11. Angus & Robertson: By-the-book design
Category
Books
Overall impression and usability
The site is well branded and looks professional. The home page does not overwhelm the customer with too many options, like some sites do. The purchase process is straightforward, and the help facility provides useful information about the company and the technology. Where the site is not as strong is in the description of books. It doesn't deliver enough information about the books for many customers to be sure about making a purchase. As such, the site will sell to customers who know specifically what they want, but will fail to capture the browsing customers looking for something that sparks their interest.
Hits
- You can search for books by title, author, description, or ISBN. The site also allows the you to browse through a range of categories.
- A listing of the offline stores and their contact details is made available for customers only wishing to browse online. Information on offline store events is also available. The dates of upcoming book signings is one example.
- The site offers some nice features to encourage return visits and to encourage sales. These include book review, radio interviews about particular books, and offering books in downloadable electronic format.
- The site offers the story of how Angus & Robertson formed. This may be of interest to some customers, and helps build a sense of trust and understanding between the customer and the organisation.
- A list of the 15 best selling books in a range of genres is available for viewing. The customer can also look up books seen on Oprah Winfrey.
- The help desk facility provides a great deal of information--from how to shop to security information, to contact details. This information appears in a new pop up window, which may make it difficult for novice users (to which much of the information here is directed) to know how to return to the main site.
Misses
- The customer is only provided with a two-line description of the book (except for the items on the homepage) and a small image of the front cover. The blurb of the book is not made available for viewing. This may be okay for a customer who knows exactly what they want, but for the customer wanting to select a book online this may not be enough.
- The site gives an "online price", but there is no indication of the size of the discount from the in-store price.
- The shopping cart does not reflect the selections made by customers unless clicked on.
- To purchase a gift voucher, the customer is taken to a new pop up window, which has new links and the look of a whole new site. This may be very confusing for customers, and frustrating for others who now must work out the functionality of a "new site".
Purchasing procedure
- The information required for purchase is appropriate, however, no option is provided for alternative phone or fax purchases though.
Security
- The security information is reassuring to the customer, as it sates "If fraudulent charges are ever made on your credit card arising from use on this site, you will not have to pay for them".
ePharmacy currently has 3 staff members. It proves that you do not have to have a massive business structure to have a successful e-commerce business.