Product Information
Offer a range of
products that meets users' expectations
Offer
the same variety of products on your Web site as you carry in
brick-and-mortar stores or paper catalogs. Customers value Web
shopping partly because of the vast variety and selection of products.
They are disappointed if companies do not offer their complete catalog
of products online (Jarvenpaa & Todd, 1996, 1997).
Provide pictures
of all physical merchandise
Provide
pictures to attract users' attention, help them identify products,
help them understand a product's features, and help them feel more
knowledgeable and comfortable when making purchase decisions. For
sites that sell thousands of products, providing pictures of all of
them requires a significant investment. But pictures are vital to
e-commerce because the Web is largely a visual medium in which
customers cannot feel, touch, or hold products. Pictures must provide
the marketing appeal that packaging and product displays provide in
brick-and-mortar stores.
Because large pictures cause slower downloading,
consider presenting "thumbnail" photos initially and linking to larger
views of the same items. In both thumbnail and larger pictures, make
the product features as distinguishable as possible. Provide pictures
from different angles, and enable users to click for a larger view if
these additional views assist users in understanding the product and
its features.
Provide
information about availability
Provide
information on your product description pages about the availability
of each product, and immediately update the information when the
inventory changes. If possible, indicate exactly when you can ship the
product. For instance, you may want to say something like "Ships
within 24 hours of receiving your order" or "Orders received by 1:00
pm Eastern time ship the same day" (but be sure you keep your
promises). Link to information about shipping options so that the user
can estimate a delivery date.
Fast, reliable service is an important selling
point. The more specific and accurate your shipping times, and the
more rapidly you fulfill orders, the more likely you are to please
your customers.
Tip: Avoid using the term "shipping time" because
it's unclear. Business typically use it to refer to processing time,
but customers sometimes think it means they will receive the product
in that time.
Display prices
prominently
Include
prices on your product description pages and, in most cases, in your
product lists. Price is one of the most important product attributes
affecting the purchase decision, so do not require users to "dig" for
prices.
Note: Use the three-letter international currency
symbol (e.g. USD for US dollars) and a descriptive phrase (e.g. "All
amounts are in US dollars.") to explicitly indicate the currency base.
Provide detailed
product information
Provide
detailed specifications and/or descriptions of the physical
characteristics, features, and functions of products. This detailed
information is essential to Web shoppers because they do not have the
assistance of sales clerks, and cannot touch products as they might in
brick-and-mortar stores.
To provide effective product information, develop a
thorough understanding of your customers and their interests and
needs. Once you have a clear understanding of your users' needs,
design your product information to address those needs.
Note: If you are selling to an international
audience, use both the metric system and the imperial system to
specify product dimensions.
Disclose the
most important product information first
Whenever
products and product categories are introduced, begin each product
description with information that distinguishes that product from
others and enables customers to recognize quickly which products do
and don't meet their needs. The product descriptions, whether they
appear on the store front, on product category navigation pages, or on
product description pages, should answer the following questions:
Also specify when and where promotions are valid,
and immediately remove them when they have expired.
Tip: You may also want to provide "appetizers,"
such as free downloads and contests to win free products. Appetizers
induce people to visit your site and whet their desire to buy
products. Be sure to link to shopping pages from the appetizers. For
instance, a page where users register to enter a contest should link
to the product that the winner will receive, to that category of
products, and to the store front.
Facilitate
cross-selling and up-selling without annoying or distracting users
Use
cross-selling and up-selling techniques to provide customers easy
access to products they may want or need. Cross-selling consists of
displaying or linking to products related to the one(s) the user is
currently viewing. Up-selling consists of displaying or linking to a
more expensive alternative to the one the customer has chosen.
Before trying either strategy, ensure that
cross-selling and up-selling will benefit your customers.
Cross-selling is beneficial when it provides your users an easy way to
buy additional products that they need or want. For instance, if users
have added a notebook computer to their order list, they may welcome a
link that allows them to shop for a carrying case and other
accessories. Up-selling can help users understand what is available at
the next price level, and how much the additional function or quality
would cost.
When designing a page that uses cross-selling or
up-selling, devote primary screen real estate to the product the
customer is viewing, or the user's primary task. Ensure that
cross-selling and up-selling options do not interfere with users'
ability to complete their current purchase.