Multi-channel

11.Multichannel awareness: clarity that all channels exist

12.Contact communications: appropriate and coordinated messaging across channels

13.Flexible interactions: between all channels to match user needs

14.Customer service: appropriate and consistent

15.Af ter sales: appropriate communications and customer care after purchase


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Analysis of Results

The 15 ecommerce companies received the following scores in total, out of 75:

Rank CompanyExperience Index

(out of 75)

Score

%

1 Boots(www.boots.co.uk) 62 83

2Marks & Spencer

(www.marksandspencer.co.uk)61 81

2Debenhams

(www.debenhams.com)

61 81

2Waterstones

(www.waterstones.com)61 81

5 J ohn Lewis(www.johnlewis.com) 59 79

5 Next(www.next.co.uk) 59 79

7Early Learning Centre

(www.elc.co.uk)56 75

8 Apple Store (store.apple.com/uk) 52 69

9 Topshop(www.topshop.com) 49 65

10 Ted Baker (www.tedbaker.com) 36 48

11Bodyshop

(www.thebodyshop.co.uk)34 45

12 Blackwells(www.blackwell.co.uk) 32 43

13 Currys(www.currys.co.uk) 31 41

13 Hamleys(www.hamleys.co.uk) 31 41

15 Superdrug(www.superdrug.com) 27 36

Average score 47 points 63%
http://www.boots.co.uk/http://www.boots.co.uk/http://www.marksandspencer.co.uk/http://www.debenhams.com/http://www.waterstones.com/http://www.johnlewis.com/http://www.johnlewis.com/http://www.next.co.uk/http://www.next.co.uk/http://../Articles/White%20papers/Ecommerce%202011/www.elc.co.uk)http://../Articles/White%20papers/Ecommerce%202011/www.elc.co.uk)http://www.topshop.com/http://www.topshop.com/http://www.tedbaker.com/http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/http://www.blackwell.co.uk/http://www.blackwell.co.uk/http://www.currys.co.uk/http://www.currys.co.uk/http://www.hamleys.co.uk/http://www.hamleys.co.uk/http://www.superdrug.com/http://www.superdrug.com/http://www.superdrug.com/http://www.hamleys.co.uk/http://www.currys.co.uk/http://www.blackwell.co.uk/http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/http://www.tedbaker.com/http://www.topshop.com/http://../Articles/White%20papers/Ecommerce%202011/www.elc.co.uk)http://www.next.co.uk/http://www.johnlewis.com/http://www.waterstones.com/http://www.debenhams.com/http://www.marksandspencer.co.uk/http://www.boots.co.uk/


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The companies occupying 1st and joint 2nd places have consistently performed well in our

previous ecommerce reports for website usability.

Next, occupying joint 5thposition, would have jumped higher in the rankings if its online

checkout process had not scored so poorly.

The poor scores of the bottom 5 websites are due to poor performances for guidelines that

focus on mobile usability specifically as well as customer experience across a range of

channels (online, mobile and physical store). Its particularly surprising that some of these

companies dont offer a mobile-optimised experience. For example, Currys which sells

technology products is likely to have many customers with smart phones.

Most companies scored reasonably well with 9 companies scoring over 40 marks. Its clear

however that the companies scoring between 50 to 30 points can do much more to improve

the customer experience of their offering across multiple channels.


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Online Customer Experience Guidelines

1.Site funct ionality: positioned appropriatelyCategory: Online

Average score:3.8 (out of 5)

When users arrive for the first time on an ecommerce website, its important that certain

universal components are positioned where theyre expecting to find them. Users gain crucial

confidence from a website that follows these basic design conventions.

Key housekeeping links such as login or my account should be placed top right and

should be easily noticeable

Key customer service links such as Delivery and returns should be easily found on

every page

Search boxes should be recognisable as search boxes, labelled clearly and should be

prominently positioned top right

Basket icons should be placed top right and should be easily noticeable

Other key links such as contact us and store finder should also be prominent in the

top right of the page

The Body Shop scores only 2. Its search function is labelledclearly but integrating it in the main navigation bar makes it

hard to notice immediately. The key Sign in and Register

links are buried in other text and positioned below the main

navigation bar.


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This is a well-established usability guideline and most websites scored either 4 or 5 out of 5.

Most websites scored 4 because some housekeeping links or search functions didnt

immediately stand out.

Next gain top marks for having a clear search function, strong

visual design for the shopping bag/checkout links. Key links

for My Account and Find A Store are prominently

positioned where customers will expect to find them.

The site has one clear link for My account rather than two for

login and register. This reduces the visual clutter and reduces

the need for users to work out which one applies to them.


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Apple scored only 1 mark because although it offered auto-complete suggestions in the

search box, it didnt offer any filters or sort options to narrow down search results.

With an average score of 3.3, its disappointing that websites arent realising the importance

of making it easier for customers to manage search results. Only 6 sites scored 4 or 5 out of

5. Most sites lost marks for poor implementation of filters e.g. difficult to use filters or hard to

find filters. Its clear that there is room for improvement on this fundamental web usability

guideline.

Top Shop sets a great example by provid ing

comprehensive filters appropriate to the products

being sold (including an easy to use price slider).

The clean uncluttered design makes it easy to spot

the Sort By box and number of results.


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3.Site browsing: appropriate and effective

Category: Online


Customers must be able to find products before they can buy them. Ecommerce sites must

categorise their products in ways that make sense to their customers and they must offer

effective means of browsing these categories.

Its important to allow users to orientate themselves easily within a site so they can easily see

where theyve come from and where they can now go once they start exploring. Clues such

as clear page titles, highlighted navigation menus and breadcrumbs can help users orientate

themselves within a site.

Useful browsing aids such as favourites, wish lists, previously viewed items and ways to

recommend products to other users (e.g. email, text, Facebook etc) all help customers find

what they want.

Clicking on Refrigeration leads unexpectedly to a

different site Debenhams Plus in a new browser

window with a different main navigation system.

This is likely to confuse customers.

On the Debenhams s ite, clicking on Electricals

then Refrigerators leads to a general Kitchen

Appl iances page that includes cookers etc.


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4.Product selection: easy and effective

Category: Online

Average score: 4 (out of 5)

Once customers have found a product on an ecommerce site, its essential that they can

work out quickly and easily if its the right product amongst others being displayed. Listing

pages that show more than one similar product should help users decide from price, picture

and key product information which ones theyre interested in.

The following aspects also help user choice:

Product comparison pages

Clear zoomable images on product pages

Appropriate product descriptions

Clearly displayed accessories and value-adds

User reviews and ratings

Buyers guides

Recommended or alternative products

Special offers


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John Lewis has an excellent

product comparison page. The

tabular format helps users quick ly

scan the attributes theyreinterested in across a number of

similar products.

John Lewis offers large and crisp

images. The controls for zooming

are clear and appropriate

alternative images are offered e.g.

freezer door open and closed.


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The product information by

default shows crucial

specification s tats in a tabularformat for easy scanning. Other

information such as description is

one click away so as not to clutter

the page and overwhelm users.

Superdrug sells mainly small-value items that dont

need alternative views or comprehensive product

descriptions. However, the site does sell some more

expensive electrical items that would benefit from

these design aspects. The lack of information on this

shaver product is likely to put some customers off.


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Most sites that lost marks either had too little product information, information that was text-

heavy and difficult to scan, or had poor image controls. However, most sites demonstrated

good product page and product listing page designs and scored 4 or 5 out of 5 for this

guideline.


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5.Checkout process: appropriate, effective and easy to

use

Category: Online


Once customers have made a choice, theyre only interested in buying and completing the

checkout process as quickly and painlessly as possible. Hard to find add to basket buttons,

clumsy login or registration forms, processes with unknown numbers of steps or an

unexpected order of stages can all cause frustration.

No matter how much ecommerce sites try to prevent it, users will make mistakes during the

checkout process. If users cant immediately work out the error and how to fix it, they may be

unwilling (or even unable) to continue with the checkout process. By providing them with

highly visible and informative error messages, users can correct mistakes and continue on

through the checkout process.

Checkout processes should include the following:

Visually distinct add to basket button prominently positioned

Clear feedback after add to basket has been pressed

Clear checkout call to action once a basket has at least 1 item

Clear choices for new and existing customers to either log in or register an account

Progress bar with numbered and/or named stages displayed consistently throughout

the process

Cues on the progress bar to indicate which stages have been completed and which

stage is current

Simple forms that ask only for details necessary to the transaction

A clear end point i.e. it should be clear to customers that the transaction is complete

Highly visible and informative error messages

John Lewis is one of only 2 sites to score full

marks for their excellent checkout process

from add to basket through to conf irmation.


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Only after completing the purchase,

are customers asked if they wish to

create an account, making this less ofa chore. Also, the benefits of creating

the account are made clear.

Next sc

to use checkout because some users are likely

drop ou

ores a shocking 0 points with its difficult

to

t of the purchase early.

The sign-in page is confusing because new

customers wi ll be tempted to fill in the fields on

ration process,

n that John Lewis and Amazon use.

the left as the start of their regist

failing to not ice the call to action on the right.

It is surpr ising that many ecommerce sites adopt

this confusing design, rather than the clearer

desig


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Most websites lost marks for not highlighting the fields where errors occur.

Its a better user experience if ecommerce websites predict and pre-empt user errors (through

usability testing and analysis of web stats), rather than letting users try to resolve them when they

happen. Websites can then take steps to ensure these errors dont take place, by providing written

instructions or fixing the error automatically.

Halfw

procewhich is lik ho

werent aware they were applying for a

Next credit account. The progress bar

has disappeared and the process now

requires users to read unexpected

information before continuing.

ay through the checkout, the

ss is interrupted with this pageely to confuse customers w

Apple scores marks for its clear error

handling. Fields containing the error

are highlig

hted and the error message

is displayed close to the field.

Waterstones does a good job pre-empting

errors with contextual hints about what to

enter in a field.

However, its error messages are unhelpful


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Error messages in dialogue boxes force users

unnecessarily to close them, before they can

rectify the problem.

owsat there is still room for improvement in this basic usability guideline, especially as it is

elative

With an average of score of 3.7, most businesses realize the importance of a seamless

checkout process. Only Next scores less than 2 marks for its poor checkout process.

10 of the 15 websites scored 4 or 5 out 5 for this guideline. The average of 3.7 marks shth

r ly simple to implement.


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6.Delivery costs: noticeable and clearly

Category: Online

Average score: 4.3 (out of 5)

Concerns about delivery costs and delivery lead times are often at the forefront of customers

minds when buying online. Its potentially frustrating for customers to discover only late in the

checkout process that delivery charges are prohibitively expensive or restrictive. Its likely

that customers will feel more comfortable about adding items to their basket if they already

know the delivery arrangements.

Its therefore important to set customers expectations about delivery up front. The

arrangements for delivery must be flexible and clearly explained, for example, if delivery

charges depend on weight then this should be clearly explained and easily discovered.

explained

Currys score full marks for their clear

delivery information throughout the

ecommerce experience.


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Currys gives detailed

information about delivery on

the product page which helps

increase customers

confidence in the process.

The delivery information on

the Blackwells site is hard to

notice because its

surrounded by a lot of other

text on the home page.

Overall the websites scored well on this guideline with an average score of 4.3 with most

sites scoring the maximum 5 points. This indicates that most companies realise the

Delivery charges for orders of

20 or less arent shown untilafter customers have logged

gistered.in or re


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or keepingimportance of being up front about their delivery costs and arrangements, and f

delivery information visible throughout the purchase process.


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Mobile Customer Experience Guidelines

7.Store locator: easy to find and useCategory: Mobile


Providing customers who are out shopping with the means to find the nearest store is one of

the most important features of any ecommerce mobile experience. Offering customers this

functionality is an opport nity for companies to make the most of the very fact that customers

are moving about in the real world, potentially near physical stores, rather than browsing

online at home on a PC.

It should be one of the most prominent features of a mobile app or website, so that

customers on the move dont have to

u

search for it.

If mobile sites rely on users to enter a location they should be flexible e.g. allow partial post

code entry, offer alternative ways to enter a location other than post code. Mobile sites or

apps that use GPS and interactive maps to direct customers to the closest store gained extra

marks for this guideline.

The difficulty of searching for a store locatorlink on a website that hasnt been optimised

for a handset demonstrates precisely why

ecommerce companies should design mobi le

experiences for their customers.


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Apple score to

locator on the

p marks for the store

Apple Store app.

The initial list of stores is shown in proximity

order with distances clearly displayed.

Phone, address and opening times are easy to

find and the app offers a clear route to map

and directions from current location.


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The store locator is easy to f ind on the

Waterstones app but the initial map

based on the current location is

presented in a scale that isnt helpful for

locating the closest store.

Its encouraging that most websites that have either a mobile site or an app or both score full

marks for this guideline. The low average is down to the fact that 7 of the 15 companies have

neither an app nor a mobile site (scorin

Sites lost marks for having maps that werent interactive, post code entry fields that didnt

cope with partial post codes, or not displaying the distance to stores from the current location.

g no marks).


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8.App/site functionality: appropriate and useful

Category: Mobile


Ideally a mobile experience should offe rs

(albeit in a streamlined way) but it shou re

operating the device on the move or ac xtra

functionality can be offered for a mobile

Companies that offer innovative extra functionality for their mobile experience gain marks for

this guideline as long as it is truly useful to customers.

r all the critical functionality that the website offe

ld also take advantage of the fact that customers a

tually in a physical store. In other words what e

experience?

Waterstones offers stock availability o f a

particular title for all its physical stores which

is useful to customers on the move.

Through its app, Apple offers customers

chance to make reservations for one-to-one

appointments with store staff, workshops and

other events.


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Debenhams excellent app can be personalized

so that shoppers may browse only forproducts available in their sizes.

Other innovative features include Debenhams

TV, chance to be notified when stocks run low

and a barcode scanner that acts like a virtual

assistant within the store.

Topshop has an app that allows viewing of

latest products, but if customers want to buy

llow a link to the website which

isnt optimized for mobi le and doesnt load the

they can only fo

product viewed in the app.

Most of the websites offered a mobile d website

or an app and generally scored well o pshop, thesemobile experiences offered all the functionality that customers would expect plus some extra

innovative features. The 6 companies not offering a mobile experience are likely to be

missing out as customers seek new ways to find and buy products.

experience either through a mobile-optimise

n this guideline. With the exception of To


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9. Product pages: designed and tailored appropriately

for mobile

Category: Mobile


Some products may be considered as more suitable to buy via a mobile than others. For

example, the physical aspect of books is not as important as their content, so customers may

be more willing to buy books via a portant.

However, companies should offer uy their

products as possible, and an app ould be

tailored appropriately.

With limited screen space its all the more important to make the best use of it. Aspects that

should be prioritised are:

Filters and sort options to help narrow down lists of products quickly

Clear call to action for add to basket

Good quality images (preferably with zoom)

Clear size pickers (if appropriate to the product)

Clear feedback (e.g. using animation to indicate that an action has taken place andwhat users should do next)

handset than clothes where large images are im

customers as many flexible different ways to b

or mobile site is offered then the product pages shif

Debenhams makes the most of the limi ted

screen space by offering great enlarged

images with lots of alternative views.


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Marks & Spencer offer sort options to narrow

down a list of products at the top of the page,

but the filter options are hidden at the bottom

of the page making them hard to notice.

The lowest score for this guideline amongst those companies that offer either an app or

optimised mobile site for buying products is 3 points. However, its clear that there is room for

improvement. For example, ma ble images

which on a mobile handset is imp

ny companies lost marks for not offering zooma

ortant.


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10. Checkout experience: tailored appropriately for

mobile

Category: Mobile


Once customers have decided they want to buy, the checkout process should be as smooth

as possible. Its assumed that most customers buying on a mobile have already registered

an account to make the checkout as simple as possible, minimising the number of key

presses required. The mobile checkout should have access to all the account details entered

previously online.

The Waterstones app makes it easy for customers to

enter an email address during login by including @

and . symbols on the keyboard a feature that few

other ecommerce apps offer.

Boots offer a seamless checkout process for

mobile with a reduced progress bar, clear calls

to action and page layouts that give

prominence to the most impor tant information.


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Debenhams mobile app doesnt find address details

s

registered for an existing account. This forces

customers to re-enter address details and reduce

confidence in the process.

Only 3 websites scored full marks for t t

companies need to do to improve the check

his guideline, showing that there is more tha

out for mobile.


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Cross-Channel Customer Experience

Guidelines

11. Mult ichannel awar

exist

Category: Multi-channel


It makes good business sense for ecommerce companies to offer as many different ways for

customers to buy as possible so that customers can choose the most convenient method for

them. But in order to make use of different channels, customers must first be made aware of

them.

Whichever channel customers are currently using, there should be clear signals about the

other buying channels that are available. For example:

On a website, showcase mobile experiences such as apps or optimised mobile sites

When browsing the web on a mob or

download

In store, make other methods to b , online,telephone, mobile etc

In packaging of products bought online, offer vouchers for use in store or catalogues

eness: clarity that all channels

ile show that an app is available for launch

uy clearly visible e.g. catalogue order

Debenhams showcase their mobile si te and

app from the website, and offer a video to

demonstrate the features of the app.


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12. Consistent communication: appropriate and

coordinated messaging across channels



The increasing number of channels with which customers now can interact with ecommerce

companies allows these companies to communicate their brands more widely. However, its

important that the messages communicated through different channels are consistent with

each other and with the brand itself.

The tone of voice and imagery used in emails, web pages, in-store signage and mobile

solutions should match and should reinforce the values that ecommerce companies are

trying to project.

Ted Baker has an informal, irreverent

cool brand image which is successfully

and consistently conveyed through web

promotions, emails and store design.


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Waterstones lose marks because the brand message

conveyed by their stores, which have a personal,

ing music and

handwritten staff recommendations, is at odds with

ebsite and app which have a more no-

nonsense look and feel similar to Amazon.

homely feel with armchairs, relax

the w

Currys stores combine 3 different brands: Currys,

PC World (which was unt il 2009 a separate company)

ails

only convey the Currys brand.

and Knowhow (the customer service and technical

help division). This is likely to be confusing to

customers, especially as the website and em

Most companies score well on this guideline with 11 scoring 4 or 5 out of 5. Companies lost

marks for failing to using either packaging or emails to communicate their brands.


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13. Flexible interactions: choice channels to match

user needs



ffering different channels to buy and incr

options (guideline 12). But its also important f flexibility

etween these channels so that customers receive an integrated all-round shopping

experience rather than a set of fragmented interactions.

Good examples include:

Ordering online and collecting the item athome

Ordering in a store and allowing the item to be delivered at home

Tracking an online order via mobile

Interactive tools to assist customers in the store (rather than relying on shop

assistants)

Companies should be blurring the boundaries between their channels so that the experience

is consistent regardless of the methods chosen to implement it. Companies should be

including in bricks-and-mortar stores.

O easing awareness of them gives customers

or ecommerce companies to offer

b

from a store rather than having it delivered

exploiting interactive technology to make it easier to buy in every channel they offer,

The Debenhams app has a barcode scanner feature

so that customers can buy online from their phone in

store or check information about a product .


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Topshop offer a free gaming app

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattloveskicks/3792460

for

smart phones whereby customers can

play challenges in store to earn pointsand rewards.

and in store posters.

Customers are made aware of the app

through a homepage promotion, flyers

Apple stores offer a great example of

flexible interactions across channels.

The stores with their interactive guidesand opportunity to play with products

are more like trade fairs than actual

fulfi lled later online.

shops.

Of course, products can be bought in

store but these environments are more

geared towards customers making more

leisurely informed decisions that can be

69/ from Matt loves kicks (Flickr)

prove customer experience. Most

companies offer a click and collect service (mixing online with in-store channels for

customers convenience). However, its surprising, for example, that more of the companies

dont offer customers the opportunity to receive SMS updates to help track their orders.

Creative initiatives such as Topshops gaming app enrich the in-store experience and

increase awareness of the brand across all the channels that customers have access to.

The low average of 2.4 demonstrates that there is a lot more companies can do to harness

technology and innovate across multiple channels to im


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14. Customer service: appropriate and flexible



If customers order an item online, th ore. In other words,

customer service should be the same high quality whichever channels customers choose to

use.

Often the reason customer service varies according to different channels relates to the

internal organisation of the company i.e. departments that have different responsibilities and

processes and that dont communicate well with each other. But these internal divisions are

of no concern to customers who expect a uniform service regardless of how they interact

with companies.

ood pract

Being

Simple return instruction

Help with returning an item via post e.g. reusable packages, return address stickers,

free post

Knowledgeable staff who are aware how to carry out less usual customer requests,

such as the return in-store of items ordered online

Waterstones, J ohn Lewis, Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Next, Topshop and Boots all

offer easy and flexible returns of products bought online.

ey should be able to return it to the st

G ice for this guideline involves:

able to return an item in store if it was bought online and vice versa

s that are easy to understand (online and in packaging)


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Its a small detail but designing reusable packagingfor easy return via post is a simple innovation that

makes customers l ives easier. Next earn full marks

for their seamless return service.

Ted Baker dont allow customers a refund for items bought in s tore

(only replacement or credit note), and yet refunds are allowed for

items bought online. The mismatch o f policies between the channels

is potentially confusing and frustrating for customers.

Most companies do an excellent job of providing flexible customer service with most of them

scoring full marks for this important guideline. As well as losing marks for inflexible and

inconsistent returns policies, companies also lost marks for poor return instructions, for

The return instructions on the dispatch note are

complex and wordy. An address label is provided

but it s not a sticker. The dispatch note has to be

sent back and because theres no online form or

email conf irmation of return progress, the onus is on

the customer to take a photocopy of the dispatch

note as a reminder that the item has been returned.


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example, failing to request that a dispatch note should be included in the package or failing

to inform customers that delivery payment is required.


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15. After sales: appropriate communications and

customer care after purchase



Once a customer has placed an online order, its crucial that the company sends prompt

email updates about the status of the order from order confirmation to dispatch. Failure to do

this is likely to damage customer trust and confidence in the transaction and ultimately the

brand.

Companies can further improve these communications by offering smooth transitions

between email and web to track orders, for example, HTML links within emails rather than

requiring customers to copy and paste delivery order numbers.

Its important that email information and web information are consistent. For example, its

only likely to

warehouse w

worry customers if they receive an email confirming dispatch of an item from a

hen the website account has no record of this change in status.

Apple gains full marks for keeping it simple. Aprominent button takes the customer straight from

order confirmation email to the appropriate order

tracking page on the website. No logging in is

required. The solution is secure if the customer

attempts to order anything online from this link,

login details are requested.


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After an online order is complete, theres an opportunity for the company to follow up the sale

with further communication if its appropriate and if its requested/authorised by the customer.

Keeping in contact following a sale is important because customers are more likely to buy

with the company again provided theyre satisfied with their purchase and the level of service

(i.e. the ordering experience and delivery).

Customers are likely to appreciate receiving more targeted communication rather than

generic marketing emails. For example fo

To check that customers are hap

To suggest complementary items e.g. these shirts to go with trousers recently

purchased

To offer alternative products if customers have returned items

Currys send order acknowledgement, processing and confi rmation emails

although these are vag

when the parcel will be

Theres no link between the email and the website, no way to track orders

online and the courier website is separate to Currys (making it di fficu lt for

customers to know who they should contact in the event of a problem).

ue e.g. they dont give customers an estimate as to

received.

llow-up emails:

py with their purchase


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John Lewis provides an attractive news

purchase, but its not targeted.

The most prominent promotion is for w

the fact a man has registered the account and

bought a mans belt.

letter post-

omen despite

Next score points for sending a follo

related to womens knitwear follopurchase of a womens scarf.

w-up email

wing the


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Few companies have got to grips with tailoring follow-up post-sales emails, and are therefore

missing out on an opportunity to engage further with their existing customers. Companies

lost marks for requiring a further subscription process separate to the checkout in order to

receive promotion emails/newsletters.


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Breakdown of results

Overall, there are 2 tiers of performance with 7 companies all scoring between 56 and 62

marks out of a possible 75, and the rest scoring less than 52.

Overall performance (totals out of 75)

Totals out of 80

Boots 62

Marks & Spencer 61

Debenhams 61

Waterstones 61

J ohn Lewis 59

Next 59

Early Learning Centre 58

Apple store 52

Topshop 49

Ted Baker 36

Bodyshop 34

Blackbells 32

Currys 31


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sHamley 31

Superdrug 27

The gap between the 2 tiers can be traced to the fact that the bottom 6 companies dont offer

an ecommerce experience optimised for mobile.

Patterns emerge when the results are analysed according to online, mobile and multi-

channel guidelines.

Online guidelines (1-6)

The r that there is less variation in performance between companies in terms of

online guid elines 1-6) i.e. the website experience that we have traditionally

evaluated in previous retail reports. The total marks for these online guidelines vary between

29 an a possible 30, with most websites scor bove 23. This corresponds with

findings from previous retail reports where ecommerce website usability has improved year

on year with little to distinguish the performance of high street retailers.

esults show

elines (guid

d 18 out of ing a

Online guidelines (totals out of 30)

Online guidelines (1-7) totals


J ohn Lewis 27

Topshop 27

Waterstones 26

M&S 25

Ted Baker 25


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Boots 25

Hamleys 24

Currys 22

Debenhams 22

Bodyshop 21

Apple 19

Superdrug 19

Blackbells 19

Next 18

Mobile guidelines (7-10)

Looking just at the performance between companies in terms of mobile guidelines

(guid a clear gap emerges. The total marks vary between 20 and 0 out of a

possible 20 with 6 websites scoring 0 marks. Those companies that offer any type of mobile

experience tend to do it well. This indicates that some companies are forging ahead in this

important and emerging aspect of ecommerce, leaving behind others who have no mobile

offering at all.

Mobile guidelines (totals out of 20)

elines 7-10)

Mobile guidelines (8-11) totals



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Debenhams 18

Next 18

Boots 18

Waterstones 16

Apple 16

Marks & Spencer 16

J ohn Lewis 15

Topshop 5

Blackwells 0

Currys 0

Ted Baker 0

Bodyshop 0

Superdrug 0

Hamleys 0

Multi-channel guidelines (11-15)

The picture is less clear for the multi-channel guidelines. Most companies have a patchy

performance, doing well with some guidelines and poorly in others. Also, theres no single

guideline where companies perform either consistently badly or well. This shows that there


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are gaps in the delivery of ecommerce across multiple channels, and that even modest gains

in thi f ecommerce will help some companies to differentiate themselves sharply

Multi-channel guidelines (totals out of 25

s aspect o

from their competitors.

Multi -channel (11-15) totals

Next 23

Debenhams 21

Marks & Spencer 20

Boots 19

Waterstones 18

J ohn Lewis 17

Apple 17

Topshop 15

Bodyshop 13

Blackwells 13

Ted Baker 11

Currys 9

Superdrug 9



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7Hamleys


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is

userial (for both web and mobile) and should always be used in

nalysing

(see

Conclusion

The creation of a customer experience strategy to cover multichannel interactions

essential for success in the retail industry. This should be partnered with the use ofexperience guidelines is essent

conjunction with usability testing on a regular basis. Usability testing involves a

typical site visitors complete typical tasks on your website

www.webcredible.co.uk/testing for more).

However, its clear that web and mobile usability are only parts of the overall customer

experience that increasingly involves interactions with customers over multiple channels.

truly integrated and successful ecommerce experience that matches customer needs and

xpectations can best be achieved through a customer experience design approach that

examines the whole ecommerce journey across all channels that customers typically makeuse of. Using a service design approach helps to ensure consistency across customer touch-

points (points in the journey where customers interact with the company in some tangible

way e.g. receiving a package or an email or walking into a store).

Online, mobile and even in-store processes must form part of an overarching multi-channel

strategy to ensure that all channels are coherent with the brand in question and that they

provide a consistently high quality experience, allowing customers to easily purchase what

they want, when they want and through whatever method they want.

For more information about establishing customer experience strategy, call Webcredible on

020 7423 6320 or email [email protected]

A

e

. For advice and other general user

experience guidelines visit www.webcredible.co.uk/articles or book a place on a Webcredible

user experience or digital marketing courses at www.webcredible.co.uk/training.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2011/stb-internet-access-2011.htmlhttp://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2011/stb-internet-access-2011.html


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References

1. Webcredible, The Online High Street: Ecommerce usability for UK high street retailer

2010 (http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/white-papers/ecommerce-

s in

usability-2010.shtml)

2. Office for National Statistics (http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and iv als 1/ inte t-a ss- 1.h l-ind idu /201 stb- rne cce 201 tm)

3. Office for Nation t ics tp: w. .go k/o el/ /in et- esal S atist (ht //ww ons v.u ns/r rdit2 tern acc s---households-and-individuals/2011/stb-internet-access-2011.html#tab-Internet-Purchasing)

4. IMRG Capgemini Sales Index: (www.imrg.org)


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Appendix: Full results

the scor he c v fo ac u li is f w

A

The full list of websites audited, and e t y a hie ed r e h g ide ne as ollo s:

TOT L

Company 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10 1 125 6 1

Boots (www.boots.co.uk)5 4 4 3 4 5 5 4 4 5 3 4

Marks & Spencer (www.markandspencer.co.uk)4 3 5 3 5 5 5 4 3 4 3 4

Debenhams (www.debenhams.com)4 3 2 4 4 5 5 5 5 3 5 5

Waterstones (www.waterstones.com)

4 4 4 5 4 5 3 5 5 3 5 2J ohn Lewis (www.johnlewis.com)

4 3 5 5 5 5 3 4 3 5 4 4Next (www.next.co.uk)

5 4 2 3 1 3 5 4 5 4 5 4Early Learning Centre (www.elc.co.uk)

4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 2 2Apple Store (store.apple.com/uk)

4 1 3 5 3 3 5 5 3 3 2 4Topshop (www.topshop.com) 3 5 5 5 4 5 3 2 0 0 3 5Ted Baker (www.tedbaker.com)

4 3 5 5 4 4 0 0 0 0 1 5Bodyshop (www.thebodyshop.co.uk)

2 3 3 4 4 5 0 0 0 0 1 4


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TOTAL

Company 2 8 1 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12

Blackwells (www.blackwell.co.uk)2 03 5 4 3 2 0 0 0 3 4

Currys (www.currys.co.uk)3 03 5 3 3 5 0 0 0 2 0

Hamleys (www.hamleys.co.uk) 0 4 4 4 4 5 3 0 0 0 2 1 Superdrug ((www.superdrug.com) 0 4 2 3 2 2 5 0 0 0 0 4 TOTAL 49 38 3 57 60 60 56 65 39 3 32 41 52

Average score . 2 2.5 2 2.7 3.8 3 3 4.0 4 3.7 4.3 .6 2. 2.1 3.5


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10BAbout Webcredible

Webcredible is a user experience agency, offering a range of customer experience, usability,

design and training services for websites, intranets, mobile devices and applications. Specificservices include in-depth research, digital and brand strategy development and information

architecture.

Launched in 2003, Webcredible was one of the first specialist user experience agencies and

today is one of the UKs leading agencies providing customer-led digital marketing services.

Were comprised of true digital and user experience experts and focus heavily on adding

significant value to our clients.

Our work results in measurable improvements, for example:

50% increase in sales and 70% reduction in customer service issues for Plumbworld

44% conversion improvement and a 168% uplift in leads for Propertywide

70% year-on-year increase in training course bookings for St J ohn Ambulance

80% increase in hotel look-to-book conversions for Thomson

Webcredible is widely regarded as one of the most collaborative, innovative and respected

user experience consultancies in the UK. Our 200+ research articles and reports have been

re-published on 100s of websites and we receive 250,000 visitors to our website each month.

Clients include Airmiles, Asda, BBC, eBay, EDF Energy, Hotels.com, J D Sports, LauraAshley, Lloyds TSB, Liz Earle, Macmillan, RBS, Rolls-Royce, Sony, St J ohn Ambulance, T-

Mobile, Transport for London, uSwitch and World Health Organization.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[retail multichannel 2011

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