Online retail stores have ignored the basic lessons learned through the years by the conventional brick and mortar stores, according to an international study by consulting firm Shelley Taylor & Associates.
Online retail sites were found lacking in basic content and site features. Almost 25 percent of sites lacked features that would allow users to move between major sections of a site. The study, called “Click-Here Commerce,” urged online stores to design their sites so consumers know where they are at all times, an online version of a “you are here” map.
Click-Here Commerce also found that 24 percent of the sites offer no pre-sale assistance while 32 percent fail to provide purchase instructions. Only 30 percent offer information on product availability before an order is processed.
“Contrary to media hype, Web commerce is not a revolution but an evolution in retailing,” said Shelley Taylor, the author of the report. “Online stores fail to translate the lessons learned from centuries of land-based retailing and merchandising into successful online shopping experiences for consumers.”
Retail sites that work to make the online shopping experience as simple and easy as possible should continue to prosper. Sites can take various steps to improve such as streamlining the ordering process, simplifying site navigation and making their sites accessible to all forms of technology.
In regard to technology, the study found that many Web sites discourage laptop users, people with older computers and first-time users from gaining entrance to online stores. Only one site noted what Internet web browser was most compatible. The study also found that only two of 50 Web sites offered a reduced bandwidth or text-only option for users with older browsers.
E-commerce sites should also make concerted effort to entice consumers back to their sites. A recent study by International Data Corporation found that more than 92 percent of the online merchants surveyed are actively building user loyalty programs, which often involve various forms of customer service, to drive repeat customer traffic.
Click-Here Commerce analyzed 50 consumer e-commerce sites representing a cross-industry sample including technology, entertainment, books and music, apparel, sports goods, travel and leisure. The sites that did the best were CDNow, Barnes & Noble, Brainplay, Land’s End and Blockbuster.
