After trying to purchase our items, in vein at times, we have compiled a list of what we perceived to be some of the benefits and pitfalls of purchasing these sort of products online.

Online Benefits:

• Online sites are quick and convenient--there is no need to rush in your lunch break to compare competitors' prices.
• Online sites feature extensive product listings, with some sites having up to 15,000 items.
• Online sites sport neat features like, "build your own PC", competitions, prizes, and "store assistants", that all add to the fun factor.
• The quality of the information provided on the goods is high, saving you from hunting around and reading pamphlets.
• It's possible to view many products in one sitting and to take advantage of online price comparisons available from some sites.
• Prices! They are often much less than the average face-to-face store.
• Surfers can avoid dodgy salespeople shoving hardware down their throats.
• Items that are often difficult to find offline can usually be found quite easily online.
• It's easy to organise a regular account that can be updated and viewed regularly.
• Variety of payment methods.

Online Pitfalls

• Many customers dive straight for the search engine rather than browse. This is not often the best idea because many search engines are not as sophisticated as they could be.
• Customers may not buy the final product online, instead using the online services as a research tool only.
• Delivery from online vendors can sometimes be inadequate. For example, some take no responsibility once the goods leave the warehouse.
• There is no face-to-face contact, often people are comforted by actually "talking" with a real person.
• Some goods on special may be damaged or secondhand--who knows?
• Often sites do not let you know when you will receive the goods. It was discovered that many are on back order for what may turn into weeks.
• Information provided on sites tends to be geared for someone who knows what they're looking for.
• Often the purchasing procedure lets sites down and breeds a lack of trust through the need for copious registration details at the last minute...customers just wanted to buy and go!
• Online, there is no facility for testing the product or just trying it out (eg, quality, texture, sound).
• Paying for express delivery on goods worth a significant amount seems ludicrous, not only that, you often have to wait more than a day (depending on where you live in Australia).

As always, picking a winner involved a lot of discussion. What made it hard this time, was that we were very impressed by three stores in particular: Ozbuy, E-Store, and International Software Warehouse. What stood these sites apart from the rest were the features that clearly had the customer in mind (unbelievable though it may sound--so many Web sites still don't seem to get it). But, obviously, if you don't build your site with for your customers, you may as well not bother. Most disappointing however, was the lack of consideration to accessibility. All sites were not compliant with the W3C web accessibility initiative. Discrimination in any form is unacceptable, so consideration of these guidelines should be considered best practice when developing a site.

Ozbuy was the biggest surprise. The site has been updated since we had last entered via the somewhat redundant splash page, but were we in for a shock! The site was full of neat features, such as comparison tables, pop-up picture windows, and great prizes for customer feedback. And clearly this site listens when you speak, because it's very centred around the customer experience. Sure it has some usability issues, but these were easily overcome in favour of the rounded experience that was provided when compared to its peers. As for prices, it seemed not many could better Ozbuy, with all prices below the RRP.

E-Store stood apart from the pack also, with its clean design and easy-to-use navigation system. Special features include the "freight calculator", feedback to customers, and a vast range of payment options (with one clever option: a pay-by-phone service that caters to those who are still a little Web shy when it comes to leaving credit card details). Not only that, E-Store also has a vast supply of goods available for selection.

Another great site was that of International Software Warehouse. This site offers customers a good range of products and is quick and easy to navigate. A great feature of this site is that customers can sort products easily by the criteria of their choice (price, manufacturer, category, etc) making the browsing process compatible with different customer styles. This site offers free stuff with purchases as well as other special and has a great shopping cart. With all this in mind we really had a hard task on our hands to choose the winner, with Ozbuy and E-Store the two main contenders for the title. The jury was out on the decision for two whole days while we deliberated. But at the end of the day we just couldn't go past Ozbuy as the pick of the bunch.

AusPC Market

RATING: 6/10

During our evaluation process, AusPC's 9-month-old site was being re-developed. Our diligent testers had access to both new and old sites to ensure a comprehensive review. The good news is, for all you loyal to AusPC, not much has changed.

The site still has a lot of information on their products, with pictures and links to both manufacturers and reviews. The main difference is an increase in the size of their header menu bar, and additional services such as order tracking, and greater personalisation by incorporating a database of previous orders.

Hits

• The content is presented extremely well with a good description of each product, containing a picture and associated links.
• There is an excellent help facility with actively phrased questions and detailed explanations. Our testers found this very useful.
• Specials, new items and products in stock are clearly indicated.
• Delivery is free.

Misses

• The site's navigation was limited. This is a result of not providing a left-hand navigation bar. A good solution would be to include trail navigation, as this would compliment the current design.
• Greater explanation of icons in the buying process is required. Testers found that the pop-up text boxes did not work on all platforms, in particular on Macs.

Purchasing process

• The shopping cart needs greater presence, as there is no window that displays a detailed list of current items selected. Also, there is insufficient feedback once an item has been selected.
• Two options for submitting details are available: Standard and SSL secured. A clear description of each is given to assist customers' understanding.
• E-mail confirmation is provided and same-day delivery is available in most cases.

Members Benefits

• There is no mention of membership available. Search facility
• The search function needs developing. Testers found it frustrating to receive so many "no-results". A good solution is to provide a list of possible results, and to explain how to broaden the search.

General Usability

• Unfortunately, the font used on the site was so small it rendered the text totally useless. One customer couldn't even read the main menu bar let alone select a field!
• The product information is displayed extremely well and the site is a stand-out in this technical-type Web site.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines, failing our accessibility testing procedure.
• There is no means to compare products.
• The font colours used also compromise readability on the site (for example, we saw a black grid background with multicoloured writing).

RATING: 7/10

City Software's site has a simple, yet professional look and feel. Despite the lack of flashy screens and cute options that are common on other sites, City Software comes up with the goods. Fulfilment of orders is extremely quick with same-day delivery available in Melbourne and the next day for the rest of Australia. It's easy to navigate, but some products are particularly hard to find. Customers are rewarded for their loyalty and can become a member of the "SmartBuy Club" to receive special benefits--a marketing ploy that should never be underestimated. Incredibly though, the registration process for this store is offline, which seems ludicrous when you can purchase products online, and this is perceived to be a barrier to even registering at all--who can be bothered? Regardless, our testers found this site to be useful and easy to use, so it fared well in comparison.

Hits

• The site has a professional, yet simple, look and feel. It gives excellent feedback that helps users keep track of their path though the site.
• Same-day delivery for Melbourne and next-day Australia-wide is available if orders are received by 11:30am. Delivery is free for purchases over $200.
• The vendor offers to send you a free catalogue for you to browse through.

Misses

• When the site was reviewed detailed descriptions were not available for products on the site, but a representative from City Software indicated that these would be available soon.
• There is no personalisation option for repeat purchasers.

Purchasing Process

• Each item has an indication of whether it is available, stock is low or has to be ordered.
• The shopping basket is clear and usable; but it is not always visible on the screen.
• There is good feedback to confirm orders.

Member/Other benefits

• There is a three-percent reward for joining the "Smart Buy" club and special product promotions offered only to members. It costs $50 to join.
• Registration is offline and no indication is given as to what the special offers are.
• Special offers are sent via e-mail to "Smart Buy" members. Search facility
• Our testers were unable to quickly and easily find a notebook using the menu and search.

General Usability

• The site is easy to navigate and the colour contrast and fonts make it easy to read.
• It would be useful if the main navigation system allowed customers to preview the areas of choice before having to actually click through.
• Along the same lines, it would have been useful if the product menu remained on the left-hand side of the screen so customers didn't have to go back to access it.
• There was a particularly slow download on product lists.
• When no products were in the basket, checking the basket offered an error message that was not clean or clear (eg, Microsoft VB script runtime error), this is inappropriate as it does not adequately feedback to the customer what is wrong--why not say, "You have no items in your basket"?
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 5/10

Coming in at Number 10 on the Hitwise Top 10 is Computer Market Online. For the regular customer with a high level of technical knowledge, this site is worth a look. The novice shopper should try elsewhere, however, as this site has a detailed search function and only provides a one-line description of search results. As a result, several testers found it hard to locate items through browsing, as there was not enough information given to assist them. You really need to know what you're looking for.

Hits

• Having the shopping basket always visible in the navigation frame was a bonus. Yet this feature still needs improving as insufficient detail of selected items were provided.
• Price! The prices on the site were great, but as most components require professional installation, this site is for boffins who build their own PCs.
• The site offers customers order tracking to keep updated on their delivery procedure.

Misses

• A very brief explanation of products is all that is provided.
• There is limited stock availability for listed products, as most gave a "zero" quantity.

Purchasing process

• Adding items to shopping cart is quite easy, yet it is unclear how to proceed to the checkout.
• Registered customers can skip re-entering their customer details.
• Handy options are available to "Quote" or "Buy Now".
• E-mail confirmation has little detail provided and order tracking is required to check the order's contents.

Members Benefits

• There is no mention of membership being available.

Search facility

• Very specific, which is great if you know what you want, but if you don't know what you want it appears the search function has problems with keywords.
• Descriptions of search results are very technical and no pictures are provided.

General Usability

• What strikes you immediately is the use of frames. Now this is normally OK, even recommended for the left-hand side navigation, however, there were also left to right scroll bars--testers found this just plain annoying.
• The font used is small and difficult to discern; in addition, the colours used served to compromise readability (for example, red on blue, white on blue, blue on blue).
• Having the shopping cart always visible helps, yet could be improved by containing a detailed list of items currently in the cart.
• Links to help guide and direct customers throughout the shopping process would help. This can be easily achieved by including a link to "proceed to the checkout".
• There is good consistency with the left-hand navigation bar being available on each page, and the drop down "quick navigation" menu appears to work well.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 5/10

Corporate Software Australia has an established Web presence that is constantly re-developed--according to our conversations with the organisation. Our testers liked the descriptions and photos of products in the software section of the site, however, the hardware section does not currently contain this level of detail. Currently, the whole site is being updated with full descriptions and photos. During the ordering process there is inadequate customer feedback regarding fulfilment and availability.

Hits

• The product descriptions and photographs in the software area are particularly detailed.
• There is a human touch to the site. Customers are offered phone, fax, or mail service if they are uncomfortable using credit cards, ordering over the Internet, or would like to customise their software licensing agreements.

Misses

• When browsing, the menu only shows the current page level--no path history is displayed.
• No specials are available in the hardware area and although the software section has a specials section, no actual dollar saving is shown.

Purchasing Process

• The product list format and text made it difficult to distinguish a Palm handheld from Palm accessories.
• There is no feedback given to users about delivery time and availability during the purchase, except that "indicative shipping times are two business days from order processing".
• Software orders were immediately confirmed on screen but this did not occur in the hardware section.

Member/Other benefits

• There is no personalisation option for regular customers.

Search facility

• The homepage search is quick and easy to use. However, it required specific terms and testers struggled to find products. There was an offer to e-mail CSA and they would personally search their store of 50,000 products.
• This is better than searches coming back empty; but it defeats the purpose of self-service on the site and adds extra delay. Money spent on this kind of account management would be better spent improving the site.
• Unfortunately you can't search hardware from the software section, you have to go to the hardware section.

General Usability

• Every time our testers went to the site they experienced a system error that redirects them to the homepage.
• You can't easily switch between the hardware and software sections.
• Some parts of the screen are very cluttered, particularly the homepage. The other information on the software pages is clear; but the hardware descriptions were unformatted, and the text was very small and difficult to read.
• There are some improvements that could be made to the shopping basket.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 4/10

Dick Smith hasn't done too badly with its online venture. The screens were relatively easy to move around, and product layouts and descriptions were extensive. Most frustrating then was the fact we could only purchase two items from our list--incredibly, the elusive items were either not offered for online purchase, or they were out of stock. Further to our disappointment, the site was not compatible with Mac OS, with the main navigation system totally disappearing, leaving Mac users staring at a picture of a "ready to shop" family.

The inability to purchase the full range of items was a real surprise, and unfortunate, as the site itself is essentially well laid out. Sure, it would have been handy to view some items simultaneously and the search function could use some work, but none of it was much use anyway, due to the minimal amount of products available for purchase. Therefore, the customer rating is more reflective of their disappointment at the range of items available to them than the actual quality ofthe site. The moral for Dick Smith and others: if you can't buy it online, then don't tell us about it and don't direct us to your offline store--why are we on the Net in the first place?

Hits

• Descriptions of products were extensive, with clear pictures and loads of useful technical detail.
• The site's "Bookmarks" are a useful feature for when you are shopping and want to return to an item.
• "Reduced to clear" and "Top 10" listings are great!

Misses

• The site was not compatible with Mac OS.
• We couldn't view items simultaneously, which was a disadvantage.
• From our tester: "I was ready and able to buy a $2600 laptop but was told I could only purchase the item at a retail store". Or they could always buy it from a competitor online!
• The range of items available was limited (eg, the only Palm available was the Palm V, and the optical mouse was out of stock).

Member Benefits

• None apparent.

Purchasing Process

• Our tester had to register before they could purchase, this was a real negative from the tester's point of view.
• Once we had registered we were left in limbo. It would be preferable to be taken back to your shopping cart, or be provided with some form of direction.
• A large number of redundant screens are provided until you finally get to enter your credit card details and proceed.
• It was clear to the customer they had completed the purchase, as the final screen was informative and directed the customer back to the "shop front".

Search Facility

• Searching using the "product search" facility was very slow and provided many accessories but no matches to the specific items we were looking for. Browsing for computers was more fruitful.
• Items displayed would benefit from a small picture on the same screen, rather than moving to another screen to view a single item. General Usability
• The search function needs improving.
• The "Category selector" page feels unfinished and customers were waiting for it to finish downloading--unfortunately it already had.
• The site is essentially clean and clear--it was easy to navigate through and locate items of interest.
• The use of frames on the site is a bonus and also strongly recommended, as this means scrolling the product list does not mean losing your navigation system.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 7/10

E-Store claims to be Australia's Internet Super Store and not only has a broad range of product categories, from computers to whitegoods and sports gear, but it also has a wide range of goods within its computer category. E-Store is generally a great site with a design revealing clean lines and an easy-to-use navigation system, clear pictures, good product information and all-in-all, a pleasant buying experience. Their tagline is "Shop Around, Buy from Us", and it was noted that their prices did indeed seem very reasonable.

Hits

• Extensive methods of payment are available, including order on the Web and pay by phone, which provides the convenience of online shopping and allows customers to pay via phone if they are concerned about online payment security.
• Categories are clear and easy to understand.
• The addition of short explanations next to the product is welcomed. For example, "Click Here for Windows Me Full Version"--this then tells you who the product is suitable for, quickly and in simple terms. A definite plus.
• A Shopping Basket icon, with the value of the goods in it, is always shown at the top of the page. This allows you to keep an eye on how much you are spending and is a real bonus.

Misses

• The handy, yet flawed freight calculation tool gave three different prices for the same item, using the same delivery conditions. This is just plain confusing for the customer.
• There is currently a problem with customers being given incorrect phone order numbers. E-Store is working to solve it but until then customers may get confused.
• There is no "buy" button next to the item when viewing the full product description. It is only at the bottom of the page, sometimes requiring the customer to scroll down to find it. This made purchasing harder than it needed to be.
• When calling the service centre for assistance, we had to wait for nearly 10 minutes before the call was answered.
• Some items suggested "less than 5" in stock...that could mean there are anywhere between 4 and none.

Purchasing Process

• Purchasing the Palm m100 was easy, as it was a special on the homepage. The site also told us there were less than five available (though it would have been better to know exactly how many were left, in case "less than 5" meant "none").
• It is possible to shop online at E-Store and not enter your credit card number on the Web. This happens by putting everything in your shopping basket, as you normally would and at the final sales screen selecting the phone order option. Then you simply have to phone E-Store and tell them your order number and credit card details and they will process it for you. Points go to E-Store for addressing public concern and having this option.
• E-Store also helps you shop. When buying the Palm it gave links to two appropriate accessories. This is a great feature for the customer, as it is easy to see items that will complement your product.
• After we had decided what we wanted we clicked from the cart to the checkout. This was followed by three steps:
  Step1 Create an account. We only needed to fill in basic details and no credit card number.
  Step 2 Delivery, it wasn't hard to choose as there was only one option.
  Step 3 Method of payment, we chose phone order.
• Once we had finished we were presented with a phone number to call and an order number to quote. The order number was "0", and apparently E-Store has been having a couple of problems with giving incorrect numbers. We were able to work it out, however, by calling.

Member Benefits

• We could find no information telling us why we would want to create an account, even the e-account page doesn't tell us the benefits. We assume it is to speed up subsequent sales by having all your details stored, yet this was never made explicit.
• We created an account during the sale process but it wouldn't let us back in, for some reason, the next time we went to shop. We had to fill it all in again--a redundant and annoying step.

Search Facility

• The search facility was functional and easily accessible--it was in same place on every page.
• It was simple to use with a keyword. It did tend to find some generic names but not others; however, it was generally good.
• The results page presents a great range of information about the product making it easy to identify the one you are after. Information provided included price, manufacturer, stock level, and whether Rentwise services are available on that item. Further, links to buy the item or get freight costings for that item are available.

General Usability

• The homepage is well formatted and easy to navigate. Although it does waste some precious space at the top of the page with large graphic borders.
• The site gives good feedback when we made mistakes--for example, "you have not purchased anything up to this point". This was preferred to other error messages we have seen.
• Navigation throughout the site is very easy with clear category names and consistent menu structure to help make finding product categories easy.
• Products have clear photographs, and information is well formatted, allowing customers to find the information they need quickly and easily.
• Links are obvious using the standard hyperlink practice of underlining text, as this makes it easier for new customers to know what to click.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 5/10

Our testers appreciated the effort EYO's Webmaster has taken to inform their customers of "What's new" and their detailed "support" link, as articles are dated and hyperlinks are incorporated appropriately. The product listing presents a short one-line description with several external links available to provide greater information.

The other features that caused some interest were the "Message board" forums where customers could leave comments and get technical advice, and swap DVDs and other PC stuff.

Hits

• There is excellent information regarding their company. This provides a personal touch to the site.
• A great online community created through the use of the "Message board" forum.
• Excellent scalability of the Web site.
• The build-your-own system feature is well positioned for their Do-it-yourself target market.

Misses

• We were disappointed with the inconsistent navigation options, as the left-hand navigation bar disappears within the product category.
• Greater explanation of icons in the buying process is required.
• We noted poor use of language with grammatical errors.
• We found insufficient feedback relating to search results and product links.

Purchasing process

• The shopping cart needs a greater presence on each page, as the only information given to customers is their current total.
• Unfortunately, customers are required to enter their shipping details before they can view the contents in their shopping cart. This process should be completed later in the purchasing process.
• E-mail confirmation is provided.

Members Benefits

• There is no mention of membership available, however there is the facility to receive an updated price list via e-mail if requested.

Search facility

• The search function is not located on the homepage. Only by browsing the "product list" is it evident that searching is available.
• The search function needs developing. When "no-results" were available no feedback was given, and it was not obvious that the search procedure had occurred.

General Usability

• Inconsistent navigation caused concern for our testers, especially within the "Product list" as there was no "Home" link available.
• A slow downloading product list became frustrating, as browsing was the only productive way of locating products.
• The poorly ordered purchasing procedure is quite off-putting for first time buyers.
• The homepage complies with W3C accessibility guidelines, with only five out of 16 pages failing our test. This is a real plus for people with a disability and, unfortunately, still a rarity among Web pages nowadays.
  However, the site was still not entirely accessible--this should not be an option.

RATING: 2/10

The Forte Computers Web site is somewhat amateurish, even first-generation in appearance. However, looks aren't everything. What matters most is how easy it is to compare and look at items. Yet, there are no pictures of items, only laborious lists that offer names, price, and product descriptions. Incredibly, they actually send you off the site to view pictures from the vendor. Call us crazy, but isn't that like sending them to another store to look at items and then hoping they will come back? We also had major concerns about the usability of the menu bars and categorisation of products. Unfortunately, in a tough market such as this one, sites have to be constantly upgraded and improved to maintain a loyal customer base, so in this sense Forte has been left behind.

Hits

• The "System Builder" concept (where users can configure a system to their liking) is good.
• Page layout is clean and uncluttered.
• The homepage appears to channel customers successfully.

Misses

• The System Builder needs more work. In this instance, it serves as simply another menu with the same information that is not integrated into the purchasing process.
• The decided lack of pictures mean that unless you've done your research elsewhere, you are unlikely to buy online from Forte.
• The site tells you that more detailed information can be found when you select the item but there is nothing more there.
• To review more detailed specs for products, the customer is taken off site to the vendor site--not a particularly wise move. It's like pushing your customer through the doors of another store!

Purchasing Process

• The shopping basket is easy to use, but on most pages customers have to scroll down to find it.
• Don't put more than one of each item into your shopping basket. If you want to remove one then you'll have to remove them all and start again.
• Insurance is available for delivery (we thought that was their problem!).
• Testers received good feedback during purchasing process.
  However, there was no indication of availability or shipping times.

Member/Other benefits

• There is no personalisation on the site.

Search facility

• There is no search facility on the home page, and on the "shopper" page customers are required to scroll down to find it. General Usability
• There is a good description of how to use the site on the "shopper" page; but this should be obvious to the shopper and they shouldn't have to read anything!
• The product menu is extensive and text is in capital letters. This ensures that it is a very long scroll away! It is also not available on every page.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 4/10

Harris Technology first went live in 1996, making them one of the most experienced online stores reviewed. Their site quotes a range of 30,000 items and apparently gets 10,000 to 13,000 page queries daily. Our first experience after typing in the URL was being shown a redirection page! Not a great start to the buying experience. The homepage of Harris Technology isn't very informative and certainly doesn't welcome the shopper. At first it seemed there were no products displayed, we had to scroll down to find them. Instead of seeing products, prices, and descriptions first, the top of the page is dominated by a photo of the call centre, information about the business connection with Coles Myer, an article about investing by Robert Gottleibson, and ads for other Web sites--not very conducive to shopping.

Hits

• There is a very large range of computer related items.
• Harris also offers a wide variety of payment options, including Rent Smart finance.
• Customers can receive an order confirmation e-mail almost immediately.
• Users can print a quote, which may be handy for price comparisons offline.

Misses

• The poorly designed homepage makes it hard to see the relevant information and important links are not obvious.
• Use of frames is sometimes very confusing, as they all change the information they display.
• There is a chat forum available for customers. It doesn't seem like a useful feature for an online store and no one seemed to be using it.
• Clicking home didn't cause the right-hand navigation to reappear so we couldn't see the options available until we accidentally found the button in the top navigation.
• Customers aren't told how much they are saving on specials.
• The back button provided on the main page didn't always work.
• Items suggest "less than 10 items"--that means there could be anywhere between nine and none. They need to specify.

Purchasing Process

• Getting stock availability information is easy in some cases and hard in others. If the stock level is not reported on the Web page you can e-mail or call, but you can only e-mail about one item at a time, making this process a hassle.
• There is no comparison feature to help decide which laptop is the right one, but at least all the information was in a similar place in the description page, making comparing products a little easier.
• The purchasing process was not easy to follow, as the customer is not guided through the process. This should have been more intuitive.
• Buttons on the basket page are not well organised and require the customer to search for the button they need, making the process potentially confusing and somewhat drawn out.
• The information required on the order processing page is not well laid out and information that may be irrelevant to the majority of shoppers is placed in amongst the important details.

Member Benefits

• The member benefits are not very enticing for most customers, as there is no significant simplification of the process. However, you do save some time on filling in forms.

Search Facility

• The simple search facility uses three criteria: keyword, the price range you want, and part number. You don't need to enter all of these.
• The search returns surprisingly good results and also allows you to narrow down your search by allowing the selection of categories containing the search term. This is handy when you want only to look at certain sub-categories of the product.

General Usability

• The navigation system of the site can be confusing to use, as all frames can be changed to show different information. Customers may get "lost" and not know how to navigate back, as the buttons and their names are sometimes not as intuitive as they could be.
• The wording used on the site was sometimes a little confusing and could be simplified to make it clearer for customers.
• The page layout is not consistent, with items in odd places and information poorly formatted. This makes it hard for the customer to identify, find, and read product information.
• Harris Technology has a large range of items but the customer experience could be greatly improved to make purchasing quicker and easier.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 6/10

Harvey Norman is a great example of a "clicks-and-mortar" site, as customers are familiar with the level of service provided. The site can refer customers to "visit your nearest store" to discuss matters such as becoming a "business partner" member, but perhaps this is not the best use of the technology. Rapidly rotating ads featured on the navigation frame is the quickest way to kick many customers out of a site. One tester commented they felt dizzy from the motion. Apart from this, the site is quite well designed, especially for first time buyers.

Hits

• Clean presentation of products with pictures and a brief description.
• The site features an expandable left-hand navigation bar. More sites should use this.
• There is a quick navigation drop-down menu that allows easy access to several features, such as databases on previously purchased products and the location of registered repairers.

Misses

• Several links needed either updating or more information. For example, the "Specials and bargains" feature contained only one item on the day of review.
• Frame space was not used to the best advantage, as features such as "Search" and "Help" were not given enough presence.
• Not enough feedback was provided in search results and product links.

Purchasing process

• The shopping cart is located in the navigation frame, yet more detailed information on items contained could be provided.
• After adding an item, customers are presented with "Need help? or contact us by phone" in bold text. This does not help customers build confidence while shopping online.
• When checking out, customers are asked to choose between three different shipping methods without any assisting information to help them choose.
• Orders are placed with local regional stores.

Members Benefits

• Unfortunately, Harvey Norman has decided to cancel its "Loyalty Program".
• Promotional e-mails are sent to registered members to inform them of any current sales that may be of interest.

Search facility

• The search function is on the homepage, yet this is not obvious. It is unclear how this works.
• The search function needs developing. When "no results" were available, the recommendation was to contact your local store.

General Usability

• Product descriptions are displayed by spawning a new window. This is undesirable as novice customers may become disorientated and start clicking on the wrong browser system.
• The expandable left-hand navigation bar allows quick transitions between content categories; however, this could be implemented better than is currently the case.
• The colours used affect the readability of the top and left-hand menu bars (eg, white on blue, yellow on blue).
• More feedback is required from the site. For example, our tester, having selected furniture, was expecting items to appear in the main window, but instead the menu had expanded and offered more choices without the customer realising this change had occurred.
• The site offers a good comparison feature.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 6/10

International Software Warehouse is more than its name suggests, it does in fact sell hardware as well. The homepage is very easy to read and is neatly laid out. It provides all the key information and links you would expect on a shopping site, including specials, help information, product categories, contact details, and search. It provides four different methods of getting you to the product you are looking for, and you can browse over the site quite easily. You can even request the latest catalogue to be sent to your house.

Hits

• One of the great things about the site is that when you are browsing you can sort products easily by criteria (price, manufacturer, category, etc) although the sort button could be contrasted with the background to make it more obvious.
• For all the Mac fans out there, there is a wide range of Macintosh software available, and even some accessories. These were even highlighted on the homepage, making them easy to find.
• The order tracking facility is easy to use and is reported to be updated daily.
• Each category has a product of the week, which is nice and exposes customers to items they might not have considered.
• Free stuff is on offer with purchases and other specials. This is great and was very popular with our testers.
• Although we didn't need to call ISWH for any reason, we thought we would check to see what their customer service was like. The answer: super! They were quick to respond and we got a person straight away--not a machine.
• The site tells you before you start what credit cards are accepted and that the prices are in Australian dollars.
• Information for new customers is easy to understand and is located under the help link. The customer support phone number is shown on every page just in case you get stuck.

Misses

• Unfortunately, there was no information about some products, such as the laptop we were planning on buying, so we didn't buy it. Even though this site may be used for a price comparison, customers are unlikely to buy a $6000 laptop without the specs and a picture. The fact that they aren't there forces customers to go and look somewhere else for the info! Very few products seem to have appropriate information about them. However, when the product information was there--for example, for the Palm m100--0it was very good.
• The left-hand navigation lists manufacturers, but customers are more likely to shop by category of goods. It made the process a little harder and we didn't see the reason for doing it this way, as few people would buy a product by brand alone. They would probably prefer to shop by item and then choose brand.
• Availability doesn't seem to be shown anywhere on the site, making it hard to know when you will get the product you purchase.
• The specials page is quite extensive and although it says the products are either superseded, returned or unwrapped goods, it doesn't say which ones are which.
• You might be happy with an opened carton of CD-RWs, but you don't want your ZIP drive to have been played with--you can't tell. Also, the site doesn't tell you how much you are saving on the specials, which is important when deciding on an impulse purchase. If it's clearly a bargain, people are more likely to buy it.

Purchasing Process

• The cart facility is quite good and allows you to check the freight on your goods immediately. Unlike many other sites we have evaluated, the cart was well laid out and easy to use.
• We tried to add a special product to our cart and it stopped the browser. The price said "$call". If we can't purchase it over the Net then we have to call; clearly this is inconvenient and a real barrier to buying behaviour.
• After deciding to proceed to the checkout, ISWH offers you a couple of specials and a free gift. We got Filemaker 2.1. Also, when we selected the freebie it didn't make us go back through the checkout again, which was a nice touch.
• The site asks you to enter an e-mail and password if you have purchased before or to fill out the form of account details. The form is easy to understand. After entering the details it allows you to check them before placing the order.
• Once the order is placed you are sent a confirmation number for your records.

Member Benefits

• There is no membership noted on the site; however, if you request a catalogue you have the option to be e-mailed about specials "no more than once a month".

Search Facility

• Search worked well, but you need to know the manufacturer of the product, otherwise browsing is the only option. This is a limitation of the site and should be improved to enable customers to search for categories of items, like Laser Printers.
• Although the site gives the option of using a "Websearch" code to go straight to a product, the codes were only shown when viewing a list of the products. This feature might be handy if you were frequently buying the same item and would make the process quicker.

General Usability

• The site was cleanly laid out with customer information in easy-to-find locations on the page.
• There were clear instructions to support the customer through the experience although it was a fairly intuitive process anyway.
• The pages also loaded quite quickly, enhancing the experience.
• The product categories are clearly laid out, however "Hardware" means accessories, and in the PC section, it is for computers. This was a little confusing for some of our testers. The delivery function tells you ahead of time what it is likely to cost and is very easy to use and understand.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

RATING: 7/10

Ozbuy had updated its site since we visited last and while there was still the redundant splash page, what lay ahead was a pleasant surprise. Despite a couple of technical glitches that caused us to lose our entire shopping basket before it was processed, we have to say the site is a real gem, with lots of neat features that all serve to make the purchasing process a pleasure. As a result, it's very likely that Ozbuy has loyal customers that are repeat buyers, all due to the ease of doing business with them, the great deals, and the cheap prices.

Hits

• The "Top 10 Sellers" field is a great "at-a-glance" feature, allowing users to see the most popular buys.
• Specials are listed on the front page, which is a bonus.
• The "Buyers alert" is a great feature that allows you to track the price of different items.
• Freight is free for orders over $200.
• Comparison tables, allowing simultaneous comparison of item specs are a great feature of this site.
• It was easy to locate items that were on the shopping list by browsing the product categories, or the specials page (that is, except for the data cable).
• Significant prizes are given to customers who write in and let Ozbuy know what they can do to improve the site--great!

Misses

• Not all items listed on the site had pictures, which was disappointing.
• Unfortunately, the "compare" function is not available on all items.
• A technical glitch of some description meant we lost access to the site not once, but twice! Unfortunately, we lost all the items in our basket--not ideal, and certainly not customer friendly.
• You have to register to purchase, with the registration form suddenly growing in size as you progress. Our testers felt as though they had been tricked and was not pleased to be deceived in this manner.
• The homepage "enter here" is redundant and wastes time, especially when returning to the site.

Member Benefits

• A regular newsletter is distributed.
• Very competitive pricing.

Purchasing Process

• Graphic tiles direct you to "keep shopping" or "check out". These are a great feature as it means you don't have to rely on the "back" button on your browser.
• The shopping basket is visible on each screen, a feature that is highly desired, but obscured by the top-level navigation.
• Item lists are clear to interpret, with features such as "in stock" or "back order", Ozbuy price, and RRP listings, all of which are great. In addition, the "compare" feature is a real bonus for buyers, with a pop-up picture feature that doesn't compromise your ability to read information and view the product. However, the ability to view and compare items simultaneously would be better.
• Removal of items from the shopping cart is not as easy as it could be--why not have "remove item" graphic tiles like the "keep shopping" ones?
• Apart from the extensive and continually growing registration field, the process was seamless and intuitive.

Search Facility

• The site offered results quickly, under the general search function.
• The site also offers an "advanced search" function that seemed to filter searches a little too well--that is, it repeatedly offered "no matches" on the items that were being investigated, something that frustrated our tester.

General Usability

• Moving banner ads made the tester feel a little distracted...and dizzy.
• Navigation could be greatly improved, allowing customers to see the second tier navigation and selecting the relevant field prior to actually moving to the next page. The navigation changed across pages, and was not generally predictable.
• Along the same lines, many great features are hidden beneath the tabbed navigation system and are difficult to read (for example, shopping basket, login, new customer registration, order tracking, and customer service).
• It seems the site might need some technical testing to "de-bug", because of the complications that were encountered whilst shopping. The glitches served to annoy our tester, who felt they had wasted their time.
• Overall, the site is very easy to use and has loads of great features, mainly because of the great prize draws for customers who give Ozbuy feedback on their site and how to improve it.
• The site does not comply with W3C accessibility guidelines.

The Performance Technologies Group is an Australian consultancy with offices in Sydney, Australia, and Boston, USA. Their consultancy services are aimed at assisting in the development of software and technology products that are effective, usable, and technically sound. They can be reached at www.performancetechnologies.com or by phoning 02 9458 6450.

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