Building an E-Commerce Presence, Research Paper Example

After browsing the internet for various e-commerce sites, some of the features and building blocks have been found to have more importance than others. Sites that had a clear design and it was easy to find information, products, and ways to buy are going to sell more goods than those that were hard to navigate. Reviewing one particular site the strongest features of an effective web store are described below.

http://www.personalizationmall.com/

The above site was reviewed based on the eight factors important for a successful e-commerce design: functionality, informational, ease of use, redundant navigation, ease of purchase, multi-browser functionality, simple graphics, and legible text.

Functionality

The functionality of the site is good, as it is easy to find what one is looking for. The categories are displayed on the top of the site, and they have a drop-down menu for sub-categories. Performing a sample query to shop for a gift for a friend who loves basketball, I simply had to click on “Recipients” on the top, then scroll down to “fro sports Enthusiasts” and click on “National Basketball Association”. Here I could find personalized frames, T-shirts, bags, and other items. After clicking on the selected item, the system offered personalization and gave me options for size, featuring the price of each option.

Informational

The description of each item was clear, and just enough to allow users to make a decision. Sizes and colors, materials were clearly displayed on the site. Further information about the company providing the branded item (in this case NBA) was given and links were provided. By clicking on the image, a larger, more detailed picture appeared.

Ease of Use

Navigating on the website was easy, and ordering the gifts was simple. When clicking on the  “personalize now”  button, one could choose a team name that the recipient of the gift supports and add two more lines with a name and message. It was also good to be able to see the  personalized item’s  image, instead of having to imagine how the text would look like. There was also an online chat available for customers, and once the visitor was happy with the personalized gift, they could add the item in their basket.

Redundant navigation

One of the strengths of the site is that customers can choose the same item by using various navigation methods. As an example, one could start off searching for a gift for a man, or search by occasion, or type of merchandise. The most popular, in-demand products’ images are also featured on the first page, leading those interested in those offers to the product page.

Ease of Purchase

After selecting the item and personalizing it, customers are able to add it to the cart, get information on shipping terms and costs, and check out using online payment systems or credit cards.

Multi-browser Functionality

The website works with all browsers tried: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, and it also has a mobile version, so customers can browse the site and make purchases using their smart phones.

Simple Graphics

The navigation used simple graphics, and the main page only contained small images. Customers who were interested in details of the product could click on the name and get the full description and a larger image.

Legible Text

The text was easy to read, and backgrounds did not affect legibility. Genuine product reviews were also featured under each product, without distortion.