Shop Usability

As previously explained, as site search function is a must for any e-commerce website as it allows users to find what they’re looking for. However it is not unusual to be flooded by a huge number of search results in such an instance, so an option to narrow the criteria of a search is a very useful tool. If you searched for ‘Lord of the Rings: Return of the king’, you’ll no doubt be given results from CD, DVD and Video Games which match the search keywords. Narrowing it to a search within ‘CD’ would ensure only the soundtrack would appear from the search.

I think Zavvi has it right. It’s not too complicated either. You don’t want a hug list of categories to navigate through, just the main ones which will really help in narrowing down your search.

Adding a search function is the number one standard in designing e-commerce websites. They should all have one as they allow customers to quickly and conveniently locate what they’re looking for. It’s similar to asking an assistant in a supermarket where a particular product is. You may know where the cereals are, but it can be difficult to locate the exact brand amongst the hundereds on offer. The same rule applies to an online shop, browsing through categories can be a long process.

In terms of design, once again Amazon wins out. The bar should be located at the top of the page, above the fold where it can be seen instantly. Use a standard white background for text entry and surrond it in a dark colour to make it stand out. You should also make it as long as possible so that users don’t have their queries cut off. Some search functions suggest words as you’re typing to make the process easier but I think some less experienced users would find this confusing and off-putting.

There should always be a clear telephone number on the top half of your page, preferable at the top, in an area where it doesn’t interfere with other information. The reason is because some users still do not trust websites with their credit card details and so may wish to call up and place their order over the phone. Furthermore, it is a way of asking an assistant for help if the customer needs to ask for help. You can do this with a normal shop assistant, so it should be possible also in an e-commerce environment.

The screenshot above from fashion-sunglasses.co.uk, shows how to utilize a clear and distinguishable phone number on a web page. Putting it in teh top right corner is also a good idea as this is where users like to look first for such infomation.

There’s nothing worse in an e-commerce shop than to be a customer who doesn’t realise which part of the shop they’re viewing. It should always be made clear at the top of the page, using breadrumb navigation to shop how deep into the shop they have gone. Doing this is alos a great way of creating clean, simple page headings, which is great for SEO.

A good example would be: Home > Electronics > Video games > PS3 > PS3 Accessories… etc.

Having this path clear at the top, with a nice, clear title at the top of the page can make all the difference when a user browses the shop. Amazon UK shows how it should be done:

Post by Adam Moss