For any ecommerce website, there are some simple techniques for navigation and content to help ensure users have a positive customer experience. Users need to have confidence in you as a supplier, be able to find a product that suits their needs, and be able to easily and securely complete the application or checkout process.
1. Engender confidence and security
When users land on your homepage, are they immediately confident that you are a trustworthy and reliable provider, who offers products that suit their needs? If not, then why are they going to invest their valuable time in wading through your site? Do you, for example, make it clear on the homepage what your product range is; have links to useful calculators or ‘which product is right for you’ tools; as well as content that clearly states why you are the right choice for your target audience? For example, the MBNA homepage scores highly in the Global Reviews’ 4CE Benchmark, with its clear layout, obvious links to product range, help, news and ‘About MBNA’, as well as added value options such as ‘protection and security’ and ‘understanding credit’ that clearly show it is arethinking about what matters to its potential customers.
2. Enable easy comparisons
If you offer a wide range of products or services that users need to compare, for example a range of service tariffs or a variety of similar products or services, sites need to make it as easy as possible for users to compare the items directly. This is impossible if each product simply has its own product page; users need to be able to view details together on one page. For example, National Australian Bank’s credit card comparison tool allows users to easily scan to compare key features, remove cards they are not interested in, collapse details to make pages easier to read, and details what type of customer the card is most relevant for. Ideally, customers should be able to easily print a neatly formatted version of any such table. If any external comparison is possible, think about enabling this too; consumers routinely compare products using price comparison sites or other means, so why would businesses be any different. Making this easier for them will increase the chances they stay on your website to complete their transaction. Being on your site also gives you a far better opportunity to sell the wider benefits of transacting with you, should it be the case that you aren’t the cheapest provider.
3. Tell users why they should buy from you
Even after customers have, hopefully, found a product or service on your site that suits their needs, it’s likely that, in many verticals, you are not the only provider of that product that they could easily find online. So why should they buy from you, especially in situations where you might possibly not be the cheapest option? You need to make sure your site offers a constant ‘drip feed’ of proof of your trustworthiness and value; for example, place details of external awards on product pages, as well as other research that proves your reliability. This could include impressive statistics about the speed of delivery, or data about customer satisfaction levels. For example, the business health insurance pages on the Bupa website have clear ‘Why choose Bupa?’ content on the main page, as well as being linked in the main side navigation.
4. Set clear expectations
When users enter an application form or checkout process, everything possible needs to be done to enable them to complete that form without having to leave the form to look something up online or go and physically find a document. Eliminate these risks by telling them upfront what they will need, and setting their expectations correctly as to how long the process will take, exactly what data they will need, such as VAT numbers, and what will happen after the process is complete. Tell them how long it will be until the product arrives or the service is live, and given them options to follow-up with you in case of queries. For complex forms, enable users to save half-completed forms to return to later.
5. Integrate contextual help and support
A basic requirement for any site, especially transactional ones, is a comprehensive help or FAQ section with a permanent link from the main navigation. However, what is much more useful is contextual help integrated into the user’s research and buying journey. For example, complex terminology should be linked to a glossary; see LV’s site for a good example of an integrated glossary that can be switched on and off by the user. Think about placing links to relevant questions about each page directly next to content; a good example of this is HSBC, who lists the top five questions relating to mortgage products at the bottom of relevant pages, alongside a phone number and branch finder. Don’t forget application forms or buying pages either; make sure every page of these has contextual help, as well as phone numbers for additional reassurance.
